"Former capital in search of new identity" Top 5 Page for this destination Bonn by Sjalen

I had past Bonn by train before and knew what the scenery was like, but I could never imagine that the city itself was so pleasant. I know of the "Ständige Vertretung" bar in Berlin where homesick Bonn bureaucrats gather now that they are based in Berlin and whilst I love Berlin, I can now see what they miss. It is not just the majestic Rhine and the silhouettes of the Siebengebirge, but also the compact city centre with its many nice houses and the proximity to lots of wine districts. It is a city which suffers from a bit of an identity crisis now it is no longer the capital, but then again, it was given the responsibility rather hastily and maybe never really asked for it. Besides, it already had a dramatic history of being French in the 18th century, and then Prussian. Now it is established as a bureaucratic city, the UN has recently set up offices here in place of governmental offices (I was once hoping the EU would do it but that would be asking too much of the French and English I'm afraid),

Bonn also has a surprising amount of good shopping, and all shops are at easy walking distance from each other in the old town and, according to Win, cheaper than in nearby Cologne.

Did you also know that Beethoven was born in Bonn? Only living here in his youth really, the city nevertheless profits on his name today with Beethoven associations everywhere, and his statue outside this cheerful old post office.

• Pros:easy to navigate around, good shopping, riverside
• Cons:no known ones :)))
• In a nutshell:A surprising pleasure