Germany attractions

See airplanes, helicopters, and air defense systems in this open-air museum in Dresden. Learn about the history of aerial warfare, with a focus on the Cold War years, and hear stories about important figures from pilots to military leaders. Explore exhibits that delve into the impact of the military on German culture.

The Harbor Museum (Hafenmuseum Hamburg) is located in the remaining historical part of the free port built over a hundred years ago and showcases the history and operation of this important harbor. Due to container shipping, the look of the port has changed profoundly over the last several decades, but the museum has rented one of the last remaining wooden quai sheds, number 50A, and has worked hard to keep the history of the Hamburg harbor alive. On 2500 square meters, topics ranging from cargo handling, shipping and ship building to marine engineering are explained to the visitors. Outside the shed, the more heavy machinery is showcased. Highlights are a floating crane, a steam-powered suction machine, a barge and a mooring car. The collection is located in the heart of the hustle and bustle of today’s hectic harbor and just as authentic as the location are the experts doing the explaining on what equipment is used and how the vessels are constructed in the shipyard. Every weekend between 10am and 6pm, former harbor workers and ship experts who have spent their whole lives around the port are available to teach visitors about the inner workings of a busy harbor and answer questions.

Situated in the hometown of Hugo Boss, Outletcity Metzingen offers shoppers an array of discounts at more than 70 international designer brand outlet stores, with luxury brands such as Prada, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, Armani, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, and Nike represented. Original retail prices are discounted as much as 70 percent.

The Munich outpost of the legendary Hard Rock Cafe, this restaurant delivers hearty American-style fare with a bonus of music memorabilia. When a burger craving strikes and you're near Munich’s famous Hofbräuhaus, check out Hard Rock. This spot serves food and drinks, including cocktails and Bavarian beer for lunch and dinner.

Set in the forested foothills of the Spessart Mountains along the banks of the Main River, Aschaffenburg is one of northern Bavaria’s most picturesque towns. Less than an hour from Frankfurt, but still largely off the tourist trail; it’s known for its verdant parks, notable art galleries, and storybook architecture, including a Renaissance castle, medieval Old Town, and Roman-inspired Pompejanum.

The Altes Museum, or Old Museum, is the oldest structure on Berlin’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed Museum Island. The neoclassical building was built in 1830 to resemble the Pantheon in Rome, and today its 18 Ionic columns welcome visitors to experience its collection, featuring artifacts from the ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan eras.

Located on the shore of the Baltic Sea, the SEA LIFE®Timmendorfer Strand is home to over 2,500 creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Although small in size, the aquarium houses more than 100 different fish and marine species including octopus, otters, and sharks.

Journey through Berlin’s LGBTQ history at the Schwules Museum (Gay Museum). The Tiergarten district museum exhibits gay culture both within and outside of Germany through events, talks, and exhibitions. The Schwules is also one of the world’s largest institutions for research and communicating the history and culture of the gay community.

A lavish symbol of Trier’s history, politics, and architectural evolution, the Electoral Palace (Kurfurstliches Palais) has played many roles over the years. Once part of Constantine the Great’s Ancient Imperial Palace and later the residence of Trier’s 16th to 18th-century Electors and Archbishops, it’s renowned for its striking pink rococo façade and the Baroque-style Palace Gardens.

The Anne Frank Centre (Anne Frank Zentrum) is dedicated to the life of Anne Frank—a Jewish girl who fled Nazi-occupied Frankfurt in World War II and then documented it in her world-famous diary. Exhibits tell the story of Anne’s life through photographs, films, objects, and computer workstations.

Trier's Rhineland Museum (Rheinisches Landesmuseum) is one of Germany's top archaeological museums. Spanning 200,000 years, the collection of preserved artifacts tells the story of the region’s history. You can see a Roman wine ship, intricate mosaics, and the Trier gold hoard—one of the world’s largest preserved collections of Roman gold.

The Natural History Museum (Museum für Naturkunde), one of Berlin’s oldest museums, is home to more than 30 million specimens that show the evolution of life on planet Earth. Here you will find an array of exhibitions about natural history—including mounted dinosaur skeletons, minerals, birds, and native animals—and the solar system.

Come to the 11th-century Hohentubingen Castle for the hilltop views, but stay for what's inside the castle: The University of Tübingen houses the largest number of scientific collections of any German university. Explore ancient art, culture, and traditions through the university’s unique treasures on display.

Munich's Tierpark Hellabrunn, one of the largest zoos in Europe, offers a range of opportunities for encountering animals, from a petting zoo with goats and deer to a “polarium” with penguins and polar bears. The area is organized geographically by continents and the natural habitats of the animals.

The German Museum of Technology (Deutsches Technikmuseum) showcases the history of science and technology in the country through varied historical artifacts. The vast space is home to hands-on exhibits featuring locomotives, aircraft, computers, and more, which allow guests to discover how technology has evolved through the centuries.

One of Germany’s largest caves, the Atta Cave (also known as the Atta-Höhle, or Attendorn Dripstone Cave) is a magnificent world of caverns, rock formations, and other subterranean wonders. Accidentally discovered by limestone quarrymen in 1907, the cave is a major tourist destination, and attracts more than 350,000 visitors each year.

Escape the city for the wilderness at the Hanover Adventure Zoo (Erlebnis Zoo Hannover), where themed zones re-create some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife destinations. Animal lovers can travel from Canada's Yukon Bay to the African Savannah or the Australian Outback and spot more than 3,000 animals—all within the city limits.

Munich's Gasteig cultural center, on the banks of the Isar, showcases top performers year-round. It's home to the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Richard Strauss Conservatory, the Volkshochschule education center, and the municipal library. There are multiple performance spaces booked with a full program of events.

Step inside the world of cinema and TV at the Babelsberg Film Park, and discover what goes on behind the scenes at one of Europe’s most prolific film studios. With 4D movies, stunt shows, and real movie sets to explore, the theme park is action-packed and suitable for the whole family.

The elegant half-timbered buildings, lavish spa resorts, and Champagne air of Bad Homburg attest that you’ve entered one of Germany’s wealthiest zip codes. Set in the verdant foothills of the Taunus Mountains and fed by 14 natural mineral springs; the spa town boasts a thriving wellness industry and a rich history as the vacation spot of German Emperors.

The German Film Museum (Deutsches Filmmuseum) is a one-stop-shop for movie buffs in Frankfurt. The space, which boasts an in-house cinema that shows old films, hosts permanent exhibitions about the history of cinema and film production as well as special shows devoted to specific filmmakers, film genres, and other related topics.

Treppenviertel, in Hamburg's Blankenese district, is known for its Mediterranean–style atmosphere and picturesque scenery. This small and affluent neighborhood features over 5,000 stairs, winding alleyways, and charming riverside villas with views of the Elbe River. Originally a fishing village, it has since become a popular residential area. Visitors are drawn to its distinctive architecture and the romantic walking paths along the riverside.

Berlin’s Photography Museum (Museum für Fotografie) has attracted photography enthusiasts from around the world since 2004. The museum’s two main exhibits are “Helmut Newton’s Private Property” and the Kunstbibliothek’s Collection of Photography, which features German and international photographers including Annie Leibovitz and Peter Lindbergh.

If you’ve ever fancied peeking into gruesome specimen jars, pondering over peculiar X-rays, or seeing what a brain tumor looks like, head on over to the Berlin Museum of Medical History (Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum). Part of the Charité, one of the largest university hospitals in Europe, the museum’s quirky exhibitions take a deep dive into the history of Western medicine, featuring a huge collection of anatomical specimens and medical curiosities.

The picturesque Old Town of Regensburg dates back over 2,000 years and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled beside the Danube River. This medieval beauty is steeped in history, with more than 1,500 listed buildings. Sightseers flock to see the 12th-century Stone Bridge, the Gothic masterpiece of St. Peter’s Cathedral, and the Old Town Hall.

Munich is known for its beer halls, and the most celebrated of them all is Hofbrauhaus. Formerly the royal brewery, Hofbrauhaus is now owned by the state government and serves thousands of revelers a year who come to raise a stein of beer and listen to live music. They also have one of the largest tents at Oktoberfest.

Slides and a cute mine train take you underground to see 500-year-old salt works at the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine. Cool air fills the mine’s rugged tunnels, while modern light displays illuminate small water reservoirs. Combining scenery with information and a dose of fun, this experience is designed with the whole family in mind.

The colorful, detailed facades of buildings lining Ludwigstrasse—some adorned with paintings—are a main draw to this quaint road in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Small shops, restaurants, and traditional Bavarian inns also attract visitors to this cobblestone street, a pleasant place to sit back, relax and soak up the charming atmosphere.

Second only to Disneyland Paris as Europe’s largest theme park, Germany’s Europa-Park is a wonderland of rides, shows, and attractions that will entertain the whole family. The park is inspired by iconic European destinations—visitors can zoom through the Alps on a roller-coaster, ride a London bus, see Iceland's Northern Lights, and meet the fairytale characters of Grimm’s Enchanted Forest.

The Nuremberg Palace of Justice is a historic landmark that’s famous for being the setting of the Nuremberg Trials, where Nazi war criminals were prosecuted after World War II. Courtroom 600, where these trials took place, was a working courtroom until 2020, and you can visit this room, watch media installations, and see the Nuremberg Trials Memorial on the top floor.