The climate in Bonn varies greatly and can be somewhat temperate. The best months for good weather in Bonn are July, August and September. On average, the warmest months are July and August. The coldest months are between January and March. From April to June (springtime) the climate is good and the city is not yet as crowded as the summer months. The spring is also when the cherry blossom festival takes place. The exact dates for the bloom vary each year, but they usually happen sometime in April when people flock in droves to the picturesque streets.

If you plan to devote a lot of your time to excursions and walks throughout the city, we recommend visiting between May to October. This is when the most favorable weather prevails, so frequent rains typically will not affect your plans. However, make sure to book in advance during the summer months when the city is visited by the biggest number of tourists.

German is the official language spoken in Bonn. Hotel and restaurant staff in Bonn likely speak enough that you can communicate your order or check into your hotel, but it`s always polite to at least try the local language. Younger people will more likely be able to speak English opposed to the older population, but general rule is hit and miss - depending on what type of school they went to. We suggest you get a good English-German guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

In addition to numerous restaurants serving regional German cuisine, Bonn offers its guests a variety of international cuisine and interesting gastronomic restaurants.

The local cuisine of Bonn is called `Rheinländische Küche`, difficult to define properly, but characterized by a solid basis of seasonal vegetables, ranging from cabbage in late spring, asparagus in summer, mushrooms in autumn, to the universal `Rheinländische Sauerbraten` (a sweet-sour marinated veal stew served with apple sauce), or mussels, served with dark rye-bread, and finally the delicate potato-pancakes. You`ll always see the German classics as well, such as the diverse `Schnizels` and sausages. Another typical German thing to eat is all kinds of breads, cakes and cookies.

The old town (Altstadt) in general is the place to go out at night. There are a lot of small pubs and student bars in this district. The Alter Zoll is a great place go head out in the evenings if the weather is warm, open only in summer. This is a beautiful place to be on a nice summer night in Bonn. Alter Zoll is a large beer garden under an old tree with direct view of the Rhine and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. It can become very crowded and take a while to get your drinks. Many people (especially students) bring their own drinks and sit down on the meadow next to the beer garden. Also, the city quarters south of the university, Südstadt & Poppelsdorf, also offers a few establishments with a mix of bars, restaurants and cafes.

Bonn also has a flourishing fine-arts and performing arts community with a large list of cultural events. One the most popular is `La Scala of the Rhineland,` the Oper der Stadt Bonn, where ballet and opera are performed at regular intervals mid-August to June.

Bonn`s city center hosts the usual chain stores like Kaufhof, Karstadt, C&A, H&M, Esprit, Zero, NewYorker, Promod, Butler`s, Tchibo and Runner`s Point. Bonn is also home to some of the best places to shop.

Market Square (Marktplatz): A walk through Bonn`s Market Square, situated in the Old Town Center, will present hundreds of mom-and-pop boutiques, cafes and restaurants to explore. Medieval architecture and pedestrian paths make this area a pleasant place to stroll. This area also is where visitors will find open-air events and stalls that rotate throughout the year offering seasonal fresh produce and seafood, antiques and local craftsmanship.

Kaiserpassag Mall: Opened in 2009 in the Bad Godesberg area, this shopping mall is quite a contrast to the Market Square. Comprised largely of boutiques from both local and international brands alike, such as ESPIRIT and H&M.

Galeria Kaufhof is the largest and most famous shopping center in Bonn. The complex houses all kinds of shops from elite clothing to attractive budget stores, as well as trade pavilions with cosmetics and jewelry. There are also several large department stores and even its own theater.

Cathedral Square (Siegburg Musterplatz): The Cathedral Square, which is about a 15-minute ride northeast from the heart of Bonn, is more like a traditional outdoor European market where you`ll find some of the area`s famous pottery, as well as unique souvenirs of the area. This is also where you`ll find the annual Christmas Market. Dozens of stalls, decorated with bright Christmas lights, all over the square for weeks near the end of the year.

If you are visiting from April to September, make sure to check out the most famous flea market of the city, which is situated on Rheinauenflohmarkt Square.

Tax Information: VAT is currently at 19%. Travelers who live outside the European Union can obtain a tax refund (www.globalblue.com) on goods bought in Germany by submitting the purchased goods and the original receipt to the customs office at the airport. The export certificate should then be taken to any of the five counters after the security check, where a cash refund is obtained. Note that a small fee will be charged on all refunds.