Bonn travel guides

Bonn rewards walkers: the Haus der Geschichte publishes free entry to its museum and all exhibitions, the Rhine embankment promenade is open to everyone, and the Bundeskunsthalle's library, salon and roof need no ticket. This guide separates genuinely free Bonn experiences from the attractions that look free but are not, so you can plan a day that costs little without missing the point of the city.

One day in Bonn works best as a compact loop through the Old Town, with the Minster, Munsterplatz and Bonngasse close together, then a single decision for the afternoon, either the Rhine or the Museum Mile. This guide explains what to see, how long each stop tends to take, and which details to confirm before you travel.

Bonn evenings split three ways: riverside strolling, culture on the Museum Mile, and the student quarter south of the centre. The Bundeskunsthalle keeps Wednesday hours until 21:00 and runs its rooftop Sundowner Bar on Wednesday and Friday evenings with free entry, while Haus der Geschichte charges nothing for its exhibitions. Ticketed concerts and temporary exhibitions depend on the day's programme, so check each operator before you go.

Düsseldorf sits in the middle of the Rhine-Ruhr region, so a single day out can take in an industrial World Heritage site, a Cologne neighbourhood, a Rococo palace or a Rhineland moat. The deciding factors are how you reach each place and where free grounds end and paid interiors begin.

Choose one direction instead of stacking four towns into a single day. This guide weighs Bonn, Aachen, the Rhine around Koblenz, the Moselle at Cochem, and cross-border options, using the guided tours an English-speaking operator lists for travellers from Cologne.