The best way to get acquainted with Bonn is to take a walking tour, the meeting point of which is the Bonn Tourist Office . Call tel. 0228/775000 for reservations. Tours lasting 2 1/2 hours cost 14€ ($22) for adults or 7€ ($11) for children 6 to 14, free for children 5 and under, with a family ticket (2 adults and 2 kids) going for 24€ ($38). Tours depart January to April 4 and November 2 to December 15 only on Saturday at 2pm. The "Big City Tour" is conducted on a bus with commentary in English and German, taking in all the scenic highlights and going by the major monuments. The last part of the tour involves a walk through the historic core.
The government quarter, along the west bank of the Rhine, is a complex of modern, rather nondescript white buildings. The two most impressive, both along Koblenzerstrasse, are the former residences of the president and chancellor. These empire-style villas are reminiscent of the older Bonn, before it became an international center of diplomatic activity. They are not open to the public. Running north along the Rhine from the government buildings is a tree- and flower-lined promenade, which ends at the Alter Zoll. This ruined ancient fortress makes a fantastic viewing point from which visitors can see across the Rhine to the Siebengebirge and the old village of Beuel. These grounds, in essence, have become a city park.
