As you walk up to the Schloss Augustuburg, you will not be blown away. It looks fairly plain when…read morecompared to other castles from that time. What is truly remarkable waits for you inside. The grand stairway is one of the most ornate and intricately decorated places I have ever seen. Simply breathtaking. I felt that the tour, which is the only way permitted to see the inside of the castle, was a little too rushed. If possible, take your time walking the grounds and the gardens before you have the tour so that you are tired and don't mind a faster walk through the castle. The gardens are another amazing sight and very invocative of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versaille since they were done by one of Le Nôtre's pupils. The audio tour is worth it and make sure you keep your headset for the second castle: Falkenlust.

A great place to chill out and enjoy the nature! Big and beautiful garden with so many carefully…read moretended beds of flowers, fountains, a labyrinth and kind of forest with so many wild blackberries. It's also very popular for wedding photos!

I had a few hours before my flight and Museum Ludwig was the perfect activity to fill in that time…read more This place is massive (3 floors!), so wear your comfortable walking shoes as there is a giant staircase (elevators too of course). It's next to the main train station as well, so it's a great spot to burn time before a flight or train. I only had about 2 hours and it wasn't enough--give yourself the full afternoon or at least 3 hours! They offer a free service desk for jackets and purses. However, don't bring a large tote--they have a strict size limit and you'll have to leave it at the desk. Even if you aren't an "art person," the sheer variety here from Pop Art to Surrealism keeps it from feeling boring. Each room felt well-curated and combined with the high ceilings, there was an openness that allowed each art piece to breathe and have it's moment. Do not sleep on the gift shop. I found some nice trinkets for my desk and souvenirs for friends + family.

Museum Ludwig is the most popular museum in Cologne on TripAdvisor and one of the top attractions…read moreoverall in the city, and for good reason. I stopped by on a Sunday evening for two hours before they closed. Ideally, you'd like to spend 3-4 hours here, especially if you do the audio guide. Museum Ludwig is Cologne's preeminent museum of contemporary art. You'll find works of art from pretty much every major artist who painted in this style. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Rene Magritte, etc. It's a feast of riches so I'm only scratching the surface. Beyond the quality of the art, something else I care about at museums is how the exhibitions are laid out. Here, it's intuitive. It's pretty easy to go from room to room without worrying about missing something. Some museums aren't laid out in the best way logistically---Museum Ludwig is. There are three floors. Start at the top and then make your way down. Outside of the layout and the artwork, the final piece for me is comfort. You have that here, too. There's air conditioning which certainly is not a guarantee in Europe. You have free lockers. You have free WiFi. Well done all-around. If you're visiting Cologne, Museum Ludwig should definitely be part of your itinerary.

It is free, it is extensive, it has evil Russian propaganda. Do I need to say more?…read more I do have to take off a star for not accommodating stupid Americans like me. Even with the audio guide, there are some parts of the museum that you will just have to squint at intelligently, take pictures thinking that you will translate when you get home (you won't), and move on with the other children to the big tank. Big tanks require no translation. Neither does the life-sized canoe crashing through the wall with life jackets pouring out of it (bet you're going now, aren't you?)

This is one of the best museums to visit if you are at all interested in contemporary German…read morehistory (WWII and on). While it is a bit frustrating if you don't know German (only the major captions on signs are translated into English, though I heard you can ask for an English guide), the fact that it's free more than makes up for it. Regardless of my utter lack of German language ability, I still managed to spend hours in this museum. The best part? Admission is absolutely FREE. Definitely a must-see attraction in Bonn. Go with German locals if you can; it'll likely make your visit much more meaningful. Note: You will be asked to turn in your personal belongings at the coat check. Also, there is a direct entrance to the museum from the Heussallee/Museumsmeile U-Bahn station, on the western side of Friedrich-Ebert-Allee -- going through this entrance will actually allow you to see a neat car and train.

This museum contains an OVERWHELMING number of artifacts. I'm confused why there isn't more public…read morenotice of this museum. Perhaps it is because the display of the collection is 'old-fashioned.' Be prepared because you will see so much of areas which might be of interest. 1) 3 Euros/adult , 2) Need to show some sort of ID so that they can record the information, 3) Just off the bus line #15 from the hauptbahnhof, 4) 99% of the collection is displayed indoors, 5) Sorry if your German translation isn't up to par, all the description placards are in German.