Traveling in Germany

“Bonn” means good in French and the city with this name is a wonderful place for walks and urban tourism. The old German capital was very picturesque and beautiful even on the gray cloudy Easter day.

My walk started from the train station, where I arrived by the double-decker train from Cologne in 30 minutes. I walked along to their famous university, with a wonderful facade and a huge green park. Early in the morning there were no people and it was perfect for photos, except that the sky was gray and one of the towers of the university was under repair.

I reached a small riverside port, being disappointed by the lack of Easter mood and decoration. Nothing in Bonn reminded me of the holiday, people didn’t greet each other, as we do in Bulgaria. I wished Merry Easter to a few people I had to talk to and they politely wished me the same.

I reached the shore of the Rhine river when I finally saw people boarding a whale-shaped glazed boat called Moby Dick. I thought it was a good idea to tour the city by boat, but it turned out that the boat trips are only between cities, and this one was going to Linz am Rhein, offering a panoramic tour of the Rhine. The price was 17 euros for a return ticket. I liked the idea, leaving Bonn sightseeing for the afternoon.

So my walk on Bonn continued on water, as our boat passed through the Conference Center and the big hotel next to it. Without stopping, we moved on, passing by the government building and next to it the tallest building in the city – the one of the post office and DHL. With the boat we passed the greenest park in Bonn, where many festivals are held. I learned all this from the loudspeakers, who briefly told us information about the sights – first in German, then in English.

In the late afternoon I went back to Bonn, starting a new walking tour from other street parallel to the university’s one. I reached the City Hall, whose glamorous building impressed me. I photographed it from different angles, but the photos were still a pale shadow of the original. It was a snow-white building, not snow-covered by the snow, with a gold coat of arms on the roof above the entrance. In front of the entrance there were two stairs,  which intertwined, creating a truly beautiful architectural jewel.

Equally beautiful was the square in front of the town hall with many colorful houses. In the center of the square there was a covered monument or fountain, apparently it was renovated or hidden from the cold. In this square, however, I did not feel the cold weather, warmed by the beauty of the town, I felt being privileged of being here. The pedestrian zone of Bonn turned out to be full of sights and buildings, to be photographed.

All the shops were closed, but who wants to enter them when it’s so beautiful outside. I photographed a house with many bells, then an ancient fortress wall with a gate, passing by the monument of Beethoven, who was born here, and finally I found myself in front of their big Cathedral. In the morning I had photographed it only from the back side, if I had toured it I would have seen the beautiful square on the other side and I would probably have stayed all day in the city. Now, however, I had the opportunity to see much more than I had planned and even imagined.  

At 6:30 p.m., the bells began to ring. Loudly, cheerfully and somehow in tact, it was obviously time for a new festive liturgy. However, I preferred to walk around the beautiful streets of the old town of Bonn, imperceptibly reaching back to the station where the Hotel Continental was situated – with its elegant and cozy rooms.

The next morning I continued my tour to the opposite direction of the station in the direction of the Poppelsdorfer Schloss Palace, which was reachable on foot along a beautiful green promenade. There were no people again, but the birds were singing and it was very beautiful and inspiring.

Unfortunately, the Poppelsdorfer Schloss and the botanical gardens in its yard were still closed.  The working hours were from 10:00 to 18:00, and by 09:15 there was no one here. The beautiful castle erected in the Rococo style in 1715-1753, proudly posed against the blue sky, but the botanical garden was still bare, with protruding twigs without colors due not to working hours but to the season. It houses the university collection of minerals and the botanical garden. The palace itself is not open to the public, but I had read that it is worth a walk through 8,000 different species of plants and numerous turtles that inhabit small artificial ponds. Admission is free during the holidays, and the rest of the time is 2 euros.

I made a tour of the yard on the outside of the fence. Yesterday everything seemed green to me, only the sky was white, this morning the sky was bright blue, but the earth was white from the frost. Near the palace there were beautiful neat houses, which of course were colorful again.

It was a peaceful festive morning, and the Germans seemed to be celebrating it in their sleep, as there were only a few people, most of whom jogged or cycled. I walked around and took pictures of the beautiful city. I liked Bonn very much – calm, quiet and yet with majestic beauty.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BONN:

Location: Bonn is located on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Area: 141.06 sq.km
Status: From 1949 to 1990, the city was the capital of West Germany.
Population: 313,958 people (2014 data)

Trip Tips for Bonn:

Best time to visit: all year round
Typical food and drinks: Germany is known for its baked sausages and beer, and Bonn is no exception. Here you can also try the flavored Rheinischer Wurstsalat salad (made with homemade vegetables, poured with tartar sauce and accompanied by crispy french fries) or the Bonnsch Salat salad (seasonal vegetables with strips of breaded meat,  fresh mushrooms and homemade dressing), etc.
Places to visit: Das Bonner Münster (Bonn Cathedral), the majestic university building, the Poppelsdorfer Schloss (castle with a beautiful botanical garden), the old town hall, Beethoven’s house, etc.