Bonn is located about 20km south of Cologne, on the river Rhine, in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The city is associated with the West German state, having served as its capital from the 1949 until the unification of 1990, and the official seat of government until 1999.
Although many national government institutions have been now moved to Berlin, Bonn remains a centre of politics and administration. In recognition of this, the former capital now holds the title of Federal City ("Bundesstadt").
Bonn is also the seat of some of Germany's largest corporate players, chiefly in the areas of telecommunications and logistics, as well as numerous UN and non-governmental organisations.

Its official role aside, Bonn is a notable historic town, renowned as the birthplace of Ludwig von Beethoven.
Midway between Bonn and Cologne lays the city of Brühl. It is renowned for its two XVIII century palaces, both included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) is the fourth largest Länder in Germany, but has by far the most populated. The Ruhrgebiet, almost a string of cities stretching east from the Rhine from Duisburg to Dortmund represents the most densely populated area in Europe. The main cities in the area include its capital (Landeshauptstadt) Düsseldorf, Cologne and Aachen. There are also some beautiful small towns like Monschau in the Eiffel, Brühl and Xanten that are particularly worth visiting.

Transport:

Getting around NRW is very easy with the two public transport networks based in Cologne and Bonn, on one side, and the Ruhrgebiet, Düsseldorf and the Lower Rhineland on the other side. You can even find some oddities, like the “Schwebebahn”, the suspension trains in Wuppertal.

This beautiful city on the Rhine boasts a world-famous cathedral (Dom), many impressive museums, a famous Carnival and the largest number of breweries of any city in the world.
The colossal Dom, with its 157m spires, is the country's most visited monument and one of the most massive Gothic buildings ever constructed. You can discover the wonderful panorama from the observation platform in the south tower and discover the shrine with the relics of the Magi.
Explore the medieval Altstadt with its many Romanesque churches, cross over to the right-bank suburb of Deutz for a view over the cathedral, the old houses of the lining the banks of the Rhine, and the Romanesque tower of Gross St Martin.
And don’t forget to visit one of the city’s breweries to sample the local beer, the unique Kölsch!

Cosmopolitan Düsseldorf is one of Germany's richest and trendiest cities. The"village on the Düssel" is now the capital (Landeshauptstadt) of NRW and has developed into the region's financial and administrative centre, with a skyline punctuated by the skyscrapers of a number of multinational companies.
Self-declared Germany's leading fashion centre, many luxury shops are based on the city center, mainly along the famous Königsallée.
Düsseldorf is also famous for its nightlife, one of the most varied and enjoyable in the country. The Altstadt, close to the Rhine and dominated by the twisted, seemingly croocked spire of St. Lambertus, makes an enjoyable walking place, with pleasant streets and a pulsating life, day and night. Over two hundred restaurants, beer halls, bars and discos are crammed together to form the “die Längste Thecke der Welt” (the longest bar in the world). A perfect place to taste the local beer speciality, the Altbier!

Further south, take the lift observation platform of the communications tower, the Rheinturm, to admire the view over the city and the Rhine. Alongside is the Landtag, new home of the state parliament of NRW.
Beyond, the old commercial harbour has been renamed the Medien-Hafen, and boasts now a stunning set of buildings developed by a number of world-famous architects, including F.O. Gehry and D. Chipperfield.

The capital of Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire preserves one of the world's most spectacular arrays of treasures in its Dom and Schatzkammer. UNESCO recognized the magnificent Dom (Cathedral) as one of the wonders included in the very first list of World Heritage Sites.
The former palace chapel forms now the heart of the present-day Dom. The Dom overwhelms the visitors with its extraordinary symmetry, height and grandeur. It is composed of an eight-sided dome, surrounded by a sixteen-sided ambulatory, above which is a two-tiered gallery with eight arcades of columns. In the Dom you can see the gilded shrine of Charlemagne and the shrine of St Mary, and in the the imperial throne.
The Schatzkammer (Treasury) is also a compulsory visit: indeed, it is the richest treasury in northern Europe.
The rest of the Altstadt includes pretty medieval houses, and the beautiful Rathaus (city hall).

The Eifel range, a continuation of the Ardennes, extend to the south on the west bank of the Rhine. The Hohes Venn plateau, a nature reserve, makes a unique place for a day excursion. 30km south of Aachen, with a dramatic setting deep in the valley of the Rur, the well-preserved small town of Monschau ranks among the finest in Germany.