The German alternative to Berlin and Hamburg
Bonn
The Rhine has always been a favourite destination for British cruise travellers. Having been lucky enough to sail along it many times, I find it easy to see why. This mighty river passes through some spectacular scenery, and there are lots of attractive historic towns along the way.
However there’s one place travellers tend to bypass, and I think they’re mad to miss it. Yes, Cologne is imposing, and Koblenz is charming, but for me the most interesting place to stop off on the Rhine is Bonn.
During the Cold War Bonn was a bizarre place, the capital of West Germany, one of the key countries in the western alliance, incongruously located in a quaint provincial town. For the West German government, this incongruity was no accident. It was a signal to their allies that they were no longer interested in world domination. On the west bank of the Rhine, surrounded by sunny vineyards, it was a deliberate contrast to bombastic Berlin.
For 40 years as Europe’s most unlikely capital, Bonn presided over a discreet renaissance. In 1949, when Bonn became the capital of the new German Bundesrepublik, Germany was disgraced, devastated and divided. By 1989, when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, the Bundesrepublik had become one of the most prosperous and respected nations in the world.
During those Cold War years, Bonn was an intriguing place to visit – surreal and slightly sinister, like the setting for a film noir. No wonder John Le Carré set one of his spy novels, A Small Town in Germany, here. When Germany was reunited, and the capital returned to Berlin, I wasn’t the only one who thought that Bonn would now become a quiet backwater. Instead, during the last 30 years, something strange and surprising has happened. No longer the state capital, it’s become a cultural capital instead.
By William Cook
Where to stay
A space-age hotel in one of Germany’s oldest cities, five-star Kameha Grand Bonn makes a big impact on the tranquil banks of the Rhine. Rooms from £131 per night (kamehabonn.de). Read the full hotel review here.
How to get there
By train. The journey from London takes as little as 4 hours and 50 minutes.
