Travel destinations in Germany! Do you like picturesque cities, castles, beer, white wines, asparagus, schnitzel or beautiful nature? Then Germany is for you! Here are the best travel tips.

Why travel to Germany?

Germany is a large and very diverse country. It ranges from sandy beaches on the Baltic Sea coast to alpine landscapes with high mountains and clear alpine lakes. In between, you can discover beautiful nature reserves and picturesque cities.

Germany has a wide range of so-called 'holiday routes' with different themes, such as the Romantic Route, the Wine Route or the Fairytale Route. There are also plenty of historical sights, castles and all kinds of theme parks. Here you will find inspiration and tips for your trip to Germany.

Travel destinations in Germany - inspirational reading

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Peter & Helena Bergström in Germany, Travel magazine FREEDOMtravel.se
Map of 7 beautiful holiday routes in GermanyDownload

Things to do in Germany - 26 tips for experiences and sights

Here you can read about 26 wonderful tips from Germany for those with children, or historically minded, maybe art or just party.

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More destinations in Germany

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Schleswig in Germany

In Schleswig you can see the enormous Gottorf castle and the beautiful baroque garden, the stunning St Peter's Cathedral and the city museum and its history.

Find here: Schleswig is located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in north-west Germany. Ferry from Sweden to Kiel, Lübeck or Travemünde.

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Hedeby

In the 700-800s Hedeby was one of the most important trading centres in the North. We visited the Haithabo Viking Museum which was very interesting.

Find here: Hedeby is located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in north-west Germany. Ferry from Sweden to Kiel, Lübeck or Travemünde.

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The island of Sylt in western Germany

This island has no roads to the island itself. and all people and vehicles are driven out via trains and railway wagons. The train runs from Niebüll to Westerland on the island of Sylt. The island is very popular in the summer with its long beautiful sandy beaches. Here you'll also find designer boutiques and shopping centres for the jet set.

Find here: Sylt is located in the north-west corner of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The island belongs to the North Frisian Islands, close to the Danish border. Ferry from Sweden to Kiel, Lübeck or Travemünde.

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Ön Wyk on Föhr

Long sandy beaches to the very popular island and you can also take a day trip to the neighbouring island of Amrum. The island of Föhr produces white wines and a sparkling wine, and why not some local bubbly in the summer heat?

Find here: Wyk auf Föhr is located in the district of Nordfriesland in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. You take the car ferry from Dagebüll. Ferry from Sweden to Kiel, Lübeck or Travemünde.

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Helgoland in the German North Sea

Here it is duty free so it's cheaper than on the mainland. The island is very popular and has a mild climate thanks to the Gulf Stream. Head over to the small island of Dune and enjoy the sandy beaches.

No cars but hotels and bars, restaurants are among the 1000 or so residents. The old church and cemetery, and the giant Lange Anna rocket 47 metres out of the sea.

Find here: Heligoland is an island 70 kilometres off the North Sea, in Schleswig-Holstein in north-west Germany. You take a boat from the coastal town of Büsum which takes about 3 hours. Ferry from Sweden to Kiel, Lübeck or Travemünde.

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The German port city of Kiel

Kiel has had its ups and downs. The Danes have been in charge, then the Swedes and the Danes again.

Don't miss out:

  • Maritime Museum
  • The Kiel Canal locks at Holtenau
  • The beautiful Holtenau lighthouse
  • Laboe marine memorial with the submarine
  • The amazing Kiel harbour

Find here: Kiel is located on the Baltic Sea in Schlesweg-Holstein in northern Germany. It is the harbour for the ferries from Sweden and Norway. Fly from Sweden to Hamburg 1 h 30 m, rent a car and drive 55 min to Kiel.

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Eutin Castle in northern Germany

Eutin Castle began its history in 1150 as a stone castle. After fires and Danish troops destroyed the castle, the 18th and 19th centuries were its heyday. After the reconstruction of the castle and the castle park by the Swedish architect Rudolph Matthias Dallin, the castle became recognisable.

Find here: Eutin is located on a peninsula in Lake Eutin in the Federal Republic of Germany. Schlesweg-Holstein, in northern Germany. Ferry from Sweden to Kiel, Lübeck or Travemünde.

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Naumburg - Freyburg - Merseburg

At a distance of 37 km there are three really cool cathedrals in Merseburg, Freyburg Unstrut and Naumburg an der Saale (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Don't miss out:

  • Merseburg Castle from 1470-1500, with a huge castle park.
  • Merseburg Cathedral from around 1015.
  • Freyburg's St Maria town church and 1200 metres of intact town wall.
  • In Freyburg - Neuenburg Castle from 1090
  • In the wine town of Freyburg, Rotkäppchen (champagne), or sekt in German, is made, and here you should visit the sekt cellars for a tasting.
  • The house in Freyburg with the world's first gymnasium after the founder of modern gymnastics Fredrich Ludwig Jahn.
  • Naumburg Cathedral from around the 13th century.
  • Naumburg City Church of St Wenzel and the old square in front.
  • Naumburg's wines for which the city is famous.

Find here: These three wonders are located in southern Saxony-Anhalt, 25-70 km south-west of Leipzig.

Berlin

Berlin

The German capital is like an antique shop filled with treasures. The Berlin Wall, which began construction on 13 August 1961, runs through the city and stands as a memorial. To experience the best of Berlin, you'll need 14 days, but start with a long weekend and visit several times.

Don't miss out:

  • The Brandenburg Gate (c. 1790) is the monument to Berlin at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstrasse.
  • Neo-baroque Parliament building from 1894
  • Tigergarten city park with Bismark monument, Bellevue Castle, rose garden and Luisen Island.
  • Victory column (Siegessäule) which is a victory symbol for many victories since 1864.
  • Museum island on Spree Island with five museums: Altes Museum, Alte National Galerie, Neues Museum, Bode Museum and Pergamon Museum (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
  • Also on the island is the Berlin Cathedral with the River Spree flowing by.
  • Art Museum "Painting Gallery" with works by Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Raphael and others.
  • The Berlin Wall can be experienced on Bernauer Strasse. 70 metres of the Berlin Wall, guard tower and visitor centre.
  • Germany's history museum with 2000 years of history.
  • "The 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe' on Eberstrasse.
  • Main square Gendarmenmarkt
  • Alexanderplatz is a historic square and the largest square in Germany.
  • Checkpoint Charlie is the famous border crossing between the former East and West Germany.
  • Gedächtniskirche, Treptower Park, DDR Museum, Jewish Museum, Fernsehturm, and much more.
  • 1700 bridges
  • Berlin Zoo, the largest zoo in the world
  • Berlin has 180 museums so take your time
  • Berlin Hauptbahnhof is Europe's largest railway station.

Find here: Berlin is a federal state in the region of Brandenburg in north-eastern Germany. There are many flights from Sweden in 1 h 40 min, and several different ferries directly from Sweden.

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Germany's Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel

This awesome mountain park near the city of Kassel I stumbled across it and we were going to see it when Corona hit. A whole park with marvellous castles, fountains, monuments and ponds. The castle park began construction in 1696 and took 150 years to complete. UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Don't miss out:

  • Monument to Hercules
  • Huge fountains like Lac and Devil's Bridge with Hell's Pond.
  • Wilhelmshöhe Castle
  • French and English baroque park
  • Vattenfallet Steinhöfer
  • Great Waterfall (Grosser Wasserfall)
  • Lion Castle (Lejonborgen)
  • Brothers Grimm Museum in Kassel

Find here: The cool Wilhelmshöhe is located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, 130 km southeast of Bielefeld. Direct flight to Frankfurt takes 2 h 5 m, rent a car and drive 200 km.

Dusseldorf
New customs yard

Dusseldorf in Germany

Dusseldorf is super modern and old in a wonderful mix and many new buildings are more like works of art. The fairs in Dusseldorf are world-famous and perhaps the longest bar in the world. There is also Germany's largest festival Kirmes which is the largest after the Oktoberfest.

Don't miss out:

  • Hausen neuer Zollhof by Frank Gehry
  • The Reinuferpromenade is the harbour promenade along the Rhine.
  • The Altstadt (Old Town) is not large, but still contains 300 pubs and nightclubs, and the area known as the 'Längste Theke der Welt' (the world's longest bar).
  • Köningsallee is the street for exclusive shopping.
  • The Medienhafen is more or less Dusseldorf's old brewhouse or warehouse, which has been refurbished and made hip.
  • The Rhine Tower at 240 metres rotates.
  • The North Rhine-Westphalia art collection in two parts: K20 am Grabbeplatz and K 21 Ständehaus.
  • Schloss Benrath, just south-east of Düsseldorf from the 18th century, with castle garden.
  • Hofgarten park from 1769
  • Kaiserwerth is the old city centre.
  • Rhine boat tour, under Germany's first cable bridge Theodor Heuss from 1957.

Find hit: Dusseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Direct flights from Sweden take 2 hours.

Köln

Cologne in Germany

Cologne is Germany's oldest city and has many attractions dating back 2000 years. Roman remains, cool neighbourhoods, the most pubs per capita in Germany, a famous cathedral and new river banks.

Don't miss out:

  • Cologne Cathedral is a UNESCO heritage site dating back to 1164.
  • Ludwig Museum with 20th century pop art.
  • The Romano-Germanic Museum is built around a relic from the Roman era.
  • Cologne's old town.
  • The Gross St Martin crossing tower from 1100.
  • Cologne's botanical garden from 1860.
  • Hohenzollern Bridge.
  • Belgian neighbourhood where all the streets have Belgian names.
  • Imhoff chocolate museum, Doftmuseum, Schnütgen museum, Kolumna museum and more.

Find here: Cologne is located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. Fly to Dusseldorf from Sweden which takes 2 hours, rent a car and drive 93 km.

Bonn

City of Bonn was once the capital of West Germany and is now a cultural capital. It is home to the landmark Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born here and grew up in Bonn.

Don't miss out:

  • Drachenburg Castle from 1884, near the town of Königswinter.
  • Haus der Geschichte is a museum from 1945 onwards, where you can find out what and how people thought when they were young.
  • Beethoven house at Bonngasse 20, from 1770 - 1792 when he lived here.
  • The Bundeskunsthalle is an exhibition centre with one of Germany's most visited 'Museum Mile' cultural museums.
  • Bonn Minster is one of Germany's oldest churches, dating from the 19th century, with five towers.
  • Alter Rathaus in rococo style from 1730. John F. Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle and Mikhail Gorbachev are just a few who have visited this town hall.
  • Baroque Poppelsdorf Palace from 1715 is a baroque treasure with a huge botanical garden.

Find here: Bonn is located in southern North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. Fly to Dusseldorf from Sweden 2 h, rent a car and drive 77 km.

Frankfurt am Main

Welcome to the financial centre of Germany and the Bankenviertel business district. Frankfurt has the ten tallest skyscrapers in Germany and a whole neighbourhood of museums called the Museumsufer. Here you will find the childhood home of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, taverns and old churches in a delightful mix.

Don't miss out:

  • Museumsufer with 12 museums along the River Main. On the last weekend of August each year, a 'museum shore festival' is held.
  • The Städel Museum with art from the 14th century to the present.
  • The main tower is Germany's fourth highest tower at 200 metres, with a public view.
  • Goethe house and museum can be found at 23 Grosser Hirschgraben 1749.
  • Frankfurt Cathedral from the 14th and 15th centuries.
  • Römerberg is the old town square.
  • Half-timbered houses with the town hall from 1405, the Renaissance Fountain of Justice from 1543, and the 16th century church of St Nicholas.
  • The Palmengarten is a botanical garden dating from 1871.

Find here: Frankfurt am Main is located in the Federal State of Hesse in the south-west of Germany on the River Main. Direct flights from Sweden take 2 hours 5 minutes.

Weisbaden

Wiesbaden is a spa town and of course the Romans were here. The city offers beautiful monuments and buildings, domes and gardens. Here you will also find very good Riesling wines.

Don't miss out:

  • The Nerobergbahn is a 440 metre long cable car opened in 1888 and uses water ballast as its propulsion system.
  • Neroberg is a peak 245 metres high with views of the Rihn Valley and Mainz. There is also a wine hall, outdoor pool, amphitheatre, and monuments. See St Elisabeth's church from 1855.
  • Kurhaus (spa) with ballrooms, frescoes and an incredible domed roof.
  • Spa park at the Kurhaus with ornamental lake, fountains and English park.
  • The Marktkirche is a brick church with a 100-metre tower dating from 1862.
  • Hessisches staadsheather Wiesbaden is a large neo-baroque opera/theatre.

Find here: Weisbaden is the capital of the state of Hesse and is located in the southern part of the region, in western Germany. Fly 2 hours directly from Sweden, rent a car and drive 35 km or take the train which takes 42 minutes.

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Erfurt

Martin Luther became a monk here at the Augustinian monastery and in the late 18th century Goethe, Schiller and Wilhelm von Humboldt were major players here. You'll find plenty of history here.

Don't miss out:

  • Fischmarkt, where the town hall was built in 1275.
  • Egapark which is a huge garden park.
  • Eurfurt's old synagogue from 1200 may be the best preserved in Europe.
  • Thüringer Bratwurst is thin and up to 20 cm long with a famously spicy flavour. By law, half of the spices must come from Thuringia.
  • Krämerbrücke over the river Gera with half-timbered houses, which is 79 metres long.
  • Erfurt's huge 14th-century Gothic cathedral with 18-metre-high windows, and the world's largest free-swinging bell.
  • Zitadelle Petersberg is the largest and best preserved fortress in Central Europe, dating from 1665.

Find here: Erfurt is the capital of the state of Thuringia in south-west Germany. Fly directly to Berlin or Frankfurt from Sweden and it takes about 2 hours by car or 2 hours by train.

Wartburg Castle

Wartburg Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. King Ludwig II found inspiration here when he was building Neuschwanstein Castle. Martin Luther was here when he translated the New Testament into German. Elisabeth of Hungary or Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia lived here and died here in 1231 at the age of 24.

Find here: The castle is located 72 km east of the city of Erfurt, in the state of Thuringia in south-eastern Germany. Fly directly from Sweden to Frankfurt, rent a car and drive 206 km.

Leipzig in Germany

Welcome to Liepzig which offers one of the oldest zoos from 1878, and also one of the most modern in Germany. The Stasi headquarters in East Germany was located here, Bach was born here, Wagner and Mendelssohn died here. The city was founded in the 12th century at the junction of Via Imperii and Via Regia.

Don't miss out:

  • Mendelssonhns-haus on Goldschmidtstrasse where composer Felix Mendelssohn lived.
  • Mädlerpassage is a beautiful shopping arcade at Grimmaische and Neumarkt.
  • Leipzig Hauptbahnhof is the world's largest railway station with five historic steam locomotives from the Second World War.
  • St Thomas Church from the 13th century. In 1723 Johann Sebastian Bach was the cantor here. It is also his burial place, Richard Wagner was baptised here and in 1789 Mozart played in this church.
  • St Nicholas Church is historic because of the peaceful demonstrations that started here and led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  • The 91-metre Völkerschlachtdenkmal monument is dedicated to the largest battle in the world before the First World War. In 1813, Napoleon's forces fought with Prussia, Sweden, Russia and Austria to defeat Napoleon.
  • East German history can be found at the Zeitgeschichtliches forum, about life in East Germany and after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  • The Bach Museum at St Thomas Church.
  • Altes Rathaus from 1556 and the main square 'Markt'.
  • Leipzig Panometer, Grassi museum, Museum in der Runden Ecke and Museum der Bildenden Künste.

Find here: Leipzig is located in southeastern Germany 190 km southwest of Berlin. Fly from Sweden to Berlin in 2 hours, rent a car and drive 190 km or take the train in 1 hour 20 minutes.

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Chemnitz -Wasserschloss klaffenbach

Chemnitz Water Castle was built in the 16th century and is a prime example of a Renaissance castle.

Find here: Chemnitz is a small town in the state of Saxony in south-eastern Germany, on the border with the Czech Republic.

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Mainz in Germany

Now we have come to the capital of wine. in Germany and a 2000 year old history with the Romans, and with the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg from 1430. Gutenberg is also the WordPress programme in which I am currently writing.

Don't miss out:

  • The gigantic Mainz Cathedral with its treasury.
  • Gutenberg Museum at 'Zum Römischen Kaiser'. Here you will find many of the first printed books from the 15th century.
  • Markt is a square with beautiful half-timbered houses.
  • Stephanskirche is a monastery church in the old town, founded in 990.
  • Kirschgarten is a unique rectangular square with tall half-timbered houses from the 16th century.
  • The Augustinerkirche is a baroque palace and a sumptuous masterpiece of rococo, gilded stucco and dramatic frescoes.
  • In November, the Mainz festival begins and continues until February or March. A day called Shrove Monday is the biggest with around 500,000 people and 10,000 in the procession itself.

Find here: Mainz is the capital of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in south-west Germany, near Weisbaden. Fly from Sweden directly 2 h and rent a car 44 km or take the train 33 min.

Saarbrücken in Germany

At the French border you will find a city ruled by counts and princes for several hundred years. From the 18th century, Prince William Henry and his friend and architect Friedrich Joachim Stengel were busy building Saarbrücken into a fairytale city.

Palaces galore, churches, squares and fountains as much as possible. In the last 30 years, underground passages and tunnels have been excavated in the city and turned into museums. Welcome to the fairytale city!

Don't miss out:

  • The baroque-style Ludwigkirche and surrounding square were built in 1760.
  • The Basilica of the Baptist from 1750 in the Baroque style.
  • Deutsch-Französischer Garten (German-French Park) at the Goldene Bremm border crossing.
  • Saar Historical Museum
  • The Völklingen Ironworks is a UNESCO heritage site and has been operating since 1873.
  • The Rathaus St Johann is a landmark and insanely beautiful building.

Find here: Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in south-west Germany, on the border with France. Fly directly from Sweden, rent a car and drive 112 km or take the train 2 h 13 m.

Stuttgart in Germany

Stuttgart's Neckar river valley becomes vineyards if you add up 1+1. With vineyards came kings and counts and with them palaces. Now we have nature and castles and what else is there? The first car and motorbike were invented here by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, and of course there are cool museums from Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

Don't miss out:

  • The State Gallery with 19th century art by masters such as Rubens and Rembrandt and 20th century art by Picasso, Salvador Dalí and others.
  • Mercedes-benz museum with 160 different cars.
  • Porsche museum with around 80 different vehicles and the story of Professor Ferdinand Porsche who also invented the VW Beetle.
  • Wilhelma Zoological-Botanical Garden with zoo, botanical garden with thousands of orchid species and an Amazon house with 2000 plants, reptiles and fish.
  • Killersbergpark, known as the "Valley of Roses", with 200 different Dahlia varieties. There is also the 31 metre high "Killersbergsturm" observation tower.
  • Schlossplatz where the Kings of Württemberg used to walk.
  • Solitude Palace with baroque and neoclassical architecture.
  • The Wiessenhof Estate was an architectural competition in 1927. It has 11 buildings out of 21 remaining on the same site and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also the Wiessenhof Museum.
  • The Fernsehturm is a 216 metre high television tower with a lift up to 150 metres to see all of Stuttgart.
  • Gottlieb Daimler memorial where they worked on making a petroleum engine for land, sea and air. The first motorboat 'Neckar' and the first motorbike were created here.

Find here: Stuttgart is located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in south-west Germany. Fly from Stockholm to Frankfurt in 2 hours 5 minutes. Rent a car which takes 2 hours or train which takes 3 hours 19 minutes.

Ehrenburg Castle

Coburg Palace from 1543 The rooms in the palace are said to be insanely beautiful and the garden is more than just a palace park.

Find here: The castle or palace is located in Bavaria in south-eastern Germany, close to the Czech border.

Munich

Welcome to Munich with the October Festival, the world's largest folk festival, one of the world's largest football clubs Bayern Munich and the car brand BMW. Munich is also Germany's third largest city and the River Isar flows through the city.

Don't miss out:

  • Built in 1836, the Alte Pinakothek is one of the oldest art galleries in the world.
  • Munich Residenz was built in the 14th century and grew in styles such as Rococo, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical.
  • The Neues Rathaus is a Gothic marvel completed in 1874. How about 100 metres long, 85 metres high with 400 rooms?
  • Marienplatz is a large marketplace with beautiful buildings. Here you will also find the monument to Mary, erected in 1638 when Swedish troops withdrew from the 30 Years' War.
  • The 18th century English Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world. Here you'll find a Japanese tea house, a Chinese tower and an artificial rapids where you can practise surfing.
  • St Peters church with 299 steps to see Munich from above.
  • The Frauenkirche is 109 metres high, and nothing can be higher in Munich.
  • Adam Church from the mid-18th century is named after the Asam brothers. One was a painter and the other a sculptor.
  • BMW museum and BMW Welt exhibition.
  • The Theatre Church, the Olympic Park, the Allians Arena where Bayern plays its home games, the Munich National Theatre, the Jugendstil Müller'sches Volkbad or a beer at the historic Hofbräuhaus.

Find here: Munich is the capital of the state of Bavaria in south-eastern Germany. Direct flights from Sweden to Munich take 2 hours 10 metres.

Linderhof Castle in Germany

King Ludwig II and the smallest of the three fairytale castles he built Neuschwanstein and Herrechiemsee castles. This is where Ludwig grew up and it smells like Versailles. The castle was built in baroque style between 1874-1878 and is worth a guided tour. The most beautiful part of Linderhof is the garden which is considered a masterpiece.

Find here: The castle is located in southwest Bavaria, 97 km southwest of Munich, on the border with Austria. Fly from Sweden to Munich which takes 2 h 10 m, rent a car and drive 1 h 30 m, or take the train about 4 h.

Herrenchiemsee Castle

King Ludwig II Versailles inspiring castle located on the largest island in Lake Chiemsee hence the name of the castle. It was built by King Ludwig who was incredibly inspired by the French King Louis XIV and Wagner's operas. Originally a monastery around 765, Ludwig bought it in 1873 and started building the replica of Versailles in 1878.

Find here: The castle is located 89 km southeast of Munich, on the border with Austria. Fly directly from Sweden to Munich in 2h 10m, rent a car and drive 1h 15m, or take the train which takes 2h 48m.

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