Freizeitpark Rheinaue is a huge public park by the River Rhine in Bonn, Germany. It hosts monthly flea markets, beautiful theme parks including a Japanese garden, a large boating lake, and some historical landmarks.
Every neighbourhood in Bonn has its own park – and these are no simple affairs. Lush with greenery, secret woodsy paths, large playgrounds and serene ponds, many of these parks resemble untouched forests in parts.
So far, we’ve visited three major ones – the Bad Godesberg Stadtpark (city park), Friesdorf Park and the renowned Freizeitpark Rheinaue.
Freizeitpark translates to ‘amusement park’ in English and with hectares and hectares (160 to be precise) of football courts, seaside promenades, woody cycling tracks, a Japanese garden and picturesque bridges, it really is one.
We’ve been there twice so far and there’s still a lot more to be discovered. It’s a 30 minute walk away from where we’re staying and on the way, we encounter many mini gardens, playgrounds and an eerily beautiful cemetery.
Once, we even saw a wrongly parked car being towed away (and that wasn’t the only time) and posed under a bunch of pink spring blooms. The best place to get a glimpse of these moments is on our Instagram account.
Spring-summer Rheinaue (Bonn) in 10 beautiful photos
You can have your own outdoor picnic in the Rheinaue (Bonn) but there are also beer and food stalls for those who aren’t prepared!
Our first glimpse of the park on a spring afternoon charmed us completely. We immediately wanted to find a good spot under a tree and snooze on the grassy lawn.
We saw a lot of interesting graffiti on the walls – hinting at sentiments harboured by minorities and immigrants. We ate some oranges while watching a game of football between two local teams of teenagers.
We walked and walked until we reached this massive lake. Here, wispy bits of pollen swayed in the air in slow-motion – allergens for some and a fairy-tale for star-struck explorers like us.
A mother duck and her babies walked on one side of the lake while people rested on benches on the other. This was our favourite part of the park, at least on the first visit.
The park is actually spread out across both sides of the river Rhein, which flows through Bonn, among other cities in North Rhine Westphalia.
We sat on a rock here and spent a memorable time, watching ships and tall city towers and vehicles zooming past on the bridge (not seen in this photo).
We went looking for the celebrated Japanese garden and it was just the work of beauty we hoped it would be. Along with this lovely pond, a gurgling little waterfall and wonderfully sculpted garden bushes delighted us.
There are other theme parks in the Rheinaue as well, along with works of art. But we didn’t see those on that day.
Once a month from May until August, Freizeitpark Rheinaue hosts a flea market where anyone can set up a stall to sell just about anything. There’s only one rule – it must all be second-hand.
We got some amazing steals at last month’s flea market, including a winter jacket for just five euros, a denim jacket for two and leather boots for one!
Many types of ducks and water fowl such as Nilgans swim in the Rheinauensee. You’ll also see furry nutria walking on the grass or floating in the water. On further visits to Freizeitpark Rheinaue, we also saw a spoon garden (odd, right?), rose garden, a tall Bismarck Tower, and a garden for the blind.
That’s all for now. But we’ll be back with more stories of our adventures and discoveries in Bonn, the darling city that we’ve come to call home.
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