937 Best Sights in Germany

Erected in 1558, the Alte Wasserkunst served as part of the town's defensive fortifications, but its true purpose was to pump water from the Spree into 86 cisterns spread throughout the city. It proved so efficient that it provided the city's water supply until 1965. It is now a technical museum.

This ornate, leafy cemetery is the resting place of many of the country's most celebrated sons and daughters. Look for the tomb of composer Robert Schumann (1810–56) and his wife, Clara, also a composer and accomplished pianist. A PDF plan of the most prominent burial sites can be found on the cemetery website. Guided tours (in German) are conducted on weekends.

The town's showpiece square was the setting for military parades during the years of Communist rule. It's dominated by two buildings: the ornate neo-Renaissance state theater, constructed in 1883–86; and the Kunstsammlungen Schwerin (Schwerin Art Collection).

Alter Hof was the original home of the Wittelsbach dynasty of Bavaria (not to be confused with the adjacent Residenz). Established in 1180, the Münchner Kaiserburg (Imperial Palace) at Alter Hof now serves various functions. Its Infopoint is a tourist-information center for Bavaria's castles and museums. In the vaulted hall beneath is a multimedia presentation about the palace's history. 

Containing hundreds of moss-covered gravestones, this cemetery was in use between the 13th- and mid-19th centuries and is one of the few reminders of prewar Jewish life in Frankfurt. Surprisingly, it suffered minimal vandalization in the Nazi era, even though its adjoining grand Börneplatz Synagogue was destroyed on Kristallnacht, in 1938. That space is now part of Museum Judengasse; ask the admissions desk for the key to open the vandal-proof steel gates to the cemetery. Mayer Amschel Rothschild, founder of the banking family, who died in 1812, is buried here, along with some family members (the Rothschild mansion is now the main Jewish Museum). The wall around the cemetery is dotted with more than 1,000 small memorial plaques, each with the name of a Jewish Frankfurter and the concentration camp where they died. Free tours are offered every other Sunday (and by appointment). The newer Jewish cemetery on Rat-Beil-Strasse in the North End contains more than 800 graves dating from 1828 to 1929, including that of Nobel Prize winner Paul Ehrlich.

For a delicious rendition of the regional specialty Saumagen (meat, herbs and potatoes cooked in a sow's stomach), stop here. The restaurant has a charming interior courtyard and sunny south-facing terrace, and the staff make knowledgeable recommendations from the small but excellent list of local wines.

The Alter Markt has the best local architecture, ranging from Gothic to Renaissance to baroque. Most homes belonged to rich merchants, notably the late-Gothic Wulflamhaus, with 17 ornate, steeply stepped gables. Stralsund's architectural masterpiece, however, is the 14th-century Rathaus (town hall), considered by many to be the finest secular example of redbrick Gothic. The Rathaus is a mirror image of its counterpart in Lübeck, Stralsund's main rival in the Hanseatic League.

Near the Frauenkirche, the Altes Brauhaus dates to 1460 and is graced by a Renaissance gable.

A 1944 bombing destroyed the Rathausplatz's original Town Hall, which was completed in 1332. This post-war reconstruction has the feel of an Italian palazzo from outside, but maintains Gothic elements in its city council chamber. More importantly for visitors, it still incorporates the intact medieval dungeons, consisting of 12 small rooms and one large torture chamber. The Lochgefängnis (the Nuremberg Hole), shows the gruesome applications of medieval law, and can be accessed on hourly public tours (check the website for English-language timings). On the southeastern side of the Altes Rathaus stands the easily missed Gänsemännchenbrunnen (Gooseman's Fountain), a Renaissance bronze fountain that was cast in 1550, and a work of rare elegance and great technical sophistication.

This 18th-century rococo town hall looks somewhat like a pink dollhouse. Its elegant steps and stair entry have seen a great many historic figures, including French president Charles de Gaulle and U.S. president John F. Kennedy. It's now the seat of the Lord Mayor of Bonn and can only be admired from the outside.

The Old Town Hall was begun in the 13th century and houses a completely preserved Gothic heating system in the part-medieval, part-Renaissance building. 

Much of the work on Munich's first town hall was done in the 15th century, though various alterations were made through the centuries. Its great hall—destroyed in 1943–45 but now fully restored—was the work of the renowned architect Jörg von Halspach. Postwar, the tower was rebuilt as it looked in the 15th century and now it's used for official receptions and is not usually open to the public. The tower provides a fairy-tale-like setting for the Spielzeugmuseum (Toy Museum), accessible via a winding staircase. Its toys, dolls, and teddy bears are on display, together with a collection of Barbies from the United States.

The Old Town Hall is the finest of Lindau's handsome historic buildings. It was constructed between 1422 and 1436 amid a vineyard and given a Renaissance facelift 150 years later, though the original stepped gables remain. Emperor Maximilian I held an imperial diet (deliberation) here in 1496; a fresco on the south facade depicts the scene. The building retains city government functions, thus its interior is closed to the public.

The picture-book complex of medieval half-timber buildings, with windows large and small adorned with flower boxes, is one of the best-preserved town halls in the country—and one of the most historically important. Built in the 13th century, when Regensburg was elevated to the status of a Free Imperial City, the imposing Gothic Reichssaal (Imperial Hall) was where the Perpetual Imperial Diet met from 1663 to 1806. This parliament of sorts consisted of the emperor, the electors (seven or eight), the princes (about 50), and the burghers, who assembled to discuss and determine the affairs of the far-reaching German lands of the Holy Roman Empire.

Visit the sumptuously appointed Reichssaal on a guided tour (English-language tours daily at 2 pm) to see its remarkable early-15th-century wood ceiling, as well as its decorative tapestries, flags, and heraldic designs. The tour also includes a visit to the neighboring Ratssaal (Council Room), where the electors met for their consultations, and the cellar's torture chamber (Fragstatt; Questioning Room) and execution room (Armesünderstübchen; Poor Sinners' Room); any prisoner who withstood three degrees of questioning without confessing was deemed innocent and released—a very medieval notion of justice.

For a glimpse of the rugged lives of 19th-century fishermen, visit the small village of Keitum to the south, and drop in on the Old Frisian House, which preserves an old-world peacefulness in a lush garden setting. The house also documents a time when most seamen thrived on extensive whale hunting.

Although dominated by the nearby brutalist Kulturpalast (Palace of Culture), the Altmarkt is a fascinating concrete leftover from the 1970s (check out the \"workers and peasants\" GDR mosaic), and the broad square and its surrounding streets are the true center of Dresden. The colonnaded beauty (from the Stalinist-era architecture of the early 1950s) survived the efforts of city planners to turn it into a huge outdoor parking lot. The rebuilt Rathaus (Town Hall) is here (go around the front to see bullet holes in the statuary), as is the yellow-stucco, 18th-century Landhaus, which contains the Stadtmuseum Dresden im Landhaus

This party-hearty district has been dubbed a beer lover's paradise thanks to the number of breweries in the area serving the local Altbier. Narrow alleys thread their way to some 300 bars, clubs, restaurants, and brew houses. All crowd into the 1-square-km (½-square-mile) area between the Rhine and Heinrich-Heine-Allee. When the weather cooperates, the area really does seem like one big sidewalk café.

Known as Schiffchen (Little Ship) because of the boatlike shape at its heart—formed by Grabenstrasse and Wagemannstrasse, located just behind the former duke's palace (and now seat of state parliament) Stadtschloss—Wiesbaden's pretty Old Town is packed with restaurants, cafés and shops. There aren't many standout sights within its margins, which are marked by Webergasse in the north, the Marktplatz in the east, Schwalbacher Strasse in the west, and Rheinstrasse in the south, but the interesting mix of architectural styles makes it a lovely area to stroll around.

A relatively affluent quarter developed behind the church of St. Andreas and extended toward the river during the middle ages. Though the houses were smaller than those of the exceptionally wealthy woad traders, this quarter was home to successful craftsmen and other laborers in small narrow houses built on small alleys. All through the Old City look for decorative house names like Haus zum kleinen Apfel (House at the Small Apple). Before street names and house numbers, buildings were given names that served as a postal address; there are signs like these on many of Erfurt’s buildings.

The Anhalt Art Gallery Dessau, housed in the Georgium Palace, traces its origins to several older Anhalt collections, primarily of princely heritage. The gallery's painting collection highlights Dutch works from the 15th to 18th centuries, along with German paintings spanning the 15th to early 19th centuries, featuring significant pieces by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Its extensive graphic collection includes drawings and prints from the 14th century to modern times.

The city's main transportation hub and pedestrian zone, the Anker had already been part of medieval Erfurt with the continent's largest woad market. The area saw change as a result of urban expansion due to the growth of the railroad in Thuringia in the early 19th century. With some exceptions, the houses are all architecturally historicized, making them look much older than they really are. The Hauptpostgebäude was erected in 1892 in a mock Gothic style.

One of the main attractions of Kiel, this aquarium is home to various animal species, fish, and crustaceans from the North and Baltic Seas, the Mediterranean, and the tropics. Especially popular are the feedings (daily at 10 am and 2:30 pm, except Fridays) in the outdoor seal enclosure.

This is Bavaria's fascinating record of its history, from prehistoric times through the Middle Ages through a rich collection of archaeological finds. Head down to the basement to see the fine Roman mosaic floor, and head up to the SOLÂ restaurant and its seasonal open-air terrace.

The soaring vaulted ceilings make the former Gothic Karmeliterkirche (Carmelite Church) an ideal setting for huge Roman columns and other local and regional artifacts, including Stone Age and Neolithic tools and ancient papyrus documents. Modern wings display Greek, Roman, and Persian pottery, carvings, and more. The main cloister displays the largest religious fresco north of the Alps, a 16th-century representation of Christ's birth and death by Jörg Ratgeb. Adjacent buildings house the Institut für Stadtgeschichte (Institute of City History). The basement, called Die Schmiere (The Grease), is a satirical theater.

This children's puppet theater next to Rotes Tor has been an institution in Germany from its inception in 1948, and it's still loved by kids and parents alike. The museum features puppets in historic or fairy-tale settings. Check the website for puppet-show times (held near-daily, though only in German).

A visit to Freiburg's cathedral is not really complete without also exploring the Augustinermuseum, in the former Augustinian cloister. Original sculpture from the cathedral is on display, as well as gold and silver reliquaries. The collection of stained-glass windows, dating from the Middle Ages to today, is one of the most important in Germany.

Bach lived across the street from the old Bosehaus from 1723 to 1750. It stands opposite the Thomaskirche, and is now a museum devoted to the composer's life and work. The exhibition offers several interactive displays; arranging the instrumental parts of Bach's hymns is by far the most entertaining.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685. The Bachhaus has exhibits devoted to the entire lineage of the musical Bach family and includes a collection of historical musical instruments. It is the largest collection of Bach memorabilia in the world, and displays a bust of the composer built using forensic science from a cast of his skull. The price of admission includes a 20-minute recital using historical instruments, held once per hour.