Bonn, the former West German capital, sits directly on the Rhine Cycle Route, with close to 300 kilometres of paths on both banks giving flat, easy riding through the Rheinauenpark and past the old government quarter.
Cross the river and the terrain changes fast. The Siebengebirge — the "Seven Mountains" — rise just south of the city, and the road up to the Drachenfels, a ruined castle above the Rhine, is steep enough (ramps near 20%) that it's usually ridden as a target rather than a warm-up. The neighbouring Petersberg climb runs as a toll road that's free to cyclists.
Bonn has hosted the Deutschland Tour repeatedly: a 2018 stage from Koblenz finished there, won by Álvaro José Hodeg, while the 2005 edition's stage into Bonn was won by Daniele Bennati, with Levi Leipheimer taking the overall ahead of Jan Ullrich.
Inside the city, the Venusberg offers another short test with a view back over Bonn — a compact set of options for a place that's easy to underestimate as a cycling city.
