Everything you wanted to know (or not) about Bonn
Wow, where have we been? I can't believe we didn't have anything to whine about in so long. Actually, there's probably not going to be a whole lotta whining in this post either. I know, you're sorely disappointed.
I moved to Bonn a few months ago and I thought I'd write and share my experiences/impressions thusfar. Having lived in a small city before moving I was looking to move to a place that didn't necessarily have a massive population. I wanted the benefit of a larger city without the chaos. Enter Bonn stage-left.
Bonn is affectionately known as the old "Bundesdorf" - or the old National Village. Before the capital shifted to Berlin, Bonn was the capital and all of the government offices were here. The population of Bonn is approximately 300,000 which actually is rather small for a place that used to be the capital.
Bonn has quite a lot of cultural things to offer and is the birthplace of Beethoven. There are countless cafes, museums and other sites that provide the culture-hungry with things to do. Bonn is also home to one of the best universities in Germany so the population is actually rather young and dynamic in comparison with a lot of other cities in Germany.
The city's infrastructure was very well done. You can pretty much go anywhere with the U-Bahn/S-Bahn (underground/tram) and the main core of the city is a very comfortable walk. I live about 15 mins by foot from the city centre and it really is possible to get everything one needs in a 5km radius without having to drive or take public transport. The city is well set-up for cycling so if you're into that, it's also a great option.
Because of its younger, International, more educated population and its history as the capital you can get by very easily speaking English here. Mostly everyone I've met here is more than happy to speak English with you if you're not able to speak German.
So, you're planning on moving here perhaps? Here is some general info to give you a quick overview of what you will need to take care of first:
1. Being a university city, Bonn actually has quite a lot of options in terms of apartments and housing. If you're single, living in a WG or Wohngemeinschaft maybe fun for you. Basically all a WG is is a flatshare. This isn't a bad option because this saves a lot of money upfront. You can live in a spacious 3 bedroom place that you would share with 2 other people and only have to pay between €190-300 per month. Were you to rent your own apartment (which is what I'm doing and share with my sister) right off the bat, you would be looking at around €550-€700 with heating/water/trash included for a 2-bedroom/2 full bath. On top of that, you'd have to pay a security deposit which is the equivalent of 2 months rent (cold, i.e. the cost of the flat without the utilities) and if you sourced the flat through a real estate agent you are looking at another 2 months cold rent that you'll have to pay out to them as a finders fee. Crazy!
2. Getting your flat set-up:
a. Electricity - When I moved here I wanted to switch to an Ökostrom (Ecologically friendly) provider. Not only did the company (Entega) I chose work out much cheaper, you feel like you're doing good. My flat is approx 78sqm and two people live here. With normal electricity usage my bill is €42 per month.
b. Telephone/Television/Internet- This one is kind of just up to you. You only need to take a look online to find out which provider is available for your area. I'm using Unity Media and although they anticipated a 2 week wait to set up everything, they managed to do get it done within 2 days. They were friendly and efficient. I pay €30 for all three per month, but that was a special offer they had running at the time I moved in so I can't tell you what they would all cost separately.
c. Installing a kitchen/other plumbing- Most flats in Germany do not come with a kitchen or a washing machine already in it. You will need to buy new stuff and get someone to install it for you. I found a great place to do it and they were fantastic. They also did it...umm...under-the-table costwise so it worked out much cheaper. They also did it all for me right before the Easter holidays started which was really nice.
3. Whether or not you are moving from another place within Germany or from a different country, your first stop should be the Meldeamt in the Stadhaus. This is the registration department for new residents. Once you find your flat you can go directly here to register. You can either set up an appointment online before going, or take a number. I recommend setting up the appointment beforehand so you don't have to wait.
I found the employees to be extremely friendly and helpful. You only need to bring your passport with you. As a European I can't tell you what the registration procedure is if you don't have an EU passport. One of the coolest things about registering is that they give you a voucher book that you can use to gain free entry into theatre shows, museums, ferry rides and city tours etc. You have to use it within 6 months though.
4. Don't speak German yet? There are many language schools in Bonn that provide 1-on-1 German courses. However, to save yourself some money and give yourself the opportunity to meet new people, I would recommend you find a group course. My sister is attending a course with a school called IFS-Bonn and she highly recommends them. The cost of 1 month is €290+€12,90 for the book. The course is daily, runs about 3.5 hours and can be done either in the morning or afternoon.
My recommendations for entertainment, eating out and sight-seeing:
Entertainment:
Cinemas - In Bad Godesberg (5mins away from Bonn Hbf by train/tram) there's a Kinopolis that plays English movies so you just have to check out their monthly program.
Theatres - Bonn has heaps of little, independant theatres that put on a lot of comedy shows, jazz evenings etc. Then there is the main Bonn theatre which puts on plays and musicals.
Museums - Along Adenauerallee there is something called the Museumsmeile. Basically it's a stretch of road where most of the Museums in Bonn are. Everything from the German History museum to the Museum of Art is found there. The University of Bonn also has a few museum offerings such as the Academic Mathematics (!!!!) museum and the Egyptology museum. Something that may also be interesting for you is Beethoven's birth house.
Sights - In and around Bonn you can really just walk around and stumble across interesting stuff. From the multicultural Nordstadt to Schloß Poppelsdorf (which houses the Botanical gardens) there is quite a lot to see. One of my favourite places is the Freizeitpark Rheinaue . Basically this is a huge public park where a lot of the open-air events in Bonn take place. It's also got a Japanese garden and a beautiful lake. You can check out the "Veranstaltungs" calendar to see what events are upcoming.
Eating and Drinking (my personal favourite) - Anyone that's met me knows I love to eat. My mission when I came here was to try as many different places as possible because where I lived before, the variety wasn't there. I've eaten great German, Mexican (Tacos), Italian, Indian (A Taste of India), Spanish and Thai food here. You only have to walk a radius of 1.5-2km around the city centre to find a great place to eat. Most German restaurants also have a Biergarten and Tacos has a daily Happy Hour from 18h - 21h.
So I think that's enough to get you started at least. There are a lot of things I left out for the sake of brevity so please feel free to email me if you have questions regarding Bonn and moving here: belinda.roozemondatgmaildotcom.
Useful Links/Information:
I moved to Bonn a few months ago and I thought I'd write and share my experiences/impressions thusfar. Having lived in a small city before moving I was looking to move to a place that didn't necessarily have a massive population. I wanted the benefit of a larger city without the chaos. Enter Bonn stage-left.
Bonn is affectionately known as the old "Bundesdorf" - or the old National Village. Before the capital shifted to Berlin, Bonn was the capital and all of the government offices were here. The population of Bonn is approximately 300,000 which actually is rather small for a place that used to be the capital.
Bonn has quite a lot of cultural things to offer and is the birthplace of Beethoven. There are countless cafes, museums and other sites that provide the culture-hungry with things to do. Bonn is also home to one of the best universities in Germany so the population is actually rather young and dynamic in comparison with a lot of other cities in Germany.
The city's infrastructure was very well done. You can pretty much go anywhere with the U-Bahn/S-Bahn (underground/tram) and the main core of the city is a very comfortable walk. I live about 15 mins by foot from the city centre and it really is possible to get everything one needs in a 5km radius without having to drive or take public transport. The city is well set-up for cycling so if you're into that, it's also a great option.
Because of its younger, International, more educated population and its history as the capital you can get by very easily speaking English here. Mostly everyone I've met here is more than happy to speak English with you if you're not able to speak German.
So, you're planning on moving here perhaps? Here is some general info to give you a quick overview of what you will need to take care of first:
1. Being a university city, Bonn actually has quite a lot of options in terms of apartments and housing. If you're single, living in a WG or Wohngemeinschaft maybe fun for you. Basically all a WG is is a flatshare. This isn't a bad option because this saves a lot of money upfront. You can live in a spacious 3 bedroom place that you would share with 2 other people and only have to pay between €190-300 per month. Were you to rent your own apartment (which is what I'm doing and share with my sister) right off the bat, you would be looking at around €550-€700 with heating/water/trash included for a 2-bedroom/2 full bath. On top of that, you'd have to pay a security deposit which is the equivalent of 2 months rent (cold, i.e. the cost of the flat without the utilities) and if you sourced the flat through a real estate agent you are looking at another 2 months cold rent that you'll have to pay out to them as a finders fee. Crazy!
2. Getting your flat set-up:
a. Electricity - When I moved here I wanted to switch to an Ökostrom (Ecologically friendly) provider. Not only did the company (Entega) I chose work out much cheaper, you feel like you're doing good. My flat is approx 78sqm and two people live here. With normal electricity usage my bill is €42 per month.
b. Telephone/Television/Internet- This one is kind of just up to you. You only need to take a look online to find out which provider is available for your area. I'm using Unity Media and although they anticipated a 2 week wait to set up everything, they managed to do get it done within 2 days. They were friendly and efficient. I pay €30 for all three per month, but that was a special offer they had running at the time I moved in so I can't tell you what they would all cost separately.
c. Installing a kitchen/other plumbing- Most flats in Germany do not come with a kitchen or a washing machine already in it. You will need to buy new stuff and get someone to install it for you. I found a great place to do it and they were fantastic. They also did it...umm...under-the-table costwise so it worked out much cheaper. They also did it all for me right before the Easter holidays started which was really nice.
3. Whether or not you are moving from another place within Germany or from a different country, your first stop should be the Meldeamt in the Stadhaus. This is the registration department for new residents. Once you find your flat you can go directly here to register. You can either set up an appointment online before going, or take a number. I recommend setting up the appointment beforehand so you don't have to wait.
I found the employees to be extremely friendly and helpful. You only need to bring your passport with you. As a European I can't tell you what the registration procedure is if you don't have an EU passport. One of the coolest things about registering is that they give you a voucher book that you can use to gain free entry into theatre shows, museums, ferry rides and city tours etc. You have to use it within 6 months though.
4. Don't speak German yet? There are many language schools in Bonn that provide 1-on-1 German courses. However, to save yourself some money and give yourself the opportunity to meet new people, I would recommend you find a group course. My sister is attending a course with a school called IFS-Bonn and she highly recommends them. The cost of 1 month is €290+€12,90 for the book. The course is daily, runs about 3.5 hours and can be done either in the morning or afternoon.
My recommendations for entertainment, eating out and sight-seeing:
Entertainment:
Cinemas - In Bad Godesberg (5mins away from Bonn Hbf by train/tram) there's a Kinopolis that plays English movies so you just have to check out their monthly program.
Theatres - Bonn has heaps of little, independant theatres that put on a lot of comedy shows, jazz evenings etc. Then there is the main Bonn theatre which puts on plays and musicals.
Museums - Along Adenauerallee there is something called the Museumsmeile. Basically it's a stretch of road where most of the Museums in Bonn are. Everything from the German History museum to the Museum of Art is found there. The University of Bonn also has a few museum offerings such as the Academic Mathematics (!!!!) museum and the Egyptology museum. Something that may also be interesting for you is Beethoven's birth house.
Sights - In and around Bonn you can really just walk around and stumble across interesting stuff. From the multicultural Nordstadt to Schloß Poppelsdorf (which houses the Botanical gardens) there is quite a lot to see. One of my favourite places is the Freizeitpark Rheinaue . Basically this is a huge public park where a lot of the open-air events in Bonn take place. It's also got a Japanese garden and a beautiful lake. You can check out the "Veranstaltungs" calendar to see what events are upcoming.
Eating and Drinking (my personal favourite) - Anyone that's met me knows I love to eat. My mission when I came here was to try as many different places as possible because where I lived before, the variety wasn't there. I've eaten great German, Mexican (Tacos), Italian, Indian (A Taste of India), Spanish and Thai food here. You only have to walk a radius of 1.5-2km around the city centre to find a great place to eat. Most German restaurants also have a Biergarten and Tacos has a daily Happy Hour from 18h - 21h.
So I think that's enough to get you started at least. There are a lot of things I left out for the sake of brevity so please feel free to email me if you have questions regarding Bonn and moving here: belinda.roozemondatgmaildotcom.
Useful Links/Information:
- Map of Bonn
- Weather in Bonn
- Bonn Homepage in English
- Doctors and dentists
- Bonn's online yellow pages
- Job Market
- Bonn Trash pick-up calendar
- Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) website in English
- Bonn Tourist information in English
- Bonn Expat community list at Toytown
- Bonn Events
Labels: Bonn, moving to Bonn, not whiny
1 Comments:
Welcome to Bonn. It's a very live-able city. I hope you continue to enjoy it hear.
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