Top 5 Things to Do in Cologne and Bonn

Cologne and Bonn are located very close to each other, just over half an hour’s drive apart. For this reason, people often choose to visit the two cities together, and the international airport in the region – the Cologne Bonn Airport – serves both cities. If you’re looking to get around these cities safely and comfortably, hiring a Cologne Bonn airport transfer is one of the best ways to do so.

Cologne is known for everything from its great Romanesque churches to its Baroque palaces and museums, while Bonn is known as the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven and was the capital of the former West Germany. Given the number of things to do in these two cities, there’s truly something here for everyone to do. And if you’re looking to explore Cologne and Bonn easily and in a stress-free manner, hiring a Cologne Bonn limousine service is what you need to do.

Once you hire your Cologne Bonn chauffeur service, the next step is to hand your itinerary to your chauffeur. This will make it easier for him to help you get around the cities easily and reach your destinations on time. That said, curating an itinerary across two cities can be challenging, given the number of things to do. Here are some of the top things to do in Cologne and Bonn to make things easier for you.

Cologne Cathedral

Also known as Kölner Dom and the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Mary (Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus), the Cologne Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As your Cologne Bonn car service chauffeur will let you know, this High Gothic cathedral is also one of Europe's largest cathedrals and was started in 1248.

This cathedral is considered the most ambitious building project of the Middle Ages. It features 157-meter-tall twin towers and covers an area of 6,166 square meters. Once your airport transfer Cologne Bonn drops you off, you can explore the interiors, which include the many treasures held in the cathedral.

Treasures you’ll be able to see include:

• the 12th-century Reliquary of the Three Kings 

• the relief of the Adoration of the Kings from 1440

• the Treasure Chamber, with precious objects that include ancient reliquaries and manuscripts

Cologne City Hall (Rathaus)

Cologne City Hall, also known as the Rathaus, is located in the city’s Old Town area. As your car transfer Cologne Bonn chauffeur will let you know, this is the oldest such public building in Germany and was built in 1573. 

Once your limousine service Cologne Bonn drops you off, you can explore this structure and try to spot the many architectural styles that make up this building. These include the 14th-century main building, the 15th-century tower, and a Renaissance-style loggia and cluster. You can even see 20th-century influences in the atrium. 

Wallraf-Richartz & Ludwig Museums

The Wallraf-Richartz & Ludwig Museums are two of Cologne’s premier art museums and are housed in the same structure. Once your chauffeur service Cologne Bonn drops you off here, you should start exploring the area on foot.

Both museums are home to a wide range of European paintings. The Wallraf-Richartz is strong in the work of the Cologne school, while the Ludwig focuses more on modern and contemporary paintings. Works housed in these museums include artworks by artists like Rembrandt, Manet, and Renoir.

These two museums are only two of the institutions housed in the same building. Other institutions in the same building include the Agfa-Foto-Historama, which displays photographs and cameras dating back to the 1940s, and the Kolumba, the art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne.

Beethoven-Haus

As your airport Cologne Bonn transfer will let you know, Bonn is the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, and Beethoven-Haus is the property on which he was born in 1770. Since 1889, the property has also been a museum.

Once your Cologne Bonn chauffeur drops you off here, you can explore this museum, which boasts a collection of rare artifacts and documents, a research center, and the Chambers Museum Hall, which runs Beethoven-themed concerts and events. 

Another Beethoven-related monument of interest in Bonn is the Beethoven Monument, a large bronze statue erected in Münsterplatz in 1845 in front of the city’s old Post Office building.

Botanical Garden and Poppelsdorf Palace

Also known as Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn Botanical Garden covers about 16 acres and is owned by the University of Bonn. This garden was originally constructed in 1340 as part of the castle gardens, with the Baroque transformation happening in 1720. Poppelsdorf Palace, designed in a Rococo style, was added in 1746.

Once your chauffeur Cologne Bonn drops you off, you can explore the grounds of the garden on foot. Today, it is home to over 11,000 species of plants, including several endangered species. The garden is also home to a large arboretum, and the plants are arranged by geographic region. 

After you’re done with your tour of the botanical gardens, you can take your transfer Cologne Bonn airport back to Cologne or to your next destination.