Bonn (Germany)

Bonn is a Rhine River cruise port and city in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state, with a population of around 330,000. By the metro population (over 11 million) Bonn is currently ranked Germany's biggest metropolitan area. Bonn is approx 24 km (15 mi) southeast of Cologne/Koln (state's largest city with a population of around 1,1 million) and approx 70 km (44 mi) southeast of state's capital Dusseldorf.

Since 1994, Germany's former capital city Bonn was designated as "Federal City" (Bundesstadt). Bonn is located in the Rhine-Ruhr region's southernmost part and northwest of Siebengebirge (aka Sieben / Seven Mountains) in the Middle Rhine.

The settlement was founded by the Romans in the 1st-century BC, making it one of Germany's oldest towns. In the period 1597-1794, the city was the capital of Kurfurstentum Koln (Electorate of Cologne / 953-1803 AD) and the residence of Cologne's archbishops and prince-electors. In the late-16th century, the city became more powerful and grew considerably. During the Nine Years War (1688-97, between France and the Holy Roman Empire), in 1689 Bonn was besieged, bombarded and captured by Christian Albert (the Elector of Brandenburg). In the period 1949-1990, Bonn was West Germany's de facto capital (judicial capital).