The 18th century elector’s palace, now a university building in Boon.

BONN, Germany — The former capital of Germany, Bonn, sits on the west-southwest bank of the Rhine about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of a considerably better-known tourist destination, Cologne.

When I visited Cologne in spring 2011, I heard some locals use another “b” word to describe the smaller city — boring.

Beethoven’s birthplace, a small house on a tiny courtyard in Bonn.

Wrong.

Of course, it depends on what one wants in a destination, but Bonn (population: 340,000 including area villages) offers the charming Old Town that any self-respecting tourist destination in Germany has; a universally admired native son — Ludwig van Beethoven — plus the attractions that go with that distinction, and a scenic Rhine-side setting with leisurely river cruises.

I participated in a trip designed by the German National Tourist Office for journalists, a day trip out of Cologne, which allowed a glimpse of these central features.

With a guide we walked smartly through the Old Town, admiring the palatial residence of an 18th century elector, now a university building. For those who are movie fans, it’s worth noting that in August the university is the site of the Bonn Silent Film Festival.

Our look at the 13th century Munster Basilica was a fly-by affair, too, but with an amusing footnote. Two large stone heads lie in the parking lot, looking like the lost pieces of two huge full-body statues. Our guide explained: The church sits where two Christians were martyred, and those stone heads

White asparagus, a seasonal specialty, for sale in Bonn’s Old Town Market Square.

lying among the cars are artwork!

In any case, we were making a beeline for Beethoven’s birthplace, passing through the Old Town’s market square — the site of real markets, by the way — and glimpsing the gorgeous Old City Hall on one side.

Munster Square in Bonn, with a statue of Beethoven at its center.

The Beethoven House is nearby at Bonngasse 20. However, as our guide noted, many visitors snap photos thinking they have seen the birthplace. However, the Beethovens were renting a small house in the rear courtyard. Tourists pay their entry fee in the house facing the street, then enter the tiny residence at the back to see the attic space where genius was born.

Both houses contain extensive collections of documents, musical instruments and more, meant to tell the composer’s story. For visitors who cannot get enough, Bonn also hosts a Beethoven Festival each autumn.

View of Konigswinter from a Rhine River cruise.

Having done our duty to Beethoven’s memory, we boarded a boat operated by Personenschifffahrt Siebengebirge  (Seven Hills Cruising Company) for an hour’s journey up the Rhine with lunch on board.

The cruise was an ideal touristic experience, but not a trip anyone should choose for the food. It was a

Drachenburg Castle

relaxing way to see more of Bonn and neighboring towns, plus some of the east bank’s so-called Seven Hills, or Siebengebirge in German.

Our goal was Konigswinter, a resort town at the foot of one of those hills, the 1,053-foot (321-meter) Drachenfels. This big rock, meaning Drachenfels, provided much of the stone for the Cologne Cathedral.

Konigswinter is noted for its cog railway, Germany’s oldest, founded in 1883. Now modernized, it takes passengers to the ruins of a medieval castle at the top of Drachenfels for sweeping views that on a clear day stretch to Cologne.

We alighted instead at an intermediate stop to tour a castle that is not in ruins. A 19th century banker built Drachenburg Castle in 1882, a structure meant to imitate medieval styles.

That vision produced a dark, gloomy interior although it is also opulent. On the other hand, seen from a distance, the exterior looks like a fairytale, and it was built on Drachenfels for a reason. The site is spectacular.

A passenger car of the Drachenfels cog railway.

On that high-altitude note, our day ended at Drachenburg and we returned to Cologne.

Our short visit illustrates what can be done in a day, but there’s more for those who stay longer. Bonn boasts several music festivals (including Bonn Summer, with all types of music, June to September), popular theater and museums, including the Museum of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany.

From 1949 to 1992, Bonn was the West German capital. Themed walking

Interior of the former German parliament building, a very modern glass-and-steel structure, in Bonn.

tours cover the former government quarter, including the modern glass-and-steel parliament building that was under construction when the Berlin Wall tumbled in 1989. The Bundestag met there from 1992 until its relocation in 1999; the building is a conference center now — but still worth viewing with a tourist’s eye.

Nadine Godwin, author of this article, is the author of Travia: The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia, which was published by The Intrepid Traveler.

This article first appeared on June 16, 2011, in TravelWeek, a Canadian newspaper for members of the travel industry.