Top Rated Attractions in Bonn

Freewalk Cologne is a tour company that organizes walking tours for both locals and tourists. Not only do you get the chance to explore the more famous tourist attractions, but the knowledgeable tour guides also show you around a few hidden gems. While providing visitors with all the facts and figures to the various tourist attractions, the tour guides also infuse the tours with a lot of humor ensuring that people have a great time. Although the tour is free, donations are expected.

The "Seven Mountains" are located to the east of Bonn, on the right side of the Rhine. From more than 40 hills, these seven are easy to recognize. All the hills are remains of the Siebengebirge volcano, which formed the shape of this area about more than 20 million years ago. The highest mountain in this range is the Große Ölberg, with the TV mast at its summit, but the best known mountain is the Petersberg on whose summit the former guest house of the government is located. Just as well known is the Drachenfels, which is a popular day trip. In addition, the Wolkenburg, Löwenburg, Lohrberg, Nonnenstromberg, Perlenhardt, and the Stenzelberg also belong to the Siebengebirge mountain range.

The Cologne Zoological Garden, also called the Kölner Zoo, is Germany's third oldest zoo and remains one of the city's top attractions. It was founded in 1860 and the elephant house was the first building to be opened. Over the years, the zoo has grown in size and is well known for its conservation efforts. You'll discover animals from around the world, including Big Cats and primates. Make sure you check out its great exhibits like the elephant park, the aquarium and the Rainforest Hall.

Looking for a summer spot that will keep your kids busy? Then the Volksgarten is certainly somewhere you'll want to visit. This green stretch was built in the 1880s and it continues to welcome everyone today. It features plenty of activities for the entire family, with playgrounds, paddle boating, play areas and so forth. That's not all, this picturesque garden is also home to the Orangerie, where splendid theatrical performances and concerts are hosted on a regular basis. Apart from that, it also boasts of a restaurant and beer garden, and if you want to enjoy cooking with your entire family, the Volksgarten has barbecue facilities too.

Cologne is surrounded by an inner and outer green belt, parkland built in the 1920s on the site of a former military fortress and ramparts, some of which are still visible. The outer ring is located in the south of Cologne in the Zollstock district. A music academy, beer garden, nursery, and community garden are located within the park. Walking and running trails and bicycle paths are nearly everywhere in the outer green belt, and a few ponds and the small forest of oak and maple trees make the belt particularly nice to walk through during the fall.

The Rheinische Landesmuseum founded in 1820 is very centrally situated. Visitors to the museum can see exhibits and documents from various eras (from the Stone Age to the present day), as well as experience a bit of Rhenish history. A 50,000 year old skull of a Neanderthal, various Roman soldiers' grave stones as well as the huge rock altar of the Hercules Saxanus from the Brohltal are only a few examples of the extensive collection. The art collection includes work by the artists Barthel Bruyn Senior, Hann Trier, Leo Breuer and A.van Dyck. In addition, there is a section which exclusively deals with contemporary Rhenish art. The museum also houses a public library that boasts an extensive collection of books on archaeology and art history, and is open from Monday to Friday, 8a to 6p. Other features include a restaurant and a gift shop. Guided group tours of the museum can be arranged for schools and private groups.