The cherry blossom in Bonn's old town attracts numerous tourists and amateur photographers every spring. However, the exact flowering time is difficult to predict as it depends on various factors: temperature, sun, rain and the previous winter all play a role. The city's tree experts currently expect the Japanese carnation cherries on Heerstrasse and Breite Strasse to be in full bloom in the first few days of April. The exact flowering time is difficult to predict as it depends on numerous factors such as sun, rain and temperature.
Roads closed to through traffic at weekends
The City is once again preparing for numerous visitors during the cherry blossom season. During the blossoming period, the heavily frequented streets in Bonn's old quarter will be closed to through traffic at weekends and on public holidays from 10 am to 8 pm. This is expected to apply for the first time on March 29/30, 2025, if the cherries are already in bloom, as is currently expected. Closures are also planned for the following two April weekends, April 5/6 and April 12/13, as well as the Easter weekend from Good Friday to Easter Monday, April 18-21.
The closure applies to the entire Breite Straße as well as the section of Heerstraße between Kölnstraße and Vorgebirgsstraße. Paulstraße, Peterstraße, Wolfstraße and Dorotheenstraße will also be closed to traffic, as they can only be reached via Heerstraße and Breite Straße.
Bollards will be erected at a total of nine road closures and a security service will monitor the ban on weekends and public holidays on behalf of the city administration. Residents as well as delivery and service vehicles are exempt from the closure and may pass through. During the cherry blossom season, tour buses are generally prohibited from passing through.
There will be no parking ban at weekends this spring. Last year, the city administraion tested a combination of a parking ban and neighborhood parking spaces in public parking garages for the first time as part of a pilot project. However, demand was very low. This year, the impact of the introduction of the parking concept for the northern part of the city on the parking situation during the cherry blossom season will be reviewed and appropriate conclusions drawn for subsequent years.
The municipal public order service is prepared and will also close the streets during the week if necessary for safety reasons in the event of very large numbers of visitors. The City asks all road users to show consideration for each other. As a general rule, it is advisable not to drive to the old town for the cherry blossom season, but to arrive on foot, by bike or by bus and train.
The city administration will once again be providing toilet cubicles for visitors from the end of March - in front of the Marienschule in Heerstraße and at the town hall on the corner of Maxstraße and Breite Straße (Elisabeth-Selbert-Platz). They are barrier-free and will be cleaned regularly. Bonnorange will also clean the streets more intensively during the cherry blossom season and will set up additional litter bins in the old town, which will be emptied regularly.
Tourist information offers guided tours
Last year, Bonn Tourist Information offered guided tours of the cherry blossom in Bonn's Old Town for the first time. The interest was enormous and the dates were repeated several times. The “Cherry blossom for early risers” tour starts at 7 a.m. before the streets fill up. As a special highlight, participants climb onto the roof of the Stadthaus at the end of the tour and can enjoy the view of the pink ribbon running through the old town from 70 meters.
In 2025, Bonn Information will be offering another tour and has been able to recruit a specialist for it in Brigitte Denkel, the former city planner and person responsible for the establishment of the ornamental cherries. Birgit Landsberg, Head of Bonn Information, reports: “Ms. Denkel covers a completely different perspective on the development of the district and the history of the cherry trees. We are very happy that we were able to win her over for a cooperation.”
The guided tours and respective tour guides have been confirmed, only the dates are still open due to the uncertain flowering period. So far, only two dates have been set for the guided tours. More will follow in the coming weeks. Interested parties can already register now without obligation at: https://eveeno.com/fuehrungenbonnerkirschbluete (opens in a new tab). As soon as further dates can be booked, the Bonn Information team will send an information e-mail to all registered addresses. Tickets for the guided tour cost 13 euros, concessions 7.50 euros and can be purchased directly from Bonn Information or Bonnticket.
Fans of the cherry blossom can shorten the waiting time with various merchandising items: the Bonn Information Office offers a cherry blossom puzzle with 1,000 pieces, cherry blossom soap, bags and an illustrated book.
Cherry blossom update on the Internet
Information for residents and visitors as well as exciting facts about Bonn's cherry blossom can be found at www.bonn.de/kirschbluete. Anyone interested in the status of the blossom can also find up-to-date photos there.