Introduction
Town in North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyBad Honnef TownBad Honnef seen from the Drachenfels
Coat of armsLocation of Bad Honnef
within Rhein-Sieg-Kreis district
Location of Bad HonnefBad Honnef Show map of GermanyBad Honnef Show map of North Rhine-WestphaliaCoordinates: 50°38′42″N 7°13′37″E / 50.64500°N 7.22694°E / 50.64500; 7.22694CountryGermanyStateNorth Rhine-WestphaliaAdmin. regionKöln DistrictRhein-Sieg-Kreis Subdivisions20Government • Mayor (2025–30) Philipp HerzogArea • Total48.17 km2 (18.60 sq mi)Highest elevation455 m (1,493 ft)Lowest elevation53 m (174 ft)Population (2024-12-31) • Total25,061 • Density520.3/km2 (1,347/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)Postal codes53604Dialling codes02224Vehicle registrationSUWebsitewww.bad-honnef.de
Bad Honnef (German pronunciation: [baːt ˈhɔnɛf] ⓘ) is a spa town in Germany near Bonn in the Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the border of the neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate. To the north it lies on the slopes of the Drachenfels (“Dragon's Rock”) mountain, part of the Siebengebirge.
Honnef, Aerial view
Overview
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Bad Honnef is home to a mineral spring called the Drachenquelle ("Dragon Spring") which was discovered in 1897. This discovery led to Honnef, as the town was called at the time, transforming from a wine-growing town to a spa town, adding the prefix Bad to its name. The mineral spring has been used for both drinking and bathing, and its existence has historically been a big draw for visitors including Queen Sophie of Sweden, who visited from 1892 to 1906.
Bad Honnef includes several districts, such as Aegidienberg, Rhöndorf, and Lohfelderfähre, which is located near the Rhine ferry crossing to Rolandseck. During his term as first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (then West Germany), Konrad Adenauer lived (and died) in Bad Honnef, as it was near Bonn, then the capital of the republic. Also, German politician and leader of the Free Democratic Party Guido Westerwelle was born in Bad Honnef.
Since the 1980s Bad Honnef has developed into an important place for conferences in Germany. Because of the close proximity to the still internationally important Federal City of Bonn, a number federal institutions used to be located in Bad Honnef. A number of important politicians, such as Willy Brandt and Konrad Adenauer, lived in Bad Honnef while active in politics.
The head office of the Nationalpark Siebengebirge project was also planned to be in Bad Honnef; however the project was rejected in a referendum on 27 September 2009.
Bad Honnef has the highest purchasing power of all towns in North Rhine-Westphalia; its percentage of millionaires is also one of the highest. With 26.5% it has one of the highest percentage populations over 65 years old in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Politics
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City council[edit]
After the 2025 local elections, the Bad Honnef city council is composed as follows:
Party
Votes
%
+/-
Seats
+/-
Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
5,406
42.2
9.6
17
7
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)
2,663
20.8
7.5
8
1
Social Democratic Party (SPD)
1,694
13.2
4.5
5
1
Citizens' Block Bad Honnef e.V. (BB)
1,401
10.9
4.4
4
1
Volt (Volt)
565
4.4
New
2
New
Alternative for Germany (AfD)
551
4.3
New
2
New
Free Democratic Party (FDP)
546
4.3
2.0
2
±0
Valid votes
12,826
98.7
Invalid votes
176
1.4
Total
13,002
100.0
40
8
Electorate/voter turnout
20,497
63.4
Source: City of Bad Honnef
Mayors[edit]
Term of office
Mayors
1862–1876
Clemens Joseph Adams (1831–1876)
1877–1889
Aloys Hubert Schumacher
1889–1907
Theodor Waechter
1907–1919
Peter Joseph Brenig
1919–1929
Albert Berns
1929–1933
Alfred von Reumont (1898–1984)
1933–1934
Heinrich Behr
1934–1935
temporary von Wittich
1935–1945
Johannes „Hans“ Schloemer
1945–1946
Heinrich Goertz
1946–1949
Jakob Mölbert
1949–1952
Peter Rustemeyer
1952–1962
Jakob Mölbert
1962–1964
Albert Weidenbach
1964–1972
Jakob Mölbert
1972–1982
Franz Josef Kayser (1928–2015)
1982–1990
Werner Osterbrink
1990–1999
Franz Josef Kayser
1999–2004
Hans-Peter Brassel
2004–2014
Wally Feiden (born 1940)
2014–2025
Otto Neuhoff
since 2025
Philipp Herzog
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany
Bad Honnef is twinned with:
Berck, France
Cadenabbia (Griante), Italy
Ludvika, Sweden
Wittichenau, Germany
Notable people
[edit]
Curt Haase (1881–1943), general in World War II
Boris Papandopulo (1906–1991), composer and conductor
Franz Brungs (born 1936), football player and coach
Peter Frankenberg (born 1947), professor and politician (CDU), minister in Baden-Württemberg
Peter Hintze (1950–2016), politician (CDU), 2013–2016 Vice-President of the Bundestag
Guido Westerwelle (1961–2016), politician (FDP), Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany (2009–2013)
Sydney Lohmann (born 2000), football player for the Germany national team
Alfred Nourney (1892–1972), socialite and Titanic survivor
