Copyright Bundesstadt Bonn.

Bonn, Germany - TUG 2023 tourism information

TUG 2023 will be held at the Hotel Collegium Leoninum, Bonn, Germany.

Tourism in and around Bonn

Bonn, a city of some 330,000 people, is situated on both sides of the River Rhine. Founded in Roman times, it is the former capital of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949–1990) and the former seat of the Archbishop-Electors of Cologne (their palace today is the main seat of Bonn University with approximately 35,000 students). Bonn's most famous son is Beethoven.

The website bonn.de has an English version and covers many aspects of the city.

City center

The historical center is one of the largest pedestrian areas in Germany and has a huge number of restaurants and street cafes. It covers the space between our hotel, the river, the Hauptbahnhof (central station) and the university. Everything is in easy walking distance.

Those who want to see it as a whole are invited to join one of the guided walking tours offered on Thursday afternoon and on Monday morning (about three hours). (Conference schedule.)

Within this area, the following sites are worth a visit:

• The Minster. Don't miss the cloister!
• Beethoven's birthplace. (website)
• ”Alter Zoll“: the last surviving rampart of the early modern fortifications. Beautiful view of the river and the Seven Hills.
• The river bank: good for pleasant walks of any length.
• The market place with the historic town hall.
• ”Alter Friedhof“: Bonn's historic cemetery. On the other side of the street from our hotel, this nearly-enchanted place has the graves of Robert Schumann, Beethoven's mother, and many of the 19th century academic greats of Bonn University.
• Rheinisches Landesmuseum: historical museum of the former “Province of the Rhine”. Due to renovation works it will partly be closed next summer, but its most famous exhibit, the “Neanderthal Man” will still be on show as will be its Bonn counterpart, the ”Oberkasseler Mensch“ (plus wife and dog). (website)
• Arithmeum: the history of counting machines and early computing. (website)

Outside the city center

• Poppelsdorfer Schloss: former summer palace of the archbishop electors of Cologne. Today part of the University, it is the site of famous botanical gardens. About half an hour's walk from the hotel. (website)
• The former government district, today a UN campus. South of downtown Bonn in what is today the geographical center of the city. From the hotel it's ten minutes by tram (Line 66, stop ”Heussallee“). It might be fun walking back to the hotel along the riverbank (about an hour). (website)
• The “romantic” part of the Rhine valley (made famous by, among others, Turner and Lord Byron) ends in Bonn. We'll be going by boat to its entrance/exit to the Seven Hills (website; no English version) on Sunday's excursion.

Museum district

This area is next to the former capital district; 10 minutes by tram: Line 66, stop ”Heussallee/Museumsmeile“.

• Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: history of the Federal Republic of Germany. The presentation is always state of the art. (website)
• Bundeskunsthalle: the ”Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany“. Next summer they'll be having a show on the 1920s. (website)
• Kunstmuseum Bonn: the municipal art museum with contemporary art and a famous collection of “Rhenish Expressionists”. Spectacular architecture. (website)
• ”Museum König“: well-known zoological museum. The Federal Republic of Germany was founded in its lobby shortly after WWII; the biggest surviving hall of the city. The stuffed giraffe was too big to be moved out and had to be hidden by curtains. (website)

Farther afield

For those who want to spend some more time in the Rhineland before or after the conference: Cologne and its Cathedral are 25 minutes by train; Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle), the “capital” of Charlemagne's empire is an hour away. The Moselle valley and Trier (once the most important Roman town north of the Alps) are worth a detour of a day or two. And then there is the possibility of traveling up the Romantic Rhine by boat.

For assistance and more information on the area: our local host, Gert Fischer, earned his degree in history at Bonn University, and is the source of the information for this brief introduction. If questions or suggestions, please contact him at the conference address.

Other conference pages:

• Conference home page.
• Register for the conference.
• Conference program.
• Submit presentation proposal / call for papers.
• Conference participants.
• Workshop information.