Must-See Tourist Attractions in Germany

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Long associated with a few powerful images—a fairytale castle perched on a rocky spur, a monumental gate at the heart of Berlin, dark forests straight out of the Brothers Grimm tales—Germany actually hides a patchwork of regions, cities, and landscapes that can easily fill several trips. From the medieval alleys of Rothenburg ob der Tauber to the skyscrapers of Hamburg and the wild gorges of the Black Forest, the country combines heritage, nature, and contemporary culture to a degree that is hard to match in Europe.

Berlin, Capital of German History

Berlin alone concentrates a disproportionate share of German history. From a simple fishing village on the Spree, the city became the capital of Prussia, then of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich. Bombed during World War II, split in two by a concrete wall over 140 kilometers long during the Cold War, it became the capital of a reunified country again after 1989. Today, it is the largest city in the European Union, a major cultural and economic center.

The city is surprisingly decentralized: its main sites are scattered between the historic center, former eastern districts, large parks, and peripheral boroughs. This forces visitors to get around, but the excellent transport network (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, bus) and tourist tickets like the Berlin Welcome Card and the Museum Pass make exploration much easier.

Monuments of Remembrance and Political Symbols

In the heart of Berlin, several places encapsulate the memory of the 20th century and the political symbolism of the present-day country.

The Brandenburg Gate, built at the end of the 18th century based on the model of a propylaea on the Acropolis of Athens, is perhaps the most famous image of the city. Commissioned by the Prussian King Frederick William II and erected on Pariser Platz, it has in turn symbolized Prussian power, the country’s division during the Cold War—it was located just behind the Wall—and then reunification. It is here that Berlin organizes its gigantic New Year’s Eve celebration and many national gatherings.

Bebelplatz, in front of Humboldt University, is marked by a discreet square of glass on the ground. Looking through it, one discovers an underground room lined with empty bookshelves: a tribute to the over 25,000 books burned here by the Nazis in 1933. Further north, on Bernauer Straße, the Berlin Wall Memorial reconstructs a section with a no man’s land, watchtower, documentation center, and open-air exhibition, reminding us that the city’s division is not limited to two or three panels of colored concrete.

The Reichstag, seat of the Bundestag, embodies contemporary democratic Germany. This large 19th-century building, burned in the 1930s and then ravaged by war, was restored after 1990 with a spectacular glass dome designed by Norman Foster. Its dome, accessible for free by reservation, offers a 360° panorama over Berlin and allows visitors to observe the chamber below, a deliberate symbol of political transparency.

Key Data: Some Memorial Sites in Berlin

Site	Type of Site	Key Features
Brandenburg Gate	Historical Monument	Symbol of German division and then unity
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe	Memorial + Exhibition	2,711 concrete stelae, vast underground information center
Berlin Wall Memorial (Bernauer)	Historical Site	Preserved section of the Wall, documentation center, outdoor exhibition
Bebelplatz (Book Burnings)	Discreet Memorial	Underground empty library visible through a glass plate
Reichstag + Dome	Political Building	Panoramic glass dome, free tours by reservation

Museums, Treasure Island, and Religious Architecture

It’s hard to visit Berlin without setting foot on Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five major institutions trace millennia of art and civilization history here: the Pergamonmuseum with its spectacular ancient monuments (Pergamon Altar, Market Gate of Miletus), the Neues Museum and its bust of Nefertiti, the Bode Museum, the Altes Museum, and the Alte Nationalgalerie. The city likes to point out that it has more museums than rainy days.

Opposite, the Humboldt Forum now occupies the reconstructed volume of the former Berlin Palace. This vast cultural center houses, among others, the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, complementing the capital’s already dizzying offerings.

On the religious side, the most imposing silhouette is that of the Berlin Cathedral, the large Protestant church built at the turn of the 20th century on Museum Island. Its dome can be visited, after climbing a staircase rewarded by a clear view over the center. Further west, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) on Breitscheidplatz has kept its bombed-out tower as a memorial, around which a new modern church was built. In the historic Nikolaiviertel district, St. Nicholas’ Church (Nikolaikirche) instead recalls Berlin’s medieval origins.

Wall, Towers, and Major Avenues

Berlin’s recent history is also expressed in the remains of the Wall. The East Side Gallery, between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, lines up over 1.3 km of the longest preserved section. Over a hundred murals were painted there as early as 1990, including the famous “kiss” between Brezhnev and Honecker. At Checkpoint Charlie, the former crossing point between East and West, the small guardhouse visible today is only a replica, but the place remains a powerful symbol. The nearby museums—the Mauermuseum and the Allied Museum—recreate the atmosphere of the Cold War.

Above the city, the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) at Alexanderplatz, 368 meters high, dominates the skyline. Built in the 1960s, it remains the tallest building in Germany, with an observation deck and revolving restaurant. Other viewpoints dot the city: the Reichstag dome, the Humboldt Forum terrace, the platform of the Victory Column (Siegessäule) which rises in the center of the vast Tiergarten park.

Parks, Lakes, and Everyday Life

Despite its turbulent history, Berlin is a very green city. The Tiergarten, a former royal hunting ground, now forms a huge central park crisscrossed by bike paths, canals, and lawns. Further north, Mauerpark occupies a former strip of land from the Wall and has transformed into a Sunday meeting place: a giant flea market, open-air karaoke, street art. On the site of the former Tempelhof Airport, the runways have become a spectacular urban playground: people rollerblade, bike, fly kites, and barbecue there.

Those who enjoy swimming and nature can head to Schlachtensee, a forest-lined lake good for kayaking and swimming, or to the debris field of Teufelsberg, an artificial hill hiding a former Cold War listening station, now a graffiti spot and unusual viewpoint. On the Spree, cruises offer another perspective on major sites, from Museum Island to the contemporary government buildings, via the redeveloped Potsdamer Platz district and the Sony Center.

In this metropolis where the euro is king but where cash is still very popular, everyday life plays out in contrasting neighborhoods: stylish Prenzlauer Berg cafes, alternative Kreuzberg bars, the more “bohemian chic” atmosphere of Schöneberg, or galleries like the Berlinische Galerie and Brücke Museum for modern art lovers.

Castles and Palaces: Germany of Fairy Tales

The other major image associated with Germany is that of its castles. On rocky promontories, river islands, in the heart of deep forests, or overlooking wine valleys, hundreds tell the feudal, princely, or romantic history of the country. Royal residences, defensive fortresses, river tolls, private retreats: each has a distinct function and personality.

Neuschwanstein and the Follies of Ludwig II of Bavaria

Neuschwanstein, above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen, has become the emblematic castle of Germany. Built in the 19th century in a Neo-Romanesque style inspired by the Middle Ages but equipped with modern technology for the time—central heating, hot water, telephone, elevator—it was conceived as a private refuge by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a great admirer of Wagner. Ironically, this near-hermit king hardly enjoyed it: he died in 1886, leaving most of the planned 200 or so rooms unfinished. Only 14 rooms were fully decorated.

Since opening to the public the same year, the castle has attracted over 60 million visitors. Today, it exceeds 1.4 million entries per year, with up to 10,000 people per day in high season. The interior can only be seen on a guided tour of about thirty minutes, in small groups, with audio guides available in many languages. Timed tickets are sold via a ticket center in Hohenschwangau or online, with a booking fee and such demand that it is advisable to book two to three months in advance for summer.

Neuschwanstein in Numbers

Element	Approximate Value
Year construction began	1869
Number of rooms planned	About 200
Rooms completed	14
Castle area	~ 6,000 m²
Opened to the public	1886
Annual visitors	> 1.4 million (up to 10,000/day in summer)
Guided tour duration	30–35 minutes

Beyond the interior tour—where photography is prohibited—one of the highlights remains the view from Marienbrücke, a suspension bridge about 90 meters above the Pöllat Gorge. It is from this bridge that you get the “postcard” view of the castle, particularly spectacular at sunrise or sunset. As the site is at altitude, access varies: walk up from Hohenschwangau, shuttle, or even horse-drawn carriage.

Ludwig II’s Other Palaces and Bavarian Residences

While Neuschwanstein attracts most of the attention, Ludwig II had other no less interesting residences built or transformed. Linderhof, in the foothills near Ettal, is his smallest palace but the only one he saw truly completed. Nestled in a meticulously landscaped setting with an artificial grotto, pavilions, and water features, it offers a condensed version of the king’s fascination with French opulence and Wagnerian worlds, in a more intimate setting.

Further east, on an island in Lake Chiemsee, Herrenchiemsee is openly inspired by Versailles, down to a replica of the Hall of Mirrors. This unfinished palace was meant to be the ultimate tribute to Louis XIV by a Bavarian king obsessed with French absolute monarchy.

In Munich itself, Nymphenburg represents another chapter: that of the official residences of the prince-electors and kings of Bavaria. This vast Baroque palace, easily accessible by tram or bus from the center, is surrounded by a park dotted with canals, waterfalls, hunting lodges, and houses several museums, including a spectacular collection of royal carriages and sleighs.

In the heart of the Bavarian capital, the Munich Residenz, former seat of the Wittelsbach government, can be visited as one of Europe’s most important palace museums, featuring state rooms, treasures, portrait galleries, and private apartments.

Wartburg, Hohenzollern, and History-Laden Fortresses

In Thuringia, Wartburg overlooks the town of Eisenach from its cliff. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this castle founded in the Middle Ages summarizes over a millennium of German history. It is here that Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German, helping to shape the modern language. A symbol of national unity, the building blends 12th-century elements with Romantic reconstructions. At the foot of the castle, a charming hotel offers individually decorated rooms and cultural events.

Further south, in the Swabian Jura, Hohenzollern, perched on a summit between Stuttgart and Lake Constance, is the ancestral fortress of the Prussian dynasty. The current version, rebuilt in the 19th century in an almost “Harry Potter” neo-Gothic aesthetic, contains over 140 rooms, gilded coffered ceilings, marble columns, dynastic jewels, and a museum dedicated to the history of the House of Hohenzollern. The final ascent is on foot or by shuttle, and many events—open-air cinema, concerts, Christmas market—are held there.

In another vein, Nuremberg and its Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg) dominate the old town. This fortress complex, nearly a thousand years old, was one of the main seats of the Holy Roman Emperors. Visitors can wander freely between the Sinwell Tower, deep well, Imperial Hall, and double chapel before descending into the town’s medieval alleys.

Rhine Castles, Romantic Ruins, and Characterful Lodgings

Along the Rhine and Moselle, castle silhouettes follow one another, often rebuilt or transformed over the centuries. Burg Eltz, in the Moselle valley between Koblenz and Trier, is a rare case: a medieval fortress that has remained intact for over eight centuries, still owned by the same family for 34 generations. Some wings serve as a museum, displaying treasures and art objects, while one wing remains private. Access is via a forest path or shuttle, and you can have lunch at the castle’s restaurants overlooking the Elzbach valley.

In the small town of Cochem, Reichsburg towers over the Moselle by more than a hundred meters. Destroyed and rebuilt several times, notably after the ravages of Louis XIV, it now displays a spectacular neo-Gothic style. Medieval banquets with costumes, entertainment, and “knightly” ceremonies are held there on certain weekends, as well as a Christmas event.

Reichsburg (Cochem Castle)

On the banks of the Rhine, Rheinfels, Rheinstein, Marksburg, Stolzenfels, or Pfalzgrafenstein—the latter planted on a small island and an ancient river toll station accessible only by boat—testify to the intense commercial traffic of the past. Some fortresses can be visited, others host hotels, restaurants, or events, like Rheinstein which retains a functional drawbridge and portcullis, or Stahleck, transformed into a youth hostel where you can sleep in towers and dungeons.

Among lesser-known curiosities, Mespelbrunn, a moated castle in the heart of a forest between Frankfurt and Würzburg, or Lichtenstein, in the Swabian Jura, perched on a rocky pinnacle and accessible by a wooden bridge, illustrate the 19th century’s taste for the romantic reconstruction of fantasized “medieval” castles.

Germany even offers the possibility of staying overnight in some of these buildings, from grand charming hotels to lodgings in a watchtower, to rural estates converted into apartments or guesthouses, sometimes with a private garden, fireplace, or views of hills and lakes.

The Black Forest, Outdoor Paradise

In the far southwest of the country, bordering France and Switzerland, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is the most visited mid-mountain range in Germany. It stretches about 160 km from Karlsruhe in the north to the Swiss border in the south, bordered by the Rhine on its western flank. Its dark forests, pastoral valleys, and picture-postcard villages have long been associated with the Brothers Grimm tales.

The region is now recognized both as a “sustainable tourism destination” and a “quality region for hiking”. Its terrain features over a hundred peaks exceeding 1,000 meters, including the Feldberg, the highest point at nearly 1,500 meters, and Belchen, a nature reserve for over 70 years.

Spa Towns, Mountain Lakes, and Wild Gorges

On the western edge of the Black Forest, Baden-Baden embodies the German spa tradition. This small spa town, frequented since Roman times, features Belle Époque architecture, a park along the Lichtentaler Allee, a casino, historic spas like the Friedrichsbad with its Roman-Irish rituals, and modern complexes like Caracalla, with a glass dome, warm pools, and themed saunas. A few kilometers away, the ruins of the old Hohenbaden Castle recall the region’s medieval origins.

Between these urban hubs, the mountains unfold lake after lake: Titisee, a large glacial expanse about two kilometers long, surrounded by hotels and leisure facilities, and Schluchsee, even larger but artificial, a high-altitude lake plateau dedicated to sailing, windsurfing, swimming, and even diving. Further north, Mummelsee, a small lake nestled in a mountain cirque, is surrounded by legends.

Hiking Itineraries and Exemplary Infrastructure

The Black Forest is a living laboratory for marked hiking trails. The local hiking club, the Schwarzwaldverein, active since even before the creation of the German Alpine Club, maintains a dense network of trails with unified signage.

Three major north-south axes structure the territory: the Westweg, Germany’s oldest long-distance hiking trail marked as early as 1900 for nearly 290 km from Pforzheim to Basel, the Mittelweg, and the Ostweg, opened in 1903. In addition, there’s the Schluchtensteig, a 120 km route through seven gorges in the southern region, the Querweg from Freiburg to Lake Constance (about 180 km), and numerous shorter loops like the Panoramaweg in Baden-Baden (44 km, divided into four sections), the Baiersbronner Seensteig (80 km), or circuits around gorges and summits.

The infrastructure follows: “hiker-friendly” accommodations, detailed maps, digital platforms like Komoot or Outdooractive, and especially systems like the KONUS card, which allows many visitors staying at partner establishments to travel for free on public transport in the region.

Local Culture, Open-Air Museums, and Leisure Parks

Beyond the landscapes, the Black Forest cultivates a powerful rural imagination. In Gutach, the Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum reconstructs traditional farms, day laborer’s houses, and workshops, helping visitors understand how mountain farmers lived. In the Kinzig and Gutach valleys, villages like Gengenbach, Haslach, or Schiltach preserve impeccably restored half-timbered houses and museums dedicated to traditional costumes.

For families, the region has plenty to offer. In Rust, on the edge of the Rhine, Europa-Park has become the most visited amusement park in Germany, with over a hundred rides spread across 18 themed areas inspired by European countries, on-site hotels, and even a two-star restaurant. In the mountains, treetop walks, summer toboggan runs, adventure parks, and tourist trains complete the offerings.

When winter comes, the resorts around the Feldberg and other summits convert into alpine and cross-country skiing areas, while the trails welcome snowshoers and sleds on prepared runs.

Rhine and Moselle Valleys: Vineyards and Castles

Between Koblenz and Bingen, the Middle Rhine Valley, often called the “Rhine Gorge,” concentrates over about fifty kilometers a landscape so typical—river meanders, vine-covered slopes, colorful villages, and promontories crowned with fortresses—that it has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the neighboring Moselle, which winds between Trier and Koblenz in a landscape of very steep vineyards, towns like Cochem, Beilstein, Ediger-Eller, or Moselkern offer a more intimate version of this scenery, dominated by white wines, especially Riesling. Burg Eltz nestles in a side valley, while in Cochem, the neo-Gothic Reichsburg fortress dominates the rooftops.

Cologne and the Rhine Valley

Cologne, a major Rhenish city with two thousand years of history, stretches along both banks of the river. Its emblem, the cathedral with twin spires, is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and a UNESCO site. Begun in the 13th century and completed in the 19th, it houses the Shrine of the Three Kings and an extraordinary collection of stained glass. Its forecourt is lined with major museums: the Roman-Germanic Museum for Roman remains (including a spectacular mosaic) and the Museum Ludwig for modern art.

Going down the river, you leave the big city and enter the famous Middle Rhine Valley, dotted with wine villages, cliffs, and the Lorelei rock, associated with a siren legend. Excursions combining tastings, castle visits, and walks on the heights (the Rheinsteig, a long-distance trail of over 300 km on the right bank) are plentiful.

Hamburg, Great Maritime Gateway

At the other end of the country, on the Elbe, Hamburg tells another Germany’s story: that of ports, maritime trade, and the Hanseatic League. The country’s second-largest city and an autonomous city-state, it proudly presents itself as the “Gateway to the World“.

Its immense port, the largest in Germany, mixes industrial basins and redeveloped areas. In the Speicherstadt district, a vast complex of neo-Gothic brick warehouses built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries on Elbe islets, the quays have been converted into museums, cafes, and attractions. The whole area, a UNESCO site along with the neighboring Kontorhaus district, offers a unique walk along narrow canals lined with crenelated facades.

At the heart of Speicherstadt, Miniatur Wunderland features, across several levels, the world’s largest model railway network, recreating cities, airports, and landscapes from several continents with disconcerting attention to detail. Right next door, the International Maritime Museum displays three millennia of naval history over nine floors, from ship models to uniforms and a container ship simulator.

The rest of HafenCity, a gigantic ongoing development project, adds office towers, residential buildings, and a university to the old fabric, while other historic districts retain the imprint of the interwar brick Expressionist style, like the Chilean-inspired Chilehaus with its ship’s prow profile, another city icon.

Along the northern bank of the Elbe, the Landungsbrücken in Sankt Pauli, long floating jetties, serve as the main departure point for harbor boat tours. Right next door, the entrance to the Old Elbe Tunnel, inaugurated in 1911 for port workers, allows crossing the river on foot or by bike in a surprisingly well-preserved Art Deco setting.

Further on, St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn form the nightlife district, known for its bars, clubs, and red-light district, but also for its connection with the Beatles, who cut their teeth there in the 1960s. To the west, Blankenese, a former fishing village turned affluent district, offers a picturesque “neighborhood of stairs” clinging to a hill overlooking the Elbe.

Another striking feature: Hamburg is a city of museums (over 60), theaters (about forty), and green spaces, including Planten un Blomen, a large central park with themed gardens, lakes, and a Japanese tea house, or Stadtpark, a vast Nordic-style park with a planetarium housed in a former water tower. The city also lives to the rhythm of major events, notably the annual harbor birthday celebration (Hafengeburtstag) with ship parades, concerts, and fireworks.

Munich, Bavarian Heart and Festival Capital

Munich, Germany’s third-largest city, is often seen as the showcase of Bavaria: beer gardens under chestnut trees, traditional costumes (Dirndl, Lederhosen), major folk festivals, and a love of conviviality. But the Bavarian capital is also a city of museums, classical music, and urban design.

Outside of these highlights, Munich reveals a rich heritage: the Residenz and its museums, the palaces of Nymphenburg and the Hofgarten, major squares like Marienplatz with its neo-Gothic New Town Hall, scientific, artistic, and historical museums such as the Deutsches Museum, the art collections in the museum district (Kunstareal), and museums of ethnography or contemporary art.

Munich illustrates in its own way the importance of festivals in German culture: beer festivals, autumn or spring fairs, major music or museum nights are found in many other Bavarian towns and villages, from Nuremberg to Bamberg via Augsburg, Passau, or Regensburg.

The Romantic Road: Medieval Villages and Alpine Landscapes

In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, a tourist route marked after World War II, the Romantic Road, offers a north-south traverse of about 350 to 460 km between Würzburg and Füssen. It is not a special scenic road, but a succession of existing national roads, marked with signs in German and Japanese—a sign of the route’s popularity with Japanese visitors since the 1950s.

In the middle of the route, Rothenburg ob der Tauber condenses the image of the German medieval town: intact city walls you can walk on, half-timbered houses, market square dominated by the town hall, cobblestone streets, a Christmas shop open year-round, local pastry shaped like a snowball (Schneeballen). In the evening, when tourist groups have left, the town regains an almost unreal calm, perfect for a walk with the night watchman, a popular tourist figure.

Travelers on the Romantic Road can choose the car, public transport, or even dedicated solutions like the “Romantische Straße” bus, which runs several days a week between April and October, or the cycling and walking variants parallel to the road route. Many combine this itinerary with other regions, like the Black Forest, Lake Constance, or even neighboring Austria.

Between Nature and Culture: Other Must-See Regions

Alongside these major areas, Germany is full of regions that deserve a trip in their own right.

In the southeast, Berchtesgaden National Park and Lake Königssee offer an alpine setting that is both spectacular and highly regulated: deep lakes, sheer cliffs, St. Bartholomew’s Chapel accessible by boat, trails leading to summits, landscapes that seem straight out of a postcard.

Further north, the Bavarian Forest National Park, bordering the Czech Šumava National Park, forms Germany’s first national park, created in 1970. Over more than 24,000 hectares, a beech and conifer forest left to evolve freely serves as a refuge for lynx, wolves, European bison, deer, and rare birds.

On the northern coasts, the islands of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, like Sylt or Usedom, offer beaches, dunes, fishing villages, 19th-century seaside resorts, and access to the UNESCO-listed Wadden Sea National Park, where low tide reveals unique expanses of sand and mudflats.

Finally, cities like Bamberg, Regensburg, Quedlinburg, Lübeck, Erfurt, Weimar, or Görlitz have earned UNESCO status for their preserved historic centers, their ensembles of half-timbered houses, their cathedrals, or their major contributions to cultural history (Reformation, humanism, Bauhaus).

Preparing a Trip to Germany: Some Key Points

Traveling in Germany means enjoying excellent infrastructure: a dense rail network dominated by Deutsche Bahn, fast roads (Autobahn) connecting all major regions, bus lines, and tourist shuttles for thematic itineraries. Regional passes like the Bayern-Ticket for Bavaria or the monthly Deutschlandticket for regional trains reduce transport costs. Visitor cards (Berlin Welcome Card, museum passes, regional cards in the Black Forest, etc.) often include public transport and discounts on many attractions.

The ideal periods depend on interests: summer for hiking and lakes, spring and autumn to avoid crowds while enjoying mild weather, winter for snow sports and Christmas markets, ubiquitous from late November until Christmas Eve in most towns, with particular charm in Nuremberg, Munich, Dresden, or Cologne.

Germany offers enough diversity that no trip resembles the previous one. Whether you’re passionate about castles, a museum lover, a hiker in search of deep forests, a fan of river cruises, or a connoisseur of creative metropolises, everything conspires to make it a destination that is at once dense, accessible, and surprisingly varied.