What Are the Best Places to Visit in Germany?
Are you planning a trip to Germany and asking yourself, “Where should I visit in Germany?” Then this blog is for you. Whenever I travel back to my home country, I often end up being the tour guide because my wife’s side of the family wants me to show them some of the best places in Germany. So, it is no surprise that my travel vlog is full of videos about traveling around Germany.
My Germany video playlist already has 12 videos, even though I mostly aim to produce videos about traveling in Taiwan. So, in this blog, I want to share some of my personal favorite spots to see in “Deutschland”. And where better to start than with the best cities to visit in Germany?
Historical Cities You Should Visit in Germany
Of course, we start with Berlin, the capital of Germany. You have probably heard of the Brandenburg Gate, and you may also want to see the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall. In my Berlin Travel Guide, I show you how to get there and give you a feel for what the city is like.
You will see in the video that the Brandenburg Gate is a bit special today. Well, I mean, David Hasselhoff performed his hit song “Looking for Freedom” on a crane near the Berlin Wall on New Year’s Eve 1989. Those days are long gone, and the place has changed. I cannot really explain it in detail. Just check out my Berlin video.
Berlin is one of the best places to visit in Germany for first-time travelers. And I also recommend the Brandenburg Gate for New Year’s Eve.
Anyway, many of Berlin’s most famous sights are free to visit, making the city a great destination for backpackers and budget travelers. You can also see that Berlin is a fantastic city for history fans. There are many monuments, museums, and historical sites to explore.
The Best places to visit in Germany for ww2 history
For example, I visited Checkpoint Charlie, one of the most famous former crossing points between East and West Berlin. I also recommend visiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located close to the Brandenburg Gate.
However, those are not places of joy, yet they are essential points in the history of Germany. Today, Berlin is fortunately no longer divided, and Germany is a democratic country.
But not everything in Berlin has to be about politics and history. If you are looking for something a little more off the beaten path, check out Tempelhof Airport. The former airport is now a huge public park and event space. And you could have guessed, I went to that place in my travel guide as well. It is one of the best places to visit in the summer. Plenty of activities, ideal if you are traveling in Germany with your family.
Best places to visit in Germany: Hamburg, the“Gateway to the World”
If you are looking for the best places to visit in Germany with your family, I recommend a city trip to Hamburg. It is less political than Berlin but still has plenty of history and is absolutely beautiful.
Hamburg is a sailor’s city, and the Port of Hamburg is the largest of its kind in Germany. You can take a boat cruise through the harbor and explore the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district.
If you have not seen it before, that might sound a bit boring, but trust me, it is not! The HafenCity area, together with the Speicherstadt, is basically a huge open-air museum and is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After your harbor cruise, you can head up to the Elbphilharmonie concert hall for an amazing view over the city and the harbor. While concerts and musicals in Hamburg certainly do not come cheap, the entrance to the Elbphilharmonie Plaza is free.
I will show you how to get there and share more Hamburg travel tips in my Hamburg Travel Guide. In the video, I also take you to my old home in Flensburg, which makes for a great day trip from Hamburg.
Do not Miss Eastern Germany and Visit Rostock
I was born and raised in southern Germany, so most of what follows in this article will focus on places near Munich or the Black Forest. However, before we get there, I want to recommend Rostock, an amazing Baltic Sea city in Eastern Germany.
The city was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century onward. And that shows! You find a historic port city that is also home to the University of Rostock, one of the oldest universities in the world.
And I have to confess, I was surprised by the vibe. The old town is small but beautiful, with plenty of old buildings. That makes Rostock a great place to visit if you want to see eastern Germany and experience a different side of Germany.
You probably know what is coming: yes, I have a video about Rostock as well! And yes, I know that technically Berlin is also in eastern Germany. But given its size, history, and the fact that it is the capital, I think Berlin deserves a special category of its own.
Best places to visit in Germany with family
My family is originally from the Black Forest. So, of course, I have to recommend visiting this area, especially if you are into hiking and nature. IMHO, the south has the best places to visit in Germany with your family. But even though I am biased, I have some good arguments to back it up. For example, you will find plenty of great trails for hiking, skiing, or cycling.
The Black Forest is also rich in folklore and traditions. For example, I went to the Narrensprung in Bonndorf, a traditional carnival parade that is part of the Alemannic Fastnacht. It is a major event for many locals and a long-standing tradition. Especially if you are traveling with children in Germany, this is a great experience to check out.
Visiting the South of Germany during Christmas
The Black Forest is located in southwestern Germany, mostly in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Bonndorf is actually quite close to the Swiss border. You can technically hike across the border, but I would recommend hiking in the Wutach Gorge (Wutachschlucht).
The mountains of Baden-Württemberg are some of Germany’s best places to visit for Christmas markets. You are more likely to see snow. My personal favorite is the Christmas Market on the Chiemsee as it is on an island, for example.
Best Places to See in Bavaria in Southern Germany
Still in the south of Germany, but further east, we arrive in Bavaria. This is probably the most famous region in Germany and surely the most famous tourist destination. This is where you find attractions like Oktoberfest in Munich.
My Taiwanese family kept asking me about Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen. This place is incredibly famous in Asia, and for good reason, as I can tell from my own experience. The 19th-century hilltop castle was built for King Ludwig II of Bavaria. His obsession with castles led to the creation of what is now one of the world’s most famous castles.
You do have to book a guided tour to see the interior, and you should do so well in advance because it gets very busy. I know that from personal experience! But in a nutshell: I can definitely confirm that this is one of the best places to visit in Germany.
Zugspitze and Places to See in the German Alps
If you are already near the German-Austrian border, make sure to visit the Zugspitze and Eibsee. The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany. And you can cross over into Austria when you reach the summit.
Do go for a hike or take the cable car up to the top. For both options, you can start at Eibsee, which is my personal favorite mountain lake in Germany. Of course, you can only hike up if the weather and trail conditions allow it. However, thanks to the cable cars, you can visit the Zugspitze even if you do not want to hike.
Fun fact: I spent a night in a snow igloo at the Zugspitze in winter. It was a pretty wild experience, but I had a lot of fun! For more details, check out my videos about Eibsee and my Zugspitze winter trip.
Summary: What are the best places to visit in Germany?
This was a long article, but I hope it was worth the read! We covered seven amazing places across Germany, and most of them also come with a video guide. After all, Germany is about much more than just Bavaria and Berlin. From historic cities and beautiful countryside to castles, mountains, and unique local traditions, there is plenty to discover across the country.
As a final note, I want to leave you with a couple of my personal tips for what to eat and how to travel in Germany. After spending years in Taiwan, I had to make a video about the best food in Germany. And I also figured out how to make the most of Germany’s extensive railway network while traveling on a budget. This year, I managed to travel around 3,000 km through Europe by German trains for less than €200. Not bad for a trip through Germany and beyond! All of that in my video about traveling in Germany with Deutsche Bahn.
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