Visiting Germany: a must-see country in Europe, here are the 13 must-do things to do in Germany!
Located in Central Europe between Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic,Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, Germany is a federal republic with 83 million inhabitants spread over an area of 357,340 km². As Europe’s leading power, the largest economy in the euro zone, and the world’s fourth-largest economy, Germany boasts one of Europe’s foremost historical and cultural heritages, attracting more than 37 million visitors every year.
If you’re visiting Germany, there are so many must-sees and must-dos that you’d need an entire blog to cover the subject: what to do in Germany? From the cities and their nightlife – Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich – to the nature parks – Bavaria, the Alps, the Rhine Valley, etc. – to the castles and monuments – Germany has it all. -castles and historic monuments, there’s no shortage of things to do! Here’s our (far from exhaustive) selection of things to do when visiting Germany!
1. Berlin
The starting point for your visit to Germany, Berlin is a lively, vibrant, cultural and artistic city in the east of the country, home to 166 museums and 60 theaters. Be sure to visit the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Berliner Dom, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Checkpoint Charlie, Fernsehturm and Museum Island.
Stroll through the city’s many parks and green spaces, Alexanderplatz and Potsdamer Platz, and visit the Pergamon Museum and the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer – Berlin Wall Memorial.
2. Hamburg
Hamburg, the country’s second-largest city, is home to 1.8 million inhabitants. A former founding member of the Hanseatic League, Hamburg is a lively, cultural and festive northern city. Germany’s rock capital, you’ll enjoy strolling along the Jungfernstieg promenade around Lake Alster. Go to the famous Reeeperbahn to party until dawn and to Mönckebergstrasse for shopping.
The Speicherstadt (warehouse district), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to some not-to-be-missed museums. Pass by St. Michael’s Church, the city’s largest. 453 steps lead up to the bell tower for a bird’s-eye view of the city. Your city tour doesn’t end there: visit Munich, Dresden, Cologne and Nuremberg. The Church of Our Lady and Brühl Terrace in Dresden, the Trial Museum and Documentation Center in Nuremberg if you’re a history buff, Cologne Cathedral, Munich Cathedral and its breweries are not to be missed.
3. The Oktoberfest festival
What to do in Germany? Drink beer, of course! Do you know Paulaner? If you’re coming to Bavaria in October, don’t miss the Oktoberfest. Oh, you don’t like beer? Go anyway for the atmosphere! The world’s biggest traditional and popular festival, Oktoberfest attracts over 6 million beer-drinking visitors every year.
Fourteen giant tents and beer gardens await you as you gulp down liter mugs of local beer, listen to traditional Bavarian music and, of course, chat and laugh with your tablemates.
4. The Black Forest
Photo credit: Flickr – Mac.Else von Berlin
A hiker’s paradise, the Black Forest boasts no fewer than 20 hikes, three of which are very popular: the Westweg, the Mittelweg and the Ostweg. There are also 14 GR trails. Situated in the south-west of the country on the border with Alsace, the Black Forest is a mountain range renowned for its dense evergreen vegetation, dotted with picturesque villages.
The massif rises to an altitude of 1,493 metres and covers an area of 6,000 km². The Schluchtensteig trail, for example, is 118 kilometers long, winds through 7 canyons and offers panoramic views of the entire Black Forest.
5. Saxon Switzerland National Park
Located east of Dresden on the Czech border, the Saxon Switzerland National Park covers an area of 9,350 hectares in the Elbe Sandstone Massif. Its highest point is the park’s symbol, the Lilienstein, at an altitude of 405 meters. The park boasts natural monuments, some dating back 100 million years.
The National Park is also a cradle of free climbing: the park’s 1,106 sandstone formations make it Germany’s largest open-air climbing wall. Hikers can also enjoy a unique panorama on the 112-kilometre-long Malerweg (« painters’ trail »).
6. Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Would you like to visit Germany and explore its history? The village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is world-renowned as a symbol of German Romanticism. It’s a medieval town in south-central Germany, west of Nuremberg in Bavaria. The city of 11,085 inhabitants has remained intact since the Renaissance, and has not been altered since the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648).
Its fortified walls date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, making it one of Germany’s top tourist attractions. Attractions include the Crime Museum, the Law Museum and the Imperial City Museum.
7. Augsburg Old Town
Located on the Romantic Road, historic Augsburg is one of Germany’s oldest cities. A visit to Augsburg is a must if you’re a fan of European history. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was one of the most influential cities in Europe.
Today’s city has a population of 286,000, and its Old Town is home to several must-see monuments and museums: the Schaezler Palace – the fountains of Maximilianstrasse, Augsburg Cathedral and the Augsburger Puppenkiste (Doll House) Museum.
8. The island of Rügen
Visiting Northern Germany? Don’t miss the island of Rügen. Germany’s largest island, located in the north on the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the island of Rügen is a favorite vacation spot for wealthy German tourists.
The island measures 926 km² and has a population of 73,000. Don’t miss hiking in the Jasmund National Park, the chalk cliffs – Kreidefelsen – rising 118 meters above the sea, bays and peninsulas.
9. Heidelberg Castle
Located between Frankfurt and Karlsruhe, just a few kilometers from the Alsatian border, Heidelberg Castle is a ruined 13th-century castle built between 1294 and 1303.
Once built to control the Neckar valley, it is now surrounded by the city of Heidelberg. If you come to visit Heidelberg Castle, you’ll see the « broken tower » to the south of the site, and the 18th-century Grand Tonneau, which was used to draw wine into the royal hall.
10. Neuschwanstein Castle
Here’s yet another must-see monument when visiting Germany: Neuschwanstein Castle. Located a few kilometers from the Austrian border, in the foothills of the Alps, it is perched on a rocky outcrop 200 meters above sea level, and was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. A relatively new castle, it has become Germany’s most famous, visited by over 1.4 million people a year.
To visit the castle, you’ll need to pay for a 35-minute guided tour. Known as the « fairy-tale » castle, it is so immersed in an extraordinary world. The Marienbücke bridge offers a superb view of the castle and its rocky, vegetation-covered promontory.
11. Lake Constance
We stayed near the lake, near Bregenz in 2017: Lake Constance is a body of water located between Germany, Switzerland and Austria, in the foothills of the Alps.
Fed by the Rhine, the lake is 63 kilometers long and 14 kilometers wide: a vast surface area – 536 km² – allowing locals to come and recharge their batteries just like at sea, in the many water sports facilities in the lake’s towns: Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Meersburg, Constance, Bregenz, Rorschach, etc. On the Austrian side of the lake, Bregenz boasts a beautiful green beach where you can swim in fine weather.
12. Königssee lake
We’re off to the other side of the German border: looking for something to do in Germany? On your way to the Balkans? Don’t miss Lake Königssee, a lake set in the Alpine mountains. It’s also a holiday resort for Germans and Austrians, not far from Salzburg.
Similar to a fjord, it offers great photo opportunities and a variety of outdoor sporting activities. Attractions include Kirche St. Bartholomä, Mount Watzmann and Obersee.
13. Rakotz bridge
The Rakotz Bridge, also known as the Rakotzbrücke, is located in the heart of Saxony and is often referred to as the Devil’s Bridge due to its illusory effect. The arch is so perfect that locals at the time claimed it was impossible for the bridge to be man-made, hence the legend that fuels the place: the devil himself built it!
Map of hotels and accommodation – Germany