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02 July 2019 / 20 Comments

Holiday with children or grandchildren in Germany

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Thinking about a holiday with children or grandchildren in Germany? The country offers everything from fabulous castles and interesting museums to theme parks and safari parks. Today, we offer some tips for taking your children on a holiday in Germany.

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Germany offers so lots to do with children and grandchildren

In order to write this post, we have done some research and it is unbelievable what Germany has to offer for families with children. We present a small selection of tips here, but there are actually countless castles, beaches, theme parks, amusement parks, water parks and museums ...

Two fabulous destinations

Are you travelling with children who like to experience magical and fabulous places? The country is full of beautiful castles, fortresses, and exciting roads. Here are two suggestions:

1st Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, modelled on Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disney's world, is a real fairytale castle with turrets and towers. The interior of the castle can be visited on a guided tour. If you don't want to walk up the hill to the castle (30-40 minutes), you can take a horse and carriage tour.

sagoslottet Neuschwanstein
Neuschwanstein fairytale castle in Bavaria

2. sago road

The German Fairy Tale Route stretches for 600 kilometres, from Hanau in central Germany to Bremen on the coast. The journey includes the sites of the Brothers Grimm and Snow White's home town of Bad Wildungen.

Semestra med barn eller barnbarn i Tyskland: Sagovägen
The City Musicians of Bremen along Sagovägen, photo: Pixabay

Three amusement parks

Travelling with children who like rides and roller coasters? There are plenty of amusement parks to choose from around the country, and here are three suggestions:

1. Europa Park

Europa-Park is the second most visited theme park in Europe (after Paris Disneyland) and the largest in Germany. Located in Rust, near Freiburg, the park features European-themed areas, beautiful parks and various shows. Here you will find several special roller coasters, water slides, flight simulator, 4d cinema and various interactive attractions.

Semestra med barn eller barnbarn i Tyskland: Europa-park
Europa Park GNTB / Europa Park

2. Heide Park

Heide Park in Lower Saxony is the largest amusement park in northern Germany. It features replicas of buildings from around the world - from Dutch windmills to the American Statue of Liberty. There are also a whole bunch of specialised rides, such as octopus and Scream.

3rd Phantasialand

Phantasialand is a family-friendly amusement park near Cologne, with rides for young and old alike. For the more adventurous, there are attractions such as Black Mamba, Talocan Top Spin and Mystery Castle bungree drop ride. The park also has several hotels with different imaginative themes.

  • Find here: Berggeiststrasse 31-41, Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Read more: Visit the website
Semestra med barn eller barnbarn i Tyskland: Phantasialand
Phantasialand © Phantasialand Schmidt Löffelhardt

Two theme parks

Are you travelling with children who like exciting and playful theme parks? There are many to choose from, and here are two examples:

1st Playmobil Funpark

PLAYMOBIL FunPark is located in Zirndorf, west of Nuremberg. It offers plenty of play opportunities for children aged three and up, including a pirate ship, medieval castle, jungle ruin, Indian village, gold mine and wild west town. The park also has a mini-golf course, a garden centre with activities for children and a family-friendly hotel.

WIFI.se
  • Find here: Brandstätterstrasse 2-10, Zirndorf, Bavaria
  • Read more: Visit the website

2. Legoland in Germany

Legoland in Germany is of course worth a visit. Located about an hour from Munich, the park offers buildings, landmarks and film scenes built with Legos. The park also offers rides and shows.

legoland i tyskland
Legoland in Germany, photo: Pixabay

Three water parks

Travelling with children who like to play in water? There are plenty of water parks in Germany, and here are three of them:

1st Galaxy Erding

Galaxy Erding attracts a massive 1.5 million people a year. It has the largest water slides in Europe and the largest spa in the country. One of the highlights is the 360 metre long 'magic eye' tube. The park also has sports facilities, playgrounds and a child-friendly sauna facility.

2nd Black Forest bathing paradise

The Badeparadies Schwarzwald offers 18 water slides, a large wave pool and many other water activities. When you get tired, you can relax in the Palm and Wellness Oasis area, where you can enjoy a sauna.

  • Find here: Am Badeparadies 1, Titisee-Neustadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Read more: Visit the website

3. Tropical Island

Who hasn't heard of Tropical Island? Located just outside Berlin, this enormous dome hides a tropical paradise under its shell. The park is the size of eight football fields and includes a rainforest, an artificial sandy beach, a tropical spa and several water slides.

Tropical Island © DZT / Tropical Islands

Three wildlife and safari parks

Travelling with children who like animals? There are both well-managed zoos and large safari parks. Here are suggestions for three:

1 Nuremberg Zoo

Nuremberg Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Europe and is visited by over a million people every year. There are around 300 different species, including polar bears, penguins, sea lions, dolphins, giraffes, zebras and bison. The park's tropical house also displays turtles, small monkeys and exotic butterflies.

2nd Serengeti Park Hodenhagen

North of Hannover, you'll find the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen zoo and amusement park. Here you can experience 10 kilometres of safari by car or bus and see lots of wild animals such as giraffes, rhinos, zebras and white tigers. The 'Leisure World' has rides and playgrounds, and it is also possible to stay overnight in the park in a campervan or cottage.

Hodenhagen
Serengeti Park Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen GmbH

3rd Safariland Stukenbrock

The Stukenbrock Safari Park in the Teutoburg Forest offers a mixture of safari and amusement park. Here you can see more than 600 different animals, including elephants, camels, giraffes, monkeys, rhinos, antelopes and zebras. There are even white tigers and white lions! The park also offers many rides and different kinds of shows.

  • Find here: Mittweg 16, Schloss Holte - Stukenbrock, North Rhine-Westphalia.
  • Read more: Visit the website
Besöka tyskland med barn och barnbarn
Zoo Safari Stukenbrock GNTB / Zoo Safari Stukenbrock

Three museums

Travelling with curious children? Then a visit to an exciting museum could be perfect. There are museums in every city, and here are three examples:

1. the Deutsches Museum in Munich

The German Museum in Munich is one of the oldest science and technology museums in the world. There are lots of interactive exhibits where both children and adults can learn about science and technology. For example, you can also check out the very first car.

2nd German Museum for Technology in Berlin

The German Museum of Technology can be a great option on a rainy day in Berlin. Here you can check out trains, aeroplanes, engines, ships and much more.

3. the Chocolate Museum in Cologne

Want to know how the cocoa bean is transformed into chocolate? In the chocolate museum you can learn all about the history and production, and of course you can also taste chocolate.

Chocolate museum i Köln
Chocolate museum in Cologne © NRW - Tourismus Nordrhein-Westphalen e.V. / Norbert Angermann

More to do with children or grandchildren in Germany

If it's summer and the weather is nice, you can of course sunbathe and swim. Germany has long stretches of fine sandy beaches as well as idyllic countryside. German islands in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and Germany's inland waters.

If you want to experience nature, there are plenty of nature reserves and national parks where you can go hiking or cycling. Do you have any other good suggestions for what to do with children or grandchildren on holiday in Germany? Please let us know!

semestra med barn eller barnbarn i tyskland
Sea bridge © Tourismusverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (TMV) / Grunder
All our top tips about Germany. Click on the image!

Travelling with children in Germany - good to know

  • AccommodationMany hotels have family rooms with three or four beds, large double rooms with a sofa bed or adjoining rooms with a connecting door. Most can provide a cot, sometimes at extra cost. Camping and rural farms is also popular.
  • Bus: Children have discounts on public transport, where they often pay half price or less.
  • Car: Children under 150 cm or under 12 years of age must be seated in a suitable car seat/booster seat in the rear seat. However, a child seat for children under 3 years of age may be placed in the front seat.
  • Train: Children under 15 years of age travel free of charge on trains when accompanied by at least one parent or grandparent. The only caveat is that names of children between 6 and 14 must be registered on the adult's ticket at the time of purchase. Children under six always travel free of charge and without a ticket.
  • Museums and attractionsMany museums and attractions offer discounts for children, and as a rule you can assume that children under the age of five get in for free. Many places also offer family discounts.
  • RestaurantsMany restaurants offer a children's menu with dishes that are popular with children, such as schnitzel with French fries, bratwurst, pasta with tomato sauce and spätzle (special German pasta).
  • Read more: You can find more information at German Tourist Office

Top image in post: Upper Bavaria © DZT / Günter Standl

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02 July 2019 6:00
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  1. Bara brittiskt says:

    Good summary. Deutsches Museum is one of my top five in all of Europe even for adults actually.
    Would add the technology museum in Speyer where you can walk on the wing of a jumbo jet etc. and the Landschaftspark Nord in Duisburg if you have slightly older children who like to climb in industrial landscapes.

    02 July 2019 - 8:29

    Reply

  2. Znogge says:

    I think you have given a good summary of travelling with children in Germany. We have done it a couple of times and it has been successful. We have visited high castles, cosy little towns and lovely amusement parks. There is simply a lot to see and experience for us who live so close and are there in a few hours.

    02 July 2019 - 11:04

    Reply

  3. marina says:

    I could imagine Sagovägen even without children, also the chocolate museum sounds like a good idea for me 😉.

    02 July 2019 - 11:26

    Reply

  4. Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

    You don't have to be a child to appreciate the Lindt Chocolate Museum in Cologne, which we visited with our German friends.
    It's just a bit sad that almost all information even in museums is often only in German.
    By the way, many good tips for both children and adults!

    02 July 2019 - 11:29

    Reply

  5. Resfredag says:

    Our children loved their visit to the PlayMobil Funpark!

    02 July 2019 - 12:51

    Reply

  6. Christine - 29° says:

    Wow, what a range of different things. Fantastic! 🙂

    02 July 2019 - 13:24

    Reply

  7. Lena - gott för själen says:

    I had no idea that there was a Legoland in Germany as well. My God, what research you have done for this useful post! Impressive! Well done!

    Hug Lena

    03 July 2019 - 6:02

    Reply

  8. Maud says:

    Thank you for a great list of child-friendly things to do in Germany, a long read too 😉.

    01 May 2023 - 19:13

    Reply

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