Bonn was formerly the capital of West Germany and is now a modern city with over 2,000 years of history. It has a population of 315,000 people and sits on the Rhine River. Bonn is known for being the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven and has a museum dedicated to his life and work in his childhood home. The city hosts numerous festivals throughout the year, including Rhein in Flammen fireworks in May and Karneval celebrations in the weeks before Easter. Bonn also has many shops, bars, nightclubs and 30 museums to provide entertainment for residents and visitors.