937 Best Sights in Germany

On the lake's eastern shore, at the village of Berg, you'll find the König Ludwig II Votivkapelle Berg. A well-marked path leads through thick woods to the chapel, built near the point in the lake where the drowned king's body was found on June 13, 1886. He had been confined in nearby Berg Castle after the Bavarian government took action against his withdrawal from reality and his bankrupting castle-building fantasies. A cross in the lake marks the point where his body was recovered.

Königstein Fortress is an imposing hilltop stronghold that rises roughly 790 feet above the Elbe River, offering a stunning blend of history and panoramic views over Saxon Switzerland. With over 750 years of history, the fortress has served as a royal residence, military barracks, and even a prison. Its 1.1-mile-long defensive wall makes it one of the largest mountain fortresses in Europe, a must-see for history enthusiasts.

Visitors can explore the fortress’s barracks, underground passages, and exhibits detailing its fascinating past. The vantage point from Königstein provides incredible views of the surrounding landscape, and it’s easily accessible by foot or shuttle (from the Königstein S-Bahn station). Combining history with scenic beauty, Königstein Fortress is an unforgettable stop in the region.

The second-highest hill in the Odenwald range—1,800 feet above Heidelberg—is either a long hike or a short funicular ride from Heidelberg. On a clear day you can see as far as the Black Forest to the south and west to the Vosges Mountains of France. The hill is at the center of a close-knit network of hiking trails. Well-marked trails from the top lead hikers through the woods of the Odenwald.

An impressive reminder of Trier's Roman past, this edifice, now the city's major Protestant church, was built by the emperor Constantine around AD 310 as the imperial throne room of the palace. At 239 feet long, 93 feet wide, and 108 feet high, it demonstrates the astounding ambition of its Roman builders and the sophistication of their building techniques. The basilica is one of the two largest Roman interiors in existence (the other is the Pantheon in Rome). Look up at the deeply coffered ceiling; more than any other part of the building, it conveys the opulence of the original structure. An ornate rococo garden now separates the basilica from the Landesmuseum.

Hamburg is a city of great beauty but also tragedy. On the southeastern edge of the city, between 104,000 and 106,000 people, including children, were held at Neuengamme concentration camp in its years of operation from December 1938 to May 1945. It was primarily a slave-labor camp, not an area focused on extermination, where bricks and weapons were the main products. Neuengamme held German political prisoners, Europeans pushed into slavery, gays, Roma (gypsies), and Jews. Jewish children were the subjects of cruel medical experiments; others worked with their parents or simply grew up in prison. To keep people in line, there were random acts of violence, including executions, and atrocious living conditions. Officials estimate that as many as 43,000 people died at Neuengamme. A memorial opened on the site in 2005. Where the dormitories, dining hall, and hospital once sat, there are low pens filled with large rocks. The main area has exhibits describing working conditions in an actual factory as well as a museum with interactive displays about the prisoner experience. Firsthand accounts, photographs from prisoners, furniture, clothing, and possessions make the experience even more affecting.

Two blocks west of gritty, noisy Karl-Marx-Strasse, this small, beautifully landscaped park, built in the 1910s, resembles a French chateau garden. Today it remains something of a hidden treasure, cherished by locals but barely known to outsiders. At one end of the park, water cascades down several steps of a multitiered fountain into a round pool; at the other end you'll find the stately former orangerie, which now houses a gallery and café, and presents a concert every Sunday in summer.

Body Worlds exhibits have traveled the world since 1995, visited by millions. The technique of freeze-drying and slicing human specimens and their parts into paper-thin slivers was developed by two University of Heidelberg scientists on a mission to improve better health. In addition to displays of healthy and diseased hearts, lungs, blood vessels, and even full skeletons, exhibits explore the technical process and scientific potential of “plastination” invented by the two researchers, which also happen to show the inner beauty of the human body. Admission includes a free audio tour in English or German.

The grocers' guild built this tightly packed group of courtyard houses between 1620 and 1626 for members' widows. The half-timber, two-story dwellings, with unusual twisted chimneys and decorative brick facades, were restored in the 1970s. A visit inside the Kramer-Witwen-Wohnung—part of the Museum of Hamburg History—gives you a sense of what life was like in these 17th-century dwellings.

Soaring high above the Altmarkt, the richly decorated tower of the baroque Kreuzkirche dates back to 1792, but Dresden's main Protestant church has graced this spot for more than 800 years. The church's massive exterior is punctuated by a very simple and dignified nave. Lutherans celebrated their first mass in Saxony here in 1539. A famous boys' choir, the Kreuzchor, performs regularly, and there are frequent other concerts and services with music (check website for times).

With more than 1 million items on the history of European art, the Kunstbibliothek in the Kulturforum is one of Germany's most important institutions on the subject. It contains art posters and advertisements, examples of graphic design and book design, ornamental engravings, prints and drawings, and a costume library. Visitors can view items in the reading rooms, but many samples from the collections are also shown in rotating special exhibitions.

Inside the Kulturforum's Kunstgewerbemuseum are European arts and crafts from the Middle Ages to the present. Among the notable exhibits are the Welfenschatz (Welfen Treasure), a collection of 16th-century gold and silver plates from Nuremberg; a floor dedicated to design and furniture; and extensive holdings of ceramics and porcelain. Though there is a free English-language audio guide, the mazelike museum is difficult to navigate and most signposting is in German. A second part of the collection resides at the Schloss Köpenick.

An art gallery north of the Neckar, the Kunsthalle has become a leading local exhibition venue and generates a special kind of \"art tourism,\" making it difficult to find local lodging if a popular exhibition is shown.

In 2016, the former thermal power plant was converted into a hub for digital and contemporary art, offering over 2,000 square meters for international exhibitions, symposia, readings, concerts, parties, and culinary events. The latest exhibition is an extended reality experience, showcasing Salvador Dalí's visionary works in a groundbreaking format. Visitors are transported into an interactive, digital realm where Dalí's surrealist masterpieces come to life.

Exhibits are generally excellent at this large museum that focuses on German art since 1945, mainly Rhenish expressionists (Beuys, Baselitz, and August Macke), as well as works by contemporary German artists.

This sleek structure encased in a glass facade is a work of art in its own right. The museum contains artwork of the 19th- and 20th centuries and the world's largest Otto Dix collection, including the Grossstadt (Metropolis) triptych, which captures the essence of 1920s Germany. The bistro-café on the rooftop terrace affords great views; the lobby houses another café and the museum shop.

These hillside sparkling wine cellars were built in 1850 on a site where the Romans had cultivated vines and cellared wine. The Kupferberg family expanded them to create 60 seven-story-deep vaulted cellars—the deepest in the world. The winery has a splendid collection of glassware; posters from the belle époque period (1898–1914); richly carved casks from the 18th and 19th centuries; and the Traubensaal (Grape Hall), a tremendous example of the Art Nouveau style. Tours, Saturdays only, of the cellars and museum last one hour plus time for a sparkling wine tasting, and involve lots of stairs. Reservations for tours are required and can be made online. The Kupferberg Terrassen restaurant here is a lovely place to dine before or after your tour, and offers an excellent-value two-course lunch menu.

One of the Kulturforum's smaller museums, Kupferstichkabinett has occasional exhibits, which include European woodcuts, engravings, and illustrated books from the 15th century to the present (highlights of its holdings are pen-and-ink drawings by Dürer and drawings by Rembrandt). You can request (at least 10 days ahead) to see one or two drawings in the study room. Another building displays paintings dating from the late Middle Ages to 1800.

This busy thoroughfare began as a riding path in the 16th century. The elector Joachim II of Brandenburg used it to travel between his palace on the Spree River and his hunting lodge in the Grunewald. The Kurfürstendamm (Elector's Causeway) was transformed into a major route in the late 19th century, thanks to the initiative of Bismarck, Prussia's Iron Chancellor. Even in the 1920s, Ku'damm (as it's commonly known) was still relatively new and by no means elegant; its prewar fame was due mainly to its rowdy bars and dance halls, as well as to the cafés where the cultural avant-garde of Europe gathered. Almost half of its 245 late-19th-century buildings were completely destroyed in the 1940s, and the remaining buildings were damaged to varying degrees; what you see today is either restored or newly constructed. Although Ku'damm is still known as the best shopping street in Berlin, many of its establishments have declined in elegance and prestige over the years. Nowadays you'll want to visit just to check it off your list.

Eltville flourished as a favorite residence of the archbishops of Mainz in the 14th and 15th centuries, and it was during this time that the castle—which now houses Eltville's tourist-information center—was built. The museum includes an exhibition commemorating Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of modern letterpress printing, who was appointed courtier here in 1465; the Count's Chamber with its impressive 14th-century murals; an observation deck with a lovely view of the city; and a dungeon that is accessed by a narrow spiral staircase. More than 300 varieties of roses grow in the castle's courtyard garden, its walls, and out along the Rhine promenade.

Built in the 18th century by the prince-electors of Cologne, this grand palace now houses Bonn's university. If the weather is good, stroll through Hofgarten park in front of it. When Bonn was a capital, this patch of grass drew tens of thousands to antinuclear demonstrations. Today it's mostly used for games of pickup soccer and ultimate Frisbee.

This baroque palace was built as a residence for a university professor in 1712, and since turned into an art and archeology museum with two standout exhibits worth the visit. One is a replica of the jaw of Heidelberg Man, a key link in the evolutionary chain thought to date from a half-million years ago (the original was unearthed near the city in 1907). The larger attraction is the Windsheimer Zwölfbotenaltar (Twelve Apostles Altarpiece), one of the largest and finest works of early Renaissance sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider. Its exquisite detailing and technical sophistication are evident in the simple faith that radiates from the faces of the Apostles. The top floor of the museum showcases 19th-century German paintings, sculptures, and drawings, many depicting Heidelberg from the Middle Ages to the 1800s. The restaurant in the museum's quiet courtyard is a good place for a break.

This gallery cum museum got its start in the 1990s, when a group of art fans and aficionados led by Klaus Biesenbach came upon a practically collapsing former margarine factory and decided it would be a great place for their project. Since then, KW (which stands for “Kunst Werke” or “art works”) has been presenting exhibitions, site-specific works, and various events in the three-floor space (there's also an enclosed courtyard with a café).

Rare is the children’s museum that inspires parents to join in the exploring—and even arouses the curiosity of childless adults. The Labyrinth Kindermuseum in Wedding, which occupies a large old match factory, is truly worthy of its name: a labyrinthine hall of hands-on amusements, funded by the Senate Administration for Education, Science and Research to encourage maximum child development. Rotating thematic exhibitions allow children to play, build, create, and, of course, run around.

The various collections of the Museum of the State of Rheinland-Pfalz are in the former electors' stables, easily recognized by the statue of a golden stallion over the entrance. Exhibits range from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the highlights are paintings by Dutch masters, artworks from the baroque to art nouveau periods, and collections of porcelain and faience.

The priceless art collection of this regional museum includes works by Tilman Riemenschneider, Veit Stoss, Hans Holbein the Younger, Claude Monet, and Lucas Cranach. There are also historical and natural history sections.

Germany's easternmost Brauhaus is one of the few breweries left that uses open fermentation and gives tours. Founded in 1869, Landskron isn't very old by German standards, but it's unique in that it hasn't been gobbled up by a huge brewing conglomerate. Görlitzer are understandably proud of their own Premium Pilsner, but the brewery also produces good dark, Silesian, and winter beers. Landskron Hefeweizen is one of the best in the country.

Hamburgers and tourists flock to the city's impressive port—Germany's largest—to marvel at the huge container and cruise ships gliding past, pick up maritime-themed gifts from souvenir stores, and treat themselves to something from the many snack and ice-cream stands. It's best to take a tour to get a complete idea of the massive scale of the place, which is one of the most modern and efficient harbors in the world. Barge tours leave from the main passenger terminal, along with a whole range of ferries and boats heading to other destinations on the Elbe and in the North Sea. There's frequently a breeze here, so it's worth packing something warm, particularly if you're planning on taking an open-top harbor tour.

A must-see when traveling with children is the Legoland Discovery Centre, the Danish toy company's only indoor park. Children can build their very own towers while their parents live out their urban development dreams, even testing if the miniature construction would survive an earthquake. In a special section, Berlin's landmarks are presented in a breathtaking miniature world made up of thousands of tiny Lego bricks.

The former royal palace of the Hanovers—whose members sat on the British throne from 1714 to 1837 as Kings George I–IV—stands grandly beside the River Leine, and is now home to the Lower Saxony State Parliament. Although the interior of the palace is largely closed to the public, its imposing Corinthian columns and river setting provide some excellent photo ops.

At the Panometer (a blend of \"Panorama\" and \"Gasometer\"), visitors can explore captivating and otherworldly scenes. Located in southern Leipzig, the former Gasometer II, built in 1910, has been home to 360° panoramas by artist Yadegar Asisi since 2003. The latest exhibit, \"The Cathedral of Monet—Freedom of Painting,\" launched in March 2024, is a striking example of immersive art. This 32-meter-tall 360° panorama transports viewers to Rouen, France, around 1890, with a focus on the city's magnificent cathedral, famously captured in 33 paintings by Claude Monet. Asisi's first painted panorama, a 6 x 2-meter impressionist canvas, was digitized and enlarged to an impressive 32 × 110 meters for display at the Panometer Leipzig.