The former residence of the Archbishops of Cologne, now the main building of the University of Bonn, is one of the finest baroque palaces in the Rhineland. The building stretches along the Rhine embankment in a graceful 180-metre facade; the courtyard opens onto the Hofgarten, a large park popular with students and families throughout the year.
The Hofgarten itself is a classic German formal garden, with chestnut alleys and a central avenue leading south toward Poppelsdorfer Schloss. On warm days the lawn fills with students, and it becomes the default gathering point for the university town Bonn really is beneath its diplomatic surface. The palace and university buildings are open during term, and it is possible to walk through the main entrance and into the courtyard.