German cities are tough to commute via train. They are not just late but also lack air conditioning. So it is easy to miss cities like Bonn, which is next to the Germany's fourth largest city, Cologne (Kohn) and hard to reach by any public transport. Bonn to one's surprise is both old and young. Majority of the city seems be built post World War II with nothing to admire about, until you reach the city center. This is the old town area with vibrant atmosphere and shops bursting with people, as lively a space that it can get. Unlike other old towns that seem to be preserved for centuries (remember Strasbourg), Bonn's old town possess the structure of centuries but many building and street floors have been incorporated recently, suggesting a major renovation. Streets are narrow and curly and all of them leads to a church!

While short on tourists, Bonn compensates it with local vibes. People are carefree, price of food, clothes and others items are very cheap, makings it a shoppers paradise. Plenty of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants are also worth noting (who said that Germans are meat eaters!). It is common scene to see old people riding bicycle, and no one giving a look for others are doing. While one for a few hours visiting the University of Bonn, this city stuck me with delight. It is a small walkable city with hard to pronounce names, but one can easily navigate. Life is slow and chill. Only problem for a frequent traveller like me is to find a branded Hotel chains such as Marriott, IHG and Hilton. There are a few but unreasonably expensive. So better to stay at Cologne or at the Moxy (or Airport) Hotel I accidently discovered. More about it later below.