Park at the Old Customs House | Parking & City Garden Concerts

The Park at the Old Customs House is one of the places in Bonn that combines several elements in a compact space: history, landscape, urban life, and culture. Those who come here are not just in a green area, but at a place with historical depth that today serves as a quiet viewpoint, destination for walks, and meeting point by the Rhine. The Old Customs House is part of the important Bonn garden ensemble from the 18th century and is located at the eastern end of the Hofgarten. At the same time, it offers an unobstructed view of the Rhine and the Seven Mountains, making it one of the most distinctive places in Bonn's city center. It is also easily accessible for visitors: the nearest parking option is the University Garage, the Bonn/University Market stop is in close proximity, and access is via a spacious promenade. The place is freely accessible and suitable for many target groups, from families to groups and individual guests. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.visit-bonn-region.de/poi/alter-zoll))

Directions and Parking at the Old Customs House

Those looking for the Park at the Old Customs House often mean not only the green space itself but also the question of how to arrive there stress-free. This is where the location is pleasantly uncomplicated. The official tourism information cites the University Garage as the nearest parking option and the Bonn/University Market stop as the closest. This is practical because the Old Customs House is located in an area that can be easily explored on foot. Those coming from the city center or the university area can reach the place without significant detours. Access from Regina-Pacis-Weg or Stockentor is possible via a wide, generously designed promenade, which gives the place an open, representative effect upon arrival. This also fits the character of the place, as the Old Customs House is not a secluded park on the outskirts of the city but an urban open space with direct connections to the Hofgarten and the Bonn Rhine promenade. This location makes it suitable for both short visits and a mindful walk. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.visit-bonn-region.de/poi/alter-zoll))

Especially pleasant is the combination of walking path, public transport, and parking garage. Those arriving by train or light rail can take advantage of the central location and experience the Old Customs House as part of a larger city center tour. The Bonn Rhine promenade connects the city center and the government district; pedestrians and cyclists enjoy the proximity to the river, and the Old Customs House offers a particularly beautiful view over the Rhine and the Seven Mountains. Thus, the place is suitable not only as a destination but also as a stop along a route along the riverbank. For those coming by car, the University Garage is a sensible solution because it integrates the visit into the logic of the city center rather than complicating it. This creates a typical Bonn visitor experience: park, walk a few minutes, arrive at the top, open your view, and then decide whether to continue to the beer garden, the Rhine promenade, or towards the Hofgarten. ([bonn.de](https://www.bonn.de/medien-global/amt-03/bonn-info/_3950/stadtplan_bonn_DGB_web_2024.pdf))

City Garden Concerts in the City Garden at the Old Customs House

One of the strongest reasons for searching around the Old Customs House is the City Garden Concerts. This is no coincidence, as the cultural office of the federal city of Bonn organizes this series precisely at this location, making the City Garden at the Old Customs House an important open-air stage every summer. The concert series traditionally stands for a free and open format that takes place outdoors and consciously appeals to a broad audience. In the official documents, August is described as the month when the City Garden at the Old Customs House is entirely dedicated to concerts. The program is diverse, ranging from heavy metal to indie rock to oriental-German folk and vocal jazz. This makes the place interesting for music fans with very different interests, but also for people who simply want to experience a summer evening with live music in a special setting. The city of Bonn collaborates with various partners, connecting the local scene, new talents, and international acts into a series that gives the location its own profile. ([bonn.de](https://www.bonn.de/vv/oe/_/Dez._IV/41/41-1/Allgemeine-Kulturarbeit.php?utm_source=openai))

This very mix makes the Old Customs House an attractive concert venue. The stage is not in a neutral hall but in an open space characterized by grass, trees, and a view of the Rhine. Visitors therefore experience not only individual performances but also an atmosphere in which music and surroundings are closely intertwined. The City Garden Concerts are explicitly designed as free and outdoors, which lowers the threshold and facilitates spontaneous visits. At the same time, the 2025 program shows how broad the musical range is: there are different genres, international guests, and local groups. For SEO searches around the Old Customs House, this is particularly important because terms like City Garden Concerts, Open Air, program, stage, and August represent the majority of the demand. So, anyone looking for a lively summer spot in Bonn will quickly find themselves at one of the most visible concert venues in the city. ([bonn.de](https://www.bonn.de/medien-global/amt-41/WEB_JB410701_BR_KA_Stadtgartenkonzerte_2025.pdf))

View of the Rhine, Hofgarten, and the Green Location

The Park at the Old Customs House thrives mainly on its location. It is part of a significant Bonn garden ensemble, which, according to tourism information, also includes the Hofgarten with the Poppelsdorf Palace, the City Garden, the Poppelsdorfer Allee, the Botanical Garden, and the Tree Nursery Forest. Thus, the Old Customs House is not just a single green element but a building block in a larger historical landscape that spatially and atmospherically shapes Bonn's city center. This embedding explains why the place is so often perceived as a destination for walks, viewpoint, and meeting point. The lawn with chestnuts that shapes the garden enhances the impression of a quiet, open space in the middle of the city. Those standing here look across the Rhine at the Seven Mountains and experience a view that has become iconic for Bonn. This also explains why the Old Customs House repeatedly appears as a focal point in tourist maps and cycling routes. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.visit-bonn-region.de/poi/alter-zoll))

The connection to the Bonn Rhine promenade further enhances this character. According to the city's map, the promenade connects the city center with the government district, and pedestrians and cyclists benefit from the immediate proximity to the river. The Old Customs House is explicitly marked there as a point with a particularly beautiful view over the Rhine and the Seven Mountains. It is precisely this combination of city, water, and landscape that makes the place so popular: one is in the center within minutes while simultaneously in a scene that feels surprisingly vast and open. Those visiting the Old Customs House therefore often perceive not just a single lawn but a spatial ensemble of paths, sightlines, and transitions. The result is an urban open space that is neither purely decorative nor purely functional but combines both. For search queries related to Rhine view, viewpoint, Seven Mountains, and green location, the Old Customs House is therefore one of the most fitting places in Bonn. ([bonn.de](https://www.bonn.de/medien-global/amt-03/bonn-info/_3950/stadtplan_bonn_DGB_web_2024.pdf))

History from the Electoral Customs House to the Viewpoint

Historically, the Old Customs House is also much more than a pretty place. The official description explains that the electoral customs house for collecting the Rhine toll once stood here. Additionally, the area was a corner bastion of the former city fortifications. Thus, the place still tells of the time when the Rhine was not only a landscape but also a economically and militarily controlled border. Historical representations also indicate that the Old Customs House has been a customs site since the Middle Ages and was integrated into the city fortifications in the 17th century. This development is particularly formative for Bonn because it visibly marks the transition from a fortified old town to an open, modernized city center. The name itself is therefore not just a romantic remnant but a direct reference to the former function of the place. Today, there is no longer a customs house at this location, but a public green and viewpoint facility that does not obscure the historical core but transforms it into a new use. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.visit-bonn-region.de/poi/alter-zoll))

This very transformation is what makes the Old Customs House so interesting. From a controlled infrastructure point, it has become a freely accessible place for staying and urban identity. This is also reflected in the fact that the Old Customs House now appears in tourist routes and thematic tours. In the Beethoven Cycle Path, for example, it is listed as a station with a Beethoven statue and as a tip for the view of Bonn and the Seven Mountains. This makes the Old Customs House part of a larger cultural memory of the city that connects Beethoven, Rhine romanticism, panorama, and urban history. Visitors today experience the place as a viewpoint and meeting space without losing the former function. This is exactly what makes it so appealing: one can sit here, look, listen to music, or continue walking, and at the same time, it is palpable that this place has had significance for centuries. So, anyone looking for history, background, or historical Bonn will find one of the clearest and most accessible places in the city at the Old Customs House. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.bonn.de/medien-global/amt-03/bonn-info/_3950/stadtplan_bonn_DGB_web_2024.pdf))

Beer Garden at the Old Customs House: Shade, Seating, and Atmosphere

The current experience at the Old Customs House is inseparably linked to the beer garden in the immediate vicinity. The tourism information describes it as outdoor gastronomy directly at the former customs bastion in the City Garden. The location and ambiance are particularly important: due to the elevated position, the view opens up to the Rhine, Seven Mountains, and riverbank, while large plane trees provide shade in summer. There are numerous beer benches for seating, and according to the entry, there are 250 seats. Thus, the beer garden is not just a complement but an essential part of what many people associate with the Old Customs House. The cuisine is German and regionally oriented, and drinks and snacks are also part of the offering. For visitors, this is practical, as a walk, a concert visit, or a short stop can be easily combined with a longer break. The place feels both sociable and relaxed, which is not a given in a city center location. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.bonn.de/gastro/biergarten-am-alten-zoll))

The accessibility of the beer garden also fits the open character of the entire area. It can be reached via the City Garden and also from Brassertufer; from the City Garden, there is even a level access down or across. Additionally, the U-Bahn stop Bonn University/Market for lines 66, 16, and 18 is in close proximity. This is a significant advantage for practical use, as it means that the beer garden is not an isolated destination but a easily reachable stop on a city tour. In search queries for beer garden at the Old Customs House, seating, arrival, or U-Bahn, this mix of view, food, and short pathways appears repeatedly. The place is therefore particularly interesting for people looking for a relaxed spot with a view of the Rhine without traveling far out of the city center. This makes the Old Customs House an example of how Bonn's historical green spaces successfully interact with gastronomy and urban experience today. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.bonn.de/gastro/biergarten-am-alten-zoll))

Practical Tips for Visiting, Walking, and Combinations

Several practical points speak in favor of visiting the Old Customs House that one might easily overlook when planning. Admission is free, and the tourism information classifies the place as suitable for groups, school classes, families, individual guests, seniors, and strollers. Pets are also allowed. This information shows that the place is not only a beautiful viewpoint but a consciously open urban space. Additionally, the location in the middle of Bonn makes a visit sensible at almost any time of day. Those with little time can use the Old Customs House as a short break with a view of the Rhine. Those with more time can combine it with the Hofgarten, City Garden, Rhine promenade, or the nearby cultural stations in the city center. This flexibility is a key part of its appeal, as the place works for both spontaneous visits and planned excursions. In combination with the City Garden Concerts or the beer garden, a seasonal added value is created that makes the Old Customs House particularly lively in summer. ([visit-bonn-region.de](https://www.bonn.de/poi/alter-zoll))

Those wishing to explore the surroundings can choose the Old Customs House as a starting or ending point for a short city walk. The city map of the federal city of Bonn explicitly highlights the Bonn Rhine promenade, the Old Customs House, and the connection between the city center and the government district. This embeds the place in a network of sights that also includes the Hofgarten and the university's surroundings. In the tourist city map as well as on the Bonn region page, the Old Customs House repeatedly appears as a viewpoint with panoramic quality and as part of a historical yet practical urban space. Especially in the late afternoon or during the summer months, this place reveals its character particularly well, as garden, water, light, and movement come together. So, anyone looking for a quick Bonn highlight will find a very compact solution here: easily accessible, free, strongly scenic, and culturally charged. This is a rare combination that makes the Old Customs House as interesting for locals as it is for visitors to the city. ([bonn.de](https://www.bonn.de/medien-global/amt-03/bonn-info/_3950/stadtplan_bonn_DGB_web_2024.pdf))

Sources:

• Old Customs House - Visit Bonn Region
• Beer Garden at the Old Customs House - Visit Bonn Region
• Tourist City Map Bonn 2024 - Rhine Promenade and Old Customs House
• City Garden Concerts 2025 - Federal City Bonn
• General Cultural Work - Federal City Bonn