The Rhine district tour
The largest part of the diplomatic corps lived in Bad Godesberg for around 50 years. Ambassadors, diplomats and local staff lived and worked here in beautiful villas and mansions dating from the Wilhelminian era- ca. 1870-1910- , which are now owned by industrialists, business people and retirees. Our walk will recall Bad Godesberg’s time as the diplomatic district and offers us a view of the life behind the scenes during that era.
Our walk takes us through the idyllic villa district down towards the banks of the Rhine, past numerous former embassies, amongst which are those of Pakistan, Thailand and Israel. On the river bank we will pass the beautiful ambassadors’ residences of Portugal, the United Kingdom and Italy. During a short break in the historic RheinHotel Dreesen on the river bank the owners Fritz and Olaf Dreesen will give us a talk on the role their hotel played while the diplomats lived here. The RheinHotel Dreesen was the starting-point of all the embassies which were later opened in Bad Godesberg and served the French High Commission as the seat of their administration from 1949 till 1952. From “Dreesen” our way leads us back through Rüngsdorf to the train station in Bad Godesberg.