castle
Schloss Drachenburg
A flamboyant 19th-century villa-castle on the Drachenfels above the Rhine, reached by Germany's oldest cogwheel railway.
11 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeGermanyNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Bonn
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · Europe
About Bonn
Bonn works well as a base: 10 minutes from Bonn Hardtberg, 38km from Laacher See.
Bonn is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with about 330,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Bonn Hardtberg, about 4 km away.
Bonn (German pronunciation: [bɔn] ), officially the Federal City of Bonn (German: Bundesstadt Bonn), is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 320,000, it lies about 24 km (15 mi) south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost partRead more
of the Rhine-Ruhr region. Bonn served as the capital of West Germany from 1949 until 1990 and was the seat of government for reunified Germany until 1999, when the government relocated to Berlin. The city holds historical significance as the birthplace of Germany's current constitution, the Basic Law.
Founded in the 1st century BC as a settlement of the Ubii and later part of the Roman province Germania Inferior, Bonn is among Germany's oldest cities. It was the capital city of the Electorate of Cologne from 1597 to 1794 and served as the residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne. The period during which Bonn was the capital of West Germany is often referred to by historians as the Bonn Republic.
Following the German reunification, a political compromise known as the Berlin-Bonn Act ensured that the German federal government retained a significant presence in Bonn. As of 2019, approximately one-third of all ministerial jobs remain in the city. Bonn is considered an unofficial secondary capital of Germany and is the location of the secondary seats of the president, the chancellor, and the Bundesrat. Bonn is also the location of the primary seats of six federal ministries and twenty federal authorities. The city's title as Federal City (German: Bundesstadt) underscores its political importance.
The global headquarters of Deutsche Post DHL and Deutsche Telekom, both DAX-listed corporations, are in Bonn. The city is home to the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn university, and a total of 20 United Nations institutions, the highest number in all of Germany. These institutions include the headquarters for Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the UN Volunteers programme. Birthplace of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, a center of Rhenish carnival, and its geography by the Middle Rhine make it an important tourist destination. In Bonn the Bönnsch Platt, a dialect of the Ripuarian language is spoken by all generations, especially during carnival.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bonn?
Within an hour or so of Bonn: Schloss Drachenburg (11 km), Drachenfels (11 km), Phantasialand (17 km), Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) (25 km).
Are there any good drives near Bonn?
The nearest famous roads are Mosel Valley Wine Route, Moselle Valley Road (B53) and Baraque de Fraiture.
Where is Bonn?
Bonn is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, about 4 km from Bonn Hardtberg.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 330,579
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 50.7344, 7.0955
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Bonn
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Drachenfels
A dragon-legend hilltop ruin in the Siebengebirge offers Rhine panoramas that inspired Byron and generations of romantics.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Phantasialand
Award-winning German theme park near Cologne known for incredibly detailed theming and innovative ride experiences.
17 km · about 20 min drive
cathedral
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)
This twin-spired Gothic giant towers over the Rhine, its 533 steps rewarding climbers with a sweeping city panorama.
25 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Laacher See
A tranquil circular lake filling a dormant volcanic caldera in the Vulkaneifel, with gas bubbles still rising at its shore.
38 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Maria Laach Abbey
A serene six-towered Romanesque Benedictine abbey sits beside a volcanic crater lake in the Eifel's Vulkaneifel.
39 km · about 45 min drive
cafe
Cafe Pistenklause
A legendary trackside bar and cafe at the Nurburgring where racers and enthusiasts have gathered for decades to swap stories from the Nordschleife.
45 km · about 50 min drive
cafe
Nurburgring Paddock Bistro
The cafe overlooking the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife, where motorsport fans watch cars tackle the Green Hell while enjoying coffee and bratwurst.
46 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Bonn
- Right hereDrachenfelsA dragon-legend hilltop ruin in the Siebengebirge offers Rhine panoramas that inspired Byron and generations of romantics.
- 70 kmCalmont MoselschleifeA jaw-dropping hairpin loop of the Moselle viewed from above Bremm, framed by Europe's steepest vineyard.
- 71 kmMosel Valley Wine RouteOne of Europe's most scenic wine regions, where the Mosel River winds through steep vineyard-covered slopes and charming villages.
- 72 kmGeierlay Suspension BridgeOne of Germany's longest suspension footbridges sways 100 m above a Hunsrück valley on a thrilling 360 m crossing.
- 75 kmSignal de BotrangeAt 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
- 76 kmVaalserberg DrielandenpuntThe Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
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