Germany attractions

Rothenburg Market Square is a historical and architectural hub in the heart of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Dominated by a photogenic town hall, this vibrant square hosts markets, events, and traditional festivals throughout the year. Visitors from around the world flock to admire Renaissance architecture, soak up the fairytale atmosphere, and people-watch from cafés.

In a restored locomotive roundhouse, Classic Remise Düsseldorf is the ultimate destination for vintage and classic cars. In addition to a wide range of vehicles from different makes and models, the center is home to dealers, garages, services, shops, restaurants, and event spaces.

A haunting reminder of the Cold War era, the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, formerly a Stasi prison, stands as a testament to the political persecution endured by thousands in the former East Germany. Once the main remand prison for those under investigation, it's now a museum that was founded by former inmates to give visitors insights into the tough realities of life under the Stasi.

Dresden hosts several markets around the holidays, but the Dresdner Striezelmarkt, or Dresden Christmas Market, is the oldest and most popular, dating back to 1434. If you happen to be in the city in December, you can’t miss shopping, eating and drinking, and soaking in the atmosphere at the market. In fact, it’s worth planning a whole Germany trip around visiting.

The DB Museum (German Railway Museum) in Nuremberg draws in train enthusiasts and history buffs alike. As one of the oldest railway museums in the world, it takes visitors on a journey through the evolution of rail transport. Visitors can see Germany’s oldest surviving passenger coach, a vintage train platform, and interactive exhibits such as train simulators and model railways, too.

The centuries-old Freiburg Cathedral is a dominating Gothic presence in the altstadt (old town) of Freiburg im Breisgau. A place of worship that was spared the worst of the World War II bombs, despite its unmissable 370-feet (113-meter) steeple, visitors today can climb the 335 steps up it, or admire the cathedral’s gargoyles, stained-glass windows, and Renaissance altarpiece from the ground.

The simple, red-bordered facade and domed bell tower of St. Stephan’s Church (Stephanskirche) conceals a magnificent series of blue stained-glass windows that bathe the church interiors in blue light. Created by Jewish artist Marc Chagall in the 1970s and 80s, the masterful glasswork was designed as a symbol of Jewish-German reunification.

The Lanxess Arena in Cologne is one of Germany's largest multifunctional arenas, hosting up to 20,000 people for events. From ice hockey clashes with the Kölner Haie to intense basketball battles with the Köln RheinStars and gripping handball showdowns with VfL Gummersbach, it's the ultimate destination for sports and entertainment enthusiasts.

St. Anne’s Church is an interesting historical find: An Evangelical Lutheran place of worship that dates to medieval times, yet is known for its early Renaissance architecture. Navigate your way through the cloisters before heading inside where biblical art and frescoed chapels beckon, along with the on-site Museum Lutherstiege.

When over 3 million visitors attend a Christmas market, you know it’s good. The Stuttgart Christmas Market (Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt) is one of Germany’s best—which is saying something—and visitors will delight in traditional crafts and toys, warm drinks and cookies, plus plenty of twinkling lights and singing choirs. Get ready: This one’s a spectacle as much as a shopping spree.

One of the best places to see art in Berlin isn’t quite a museum or gallery at all, but rather an unpretentious public space called Haus Schwarzenberg. Visit this artistic enclave to check out courtyard sculptures, art studios and galleries, an art-house cinema, and an underground amusement park, among other outlandish creations. If you dream of Berlin’s edgy art spaces, this is what you’re looking for.

Set inside the former headquarters of the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police, the Museum in der Runden Ecke in Leipzig has a loaded history. Today, it sheds light on the spying experienced by the city’s general public after World War II, with exhibits that focus on accounts from the era and the dire consequences that came of this mass surveillance.

The Koblenz Cable Car (Seilbahn Koblenz) is the largest aerial tramway in Germany, gliding over the Rhine River between Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer and Greiffenklaustr on either side. From one of the 18 cabins, visitors can see incredible views of Koblenz, look out to the spot where the Moselle and Rhine rivers meet, and hop off for a visit to the excellently preserved Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

Located outside of Kiel on Germany’s Baltic Sea Coast, this minimalist memorial complex pays tribute to all lives lost at sea in World War I and World War II—German seafarers but their opponents. The complex contains a tower, naval museum, and WWII-era U-boat submarine. On clear days, views from the flame-shaped vertical tower span to Denmark.

Alpenpark Neuss is a large activity center featuring a variety of attractions that range from an 18-hole miniature golf course to a massive outdoor ropes course. There's also a funfussball course, which mixes soccer with golf, and a very popular indoor ski hall where visitors can ski throughout the year.

A former ammunition factory turned contemporary art museum, the ZKM Karlsruhe is the place to go in Karlsruhe for cool art and digital media. Its huge, open-plan space is dedicated to galleries and exhibitions that offer something curious for a wide spectrum of interests. The revolving exhibitions cover overlapping themes around visual art, robotics, coding, and interactive games.

Established in the 19th century and spanning more than 700 years of art history, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum is one of Cologne’s oldest and most storied museums. Internationally renowned for its collection of medieval art, it’s also home to the best collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art in Germany. Now housed in a modern building, it’s both an architectural and cultural highlight.

Part science museum, part adventure park, Cologne’s Odysseum is the perfect place to get kids excited about science. The hands-on exhibits, interactive displays, and puzzle-solving activities are designed to engage all ages, while adventure playgrounds and a high ropes course inject a hefty dose of fun.

Autostadt (or “Automobile City”) is a visitor complex that sits opposite the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg. The ultra-modern museum contains pavilions dedicated to the major brands of the Volkswagen Group, including Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Škoda, and each boasts exhibits about how the cars are made.

This baroque Schaezlerpalais boasts art collections and gardens, but it’s the rococo ballroom that really takes the crown. A glittering affair that features mirrors, gilding, and frescoes, it was created for a visit by Marie-Antionette before her wedding and harks back to Augsburg’s 18th-century heyday.

The Florian Tower (Florianturm), Dortmund’s major landmark and TV tower, stretches skyward for around 656 feet (200 meters). The tower is located in Westfalenpark, a fitting location as it is named after the patron saint of gardeners and the park boasts beautiful gardens. Visitors usually take a quick trip up the elevator to the tower’s observation deck and then stroll around the surrounding sights of the park.

Movie buffs and film fanatics will be in their element at Bavaria Filmstadt, a theme park set within one of Europe’s largest and most renowned film studios. Founded in 1919, the Bavarian film studio has provided the backdrop to films such as The NeverEnding Story and Asterix and Obelix vs. Cesar, and remains a working studio today.

One of Germany’s largest and most prominent natural history museums, Frankfurt’s Senckenberg Natural History Museum (Naturmuseum Senckenberg) was founded in 1821. Renowned in particular for its wide-ranging paleontology exhibitions, the museum also specializes in birds, aquatic life, and other taxidermy displays.

See elephants, giraffes, and tigers during a visit to the Hamburg Zoo (Tierpark Hagenbeck). Run by the Hagenbeck Family since 1907, this private zoo was one of the first to keep animals in moated, open enclosures. Animals, including rare and endangered species, are spread over dozens of acres. Kids will especially enjoy the petting zoo and participating in animal feedings.

Car enthusiasts won’t want to miss Dresden’s Transparent Factory (Gläserne Manufaktur), a large electric vehicle production site and a Volkswagen brand showcase. In a city better known for its reconstructed baroque buildings, the aesthetic simplicity of the glass building stands apart. See some of Germany’s most modern e-cars under construction and learn about high-tech innovation on guided tours.

Conveniently located between Frankfurt and Stuttgart, the family-friendly Holiday Park offers high-octane thrill rides and amusements aimed at younger children. The rides are in a woodland setting, and the German theme park also hosts live shows throughout the day.

MyZeil is a large modern mall in central Frankfurt, which is a popular shopping and dining destination. With around 80 stores over eight floors, there are plenty of international brands and eateries, as well as German favorites. The glass structure and long, unsupported indoor escalator, make it an attractive place to visit, too.

A submarine from the Nazi era, this piece of history has been given a permanent resting place on the Baltic Sea Coast in the resort town of Laboe. It’s part of the Laboe Naval Memorial complex, a coastal landmark paying tribute to all lives lost at sea. Visitors can board the structure, which now sits aboveground on the sandy beach.

The German Emigration Center Bremerhaven (Deutsches Auswanderer Haus) explores the history of German immigration and emigration. The museum, located on the harbor where German emigrants left Bremen for the New World between 1830 and 1974, also gives visitors the chance to search for their own ancestors on two international databases.

Sitting at the feet of the mighty Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles is a lake that’s a lovely surprise. The Alpseebad offers clear mountain water and a backdrop that screams Bavarian beauty. Here, castled-out sightseers can wander down to the southwest end of the lake, where the private beach of Alpseebad offers up summertime swimming and mountains all around.