Also very busy: The Beethoven House, which attracts many of the climate conference participants. „People who are accredited for the World Climate Conference can visit our house free of charge“, says Ursula Fontani, spokesperson of the Beethoven House. The COP23 guests are easily spotted as they carry their conference passes on blue ribbons around their necks, even when not on the conference grounds in the Rheinaue or the WCCB. Fontani is convinced that the COP23 participants found out about Beethoven’s birth house through the „Beethoven Pastoral Project“.

The project meant that artists from all over the world were invited to network with each other by communicating Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and make a creative statement for environment protection and sustainable development. Even before opening and after closing many climate conference guests take pictures of the Beethoven House. Like a dovecote is the direct translation for a German phrase, describing some very busy hustle and bustle.

Like at the taxi rank near the main Bonn train station. „Just like the old days, when Bonn was still capital of Germany“, says taxi driver Ibrahim Hamu. „People from all over the world come to Bonn and we can show them around.“ But this also means a lot of work, making a break is nearly impossible. He says he tries to get out of the car at every stop and walk around for a few moments. „We work in the entire city, but most people want to be driven to their hotels or to the city centre.“ Particularly the guests from African countries who came back with big shopping bags.

Like Aboubacar Youla from Guinea, who really wants to buy some shoes. After trying TK Maxx, he continues shopping at Kaufhof and Sinn Leffers. „I want to bring something nice back home“, he says. And a selfie picture at the Beethoven statue can’t be missing. But time is scarce for many delegates and journalists. „We just have so much to do“, says Brazilian reporter Heitor Vascancello. He is having dinner in the Sudhaus in Bonn with three colleagues from other parts of Brazil. „First, we couldn’t find a typical German restaurant.“ But then they found „Haxe, Sauerkraut, Würstchen, Weißbier and Kölsch“ on the Sudhaus menu. „We tried stuff like this at home, but this here tastes much better“, says Gabriel Faria.

Sudhaus owner, Rolf Hiller, is visibly enjoying having so many guests from all over the world who call in to his restaurant at the Friedensplatz mainly during the evenings. „Last Sunday we had a Korean delegation with 38 members here“, he recalls. Including the Lord Mayor of Seoul. „But they had sent people to test the food the day before“, he says and laughs. The Korean delegation ordered Haxe with mashed potatoes and Wiener schnitzel, but also rice with fish. The department store TK Maxx notices an obvious plus in customers. „The retail business benefits from large events like the World Climate Conference“, says a company spokesperson.

Also popular: The Haribo wine gum shop and the Swiss chocolate company Lindt (Am Neutor) as well as the Birkenstock branch in the Sternstraße. Mira from Bulgaria is now the proud owner of three new pairs of sandals, one of the them even with golden ornaments.

Original text: Lisa Inhoffen, Nicolas Ottersbach

Translation: Mareike Graepel