Friedensmuseum Brücke von Remagen Cologne & Northern Rhineland

At the end of WWII, as the Allies raced across France and Belgium to rid Germany of Nazism, the Wehrmacht tried frantically to stave off defeat by destroying all bridges across the Rhine. The bridge at Remagen, however, lasted long enough for Allied troops to cross the river, contributing significantly to the collapse of Hitler’s western front. One of the bridge’s surviving basalt towers now houses the Friedensmuseum, with a well-presented exhibit on Remagen’s pivotal role in WWII. The Friedensmuseum is a 15-minute walk along the Rhine promenade south from the Remagen train station, which has frequent services from Bonn (23 minutes, €3.90).