Walking Tour from the Castle to the Banks and Meadows of the Rhine  
Impressum: Walter Voigt 53173 Bonn, Bürgerstrasse 8 Tel.: 0228-352020 Translated by Ellen and Ulrich Littmann

This part of the tour shows many photos; download, therefore, may take a bit of time.

Since through-traffic on National Route # 9 has been put into a tunnel, market business goes on undisturbed.

 A passage from the market under the movie complex to the residential section brings us to Herz Jesu Church.

Across Rheinallee we come to the Hotel "zum Löwen".  www.hotel-zum-loewen.de

As we
walk the Rüngsdorfer Strasse to the district Rüngsdorf we see many facades in the style of Art Nouveau.

Rüngsdorf, although the smallest village, used to be the seat of the Parish which also included Godesberg and Plittersdorf into the 19th century; the village was incorporated into Godesberg in 1899. 

www.rheinhoteldreesen.de

The parish church in Rüngsdorf was torn down in 1903. 
Only the old church spire was left, to be destructed when a new one would have been erected - which never happened; thus it serves today as the bell tower for the new church.

As we walk downstream towards the Rhine Meadows, the panorama of the Seven Mountains keeps us company.

Along the Rhine runs the bicycle trail.

The reastaurant "Bastei" is located right at the pier of the excursion boat line Siebengebirge.

www.bastei-bonn.de

The view from the "Bastei" of the Seven Mountains.

The ferry might carry us across the river to the wine-growing place Oberdollendorf.

But we stay on the left bank of the Rhine passing the restored Villa Cahn.

As early as 1750 there was here a hostel for the tow-line drivers, who also changed their horses here. When in the 19th century steam boats replaced the tow-line operations, students and professors discovered this look-out on the Rhine.

Downstream we reach the district of Plittersdorf.

There are many mansions to be seen on the bank of the river while we arrive at the historic guest house "Schaumburger Hof".

www.schaumburger-hof.de

The terrace offers a uniquely beautiful view over the Rhine and of the Seven Mountains.

A few more steps bring us into the village and to another guest house 
"Im Steinhaus"

The way to the church of St. Evergislus leads back to the banks of the Rhine.

The interior of this church in new Gothic style, completed in 1871. Built in place of St. Georg´s Chapel documented already 1344.  

Across the Rhine we see the former Oberkassel quarry (important for the construction work of the Cologne Cathedral).

Here we are at the Carstanjen Mansion, the former farm Auerhof (Plittersdorf used to be a village producing red wine, agricultural goods and fruits). 

Today it houses United Nations institutions. 50 years ago, the Marshall Plan documents were signed in the main meeting room of this building, a major program for the reconstruction of Germany.

A few steps further the Rhine Meadows open up, the leisure park for the public.

The highrise "Tall Eugen" (built as office space for members of the Bundestag and nicknamed for its onetime undersized President Eugen Gerstenmaier) used to be the landmark of the government quarter until the Parliament moved to Berlin. 
Now it is dwarfed by the new tower.

In former times this was agricultural area.
 
It was entirely redesigned and remodeled for the National Floral Show 1979, 
and with almost 40 kilometers of paths and walkways it is today a recreational area for people, pets and bikes.

In the background is the construction site of the Post Tower. 
It rises 162 meters and thus is taller than the Cologne Cathedral; 
it also is the highest office building in the State of Northrhine Westphalia.

The"Japanese Garden" in the Rhine Meadows.

All photos by © Walter Voigt 

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