Things to do in Germany

25 things to do in Germany

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Stand before the Brandenburg Gate

  Gaze at Berlin's neoclassical triumphal arch, a symbol of the city's division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification.

  Berlin

• Tour the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle

  Visit the whimsical 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace set amid alpine foothills, famously inspiring Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

  Schwangau, Bavaria

• Admire the soaring Cologne Cathedral

  Step inside this masterful Gothic church, featuring towering twin spires, intricate stained glass, and the Shrine of the Three Kings.

  Cologne

• Celebrate Oktoberfest at the Theresienwiese

  Join the world's largest Volksfest under giant beer tents, enjoying traditional Bavarian music, roasted chicken, and Maßkrug mugs.

  Munich

• Reflect at the Berlin Wall Memorial

  Walk along the preserved wall segment and documentation center, witnessing the original border fortifications and touching Cold War history.

  Berlin

• Visit the glass-domed Reichstag Building

  Ascend the spiral ramp inside Norman Foster's dome for panoramic views of Berlin's government quarter and a close look at parliamentary democracy.

  Berlin

• Stroll the medieval lanes of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

  Wander through well-preserved half-timbered houses, climb the town hall tower, and walk the complete city wall for storybook views.

  Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria

• Chase the cascades at Triberg Waterfalls

  Hike woodland trails past Germany's highest waterfalls in the heart of the Black Forest, where multiple tiers plunge amidst mossy rocks.

  Triberg im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg

• Gaze upon the restored Dresden Frauenkirche

  Be awed by the reconstructed baroque sandstone church whose iconic bell-shaped dome now symbolizes reconciliation after wartime destruction.

  Dresden

• Marvel at the Miniatur Wunderland

  Explore the world’s largest model railway spanning whole continents and airports in meticulous miniature, complete with day-night simulation and interactive controls.

  Hamburg

• Ride the cable car to the Zugspitze summit

  Ascend Germany's highest peak for 360° alpine panoramas spanning four countries, with year-round snow, a glacier, and a mountain hut.

  Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria

• Hoist a stein at Hofbräuhaus

  Settle into the boisterous, centuries-old beer hall in Munich's old town, where liveried servers deliver litres of Hofbräu beer and oompah bands play.

  Munich

• Walk the open-air East Side Gallery

  Stroll along the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, now a vibrant canvas of 105 murals by international artists, including the iconic ‘Fraternal Kiss’.

  Berlin

• Lose yourself in the terraced gardens of Sanssouci Palace

  Wander Frederick the Great's Rococo summer palace with its vineyard terraces, shell-grotto-topped steps, and intimate garden follies.

  Potsdam

• Sip Glühwein at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

  Browse wooden stalls filled with handcrafted ornaments, spicy Lebkuchen, and sizzling sausages in the city’s Hauptmarkt square, all under twinkling lights.

  Nuremberg

• Cross the dramatic Bastei Bridge

  Hike to a sandstone rock formation 194 metres above the Elbe River, connected by a stone footbridge, offering sweeping views of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.

  Saxon Switzerland, Saxony

• Cruise to the flower island of Mainau

  Take a boat to this sub-tropical garden island on Lake Constance, ablaze with seasonal blooms, a Grand Duke's palace, and a butterfly house.

  Mainau Island, Lake Constance, Baden-Württemberg

• Step inside the revered Aachen Cathedral

  Visit Charlemagne's palatine chapel, a UNESCO masterpiece blending Carolingian, Ottonian, and Gothic elements, where German kings were crowned for centuries.

  Aachen

• Attend a concert at the Elbphilharmonie

  Experience world-class acoustics inside Hamburg's glass-sheathed wave-like concert hall perched atop a historic warehouse in the HafenCity district.

  Hamburg

• Ascend to the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus)

  Ride a brass-lined elevator through the rock to a former Nazi-era tea house at 1,834 metres, now a mountaintop restaurant with dizzying alpine outlooks.

  Berchtesgaden, Bavaria

• Cruise the legendary Lorelei stretch of the Rhine

  Drift through the narrowest part of the Middle Rhine gorge, passing steep vineyards, castle ruins, and the fabled rock where a siren is said to lure sailors.

  St. Goarshausen, Rhineland-Palatinate

• Gaze upon the Bust of Nefertiti at the Neues Museum

  Witness the 3,300-year-old painted limestone bust in a domed room on Berlin’s Museum Island, a masterpiece of Egyptian art and eternal icon.

  Berlin

• Explore the ruined grandeur of Heidelberg Castle

  Ride the funicular to this red sandstone Renaissance ruin overlooking the Neckar, with sweeping views from the terrace and the world's largest wine barrel.

  Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg

• Pass through the iconic Holstentor gate

  Admire Lübeck’s twin-towered, leaning medieval city gate, a brick Gothic emblem of the Hanseatic League and UNESCO World Heritage old town.

  Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein

• Thrill to the rides at Phantasialand

  Race through immersive themed zones from Berlin to fantasy China on record-breaking roller coasters like Taron and FLY, all in a compact park.

  Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia