Gaalingua.com | Gaalingua Languages & Education | Péter Gaál

Due to its location, history, and infrastructure, the Rhineland city of Bonn is ideally suited for foreigners to learn or perfect their German.

Whether it’s libraries, bookstores, language schools, schools, universities, or other educational institutions, there is a wide range of everything a German learner's heart desires.

If you are looking for a suitable language school, you should inquire or research the following:

• Maximum number of participants in the course (and is this guaranteed?);
• Native speaker status of the German as a Foreign Language (DaF) teachers (accent-free, stylistically at a high level, clear pronunciation, socialised entirely or largely in Germany);
• Price of course books;
• Course concept;
• Distance to the city centre;
• Certificates after completing the course (with grades?).

I can recommend the courses offered by the following language schools and teachers:

• Sprachinstitut Kreuzberg Bonn
• Steinke-Institut Bonn
• Schiller Language School
• IFS Bonn
• Sprach- und Bildungsinstitut Bonn

On the other hand, I would personally advise against such language schools:

• So-called integration courses (“Integrationskurs”) or schools with a high proportion of integration courses
• Language schools with more than approximately 15 students per course
• Language schools that do not provide precise and binding information about course sizes
• Language schools that do not provide accurate information about course start and end dates.

And here, you will find some useful tips for learning languages.

Bonn also offers plenty of options for suitable leisure activities. Those who prefer a calm and natural environment will enjoy the Rhine, the many hills and small mountains, the numerous green spaces, and the nearby Eifel and Siebengebirge mountains. Culture lovers will appreciate the Beethoven House, the House of History, the Egyptian Museum, and many other museums. For those interested in more active forms of entertainment, there are plenty of clubs, discotheques, and party events available. Venusberg, Kottenforst, Ennert, Siebengebirge, Ahrtal, Melbtal, and Katzenlochbachtal invite you to hike and stroll.

Sights in and around Bonn:

• Egyptian Museum of the University of Bonn
• Al-Muhajirin Mosque
• Beethoven House
• Old Town Hall
• Botanical Gardens of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
• Godesburg Castle (in Bonn Bad Godesberg)
• Eifel (region/mountain range southwest of Bonn)
• Ennert (a ridge located on the right bank of the Rhine in Bonn, with hiking trails, lakes, and viewing platforms)
• Haus der Geschichte – House of History of the Federal Republic of Germany (museum; free admission)
• Japanese Garden in Bonn (free admission)
• Cherry Blossom in Bonn/Cherry Blossoms in Bonn’s Old Town/Bonn Sakura
• Cherry Blossom Festival
• Königswinter, near Bonn (Drachenfels, Siebengebirge, Nibelungenhalle, Drachenburg Castle)
• Münster, Bonner Münster
• Nibelungenhalle (a building dedicated to Richard Wagner, decorated with beautiful paintings by the artist Hermann Hendrich (who also co-conceived it) in Königswinter on Drachenfels Mountain)
• Rheinaue, Leisure Park Rheinaue
• University of Bonn (with the Hofgartenwiese), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
• Venusberg in Bonn
• Deer Park Venusberg in Waldau (Bonn; free admission)

Leisure activities in and around Bonn:

• Some great hiking routes in and around Bonn at Ich-geh-wandern.de
• Beautiful hiking routes in and around Bonn at Wandernbonn.de
• Phantasialand amusement park in Brühl
• Hiking around Bonn, Komoot.de
• Paddle boating in Bonn's Rheinaue at the Rhine, Facebook page
• Climbing forest/climbing wall in Wesseling
• Summer toboggan run in Altenahr
• Altenahr

Bonn and its surroundings host some of the most renowned universities in the region, Germany, and even (University of Bonn) the world, which will certainly be of interest to many German learners:

• Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
• Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
• Rhein-Ahr-Campus Remagen
• Internationale Hochschule Bad Honnef - Bonn
• Hochschule der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe Bonn
• Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT)
• Alanus University Alfter
• Philosophical-Theological University SVD St. Augustin