The German city of Bonn has nabbed a top 10 spot in the prestigious Best in Travel 2020: Top Cities list, published by the famous travel guide Lonely Planet. The city's somewhat unexpected achievement is owed to a certain legendary composer: Ludwig van Beethoven.

Bonn: One of Lonely Planet’s “Top Cities”

This year Bonn made its way onto Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel 2020” recommendations for the top cities to visit in 2020, placing fifth on the list. The travel guide primarily features Bonn due to its significance as the birthplace of Beethoven.

As the travel guide describes, as the erstwhile capital of West Germany, Bonn fell into relative obscurity after the Reunification of Germany in 1990. This year, however, Bonn “is back in the spotlight” as it prepares to host a years' worth of festivities in tribute to its most famous son. 2020 will see the city orchestrate a year-round lineup of musical events in honour of Beethoven's 250th birthday. 

Aside from the festivities that make it an exciting place to be this year, Lonely Planet is keen to stress that Bonn has so much more to offer. From its beautiful location on the banks of the River Rhine, Bonn proudly exhibits a myriad of stunningly picturesque buildings, including its famous university, the Rococo-style Altes Rathaus and a plethora of museums, including the house where Beethoven was born.

German-speaking Salzburg takes top spot

Salzburg, another German-speaking city, secures the top spot in this year's Best Cities list. This is largely down to the fact that the Salzburg Festival marks its centenary this year. As the home of another musical heavyweight - Mozart - the Austrian city hosts one of the world’s biggest classical music festivals.

The last German city to be featured on the list was Hamburg in 2018, shortly after the opening of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, one of the largest and most acoustically-advanced concert halls in the world. Germany itself featured in the Top Countries 2019, when it hosted a number of events marking the hundredth anniversary of the Bauhaus art school and 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020

Every year, Lonely Planet publishes its Best in Travel guide, featuring a list for Top Cities, Top Countries, Top Regions and Top Value Destinations. The travel guide compiles the list from suggestions by hundreds of contributors, which are eventually whittled down to ten places for each list. The Best in Travel 2020 list is now in its 15th year.

The 10 cities that made it to the Best in Travel 2020 list were as follows: 

• 1. Salzburg, Austria
• 2.  Washington DC, USA
• 3. Cairo, Egypt
• 4. Galway, Ireland
• 5. Bonn, Germany
• 6. La Paz, Bolivia
• 7. Kochi, India
• 8. Vancouver, Canada
• 9. Dubai, UAE
• 10. Denver, Colorado