Bonn

The city was Germany’s democratic capital during the Cold War, when its unhurried charm led it to be called "the government village". Bonn, the place where Germany was refounded after World War II, has now become multicultural.

Bonn has been largely forgotten by travellers to Germany, perhaps because its architecture, culture, graceful streets and parks are not widely appreciated. It remains one of the most beautiful cities on the Rhine and was the birthplace of Germany's greatest musical genius, Ludwig van Beethoven.

Its historical fragments are like a cross-section of Germany's past - Roman monuments, the Romanesque church, remains of fortifications and graceful palaces, one of which became a university.