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Bonn is one of the most flourishing centres of culture and cafe society in Germany. This tells you what to see, where to eat and what not to miss.Essential travel info.
Bonn Imagine the civic kick in the pants it must be to be demoted from capital status, but that’s exactly what happened to Bonn in 1991 when the capital moved overnight to Berlin. Mind you, not too many Germans were even bothered. They’d dubbed Bonn ‘'Bundeshauptdorf' (‘federal village’) for generations, and the feeling was that this provincial town was not a fitting capital for the new reunified Germany, lacking, as they saw it, the pzazz of Berlin, or the cutesy factor of Munich. Bonn was boring, and that was that. Which actually wasn’t that fair. OK as a capital it certainly wasn’t a London or Paris, but, in fact, Bonn did have considerably more going for it than people made out, and, ironically, now that it is no longer a capital and much less is expected of it, it’s surpassing all expectations. All was certainly not lost for this Rhineland town, whose inhabitants were steeling themselves for plummeting property prices and economic decline. Ironically though, since 1991 tourism has flourished, and many new companies have relocated to Bonn. The local economy is buoyant and confidence is high. But then, there are now some genuinely good reasons to base yourself there, even if just for a few days. ALL CHANGE In 1991 out went the Bureaucrats and in came the Bohemians who encouraged the building of spectacular galleries, world-class museums and notable exhibition centers. Deutsche Welle Broadcasting Corporation , Deutsche Telecom and Deutsche Post all based themselves in Bonn to enjoy its beautiful setting and high quality of life. One thing Bonners are particularly happy about is their status as Germany’s only United Nations city. Twelve UN organisations have their HQ’s here, employing around 600 people. Together with 150 non-governmental organizations, they have ensured that Bonn is far from obliterated from the European psyche as an important meeting centre. Much of the atmosphere of the town emanates from the prestigious Friedrich-Wilhelms Universitat . Of the 310,000 inhabitants of Bonn, 40,000 are students, and their considerable impact is seen and felt in the beer cellars and restaurants. Lucky them, their lectures are held in the stunning Baroque Elector’s residential palace dating back to the 18th century. MUSEUM HEAVEN What surprises most are the museums. They’re simply among the best in Europe. 'Museum Mile' begins at Museum Alexander Koenig. Half a century of generous federal funding resulted in treasures such as the Kunstmuseum, which has some excellent Expressionist and modern German Art , and the Haus der Geschichte, a futuristic museum dedicated to critical periods of German history. Among the exhibits are some antique VW’s and a black enclosure with the scrolling round names of the Holocaust victims. Challenging modern Art is on view at the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der BRD , and in a show of unique political correctness the Frauenmuseum , ironically located at Herrstrasse, fosters interactive art and culture by women only . BEETHOVEN You can’t escape Beethoven in Bonn. Just as Salzburg milks Mozart, Bonn celebrates their most famous son at every turn. Visit the humble house where he was born in 1770 and the bi-lingual guides will trot out little gems, such as ‘van Beethoven’ is a Flemish name meaning ‘from the beetroot farm’ – a legacy from his grandfather who moved to Bonn to work as a singer. Another nugget was that when Beethoven died, at the age of 57 yrs of cirrhosis of the liver, he left everything to his feckless nephew Karl, who, it was widely rumoured, was actually his son. Dodgy Karl however sold everything within weeks of Beethoven’s death, and it was only thanks to a lifetime’s dedicated collecting by Swiss connoisseur , Hans Conrad Bodmer, that many of his artifacts were gathered together again into what is now the largest Beethoven collection in the world. Among the items he bequeathed in 1956 are the enormous primitive hearing aids he designed when his deafness started; the pianos he adapted by stringing them with quadruple strings so he could feel the resonance, and his ‘conversation books’ through which he communicated once totally deaf. After the Beethoven House, the biggest draw is the Namen-Jesu Kirche and the cathedral on Munsterplatz with a fantastic 12th century cloister. Nightlife in Bonn is heavily dependent on the University, meaning if you go outwith term, pack a good book There’s concerts in the Beethovenhalle every week, while ’ Brotfabrik’ is an Alternative cultural centre with exhibitions, readings, cinema and events. For a listing of events check out the local listings magazine, cheesily called ‘Bonn Jour! ‘ For Bonn Tourism click here. For a traditional and historic hotel with good food and comfortable rooms try the Hotel Stern on Marktplatz. Rooms start from 95 euros .
The copyright of the article Travel to Bonn in Germany Travel is owned by Katie Wood. Permission to republish Travel to Bonn in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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