937 Best Sights in Germany

This enjoyable, lesser-known museum of Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and functionalist furniture, dishware, jewelry, and paintings is hidden away in plain sight, just across the street from Schloss Charlottenburg. It provides a lovely glimpse into a time when every object was made with great care and artistic creativity—and when artists in booming creative cities like Berlin and Vienna were at the top of their game.

With its tiny windows, weathered tiles, and pink plaster, this bridge tower has stood at the southern end of the city's famous Stone Bridge for more than 370 years—and for the past 25 of them, it's been home to Regensburg's tiniest museum. Step inside to discover an array of items relating to the construction and development of the bridge, or to simply take in the gorgeous views over the Regensburg roof landscape. The brooding building with a massive roof to the left of the Brückturm is an old salt warehouse.

Occupying both the house where the Brothers Grimm lived for much of their childhoods as well as the house's old barn, the Brüder Grimm Haus and Museum Steinau are fun and engaging museums. Featuring a reconstruction of the family's old kitchen, the brothers' former house also displays old personal possessions such as letters and reading glasses, and has an upper floor divided into nine rooms with interactive displays that celebrate the Grimms' stories and other fairy tales from around Europe. Across a small courtyard, the town's museum documents what life was like on the old trade route that ran through Steinau, incorporating into its exhibits a coach, inn signs, milestones, and the type of pistol travelers used to defend themselves from bandits.

Hanau's main attraction sits on the town's marketplace opposite the Town Hall. The bronze memorial, erected in 1898, is a larger-than-life-size statue of the brothers, one seated, the other leaning on his chair, the two of them pondering an open book.

The Buchheim Museum, on the western shore of the lake, has one of the finest private collections of German expressionist art in the form of paintings, drawings, watercolors, and prints. Among the artists represented are Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmitt-Rotluff, and other painters of the so-called Brücke movement (1905–13). The museum is housed in an impressive modern building on the lakeside. Some areas of the museum are reserved for African cultic items and Bavarian folk art. The nicest way to get to the museum from Starnberg is by boat.

Kampen's beach—divided into the Buhne 16 and the Rotes Kliff—is the place where the rich and famous meet average Joes. Buhne 16 is Germany's most popular nudist beach, and Germans call this section \"the great equalizer,\" as social inequalities disappear with the clothing. The Red Cliff section is less crowded than Buhne 16 and clothing is required. The beach access point offers one of the best views of the Cliffs and North Sea; the viewing platform is wheelchair accessible. The beaches are surrounded by a ring of dunes. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking.

This is one of the Rhineland's most important venues for major temporary exhibitions about art, culture, and archaeology. Its modern design, by Viennese architect Gustave Peichl, is as interesting as anything on exhibit in the museum. It features three enormous blue cones situated on a lawnlike rooftop garden.

Walking through the pleasant area that was once the government district is like taking a trip back in time, to an era when Bonn was still the sleepy capital of West Germany. Bordered by Adenauerallee, Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse, Franz-Josef-Strasse, and the Rhine, the quarter boasts sights such as the Bundeshaus, which includes the Plenarsaal (Plenary Hall). Designed to serve as the new Federal Parliament, the Bundeshaus was completed only seven years before the capital was relocated to Berlin in 1999. A few steps away, you'll find the historic Villa Hammerschmidt, the German equivalent of the White House. This stylish neoclassical mansion began serving as the federal president's permanent residence in 1950, and is still his home when he stays in Bonn. Equally impressive is the Palais Schaumburg, another fine example of the Rhein Riveria estates that once housed the Federal Chancellery (1949–76). It became the center of Cold War politics during the Adenauer administration.

One of the best-preserved Neckar castles is the 15th-century Burg Guttenberg. Within its stone walls are a museum and a tavern restaurant with views of the river valley. The castle also is home to Europe's leading center for the study and protection of birds of prey, the German Raptor Research Center, with 100 falcons and other birds of prey. There are demonstration flights from the castle walls from April through October, daily at 11 and 3.

Throughout its history, Bingen has repeatedly been destroyed by wars and fires, which means there are many ancient foundations but few visible architectural remains of the past. One very notable exception is this castle. Since Celtic times, the Kloppberg (Klopp Hill) in the heart of town has been the site of a succession of citadels, and since 1282 they've all been named Burg Klopp. Visit today and you'll find a terrace with good views of the Rhine, the Nahe, and the surrounding hills, and from April to October you can climb the tower for a more lofty view.

Take a walk up to the hilltop ruins of this 13th-century castle for splendid views along the Mosel. It was here that Trier's Archbishop Boemund II is said to have recovered from an illness by drinking the local wine. This legendary vineyard, still known as \"the Doctor,\" soars up from Hinterm Graben street near the town gate, Graacher Tor. You can sample these Grand Cru wines at the castle's excellent restaurant (though be prepared to pay for the privilege) or pick up a bottle in one of the many shops below. The restaurant is open Friday to Sunday only for both lunch and dinner.

On the opposite shore of the river, the romantic ruins of this medieval-era castle crown the Schlossberg (Castle Hill) vineyard. The Lords of Braunshorn are named as owners of Metternich as far back as 1268, but the core of the castle is probably even older than that. Enjoy a glass of wine or a hearty meal in the castle's terrace café, then take a stroll down to the village of Beilstein. It's known as \"Sleeping Beauty of the Mosel\"; once you ascend the Klostertreppe (monastery steps) to the baroque monastery church for views of the winding streets lined with half-timber houses, you'll understand why.

Perched on the edge of the Soon Forest, which is pronounced \"zone\" southeast of Bacharach, this small but beautiful castle was first mentioned in 1271—though it's likely older. It houses a beautiful collection of Empire, Biedermeier, and neo-Gothic furnishings, medieval weapons, and paintings from the Rhine Romantic era; ask for the English-language information pack on arrival. The river views from the ramparts are worth the entrance fee alone.

Set in the renovated 1950s-era Amerika Haus building, C/O Berlin focuses on contemporary photography by established and emerging international artists. The gallery's rotating exhibitions have profiled legendary photographers such as Annie Leibovitz and Irving Penn, while its themed group shows have featured the likes of Nan Goldin, Gerhard Richter, and Weegee.

On the shore of the lake in the southwest corner of the park, you can relax at the Café am Neuen See, a café and beer garden. For a particularly nice walk here from the S-bahn stop at Zoologischer Garten, take the path into the Tiergarten before sunset, then turn right at Schleusenkrug to follow the Landwehrkanal around the back of the zoo. Sneak a peek at the owls, flamingoes, and ostriches for free.

From Ediger-Eller train station, head west into the hills instead of east into the village, and you'll find yourself on a hiking route among Europe's steepest vineyards. The path, which runs for 3½ km (2 miles) between Ediger-Eller and Bremm at an altitude of between 200 and 300 meters, comes with steel ropes for support (it's very steep in places) and provides stunning views up and down the Mosel. Look out for the romantic ruins of a 12th-century Augustinian convent; it's across the river just before the loop to Bremm. The path is reserved for those with a good level of fitness and in possession of sturdy footwear.

Close to the Rickmer Rickmers at Hamburg's piers sits the handsome 1960s freighter Cap San Diego, nowadays a seaworthy museum and hotel. Before it docked at Hamburg permanently, it regularly sailed between Germany and South America.

If you're a steam-lover, try this high-tech spa with a venerable history. In Dürer's time there were regular crackdowns on the orgiastic goings-on at the baths. Today taking the waters is done with a bathing suit on, but be aware that the sauna area is a clothes-free zone.

Germany's oldest casino, this testament to 19th-century decadence was the brainchild of Parisian Jacques Bénazet, who persuaded the sleepy little Black Forest spa town to build gambling rooms to enliven its evenings after gambling was banned in France (just a few miles away). Opened in 1855, the sumptuous interior was modeled on Versailles, right down to the Pompadour Room, home to a \"practice\" roulette table, and the luminous Winter Garden, with white marble and antique Chinese vases. The richly decorated gaming rooms could make even an emperor feel at home—Kaiser Wilhelm I was a regular patron, as was his chancellor, Bismarck. Russian novelist Dostoyevsky related his experiences here in his novella, The Gambler, and Marlene Dietrich reputedly called it the most beautiful casino in the world. Passports are necessary as proof of identity. Guided tours (40 minutes) are available in English daily at 1 pm. To try your hand at either French or American roulette, blackjack, or Texas hold'em, you'll need to be over 21 and follow a strict dress code (elegant evening wear, including jackets for men; you can also borrow a jacket for a €10 charge).

The Cathedral treasury contains a document bearing St. Boniface's writing, along with several other treasures, including Lucas Cranach the Elder's fine 16th-century painting Christ and the Adulteress.

A Gothic gem inside and out, this is the only 15th-century church in the Palatinate region whose walls have been entirely preserved, though the interior has changed according to the style of the times. Despite having been looted during the French Revolution and turned first into a wine warehouse and later a military prison, the basic exterior structure of the church hasn't been altered. The interior includes stained glass that dates from the Middle Ages and wooden figures from around 1500.

Hop on this chairlift to the Pinner Kreuz for great vistas, which you can enjoy from the terrace of the café at the top. As the name suggests, these lifts are the open-air foot-dangling type, rather than the enclosed gondolas, so those with a fear a heights may prefer the steep walk instead.

Among the most famous artists who made their home here was the composer Carl Orff, author of numerous works inspired by medieval material, including the famous Carmina Burana. His life and work—notably the pedagogical Schulwerk instruments—are exhibited in this museum which reopened in summer 2025 after a major renovation. The museum can be reached via public transportation: take the regional train from Munich's central train station to Diessen, then change to the bus 13 and get off at the station Klosterhof. From there, it's another 25-minute walk. It's much faster and easier to take the car and combine your trip with a stop in Herrsching. 

Oenophiles won't want to miss this Vinothek in the charming village of St. Martin. It offers more than 80 varieties of wine from its vineyards in St. Martin and nearby Edenkoben. The sheer variety makes it easy to overindulge—good thing there's a hotel and restaurant on-site. Centrally located on Maikammerer Strasse near the St. Martiner Castell hotel.

From its perch on Am Kupfergraben, Contemporary Fine Arts (CFA) Berlin has a perfect view of Museum Island and its hordes of daily visitors. Those looking for a different kind of Berlin art scene will find it in this elegant gallery. Housed in a David Chipperfield–constructed, ultramodern building, it stands out from its Prussian surroundings. CFA has been a fixture in Berlin since the early 1990s, showing Berlin-based artists like Jonathan Meese and Anselm Reyle, and big-timers like Juergen Teller and Julian Schnabel.

Friedrich Wilhelm IV modeled this building after a Turkish mosque, complete with a minaret, to serve as the palace waterworks building. About a ten-minute walk from Neuer Markt, the Dampfmaschinenhaus used a steam engine to transport water to a large fountain at the center of Sanssouci Park, about half a mile away. Although that fountain is now served by a modern pump system, this beautiful piece of architecture is still worth a visit for its intricate, Islamic-inspired designs decorating both interior and exterior.

This museum and family-research center tells the story of European emigration to the United States and elsewhere. The complex on the Elbe island Veddel, completed in 1901, was built by the HAPAG shipping line for its passengers and named after Alfred Ballin, its then general director. To accommodate visitors for several days or months, BallinStadt featured a hospital, church, music hall, housing, and hotels. For approximately 5 million European emigrants, Hamburg was the \"Gateway to the World\" between 1850 and 1939. Their experience comes to life with artifacts, interactive displays, detailed reproductions of the buildings (all but one was demolished), as well as firsthand accounts of oppression in Europe, life in the \"city,\" conditions during the 60-day ocean crossing, and life in their new home. The main draw is the research booths, where you can search the complete passenger lists of all ships that left the harbor.  Research assistants are available to help locate and track your ancestors.

A pair of large market halls built in 1911–12, not far from the main train station, now house two of Germany's largest exhibitions of contemporary art and photography—one in each building. The modern, airy interiors of the Hall for Contemporary Art resemble an oversize loft space, and its changing exhibits have presented the works of such artists as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Joan Miró. You may buy tickets for a single hall or both for a surcharge.