Bonn - A Place To Remember
Bonn, Germany’s United Nations City, is situated on the romantic Rhine River, right in the middle of Europe. In addition to the excellent conference facilities and a communicative, open-minded atmosphere, you will surely enjoy the City itself with its visible traces of history, its rich cultural life and its charming surroundings.
Beethoven
Bonn’s most famous son, Ludwig van Beethoven, was born in December 1770 in the garden wing of the house at Bonngasse 20 in the heart of the City. The house now contains a museum, a chamber music room and a digital archive.
Beethovenfest
If you love classicial music, particularly the music of Beethoven, you will have a unique opportunity to participate in this year’s Beethovenfest, an amazing four-week music festival held once a year, traditionally from the end of August to the beginning of October in the city of Bonn. The best of the orchestras in Europe play Beethoven's compositions in dozens of concerts in Bonn and surrounding towns. This year the motto of the festival is "Music for the Future: Beethoven, Liszt and Innovation in Music". As the Festival starts on September 9 there is the opportunity for you to include it in your travel arrangements.
The River Rhine
You must take a walk along the river Rhine which is crucial to the livelihood of the countless people who live along its banks. It is also home to a wide range of plants and animals. Work carried out since the 1970s has significantly improved the quality of both the water and the environment along the riverbank, as a result, increasing the diversity of species in the river.
The Rhine Valley
There is much to see in the romantic Rhine Valley including The mighty slate rock Loreley, (Lorelei) – around 50 miles/80 km from Frankfurt airport – rises up almost vertically to 145 yards/132m above the water-level. Downstream, the river is squeezed into its narrowest and deepest (24 yards/22m) point, so the Middle Rhine at this point used to be very difficult to navigate and the correct passage is (today) clearly marked with buoys.
Even in the 19th century, reefs and rapids made it extremely dangerous for ships to pass this point. The legend tells us that a siren called Loreley or "Lorelei" bewitched the hearts of the sailors and lured them to their deaths.
Pay a visit to the medieval castles, river boats, Germany’s oldest nature preserve “Siebengebirge”, small villages with old houses surrounded by vineyards and a large variety of cultural landscapes – the Rhine Valley has attracted visitors from all over the world since the 18th century.
Culture
Bonn’s “Museum Mile” is known far beyond the city for the high quality of its interesting exhibitions. The diversity of Bonn’s rich cultural life, ranging from opera to cabaret, is appreciated by local residents and visitors alike. We invite you to visit while with us.
Science and Research
A place of interest and learning you must see is The University of Bonn. With approximately 28,000 students, it is an international research institution with a focus on cooperative projects including global development from an interdisciplinary perspective. It offers a doctoral program in international development.
Business
Bonn is home to global players including telecommunication giants, a solar energy company listed on the stock exchange, real estate investors and the well-known confectionery manufacturer Haribo (maker of the popular Gummi Bears).
A Historic City
There is much to attract you to the city of Bonn; originally a Roman settlement, it flourished architecturally under the 18th century Elector, Clemens August. Many of the buildings erected at that time are still an important part of the cityscape; they include the Altes Rathaus (town hall), the University and the Poppelsdorfer Schloß (palace).
UN City
18 United Nations organizations have their seat in Bonn. The largest and probably most important of these organisations working towards achieving global sustainable development is the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and volunteerism – the United Nations Volunteers.
Leisure
There are many opportunities for outdoor activities in Bonn and its beautiful environs. Enjoy sitting outside in the sun in Rheinaue Park or in one of Bonn’s many street cafés. Visit the Botanical Gardens or just take a walk along the Rhine during Conference breaks.
Popular Tourist destinations from Bonn (“Cologne Cathedral at night ©KölnTourismus GmbH / Andreas Möltgen“)
Why not combine your attendance at the UN DPI/NGO Conference with a trip to one of the most attractive destinations in Europe? From Bonn, it takes only four hours by train to get to Paris and two to Brussels. Munich is five hours away and Hamburg only four. Why not spend some time in Heidelberg or Nuremberg before leaving – or a day in Cologne, a metropolis offering a plethora of interesting things to see and experience? Your Conference mobility ticket will take you to Cologne in 30 minutes – and the “Kölner Dom”, Cologne’s world-famous Cathedral, is located just outside the train station. Another attractive destination for a daytrip is the near-by Ahr Valley, one of Germany’s most popular wine-growing regions.