Guided tour and fun.

The first week in Bonn has been amazing. The weather began nice, and turned wet and cold, but the city is just absolutely amazing. The houses, the shops, the mountains in the distance, I love it all. Following are pictures from our tour and the first few days in Bonn, including a bar from 1582, Ludwig van Beethoven, the University of Bonn, and the St. Martin Münster-Basilika.

University of Bonn.

Main grounds outside the entrance to the University of Bonn.

Main entrance to the University.

The Altstadt, or old city hall.

St. Martin Münster-Basilika.

Statue of Ludwig van Beethoven. Originally it contained the original scores of his 3 most famous symphonies. When it was moved during World War 2 to avoid bombing, the symphonies were taken out and placed in a museum. The statue was erected the year before his death in 1827.

The symphonies were in the base seen here.

St. Martin Münster-Basilika.

Granite heads of Cassius and Florentius, the most famous Martyrs in the church's history. Their remains can actually be found inside the church.

View of St. Martin Münster-Basilika. from Roses Restaurant.

View outside the part of Bonn University which used to be a castle in the 1800s. Exactly 1km away was the king's hunting house.

At half zoom you can start to see the hunting house.

Exactly 1km away the king had his hunting house built sometime in the 1800s.

The first protestant church in Bonn. Built in 1852.

Regina Pacis, the "mascot" of Bonn University. This statue is similar in symbolism to our Sul Ross statue at A&M. She has survived world war 1 and world war 2. She is made of pure lead and covered in slabs of gold. She's a beast.

Originally the King's palace and the only entrance into Bonn, this gateway is now a part of Bonn University's English department and the national fencing team.

The solid gold statue over the gateway. It is St. Martin slaying a dragon, a sign of good triumphing over evil.

The Rhine river overlook. French cannons from the French Revolution (1789)

View of Bonn University from the Rhine river overlook.

Rhine river overlook.

Bonn across the river Rhine.

The hills in the distance are known as the Seven hills. The two tall buildings to the right are the United Nations international headquarters(foreground, smaller one), and the taller building houses the headquarters for DHL, T-Mobile, and the Deutsche Post, the German equivalent to the American postal service.

A closer view.

Kennedy bridge, connecting the east side of Bonn to the west. Named after JFK visited in 1963.

A closer view of the Seven Hills.

French cannon from the French Revolution in 1789.

The altstadt. Once colorful and oppulent, it was repainted and re-gilded only a few years ago. It's no longer the main office for city affairs, but DOES contain the Mayor's office and her cabinet.

This bar is the oldest bar in Europe. Active since 1582. It is famous because Beethoven used to drink here, and one night he got so drunk that he started dancing on the tables.

The obelisk in Bonn's Market square.

Everyday kiosks are put up here that selll fresh produce and meats. There's also a few food vendors sprinkeled within.

A cool hotel.

Every street in Bonn looks like this.

See.

An old church next to Beethoven's house.

The birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven's garden. In Germany, garden is what they call their backyard.

This backyard smelled. Everything was so old, it was just a lingering moldy smell. The bricks looked like they were so weak you could just crush them in your hand.

Beethoven's shed.

Inside the oldest bar in Europe!!!

The wood was HUGE and thick but you could tell it was old cause of all the cuts and scrapes in it. This place was awesome and the beer is delicious. To date we've been here 4 times. It is an awesome place to hang out and the staff is super cool.