The only surviving early neo-classic Prussian palace, Potsdam’s Marble Palace was commissioned by King Frederick William II in the late 1700s and remained a royal residence until the early 20th century. Now, it’s a museum with beautifully preserved interiors. Highlights include marble fireplaces from Italy, Wedgwood vases, and grandfather clocks from Parisian trendsetter Madame de Pompadour.
The view along the tree-lined banks of the Main River is Frankfurt’s most famous, looking out across the skyscraper-studded skyline. Running through the heart of Frankfurt, the Main River is the longest within Germany, flowing 327 miles (527 kilometers) from Bamberg to Mainz, and traversing three German states before joining the Rhine River.
Potsdam’s stunning gardens, and the historic buildings within them, comprise part of the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany. Built during the reign of Frederick the Great of Prussia, in the middle of the 18th century, these gardens originally surrounded the palaces and buildings that made up the royal family’s summer residence.
Located within the Dresden Royal Palace, the Green Vault is one of the city museums featuring a collection of historical art and antiques. Go inside this treasure chest to see precious objects made of ivory, gemstones, gold, and silver. The museum offers the opportunity to admire art and artifacts up close.
Built to host the 1936 Olympic Games, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion Berlin) has since become one of the city’s main arenas for significant sporting events. Over the years, it has staged everything from World Cup finals to international athletics and concerts by world-renowned artists, and it is now home to the Hertha BSC football (soccer) club. Visit to tour the grounds, learn about its history, or attend matches, concerts, or events.
Discover European art since the 14th century during a visit to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg’s major art museum. See highlights from the permanent collection including paintings by Manet, Picasso, and Klee. The museum also features a range of special exhibitions from sculpture to abstract art to installations.
Visitors and locals alike head to the Hamburg Fish Market (Altonaer Fischmarkt), held every Sunday morning near the Elbe riverbank in Hamburg, for much more than just seafood. Enjoy breakfast accompanied by live music, and then go shopping for fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, jewelry, clothing, souvenirs, and—naturally, because it’s Hamburg, beer.
See a miniature version of Berlin made from LEGO pieces at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre. Join an interactive experience where you can make your own LEGO pieces at the factory, race LEGO cars, and check out a medieval dragon castle made entirely of LEGO. Kids will find many opportunities to get creative and play with over five million LEGO bricks.
The former summer residence of the Prince Elector Carl Theodor, Schwetzingen Castle (Schloss Schwetzingen) is one of Germany’s most magnificent Baroque palaces. Built by Prince Elector Johann Wilhelm in the late 17th century, the castle is best known for its landscaped gardens and idyllic cherry blossom orchards.
Spread across nine levels and showcasing over 160 rare vehicles and car-related artifacts, Stuttgart’s Mercedes-Benz Museum is a must-visit destination for automotive enthusiasts. Debuted in 2006 next to the city’s Daimler factory, the museum is also an architectural marvel, thanks to its sleek, double-helix design.
Nuremberg’s picturesque Old Town (“Altstadt”), located inside the city’s medieval walls, has been lovingly restored after being bombed during World War II. This walkable historical heart is home to picturesque half-timbered houses, a bustling square (Hauptmarkt), the Frauenkirche, Nuremberg Castle, and the Schöner Brunnen fountain.
A symbol of unified Germany, the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) is a promontory that remains one of the country’s most recognizable highlights. Located in Koblenz at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, the spit of land is a popular viewpoint, and is dominated by the equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm I. Today, it has UNESCO World Heritage status.
Munich’s predominant event area and the home of the Oktoberfest beer festival, the Theresienwiese (Wiesn occupies over 100 acres (42 hectares of prime central Munich. While the name means meadow, most of the grass is long gone, leaving the 60-foot (18-meter Bavaria statue to take center stage.
The Kulturforum in Berlin’s Tiergarten district is home to some of Berlin’s top cultural institutions—including museums, libraries, concert halls, and a church. Music enthusiasts flock here to visit the world-renowned Philharmonie concert hall, while the Picture Gallery (Gemaldegalerie) boasts medieval European art masterpieces and the New National Gallery (Neue Nationalgalerie) showcases modern European art.
Dusseldorf’s historic harbor was given an impressive facelift during the 1990s, transforming the bleak silos and shipping warehouses into a lively cultural hub known as the Media Harbor (MedienHafen). Named for the many media and telecoms headquarters that sprung around the waterfront, it’s now one of the city’s most stylish districts.
Shoppers browsing the boutiques along Frankfurt’s main shopping streets, the Zeil and Goethestrasse, often spill over into the Hauptwache; one of the city’s busiest squares. A transport hub at the heart of downtown Frankfurt, the Hauptwache is known for its Baroque Guard-House, now a popular café.
Berlin is full of reminders of the horrors of World War II. One of the more subtle memorials was inaugurated in 1998 at Platform 17 (Gleis 17) in Berlin’s Grunewald S-Bahn station. During World War II, Grunewald station was a major site for the deportation of Jews, mostly to ghettos and concentration camps, by the Deutsche Reichsbahn.
Marienberg Fortress is a castle on a hilltop overlooking the Bavarian city of Wurzburg. Dating back to the 12th century, the castle is a symbol of the city’s resilience as it has been damaged and painstakingly rebuilt over the years. The vast fortress includes a museum, formal gardens, a baroque armory, and magnificent viewpoints, too.
Berlin’s DDR Museum features interactive exhibits highlighting what life was like during communist rule under the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik or DDR), the governing power in Germany during the Cold War. More than 200,000 artifacts on display give visitors a realistic view of this era.
Stretching across the Danube River, the Old Stone Bridge is a restored medieval bridge in Regensburg that connects the city’s historical center with two of the river’s islands. Since the 12th century, this bridge has provided access to the islands of Upper Wöhrd and Stadtamhof and treated pedestrians with superb city views.
Discover the leafy side of Hamburg during a visit to the Planten und Blomen Park in the heart of the city. While plenty of parklands line the city’s canals and waterways, this park offers a particularly beautiful concentration of green space. Hamburg’s old botanic garden is preserved within the park.
The Old Jewish Cemetery (Alter Jüdischer Friedhof) was built in 1672. As many as 12,000 Jewish people were buried here, including Moses Mendelssohn, a philosopher and forefather of the Jewish Enlightenment. The cemetery was destroyed during World War II but has been restored with plaques honouring those who were buried here.
The Rhine Tower, at 789 feet (234 meters) high, is one of Düsseldorf’s tallest buildings and a defining feature of the city skyline. Visitors take a high-speed elevator to the top of the telecommunications tower, which has an observation deck and a revolving restaurant, both offering scenic views of the Old Town and Rhine riverfront.
Home to one of Europe’s finest art collections, the Städel Museum (Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie) is a highlight of Frankfurt’s Museum Embankment, located on the southern bank of the Main River. Its collection spans over 700 years of art history, and includes more than 100,000 works of art.
Amid the landscaped parklands of the Olympic Park, SEA LIFE® Munich whisks visitors on an underwater adventure. Home to over 8,000 fish and marine creatures; expect to see sharks, sea turtles, octopus, and more, from the native creatures of Germany’s lakes and rivers to the natural wonders of the world’s oceans.
With its grand Renaissance-style façade and imposing clock tower standing watch over the central Marktplatz, Dusseldorf Old Town Hall (Rathaus Dusseldorf) is one of the city’s most attractive buildings. Dating back to the 16th century, it’s also among Dusseldorf’s oldest landmarks, one of just a handful that remained intact post-WWII.
With its lively promenade and sandy beaches, Warnemünde is one of Germany’s most popular seaside resorts. But for cruise visitors the northern port town is best known for its proximity to Berlin, just two hours away, and other nearby attractions.
Walking the Rhine River Promenade (Rheinuferpromenade)—a 2-tier walkway that traces the scenic Rhine waterfront—not only offers a tranquil retreat from the busy city center, but also links many of Dusseldorf’s top attractions. Plus, it’s dotted with benches, grassy picnic areas, and food vendors, making it the ideal place to spend a sunny day.
St. Jacob’s Church (St. Jakobskirche) is a Lutheran place of worship in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Built between the 14th and 15th centuries, it’s been a pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages. Pilgrims come to see the Altar of the Holy Blood by Tilman Riemenschneider—a wood carving with a glass vial that’s believed to hold Christ’s blood.
Standing on a hilltop near Lake Ammersee in south Bavaria, the Andechs Monastery is Bavaria’s oldest pilgrimage church, a working Benedictine abbey, and a brewery and tavern rolled into one. Pilgrims come for the monastery’s holy relics while others come to admire the church before enjoying the country views over beers and Bavarian food.
