Kirmes Plittersdorf

Bonn-Plittersdorf — Diplomatic Quarter with Village Character

Plittersdorf is a district of Bonn's Bad Godesberg borough, in the southern part of the city, directly on the Rhine. Until the Bonn/Berlin move in 1999, Plittersdorf was one of the central diplomatic quarters of the provisional federal capital: embassies, residences, and international schools characterized the area. Even after the capital change, the district has retained its mix of internationality and Rhenish village character — a combination worth seeing that every visitor to Bonn will appreciate.

The Plittersdorfer Kirmes

The Plittersdorfer Kirmes traditionally takes place on the last weekend of September — in 2026, this means from Friday, September 25th to Sunday, September 27th. It is Bonn's small, family-friendly answer to the large Rhenish Kirmes events like Pützchens Markt: not an industrial operation, but a district festival with classic Kirmes attractions on Plittersdorf village square on Steinstraße — carousels for children, some high-thrill rides, food stalls, beer stands, and sales booths.

Organizer — Ortsausschuss Plittersdorf

The Kirmes is organized by the Ortsausschuss Plittersdorf (Plittersdorf Local Committee) — an association of clubs that has been bundling social and cultural life in the district for decades. The festival is an important anchor in the district's year, an opportunity for long-time residents and newcomers to meet. The federal city of Bonn explicitly names the Plittersdorfer Kirmes 2026 in its official press calendar for the Bonn event year.

What awaits you at the Kirmes?

A typical Rhenish district Kirmes:

• Rides — children's carousels, bumper cars, some classic high-thrill rides
• Food and sweets stalls — Bratwurst, Reibekuchen (potato pancakes), candied almonds, gingerbread, crêpes, cotton candy
• Beer stands — Kölsch and regional beer
• Game stalls — shooting gallery, games of chance, claw machines
• Family atmosphere — many regulars, a neighborhood meeting point

Plittersdorf beyond the Kirmes

Those who travel for the Kirmes should take time to explore the district itself:

• Plittersdorf Rhine promenade — one of Bonn's most beautiful Rhine promenades with views of the Siebengebirge mountains
• Hirschburg Park and the former embassy villas
• Plittersdorf Cemetery with interesting international graves
• Proximity to Bad Godesberg city center with Godesberg Castle ruins

Bonn-Bad Godesberg — the Southern Borough

Bad Godesberg is one of Bonn's four boroughs, south of the Bonn city center, with its own identity: former spa town (the "Bad" refers to the mineral springs), diplomatic quarter during Bonn's capital city era, today an upscale residential district with a mixed profile. Plittersdorf is one of the southernmost districts of Bad Godesberg, just before the Mehlem Rhine floodplains.

Tip for Bonn Visitors

The Plittersdorfer Kirmes is not the place for those seeking the big Volksfest hustle and bustle — if that's what you want, come to Pützchens Markt in Beuel at the beginning of September (one of the largest Rhenish Kirmessen). Plittersdorfer Kirmes, on the other hand, is the right choice for an authentic Rhenish district festival away from the tourist trails. If you are in Bonn in late summer/early autumn, it's ideal to combine it with a walk along the Rhine or a visit to the nearby Godesberg Castle ruins.