Former Prince palace, now is main building of the University of Bonn, Germany ()
I stayed for three nights in Bonn and had time to find not one but two coffee spots to caffeinate myself before learning about German aristocrats and modern German history. In our January What’s Up issue, I shared my love for Kaffeesaurus and its chocolate-drizzled, fruit-covered toast. Another spot to grab a great coffee or tea and some delicious pastries is Espresso Perfetto. I started my day at Espresso Perfetto with a fantastic matcha latte, a miniature cannoli and a macaron.
For lunch or dinner, I can recommend the Mexican Cantina, Cafe Especial. They have all your Tex-Mex favorites such as nachos, tacos and quesadillas. No matter what you get, save room for the Kahlua crème brulee or flan de caramel after your entrée.
You cannot go to Bonn without making the pilgrimage to the Haribo Factory Outlet. I love gummy candies and this place did not disappoint. They have every type of Haribo gummy imaginable along with cool souvenirs, so not every souvenir is edible.
I like to walk everywhere when we visit a new city (weather permitting). It lets me see things along the way and has led to some great finds. The Intercityhotel Bonn provides an ideal, centralized location to get in a good walk without having to commute too far on foot. This hotel is just over 1km outside the city center and 2.5km from Museum Mile, so it was more cost-effective and let us walk off the aforementioned cannoli, lattes and nachos. For those who aren’t huge walkers, this hotel is also located next to Bonn’s main train station, so getting around is a breeze.
For those looking for more of a history-inspired stay, just over the bridge from Museum Mile, in Bonn-Ramersdorf, is the Schlosshotel Kommende Ramersdorf. This castle-hotel dates back to the 1200s and was built by Count Heinrich III. It also has an onsite restaurant featuring Mediterranean dishes and fantastic drinks.
Aside from gummy bears, Bonn is probably most famous for being the birthplace of Ludwig von Beethoven. The 18th-century Beethoven-Haus museum features Beethoven’s piano and manuscripts. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. For additional fun, see how many versions of Beethoven you can find in and around the museum. I spotted statues, Lego figures and even traffic lights.
As a history lover, one of my favorite parts of Bonn is Museum Mile. This stretch of road features several museums. The Haus der Geschichte is the modern history museum (and my favorite of those I visited). Museum Koenig features “staged habitats” and dinosaurs. The Kunstmuseum, contains over 8000 works of art. The Deutsches Museum Bonn is all about AI. The Bundeskunsthalle is where art, culture and science combine. Bonn’s Museum Mile has its own U-Bahn stop (Heussallee/Museumsmeile) which makes transport easy no matter where you are staying.
Book lovers, movie buffs and history fans will enjoy walking around the Thalia bookstore which was an old movie theatre and maintains much of the historical décor.
