BONN
General
Information
History I
Sightseeing I
Practical I Hotels in Bonn
Until 1999 Bonn was the seat of government of the Federal Republic of
Germany. Even today it still retains some governmental functions as
Bundesstadt ( Federal city).
Set in the beautiful Rhine valley between the Siebengebirge hills and
the Eifel, Bonn enjoys a rich heritage from its 2,000-year history.
In the past half-century, however,
Bonn has gone through dramatic changes. In
1949, the quiet university town was turned into the western
capital of a divided Germany (mainly because Konrad Adenauer lived
here). When reunification led the government to return to Berlin in the
late 1990s, the city changed its course and became a centre for
enterpreneurs and businessmen.
In spite of the fact that Bonn is no
longer the political center of modern Germany, visitors still come here
to see where Ludwig van Beethoven was born and Robert Schumann died.
The
architectural style of the city is mainly
Baroque,
as Bonn was a royal seat of the former princes elector.
Bonn is naturally also committed to the arts. One of the famous features
of Bonn is the so-called "Museum
Mile", a road with
several important and interesting museums.
Most visitors to Bonn are pleasantly surprised by the
contrasts
between magnificent historical buildings and the charm of a small
village, all mixed with a sense of cosmopolitan urban life and
high-quality cultural attractions.
Baroque,
as Bonn was a royal seat of the former princes elector.
Bonn is naturally also committed to the arts. One of the famous features
of Bonn is the so-called "Museum
Mile", a road with
several important and interesting museums.
Most visitors to Bonn are pleasantly surprised by the
contrasts
between magnificent historical buildings and the charm of a small
village, all mixed with a sense of cosmopolitan urban life and
high-quality cultural attractions.
Beethoven's home
(now a museum) can be seen in the Bonngasse. Other sights include the
Poppelsdorf Palace (with Botanical Garden), Bonn University (housed in
an astonishingly beautiful Baroque palace which was formerly
the palace of the Prince-Elector of Cologne) and the Bundeshaus
(former Parliament House).
Just south of Bonn begins the romantic Middle
Rhine valley with its vineyards and castle ruins. Nearby is
one of the all-time "German" tourist sites : the Drachenfels (Dragon's
Rock) in the village of Königswinter.
