Bucket list: The most beautiful places in Germany

Bucket list: The most beautiful places in Germany

Would you like to travel to Germany and are you looking for the best places to go? In this bucket list, I’m sharing the 14 most beautiful places in Germany.

Berlin

Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin
The gorgeous Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin.

To be honest, I went to Berlin only once in my life and it wasn’t the best trip in the world. That might have something to do with the horrible weather at that time, it was either raining or snowing. However, it’s impossible not to include the capital of Germany in this list with the most beautiful places in Germany, because it’s a very interesting city. This is the place to learn all about the history of Germany and you’ll see parts of the Berlin wall everywhere. I really want to go back someday and explore Berlin again, because this city absolutely deserves a visit.

Burg Eltz

Burg Eltz - credit Sander Lenaerts via Unsplash
Burg Eltz.

Foto: Sander Lenaerts | Unsplash

In West Germany, you’ll find a medieval castle on top of a mountain called Burg Eltz. This is one of the best places in Germany to get a great shot for Instagram because it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s also fun to explore the castle itself because it’s also pretty cool to see the interior.

Heidelberg

Heidelberg - Photo Brina Blum via Unsplash
How beautiful is Heidelberg?

Foto: Brina Blum | Unsplash

There are many cool and trendy cities to be found in Germany and Heidelberg is one of the most beautiful small cities. It’s a university city and it has a really nice historic city center. On a hill next to the city, you’ll find Schloss Heidelberg, which is a ruin of a fortress. From here, you’ve got a great view of the town. If you like wine, you can see one of the largest wine vats in the world in this castle, which is called the Heidelberg Tun. It has a capacity of 221.726 liters!

Geierlay

Hangbrug Geierlay - Photo Lukas Becker via Unsplash
Would you walk over this bridge?

Foto: Lukas Becker | Unsplash

When you like hiking and aren’t afraid of heights, you might want to visit the Geierlay suspension bridge. This bridge has a length of 360 meters and which makes it the longest pedestrian bridge in Germany. You can visit the bridge for free and you hike about 100 meters above the Mörsdorfer Bachtal.

National Park Harz

National Park Harz - Photo Marina Reich via Unsplash
I’d love to go hiking in National Park Harz.

Foto: Marina Reich | Unsplash

I love visiting National Parks in every country I go to. Germany has 16 National Parks, and National Park Harz is one of them. This park is located in Central Germany and it’s mostly forest. It’s also quite hilly, which makes it a great place to go for a hike.

Cologne

 Railway bridge over the Rhine
From the other side of the Rhine, you’ll have a great view of the large Cologne Cathedral.

Cologne is famous for its perfume (Eau the Cologne) and the Cathedral. The Cologne Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Germany and a must-visit. If you’re into art, you can find many great museums in Cologne, like the Ludwig Museum.

Sylt

Sylt - Photo Patrick Baum via Unsplash
Explore the island Sylt.

Foto: Patrick Baum | Unsplash

I’ve visited almost all of the Dutch islands, but I’ve never been to one of the German islands. Especially Sylt looks like a piece of heaven, which is located next to the Danish border. It has endless white sandy beaches and it’s a great place to unwind.

The Black Forest

My family visits the Black Forest in the south of Germany every year. I can understand why because it looks mysterious and beautiful in every single picture. It’s quite dark because of the dense vegetation, it has several hidden waterfalls and many, many hiking trails.

Würzburg Residence

Wurzburg Residence - Photo Daniel Sessler via Unsplash
Explore the beautiful gardens of the Würzburg Residence.

Foto: Daniel Seßler | Unsplash

The Würzburg Residence is one of the most particular palaces in Germany and is famous because of its baroque style. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it’s huge. You can walk around for hours! The gardens of the Würzburg Residence are another highlight, with several different landscape styles.

Rakotzbrücke

The Rakotzbrücke is probably the most well-known Instagram sight in all of Germany. You can find this particular bridge in the Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau in East Germany. Some people call this the devil’s bridge. With the reflection in the water underneath the bridge, it makes a perfect circle. A very special sight that wouldn’t be out of place in a fantasy movie.

Munich

The Antiquarium in Munich
One of the most impressive hallways I’ve ever seen: The Antiquarium in Munich.

A couple of years ago, I went on a trip to Munich and this became my favorite German city instantly. There’s so much to see and to do! In the city center, I highly recommend visiting the Residenz. A huge palace (I believe it has hundreds of rooms) and it’s home to the gorgeous Antiquarium. There are also many breweries in Munich, so if you like to taste some beers, this is the place to be.

Very close to the city, you’ll find the Dachau concentration camp, which is a must-visit and makes all your everyday problems feel so unimportant…

You can visit Munich all year round, but it’s truly magical to visit the city in December. There are plenty of things to do in Munich in winter, like visiting one of the delightful Christmas Markets.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle - Photo Bharat Patil via Unsplash
Neuschwanstein Castle looks like it’s straight from a fairy tale.

Foto: Bharat Patil | Unsplash

Not far away from Munich, you’ll find Neuschwanstein Castle, which looks like it comes straight from a fairy tale. This is one of the most beautiful places in Germany for sure, and it’s also the most touristic place you’ll visit in Germany. It’s on top of a mountain and you can get a carriage to take you to the castle (just like in a fairytale!). Walt Disney used this castle as an inspiration for the castle of sleeping beauty in Disneyland California.

Königssee

Do you like to visit lakes? The Köningssee (see is German for lake) in Bavaria is one of the most beautiful lakes in Germany. It’s the deepest lake in the country, in some parts it’s 190 meters deep. It’s got a beautiful location between the mountains and there are several nice hiking trails to be found in the area.

Saxon Switzerland National Park

Saxon Switzerland National Park - Photo Felix Lemke via Unsplash
Explore Saxon Switzerland National Park.

Foto: Felix Lemke | Unsplash

Saxon Switzerland National Park is located in Southwest Germany, close to the Czech border. The landscape is out of this world, with many special rock formations. It’s a great place to go hiking. While you’re there, don’t forget to visit the Bastei Bridge, which is a very beautiful bridge that follows the cliffs.

Map: the most beautiful places in Germany

Do you feel like traveling to Germany after checking out this list? I know I do! What do you think are the most beautiful places in Germany?

In need of some more travel inspiration?

Would you like to explore more of the beautiful countries in Europe? Check out these posts:

Bucket list: 15 beautiful places in Belgium
11 gorgeous places to visit in The Netherlands
Bucket list: the most beautiful places in Switzerland

Or get one of these great travel guides if you’d like to know more about the beautiful places in Germany:

DK Eyewitness Germany

Insight Guides Germany


Co

As a girl from a small town in the Netherlands, I always dreamed of traveling. I thought it would always be a dream, but nowadays, I travel 6 to 8 months a year and I hike thousands of miles on the most beautiful hiking trails. On this website you can read all about my favorite destinations.

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