Bonn may be best known as the former West German capital, but it is also the birthplace of Haribo – the world’s most famous gummy sweet brand. From the flagship shop to the factory outlet, the city should be a pilgrimage site for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Shopping on Am Neutor
Walking along Am Neutor in Bonn, it is easy to assume this is just another upmarket shopping street. Boutiques sell velvet jackets, glittery dresses suitable for the concert hall, and finely crafted silver and porcelain.
Then the tone shifts. In the middle of it all stands a brightly coloured temple to jelly sweets: the Haribo store in Bonn. Compared with its refined neighbours, it is larger, louder and – to many – far more appealing.
The rise of Haribo in Bonn
While Australia has its Natural Confectionery Company and Allen’s Lollies, the undisputed global leader is Haribo from Germany. Known as the “king of cola bottles” and the brand behind the jelly snake phenomenon, Haribo has been selling sweet treats to children and adults for more than a century.
Few visitors realise that this empire began in Bonn. In 1920, confectioner Hans Riegel started a small operation here with little more than a kettle, a roller, a sink and a sack of sugar. He named the company Haribo by combining the first letters of his first name, surname and the city of Bonn.
From dancing bears to Gold Bears
The breakthrough came in 1922 when Riegel created his first “dancing bears” – fruit-flavoured gummy sweets. By the 1960s, these had evolved into the brand’s most famous product: Haribo Gold Bears.
But the company’s success lies not in one sweet, but in variety. Before visiting Bonn, many people think only of Starmix or Supermix. Step inside the flagship store and you discover hundreds of different creations, many available only in limited editions.
Exploring the flagship Haribo store
Spread across two levels, the Haribo shop in Bonn is a paradise for anyone who considers jelly sweets an acceptable afternoon snack. Among the shelves you might find:
- Cruise Mix: all in the shape of ships
- Brumbasser: black and yellow bees
- Exotic Gums: fruity flavours from tropical fruits
- Drama Lamas: a quirky mix of llamas and cacti
- Coala Tatzen: cola-flavoured koala paw prints, a nod to Australia
For picky eaters, there are also bags containing only one flavour or colour. Whether your weakness is the red or the green ones, you can indulge exclusively.
The Haribo factory outlet in Bonn
If the city-centre shop feels like a carnival of sugar, the Haribo factory outlet in Godesberg North – 6.5km from central Bonn – is even more overwhelming.
Here, shelves are stacked high like a discount supermarket. But instead of fruit and vegetables, every aisle is filled with Haribo products. Shoppers push trolleys, loading up with tubs and giant bags that are far bigger than the standard family size.
It is a spectacle in itself, offering prime opportunities for people-watching. And if you leave with a jumbo bag of Haribo sweets shaped like German monuments, so much the better.
More North Rhine-Westphalia travel
Other North Rhine-Westphalia articles on Planet Whitley include:
- A Dortmund city guide for first time visitors.
- Dortmund’s Christmas market: Home of the world’s largest Christmas tree.
- Berlin to Dortmund train times and prices.
- Why the Ruhrgebeit is an underrated part of Germany for visitors.
- An Essen city guide for first time visitors.
