Cherry Blossom Street in Bonn, Germany

Ten years ago when we moved to Italy, I scoured the Internet for the coolest places to see in Europe. In my search, I found a photo of one single pink cherry blossom avenue in Germany, creating an umbrella of pink, fluffy cherry blossoms that enveloped the entire area.

This cherry blossom street in Bonn looked like a magical dream, and I needed to see it with my own eyes.

We made plans to visit this popular Bonn street in Germany way back then, but then life happened: our assignment in Italy was cut short, and with it, our last trip to France, Belgium, and Germany was canceled.

So now that we’re living in Germany and happen to only be one hour away from this famous cherry blossom avenue, I knew we had to visit.

Early on a Saturday morning in the middle of April, we loaded all three kids in the car and hit the road to hunt for this magical cherry blossom street in Germany.

I was worried that the photos I’ve seen over the years have been photoshopped, and seeing the cherry blossoms in Germany in real life would be lackluster. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. It was BEAUTIFUL.

After a dreary and extremely long winter, walking down and seeing the canopy of cherry blossoms in Germany, was simply delightful. Bucket list: check!

Keep scrolling for everything you need to know so you can see this colorful piece of nature the next time you’re in Bonn during spring.

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When to Visit the Cherry Blossom Street in Bonn

Let’s get right to the nitty gritty. Cherry blossoms will bloom when they want to bloom. Sometimes they’ll bloom in early April, and sometimes they’ll hold out until the end of the month.

If that lack of commitment from the blossoms in Germany is starting to send you into a panic, you’re not alone.

Honestly, I started freaking out in early March, because, “How would we know when they’re ‘ready’?” “Would we just have to drive an hour over there to keep checking?” “What if I miss seeing them again now that I’m so close?”

Luckily, you don’t have to worry…

The Best Kept Secret to see the Cherry Blossoms

The answer comes from the kindness of a Bonn resident who regularly updates a website, Kirschblüte in Bonn, and an instagram feed with daily photos of the cherry blossoms in Bonn. I am immensely grateful for their help in making the timing just right to visit that gorgeous cherry blossom street.

Unless you live in Bonn, and can check out the cherry blossoms for yourself, I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep an eye on the Kirschblüte in Bonn page for the latest updates.

Blooms typically last about a week or two before they start dropping.

Get to the Cherry Blossom Street in Bonn Early

The early bird gets the worm, or in this case: the early bird doesn’t have hundreds of people photo-bombing their photos in front of cherry blossoms.

We arrived at Heerstraße (Bonn, Germany’s cherry blossom street) at 9 am, and it was relatively almost empty. But then we blinked and there were people everywhere.

Easily, by 9:30, the crowds doubled at Heerstrasse in Bonn, and by 10 am it was getting extremely hard to not have someone else in your photos.

Here’s a photo from around 10 am:

If you’re not there for the Instagram-worthy pics, but to just marvel at the very cool street, then anytime you visit will be wonderful…as long as you don’t mind bumping into people!

I think the sweet spot would be between 7 am and 9 am, although I can’t speak to what it’s like once the sun goes down in the evening. If you have the means, go during the week, as I expect the crowds would be significantly less than on the weekend.

Watch out for Cars

One more thing to remember: this is a residential street that is not pedestrian only. While it is a one-way street, cars were constantly coming and going.

Some were residents (who notably drove faster through the throngs of crowds), and some were tourists driving slowly (with their phones popped smooshed on their windshield or hanging out their window).

Just beware of your surroundings, especially if you’re there with kids.

Where to Park in Bonn for Cherry Blossoms

Speaking of cars: we drove to Bonn and parked at the Stadthausgarage (Weiherstraße 6, 53111 Bonn). There was ample parking when we arrived just before 9 am on a Saturday.

It was a nice, short, and easy walk to cherry blossom street from the parking garage. I recommend not trying to park on the street, especially if you visit on the weekend.

More Places to see Cherry Blossoms in Bonn

If you’re in town for a full day and want to see more cherry blossom trees around Bonn, you’re in luck. If you can time it right, there are a few more places to catch those pretty flowers than just the famous cherry blossom street*. Click here to see an interactive map of these cherry blossom spots.

• Breite Strasse (the famous “Altstadt” sign is located on this street)
• Maxx Strasse
• Bonner Münster
• Sterntor Gate

Other Things to do in Bonn

There’s plenty to do around the Bonn after gawking at the cherry blossom avenue. I’ll be back to update this post as we have a personal experience for them. Click here to see an interactive map for these spots.

• Beethoven Haus
  • Must have an appointment and negative covid test; more info here
• Haribo Factory Outlet
  • Not an actual “factory”
  • large candy shop with discounted prices; more info here
• Go on a Rhine river cruise
• Schloss Drachenburg (more info here)
  • only a 15-minute drive from the cherry blossom street
  • inside is closed, but you can still walk up to it
  • the walk/hike is about a mile and a half, so plan accordingly!
• Sea Life Aquarium (more info here)
• Get yourself some new Birkenstocks at the Birkenstock Outlet (Rheinstraße 2-4, 53604 Bad Honnef)
• Kunstmuseum Bonn
  • Museum of modern art
  • more info here

Where to Stay in Bonn

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Bonn to see the cherry blossoms, I recommend a place near the centrum.

Covid Restrictions (as of May 2021)

I hope I’ll be able to delete this section in the future, but for now: masks must be worn while outside around populated areas, and social distancing is still highly recommended.

While I don’t know if it’s allowed, many people—including myself—would take masks off for photos. I always kept mine extremely close to pop back on as soon as the photos were finished (you can spy it tucked into my dress a few times).

At the time of writing this, if you wanted to go into some stores in Bonn, you also needed to have a negative Covid test. There were sites set up to get a rapid test.

Personally, we skipped stores and just went on with our day.

Have You Visited the Cherry Blossom Street in Germany?

If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing the famous cheery blossoms in Germany I’d love to hear about your experience. Or, let me know if this is on your bucket list, too!