Images of Köln, Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces, Bonn and Düsseldorf in Germany. Taken in June 2018. (I lived in Köln from 2000 to 2003.)

“Cologne (German: Köln) is the largest city of Germany’s most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne was founded and established in Ubii territory in the 1st century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, the first word of which is the origin of its name.

“The Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces form a historical building complex in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, which has been listed as a UNESCO cultural World Heritage Site since 1984. The buildings are connected by the spacious gardens and trees of the Schlosspark. Augustusburg Palace (German: Schloss Augustusburg) and its parks also serve as a venue for the Brühl Palace Concerts.

“The Federal City of Bonn is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. Founded in the 1st century BC as a Roman settlement, Bonn is one of Germany’s oldest cities. From 1597 to 1794, Bonn was the capital of the Electorate of Cologne, and residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne. Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770.

“Düsseldorf is the capital and, after Cologne, second most populous city of the most populous German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as the seventh most populous city in Germany. Most of the city lies on the right bank of the Rhine (as opposed to Cologne, whose city centre lies on the river’s left bank). ‘Dorf’ meaning ‘village’, Düsseldorf is the largest settlement with that suffix in the German-speaking area.”

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