Bonn (pop 311,000) was the capital of West Germany from 1949 until unification in 1990. It’s Beethoven’s birthplace, and Robert Schumann lived and is buried here.

Beethoven fans should visit the Beethoven Memorial (financed by Franz List) and Beethoven’s House – the great composer’s birthplace.

If you are interested in the history of Germany after 1945, you shouldn’t miss the Museumsmeile in Bonn, e.g. the House of History (Haus der Geschichte), one of the most famous museums of its kind.