937 Best Sights in Germany

Just northwest of Unteruhldingen, the Wallfahrtskirche Birnau stands among vineyards overlooking the lake. The church was built by the master architect Peter Thumb between 1746 and 1750. Its exterior consists of pink-and-white plaster and a tapering clock-tower spire above the main entrance. The interior is overwhelmingly rich, full of movement, light, and color. It's hard to single out highlights from such a profusion of ornament, but look for the Honigschlecker (Honey Sucker), a gold-and-white cherub beside the altar, dedicated to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, \"whose words are sweet as honey\" (it's the last altar on the right as you face the high altar). The cherub is sucking honey from his finger, which he's just pulled out of a beehive. The fanciful spirit of this play on words is continued in the small squares of glass set into the pink screen that rises high above the main altar; the gilt dripping from the walls; the swaying, swooning statues; and the swooping figures on the ceiling.

This museum contains paintings spanning the years 1300 to 1900. The Dutch and Flemish schools are particularly well represented, as is the 15th- to 16th-century Cologne school of German painting. Its two most famous artists are the Master of the St. Veronica (whose actual name is unknown) and Stefan Lochner, represented by two luminous works, The Last Judgment and The Madonna in the Rose Bower. Large canvases by Rubens, who spent his youth in Cologne, hang prominently on the second floor. There are also outstanding works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Frans Hals, and the largest collection of French impressionism in Germany.

Hotels here base spa treatments on the health-giving properties of the saline springs and the black mud from the area's waterlogged moors. The elegant, pillared pavilion of the attractive spa gardens is really a sight to behold, with its unusual misting green facade, said to extract salt from the water. All you need to do is walk along the 540-foot Gradierhaus, a massive wood-and-concrete construction that produces a fine salty mist by trickling brine down a 40-foot wall of dense blackthorn bundles (breathing salt-laden air is a remedy for various lung conditions).

Of Cologne's four main Christmas markets the Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom, in the shadow of the city's famed cathedral, is the most impressive. Set against the backdrop of the church's magnificent twin spires, a giant Christmas tree stands proudly in the middle of the market's 160 festively adorned stalls, which sell mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, and many other German yuletide treats.

At 220 feet high and more than 300 feet long, Weingarten Basilica is the largest baroque church in Germany. It was built as the church of one of the oldest and most venerable convents in the country, founded in 1056 by the wife of Guelph IV. The Guelph dynasty ruled large areas of Upper Swabia, and generations of family members lie buried in the church. The majestic edifice was renowned because of its little vial said to contain drops of Christ's blood. First mentioned by Charlemagne, the vial passed to the convent in 1094, entrusted to its safekeeping by the Guelph queen Juditha, sister-in-law of William the Conqueror. Weingarten then became one of Germany's foremost pilgrimage sites. To this day, on the day after Ascension Thursday—the anniversary of the day the vial of Christ's blood was entrusted to the convent—a huge procession of pilgrims wends its way to the basilica. It's well worth seeing the procession, which is headed by nearly 3,000 horsemen (many local farmers breed horses just for this occasion). The basilica was decorated by leading early-18th-century German and Austrian artists: stuccowork by Franz Schmuzer, ceiling frescoes by Cosmas Damian Asam, and a Donato Frisoni altar—one of the most breathtakingly ornate in Europe, with nearly 80-foot-high towers on either side. The organ, installed by Josef Gabler between 1737 and 1750, is among the largest in the country.

This winery's presence in the Mosel includes vineyards in seven different villages and a grand villa in the center of Bernkastel, where a cozy vinothek (shop) is found inside the mansion's vaulted cellars. English-language tastings are available, but groups of five or more people should call ahead to book (for a large enough group, they'll even open Monday through Wednesday). Try the light and flinty Alte Badstube am Doctorberg Riesling.

A friendly husband-and-wife team run this winery, which has eight generations of winemaking tradition behind it. They make a special collection of Rieslings with labels designed by visiting artists, and have an unpretentious tasting room close to the river.

Only fully established in 1991, this winery is one of the newest in the region. Combining modern and traditional winemaking principles, it has succeeded as one of the finest and most interesting Grand Cru vineyards in the region. The winery's five hectares of steep vineyards grow almost exclusively Riesling grapes; try the light but complex Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Spätlese.

Built by the English aristocrat John Sutton, this beautiful villa in Kiedrich, 2½ km (1½ miles) northwest of Eltville, is home to one of Germany's leading wine estates. Its famed Rieslings can be sampled in the tasting room at no cost (but with the expectation that a bottle or two of wine is purchased afterward). For 10 people or more, an exclusive tasting including a two-hour cellar tour can be arranged in advance for a fee.

Step off the train and straight into this century-old winery. Tutored tastings allow you to discover a selection of locally grown wines while you learn about the production and harvesting process. Alternatively, simply let the wine speak for itself; take a seat in the cellar or garden and order a bottle to share.

Fascinating narrow lanes, crooked steps, superbly restored half-timber houses, and venerable old churches abound in the old town of Marburg; the narrow Wendelgasse takes you up 175 stairs through the city, surrounded by old timber-framed houses.

The region's culture and history are intriguingly presented in this Partenkirchen museum, mostly set inside a beautiful 17th-century merchant's house (but with parts of the exhibition space dating back to the 1200s, and others to 2018). Spread over 19 rooms and five floors, the exhibits explore traditional aspects of life in the Werdenfelser region (an independent state for more than 700 years, until 1802), from traditional folk costumes, jewelry, arts, and crafts to recreations of rural and bourgeois bedrooms. There are regularly-rotating temporary exhibitions showcasing modern local paintings and sculptures. The museum is located on Partenkirchen's historic Ludwigstrasse, home to dozens of colorful, ornate building facades, so continue exploring local history and culture with a leisurely stroll along the street.

This huge spa facility sitting on the banks of the Weser River has whirlpools, sauna and steam baths, thermal saltwater pools, and an outdoor pool that is said to be as salty as the Dead Sea. The spa's waters are famed for their therapeutic benefits, and a couple of hours bathing in them often helps relieve aches and stress. Massages are available to further aid the relaxation process.

The island's major town is not quite as expensive as Kampen, but it's more crowded. An ugly assortment of modern hotels lines an undeniably clean and broad beach. Each September windsurfers meet for the Surf Cup competition off the Brandenburger Strand, the best surfing spot.

The most thrilling museum in Schleswig is at the site of an ancient Viking settlement. This was the Vikings' most important German port, and the boats, gold jewelry, and graves they left behind are displayed in the museum. Be sure to walk along the trail to the Viking village, to see how the Vikings really lived. The best way to get there is to take the ferry across the Schlei from Schleswig's main fishing port.

The best way to try Saale-Unstrut wine is with this trade group. Since most of the 320 members are small hobby growers, most growers bring their fruit to the Winzervereinigung.  The group produces some of Germany's finest wines, both white and red, mostly pure varietals, with some limited blends. (A wonderful light red from a hybrid of the Blauer Zweigelt and St. James grapes, called Andre, may change how you think about German red wine.) Tastings and tours must be arranged in advance—with options ranging from a simple tour of one of Germany's largest barrel cellars to the grand tasting—or you can simply reserve a seat at the regularly scheduled Friday public tasting at 6 pm for €14 per person. The association goes out of its way to cater to the tastes of its guests, and bread, cheese, and water are always in plentiful supply.

English-speaking visitors can worship in the churches where Martin Luther conducted his ministry thanks to this ministry. During the summer months it brings English-speaking pastors from the United States to provide Lutheran worship services in the Schlosskirche and Stadtkirche St. Marien. Services follow German Protestant tradition (albeit in English) and conclude with singing Luther's \"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,\" accompanied on the organ. Tours of Wittenberg and other Luther sites are also offered.

Much of Weimar's greatness is owed to its patron, the widowed countess Anna Amalia, whose home, the Wittumspalais, is surprisingly modest. In the late 18th century the countess went talent hunting for cultural figures to decorate the glittering court her Saxon forebears had established. She discovered Goethe, and he served the countess as a counselor, advising her on financial matters and town design. Schiller followed, and he and Goethe became valued visitors to the countess's home. Within this exquisite baroque house you can see the drawing room in which she held soirées, complete with the original cherrywood table at which the company sat. The east wing of the house contains a small museum that's a fascinating memorial to those cultural gatherings.

If you're in Bad Dürkheim on a Wednesday or Saturday morning, head to the farmers' market for flowers, bread, wine, meats, cheeses, and vinegars.

The heart of Frankfurt's shopping district is this bustling pedestrian street running east from Hauptwache Square. It is lined with a mix of large department stores and small boutiques, drugstores, camera and electronics shops, restaurants, and more. Stop in at the outdoor farmers' market every Thursday and Saturday for a freshly grilled Bratwurst and a beer.

This excellent history museum focuses on issues surrounding the division and unification of Germany after World War II.

In a former munitions factory, the vast Zentrum für Kunst und Medien, or simply ZKM, houses a top-notch collection of media art, in all genres from painting to video and audio—about 9,000 pieces in all—starting from the end of the 20th century, along with regularly changing exhibitions, which include highlights from the Staatliche Kunsthalle through it's expected reopening in 2028. It's an all-day adventure where you can watch movies, listen to music, try out video games, flirt with a virtual partner, or sit on a real bicycle and pedal through a virtual New York City. Since the space is so large, exhibitions are divided into sections—atrium 1 and 2, and atrium 8 and 9—with separate ticket prices for each section, or one combined ticket to see everything.

Count Zeppelin (Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin) was born across the lake in Konstanz, but Friedrichshafen was where, on July 2, 1900, his first \"airship\"—the LZ 1—was launched. The story is told in the Zeppelin Museum, which holds the world's most significant collection of artifacts pertaining to airship history. In a wing of the restored Bauhaus Friedrichshafen Hafenbahnhof (harbor railway station), the main attraction is the reconstruction of a 108-foot-long section of the legendary Hindenburg, the LZ 129 that exploded at its berth in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937. (The airships were filled with hydrogen, because in 1933 the United States had passed an act banning helium sales to foreign governments due to its military usefulness and scarcity at that time.) Climb aboard the airship via a retractable stairway and stroll past the authentically furnished passenger room, the original lounges, and the dining room. The illusion of traveling in a zeppelin is followed by exhibits on the history and technology of airship aviation: propellers, engines, dining-room menus, and films of the airships traveling or at war. Car fans will appreciate the great Maybach standing on the ground floor; passengers once enjoyed being transported to the zeppelins in it. Temporary and permanent exhibits also go beyond aviation; one permanent example scrutinizes art that may have been looted by Nazis.

In 1946 everything on the eastern side on the Neisse River was ceded to Poland and Görlitz lost its eastern suburb. A walk across the river is like a trip back in time. Zgorzelec certainly isn't as well off as Görlitz, but there are some nice patrician houses and wide parks whose decay resembles the state of Görlitz in the 1980s. For a stroll through, cross the Altstadtbrücke (Old Town Bridge) behind the Peterskirche, turn right, and walk approximately a kilometer (half mile), then cross back into Germany at the former official border crossing. Great Polish food is in plentiful supply at the Piwnica Staromiejska at Wrocławska 1, just across the bridge. Food, gasoline, alcohol, and cigarettes are about 50% cheaper and there are a lot of shops that cater to Germans on the other side of the river.  Do bring your passport if you pass over the border into Poland; on rare occasions, someone may be checking documents.

On the last weekend in August, the Old Town's medieval past comes alive during the Zunftmarkt, a historical market dedicated to the Zünfte (guilds). "Artisans" in period costumes demonstrate the old trades and open the festivities with a colorful parade on horseback.

In case you don't get enough half-timber on the Fairy-Tale Road there is also the German Half-Timber Road (Deutsche Fachwerkstrasse), with lots more storybook architecture. A map and brochure can be obtained from the Deutsche Fachwerkstrasse.

Connoisseurs of airplanes and flying machines will appreciate this magnificent offshoot of the Deutsches Museum, some 20 km (12 miles) north of the City Center in Oberschleissheim. These buildings, constructed in the early 20th century by the Königlich-Bayerische Fliegertruppen (Royal Bavarian Flying corps), tell the story of aviation history. It's an ideal complement to a visit to Schloss Schleissheim.

The 16th-century house and business quarters of the Fugger family now has a restaurant in its cellar and offices on the upper floors. Only the three courtyards here are open to the public, but you can peek into the ground-floor entrance to see busts of two of Augsburg's most industrious Fuggers, Raymund and Anton. Beyond a modern glass door is the Damenhof (Ladies' Courtyard), originally reserved for the Fugger women.