Say hello to my 97 and 98 unique cities in the world. I am slowly inching towards the big 100. I kick start the amazing 45 days trip around Europe with a 4 night stay in Bonn after landing in Frankfurt from Singapore. I have already shared about my accommodation in Bonn and you can check out my review of Hilton Bonn here. Bonn was never on my list to visit and it is only after looking for a place to stay after arriving in Frankfurt that I decided to visit Bonn. Bonn is a city in western Germany with the Rhine River passing by it. I also unexpectedly learned that Bonn was the birthplace of Beethoven after visiting it. This is why you learn from travelling as well. Check out some of my adventures in Bonn! First city in a pandemic, Bonn!

Bonn

Bonn isn’t too big and you can easily cover the city centre in a day or so and mainly on foot. I do love a small chic city sometimes where you can simply wander around and check out some stuff rather than a huge gigantic city like London or NYC.

Some of the main places that you have to visit or do in Boon includes the area along the river. Quaint and relaxing, this is also a popular spot for the locals to run and exercise during the day. I also got to wander around the city centre and one of the most memorable places got to be the Markt area. The facade is very special, especially the 18th-century old town hall. The white face and the gold trimmings.

Surprisingly, while in Bonn, I also learned that this is the birthplace of Beethoven and till today, it is still possible to visit the 18th-century house that Beethoven was born at in the past. You will be able to see his manuscript and piano.

If you have some extra time, you can also check out the neighbourhood around the univesity! It is pretty chill and you can also find a huge garden here that would be great in the day!

Konigswinter

Bonn is certainly a place that is good enough for 1 or 2 days at the max and you will probably be bored by then. Given that I had 3 full days in Bonn, the plan was to visit some cities in the region for a day trip. Either back to Cologne for another visit or check out Dortmund. Turn out I was a little lazy and the hotel staff also recommends me to check out Konigswinter and more specifically, Drachenfels, a renowned mountain peak in the region. They are known as the 7 Mountains in the region. It is easy to get to the area from Bonn where you can take a tram or bus to Konigswinter before taking the tram up the mountain. Sadly, during the time that I was there, the mountain tram was not in operation which makes it a little inconvenient to get up there. After some waiting at the train station, I managed to get a taxi ride up to the peak. All in all, I spent a total of 12.90 Euros on a combination of train and taxi to get up to the mountain.

The weather wasn’t that great on the day I went up but it is exactly due to this that I caught the snow for the first time ever! It was also magical to capture the scene of the Schloss Drachenfels with it snowing. Having snow or ice hitting you in the face? Checked. The view was magical and there are certainly no regrets in doing so. The place was easy to explore and hiking trails are easy to explore on. I met a nice local who was really friendly in helping me with some pictures. He even insisted on hiking back up to get some photos from this viewpoint which offers a breathtaking view of the castle that he says you must never miss!

Going in the low season is definitely not an ideal time to do so and you can forget about getting a ride down from the mountain. Thankfully it is a nice lovely stroll down and easy on the legs since you are going down the slope. I might in fact recommend everyone to do it this way since besides being able to save money, you get to check out the various views while making your way down. I definitely took more time than needed given how often I stop for pictures. If headed down straight, you can easily be down in 15 to 20 mins.

Next up, after warming up at a chic little cafe over a cup of cappuccino which was very much needed in that weather. After that, I went about checking out the town of Konigswinter which was chic and quaint at this time of the year. It is rather small and you will certainly be able to walk by it in 1-2 hours. You have to check out the area by the side of the river! Here are some pictures of Konigswinter.

Christmas Markets in Germany

One of the biggest thing and draw about visiting Germany during this season is definitely the Christmas Markets and this is also my first time visiting one! There is bound to be a Christmas market somewhere in every German city, with some being more famous than the other. It started out from Dresden before spreading throughout the country. Bonn Christmas Market is located around Munsterplatz and you will definitely not miss it with the lights and the crowd. It is pretty idyllic and full of festive vibes.

The stores sell all sorts of things from food to Christmas gifts and even souvenirs. Grab some mulled wine and food while soaking in the vibe. Here are some pictures of the Christmas Market when I was there.

When here, you also cannot miss out the opportunity to out one of the most amazing creation, Currywurst!

Conclusion

I am glad to visit both Bonn and Konigswinter, great German cities in this part of the world. The people are nice and it is quite a quaint place to wind down and relax. It might be a little pricy but definitely great for 1 day or 2. You can also easily do them as a day trip if you are staying in Cologne. Great to have been here once in my life. While I don’t expect myself to be back, it is nice to have seen them once.