Alter Friedhof

Address Bornheimer Strasse 2, 53111 Bonn

Bonn's old cemetery, established in 1715, is one of the most beautiful in the Rhineland — a park-like expanse of ancient trees, ivy-covered chapels, and ornate 19th-century monuments. It lies just west of the city centre between the university quarter and the Altstadt.

The Alter Friedhof is genuinely worth a visit for its atmosphere. Shade trees planted over two centuries ago form a canopy over the graves, and in spring the ground cover of ivy and periwinkle blooms blue beneath them. The cemetery is a popular lunch spot for university staff and local residents. Entry is free and it is open daily during daylight hours.

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Among the famous names buried here are the mathematician and physicist Ernst Julius Clausius, the composer Robert Schumann (whose remains were later moved to the Schumann memorial in Endenich), and Ernst Moritz Arndt, the poet who became a symbol of German nationalism during the Napoleonic wars.

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