937 Best Sights in Germany

Explore a century of pioneering aviation history. Along with the main focuses on Claude Dornier and his company, restored classic Dornier aircraft, and Dornier's explorations into aerospace technology, the museum shows temporary exhibitions on various aviation themes. A special Dornier Museum/Zeppelin Museum combination ticket provides a discount for those exploring the major aviation attractions of Friedrichshafen.

If hiking to Drachenfels isn't for you, you can also reach the castle ruins by taking the Drachenfelsbahn, a narrow-gauge train that makes trips to the summit every half hour from March through October, and hourly in January and February. Download a free audio tour (available in English) about the Drachenfelsbahn and the Drachenfels on the website.

Built to commemorate Bavaria's part in the War of Spanish Succession, further motivation for the construction of this church was a prophecy from the devout Maria Anna Lindmayr that if the city survived the war intact and a church was not erected in thanks, the city was doomed. The city was saved and a church was built between 1711 and 1718. It has a striking baroque exterior, and its interior is brought to life by frescoes by Cosmas Damian Asam depicting various heroic scenes. Remarkably, it is the only church in the city's Altstadt spared destruction in the war.

Less than 500 feet long but a major local attraction, Drosselgasse is a narrow, pub-lined lane between Rheinstrasse and Oberstrasse that buzzes with music and merrymaking from 10 am until well past midnight every day, all year round. The first wine tavern here, the Drosselhof, opened in 1727. Stop at the street's Art Cafe for a legendary Rüdesheimerkaffee—made by flambéeing Asbach Uralt brandy and sugar in a specially made cup until the sugar dissolves, pouring strong coffee over it, and garnishing with mountains of whipped cream and chocolate flakes—and, if you still have space, pair it with a Baumstriezel (chimney cake).

Thirty historic train engines and railway cars are on display at the Eisenbahn Museum behind the main train station. Take a ride through the Palatinate Forest on one of the museum's historic steam trains, the Kuckucksbähnel, which departs from Track 5 around 10:45 am on intermittent days between May and mid-October, and in December (check the website for the latest schedule). There are special seasonal trips during wine season and during the run-up to Christmas. It takes a little more than an hour to cover the 13-km (8-mile) stretch from Neustadt to Elmstein.

Founded in 1903, Schwabing's permanent outdoor market which reopened in September 2024 is smaller than the more famous Viktualienmarkt, but its 25 stalls just as colorful. It has a pocket-size beer garden, where jazz bands perform on summer Saturdays. 

Southeast of the cathedral and the site of the city's tourist-information center is an arcaded, neoclassical structure built in 1822. The central pavilion contains two fountains with thermal water—the hottest north of the Alps—that is reputed to help cure a wide range of ailments in those who drink it. If you can brave a gulp of the sulfurous water, you'll be emulating the likes of Dürer, Frederick the Great, and Charlemagne.

While in the Pfalz, keep your eyes peeled for the elusive Elwetritschen—mythical, birdlike creatures rumored to roam the forest and vineyards at night. Hunting the creatures is something of a local prank. Sculptor Gernot Rumpf has immortalized the Elwetrischen in a fountain (Brunnen) on Marstallplatz. Near the market square, search for the one that \"escaped\" from its misty home.

Officially founded in 1285, this small town in the center of the wine-growing Kaiserstuhl changed hands several times, most notably when it became a tributary to the Hapsburg Empire. This history is documented in the free Austria Museum in the Üsenberger Hof, also home to the town's tourist information center. Largely spared from the ravages of war, the town center still maintains timber-frame houses dating back to the 15th century that give it a quaint, traditional look complemented by a series of churches within the city walls.

Lucas Cranach the Elder—court painter, printer, mayor, pharmacist, friend of Luther's, and probably the wealthiest man in Wittenberg—lived in two houses during his years in town. This Cranachhaus is believed to have been the first one. His son, the painter Lucas Cranach the Younger, was born here. Some of the interior has been restored to its 17th-century condition. It's now a gallery with exhibits about Cranach's life and work. Check out the goldsmith and potter that are occasionally on hand demonstrating their crafts in the courtyard.

This museum is dedicated to the time of the Hanseatic League which is considered one of the most significant chapters in Northern German and European history. It exhibits dioramas, original artifacts, and interactive elements to convey a journey through 500 years of medieval trading.

The first museum dedicated to the work of Russian jeweler Carl Peter Fabergé holds up to 700 masterpieces from the private collection of Muscovite businessman A. Ivanov. Priceless pieces from the late 19th century include several of the 52 unique eggs gifted to members of Russian royalty, including the first of its kind, a modest egg made of white enamel inside of which a gold yolk, tiny chick, and diamond-emblazoned crown are nested. A Buddha made of nephrite—a green stone unique to Russia—with ruby eyes was originally a gift to the King of Siam. The collection also includes gold pieces from contemporary master goldsmiths. Multilingual staff are on hand to explain the collection in detail.

Erected in 1841–44, this open pavilion, fronted with three huge arches, was modeled on the 14th-century Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. From Odeonsplatz, it faces Ludwigstrasse, with Siegestor in the distance, and was built to honor Bavarian military leaders and the Bavarian army. Two huge Bavarian lions are flanked by the larger-than-life statues of Count Johann Tserclaes Tilly, who led Catholic forces in the Thirty Years' War, and Prince Karl Philipp Wrede, hero of the 19th-century Napoleonic Wars. It was turned into a militaristic shrine in the 1930s and '40s by the Nazis, to whom it was significant because it marked the site of Hitler's failed coup, or Putsch, in 1923. Hitler installed a memorial in 1933 to commemorate the Nazis killed that day, and during the Third Reich, all who passed the guarded memorial had to give the Nazi salute. Viscardigasse, a passageway behind Feldherrnhalle linking Residenzstrasse and Theatinerstrasse, which became known as Drückebergergasse (Shirkers' Lane), was used as a bypass by those who didn't want to salute the memorial. The memorial was removed in 1945.

The interior of this high temple of the Wagner cult—where performances take place only during the annual Wagner Festival—is surprisingly plain. The spartan look, including wooden seats with no upholstering and relatively unadorned walls, is explained partly by Wagner's desire to achieve perfect acoustics, while the enormous stage is necessary to hold the huge casts required for Wagner's largest operas. The theater is only accessible during festival performances or by guided tour—at 2 pm daily except during festival season, with additional tour times at weekends and throughout spring and autumn; however, the only English-language tours are at 1 pm Saturday from April through October. To attend the festival performances, you'll need to register and apply for tickets in the December prior to the festival. You can explore the memorial park and gardens for free at any time.

Visible from just about anywhere in town, this hilltop complex was the original home of the prince-bishops beginning in the 13th century. The oldest buildings, including the Marienkirche (Church of the Virgin Mary) date from around AD 700, although excavations show there was a settlement here in the Iron Age, approximately 1200 BC. In addition to the rough-hewn medieval fortifications, there are a number of Renaissance and baroque apartments. Tours in English, normally held on weekends, meet at the Museum Shop. To reach the Marienberg, make the fairly steep climb on foot through vineyards or take Bus 9, starting at the Residenz, with several stops in the city. It runs about every 40 minutes from April to October. The fortress is undergoing renovations through 2030, with a rolling schedule of closed sections. The fortress also houses the history museum, Museum für Franken, which requires a separate admission ticket.

Quedlinburg’s skyline is dominated by the Schlossberg. The original town that became Quedlinburg forms the base of the hill. The half-timber houses in this are much smaller than those in the Old Town as they housed handworkers and artisans that supported the Abbey. The hill is ringed by the Wassertorstrasse and a small footpath that make exploring this area picturesque and easy. Finkenherd Square hosts a large collection of medieval half-timber houses. The house at Finkenherd #1 is where, in 919, Heinrich I learned that he would be king. On the way up to the castle, stop at Vincent's Käsekuchenbäckerei for the best cheesecake in Quedlinburg.

The house where Germany's most famous poet was born is furnished with many original pieces that belonged to his family, including manuscripts in his own hand. The original house, which was destroyed by Allied bombing, has been carefully rebuilt and restored. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) studied law and became a member of the bar in Frankfurt, but he was quickly drawn to writing, and in this house he eventually wrote the first version of his masterpiece, Faust. The adjoining museum contains works of art that inspired Goethe (he was an amateur painter) and works associated with his literary contemporaries.

Once a Benedictine abbey, the Michelsberg Monastery has been gazing over Bamberg since 1015. Due to renovation work, the monastery's lovely Church of St. Michael is closed to the public until at least 2025, but it's still worth the long climb up to the abbey for this excellent brewery museum. Brewing has taken place on this site since at least the 12th century, and a downloadable audio guide will talk you through exhibits showcasing every step of the process, from the making of malt to the marketing of beer. You'll also learn why the local brew is notably smoky—and why almost all beers used to be. For a post-museum taste of Bamberg's beer culture, head down to one of the many pubs and brewhouses on the riverside Sandstrasse.

The city's medieval past is recounted in the museum of this former monastery.

The so called Franzosenviertel (French Quarter) is located northwest of the eastern central station. The area comprises the Weissenburger Platz with its glass palace fountain, which was built in 1853 by August Voit and the Bordeauxplatz, a long, green area where cafés and restaurants line up numerously.

Boats shuttling between Stock and Herreninsel (Gentlemen's Island) also stop at this small retreat, which translates as Ladies' Island. The Benedictine convent here, founded an astonishing 1,200 years ago, houses a small community of nuns. One of its earliest superiors, Irmengard, daughter of King Ludwig der Deutsche, died here in the 9th century; her grave in the convent chapel was discovered in 1961, the same year that early frescoes there were brought to light. The chapel is open daily from dawn to dusk. Otherwise, the island has about 50 private houses, a couple of shops, and a guesthouse where visitors wishing to take part in the nuns' quiet lives can overnight. You can walk around the island in about 20 minutes—just don't miss partaking in the Benedictine Sisters' delicious fruit liqueurs, gingerbread, and marzipan.

A set of porcelain bells at the late-Gothic Frauenkirche, on the central Marktplatz, was the first of its kind anywhere when installed in 1929.

Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV commissioned the late-Gothic Frauenkirche in 1350, and it was built on the site of a synagogue that burned to the ground during the 1349 pogrom. The modern tabernacle, designed to look like a Torah scroll as a memorial to that despicable act, was built beneath the main altar in 1991. The church's main attraction is the Männleinlaufen, a clock dating from 1509, which is set into its facade. The clock is one of those colorful mechanical marvels at which Germans have long excelled; every day at noon, the seven electors of the Holy Roman Empire glide out of the clock to bow to Emperor Charles IV before sliding back undercover. It's worth scheduling your morning to catch the display.

This open-air museum, about an hour's walk through the woods along a well-marked path from the Römerkastell-Saalburg, is an open-air museum at Hessenpark, near Neu-Anspach. The museum presents a clear picture of the world in which 18th- and 19th-century Hessians lived, using 135 acres of rebuilt villages with houses, schools, and farms typical of the time. There's also an open-air theater with performances about Hessian life. The park, 15 km (9 miles) outside Bad Homburg in the direction of Usingen, is reached easily by public transportation from Frankfurt.

The humble rooms of a tiny backstreet apartment were the birthplace of Friedrich Ebert, Germany's first democratically elected president (in 1919) and leader of the ill-fated Weimar Republic. The display tells the story of the tailor's son who took charge of a nation accustomed to being ruled by a kaiser.

This museum, housed in a fine restored Renaissance building, is dedicated to two of the city's most influential benefactors, the Fugger and Welser families, whose banking and merchant empire brought Italian art and world artifacts along with wealth to Augsburg in the 15th to 18th centuries. Providing insight into how the families contributed to the city, the museum offers both a glimpse into life in the 15th century through the Industrial Revolution, and a hands-on lesson in Augsburg history.

Westerland's beach bursts at the seams in the summer months. More than 6 km (4 miles) of pristine white sand is filled with more than 4,000 Strandkörbe, a kind of beach chair in a wicker basket, which are all for rent. There's also volleyball, soccer, darts, and other beach sports. Despite its popularity, it is easy to find some privacy on the many secluded bike and footpaths. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; walking; windsurfing.

An idyllic retreat almost hidden among the vineyards, the Fürstenhäusle was built in 1640 by a local vintner and later used as a holiday house by the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. It's now the Droste Museum, containing many of her personal possessions and giving a vivid sense of Meersburg in her time. You'll need to join a guided tour to enter the museum.