Tourists from around the world love to vacation in Germany because this country has many attractions, excellent tourist infrastructure, cleanliness, order and comfort. And there is a lot to see here: ancient castles, palaces, cathedrals and churches, carefully guarded and restored by careful Germans, noisy festivals, parades, regattas and beautiful, well-groomed nature – at your service.
Germany’s Top 30 Sights
It is important to note that each federal state – Saxony, Bavaria, Prussia, etc. – Germany has its own unique monuments of history and culture, ancient and modern attractions. Berlin deserves special attention as the capital, although connoisseurs are convinced that Dresden or Cologne are more interesting. It is impossible to describe all the attractions of Germany in this article, but we will try to mention the main ones.
So, here are the names of the most famous sights of this wonderful country and their brief descriptions. What is worth seeing in Germany?
Neuschwanstein Castle
This castle is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world. In German it is called the “New Swan Cliff”. Neuschwanstein is located near the city of Füssen and is considered one of the main tourist attractions in Germany, because is much loved by foreign tourists and Germans because of its beauty.
Construction of the castle began in the 19th century on the orders of King Ludwig II, but before his death was not completed. Today the white-stone Neuschwanstein rises on a rock and its towers are lost in the clouds. All his chambers are beautifully decorated, with almost modern heating and water supply. After World War II it became a museum.
Lake Constance
This German attraction is located in the foothills of the Alps. The lake was formed by the melting of alpine glaciers, and the Rhine flows through it. Today the lake is navigable, has a ferry crossing, and in the wintertime it almost never freezes. There are many nature reserves along the shores of Lake Constance.
In ancient times, since Roman times, the lake was called Constanz. Today it is considered the second largest in Europe after Lake Geneva, and on its shores in Germany, Switzerland and Austria are built many luxurious hotels and resorts, which so love to vacation tourists from all over the world.
The Rizzi House in Braunschweig
These houses look like they came out of coloring books for children. They are small towers, painted and colored, like in cartoons. And all this extraordinary construction and called the House of Rizzi, it is simply adored by the kids.
At the beginning of our century the authorities of Braunschweig decided that on the ruins of the ancient castle to build something unusual, allowing the preservation of ancient ruins, applying unconventional techniques in architecture. That’s how the House of Rizzi came to be.
Berchtesgaden National Park
This is a unique, one-of-a-kind German national park located in the Alpine highlands of Bavaria. It has more than 1,200 square kilometers of magnificent Lake Fountain, near which the lowest air temperature in the country is recorded every year.
Berchtesgaden is an extremely beautiful, almost untouched natural attraction in Germany, home to European roe deer, red deer, chamois and ibex. About a hundred species of birds nest here: golden eagle, owl, grouse, etc. In Fountains there are lake trout.
Heidelberg Castle
The castle rises near the town of the same name, the first mention of it dates back to the 13th century. In the 17th century the castle was destroyed by protracted wars between Germanic barons, and later rebuilt, but not completely. It is interesting because in the 15th century in this castle languished in captivity Antipope John XXIII.
In the 19th century the castle lay in ruins, on which even compiled the first guidebook for tourists. Later it was decided to restore it by partially reinforcing the ruins. Today the castle is visited by at least a million tourists a year, you can fully immerse yourself in the Middle Ages and feel a party of the Thirty Years’ War.
Oktoberfest
This is the largest folk festival, which is held annually in late September – early October in Munich. At least 6 million. people come to this city every fall to take part in the famous beer festival. At this time, Munich beer companies only brew special Oktoberfest beers.
Oktoberfest was first held in 1812 in honor of the wedding of Ludwig I. At first it was a private celebration, but today it has become a real international festival. Nowadays it is organized and held by the Munich administration: beer, fried chickens, tents, dances, bowling alley and other attractions.
Frauenkirche
It is one of the most famous Lutheran churches of St. Mary in Dresden and is of great cultural and historical value. It was designed by architect Georg Bera in the 18th century in the style of a magnificent baroque on the site of an old 11th-century church.
During World War II, the Frauenkirche was destroyed to the ground by American bombing, and its restoration only began in 1989, after German reunification. Only one of the four bells from the original church remained from 1732, and a separate bell tower was built for it.
Miniature Wonderland
It is the largest railroad layout in the world, consisting of nine sections to date: the fictional city of Knuffingen and its airport, Austria and the Alpine mountains, Hamburg, the United States, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and Italy. There are plans to do a France section in 2017 and an England section in 2019.
Today this layout uses about a thousand trains, several thousand carriages, lanterns, trees, and over two hundred thousand human figures. The length of the railroad is more than 13 km. The Brown brothers began constructing the layout in 2000, and a year later they completed the first sections.
The layout fully corresponds to the real map of the railroads of these real countries and localities, but on a smaller scale. In front of you is a true German toy and a unique attraction that amazes and delights foreign tourists.
Reichstag
One of Berlin’s most famous buildings, where the Reichstag has been sitting for decades and where the Bundestag has been sitting since 1999. The Reichstag became widely known in May 1945, as. Its capture symbolized the fall of Hitler’s Germany and the end of the Great Patriotic War.
This building was built in the late 19th century, and in 1933 it burned down in an arson attack, which was used by the Nazis for political purposes. Until the end of the war, the Reichstag was used for propaganda and military purposes. Today it is a museum and at the same time the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany. For Russians, this is the main attraction of Berlin.
Berlin Wall
It was once a fortified border between the GDR and West Berlin. It was built in the GDR in 1961 and was 155 km long with 13 border crossings. The Berlin Wall came down in 1989 in the wake of perestroika in the Soviet Union. Now only some of its wreckage is on display for tourists.
Interestingly, the west side of this wall has been graffitied over the years, in some very talented places. And after its destruction, the pieces with these drawings became a commodity and were quite expensive. Today, the remains of the Berlin Wall are a symbol of the end of the Cold War and the reunification of East and West Germany.
Holstein Gate
It is a unique medieval gate of Lübeck, which architects refer to the so called. brick Gothic, they are included in the UNESCO list. The gate was once part of the fortifications that surrounded this city. But in 1964 all the fortifications were demolished and the Holstentor was left as a historical and cultural monument.
This gate is two connected towers of red and black brick. Between the towers are high Gothic windows-boys in the form of five floors, and on the towers themselves the roofs in the form of cones. Today, the Holstein Gate houses an exhibition of the Lübeck History Museum.
Stritzelmarkt
This is Europe’s oldest Christmas market, located in Dresden, which opens annually during the Christmas vacations. It was first mentioned in medieval chronicles in 1434, and over the centuries today the Dresden Stritzelmarkt has become a large and well-appointed market.
It is visited by at least 2 million people annually. customers who buy souvenirs and unique products of German artisans, famous all over the world. Here everything reminds of Christmas: a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the market, figurines of snowmen, clickers, calendar in the form of a fairy tale castle, etc.
Brandenburg Gate
It is an architectural monument located in the center of Berlin and is a hallmark of this city. The Brandenburg Gate was erected in the late 18th century, and today is beloved by all Germans as the Gate of Peace and the symbol of the reunification of their country in 1989.
There is a statue of the goddess Victoria in a chariot at the gate. Interestingly, after Berlin fell to Napoleon’s forces, Napoleon ordered this statue to be taken to Paris. After the victory over Napoleon, however, the Victoria was returned to its place on the Brandenburg Gate. Today they are as popular in Berlin as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Berlin Cathedral
It is the largest active Evangelical Church cathedral in Germany. It was built in Berlin in the early 20th century in the luxurious late Baroque style. The cathedral was bombed during the war in 1944-45, but much later it was restored and inaugurated in 1993.
The Berlin Cathedral is famous for its organ, which tourists can listen to. I.e. is not only an iconic building, but also a museum and concert hall. Around the cathedral stretches well-groomed park, the image of which has not changed for more than a century. This cultural attraction is beloved by Germans and tourists from all over the world.
Pergamon Museum
Not far from the cathedral on Museum Island in Berlin is this famous museum. It was built in the early 20th century to present the discovered Pergamon Altar to the public. Later, a large exhibition of artifacts from Antiquity was assembled in the museum and presented to visitors.
Today you can see very worthy collections of Hittite, Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian, and Islamic art. At least a million visitors come to the Pergamon Museum every year. Any cultured person is strongly recommended to examine all its unique expositions.
Hohenzollern Castle
This famous castle and fortress is located in Baden-Württemberg. It was erected on a high mountain at the time of the appearance and rise of the Hohenzollern dynasty. Historians believe that the first fortress was built in the early 11th century. During the long medieval wars it was repeatedly destroyed and then rebuilt.
It was last built in the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style. Today the castle is a museum, where you can see the crown of William II, read a letter from J.R.R. Tolkien, and see how the castle is decorated. Washington to Baron von Steuben, a descendant of the Hohenzollerns, with thanks for his assistance in the war of independence between the United States and Great Britain, etc.
Hotel V8 in Stuttgart
The rooms in this hotel are sure to please fans of the German car industry. They are all made in the style of the salons of cars of different brands, classes and years of production: elite, executive, sports, racing, retro, etc.
For everyone staying in such a room – breakfast on the hood. The room rate per night is quite democratic, to be in such a creative place will certainly like young people, will leave a lot of impressions.
Heidelberg Barrel
This famous wine barrel is located in the cellar of Heidelberg Castle, built in the 13th century near the city of the same name. The volume of the barrel is about 219,000 liters. So much fine local wine can fit in it.
Until the end of the 17th century this castle was the main residence of the Electors. Today it has become a much sought-after museum. Tourists come here to tour the castle and taste wine from the Heidelberg Barrel.
Music troughs in Dresden
This is a complex drainage system organized in one of Dresden’s streets in the form of several, interconnecting musical instruments. When it rains outside, the gutters start to sound, and you get real nature music.
The Germans call this music system the Gallery of Art. It is truly an amazing creation of human hands, a unique creation of the romantic German soul, always striving for the beautiful.
Circular Bridge in Cromlau
The craftsmen who built this bridge must have excelled in mathematics at school. In Saxony, near the village of Gablenz in Kromlau Park, you can see a perfectly round bridge towering over the river.
Locals gave it the name Devil’s Bridge, because in nature almost never geometric shapes in pure form. It is interesting that the bridge is made of basalt, and try to make a perfect circle out of such a difficult material.
Wilhelmshöhe Park in Kassel
This largest park in Europe is located on the slopes of the mountains near the town of Kessel. It is famous for its water cascades, stepping down several hundred meters, straight into the beautiful green valley.
Another attraction of the park is a huge fountain that shoots water jets to a height of about fifty meters. A few years ago this park was included in the world famous UNESCO list, so now it is protected.
Gas holder in Oberhausen
This gigantic tank, designed to store gas, has now become an unusual place for exhibitions. An intricate engineering structure demonstrates to an enthusiastic audience copies of the sun and the luminaries, the structure of the solar system, etc.
Descend to the bank of the local canal, and you will immediately see a metal cylinder, which has a height of more than a hundred meters. This is the gas holder that became a museum. It works seven days a week and is always open during the day.
Iron City Ferropolis
The small peninsula is packed with a huge number of cars. It seems as if the world has been taken over by machines, and they are waiting for further instructions. It is a sight that both horrifies and delights.
Some viewers believe that this world of machines has already died, as in the famous novel by G. Wales, and its corpses are left on the surface of the earth for the edification of posterity. It’s a very stylish place, which is why there are often festivals of contemporary music.
Bierpinsel in Berlin
This building is an example of not very successful modern architecture, but it is a must-see in the German capital. Birpinsel was built in the 1970s in the form of a tree forming a crown of four stories.
It used to be a nightclub and restaurants. Some businesses did not take root here and went bankrupt. Subsequently, the entire house was closed as. its reconstruction would cost too much for the owner. All you can do here now is draw graffiti.
Pfaueninsel in Wanza
It is a unique castle surrounded by a magnificent English park. Legend has it that it was built at the behest of the king’s son for his beloved. You can get to this unusual attraction only by ferry. The castle is on an island.
Earlier an alchemist lived here, and at the end of the 18th century the crown prince, in love with the daughter of the court trumpeter, ordered to build a cube-shaped castle of two towers connected by a medieval bridge. The castle still evokes romantic feelings today.
Bavarian Forest
Be sure to see these places in Germany. This national park was the first to open in Germany in the early 1970s. It has perfectly preserved the local vegetation and animal life, which was on the verge of extinction in Bavaria.
Here you can meet grouse, peregrine falcons and even black storks. Otters and beavers live in lowlands, rivers and swamps. Of the larger animals, you are sure to see noble deer and even phlegmatic elk.
The Upside Down House, Western Pomerania
This original landmark was donated by one of the developers to the local zoo. It is the most ordinary house, but upside down and upside down, upside down, or upside down. It is also an attraction for visitors.
Everything that was attached to or stood on the floor inside the cabin remained in its place: toilets, sinks, cabinets, tables, nightstands. Individual items did fall from the floor and ended up on the ceiling. Seeing all of this is something visitors love to see.
Kremerbrücke Bridge
Translated from German as “The Bridge of the Shopkeepers,” it is one of the most interesting sights in Erfurt, Germany. This bridge was built over the River Gera in the 11th century. At first it was made of wood, and then it became stone.
The bridge was in a convenient place for trade, so local merchants quickly began to build their stores and stalls on it. Wooden bridge many times burned together with the buildings on it, so they began to use stone for the reconstruction.
Today, the Lavochnikov Bridge is almost 80 meters long. It is made of sandstone and stands on semicircular arches. Its construction was completed in the early 14th century, with gates on both sides of the market town on the bridge and churches standing next to them.
Futuro House in Niedernhausen
This house looks like an alien ship, as it was imagined by filmmakers in the 1960s. Such a house used to be possible to buy in a construction store, assemble it behind your house and put it anywhere.
The Futuro house was made of lightweight construction materials, modern for its time, so that it could be transported as comfortably as possible: by train, plane or helicopter, and then assembled.
You can enter this house from below, through a hatch. Before us is a small dwelling with a good layout, living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and toilet. A total of about a hundred of these houses were built and furnished. No more than two-thirds left today.
“The Forest Spiral in Darmstadt
It is a gigantic apartment complex with many windows, each one unique in its own way. The chief architect of this house must have been a student and admirer of Antonio Gaudi. Its architecture is one with nature.
“The Forest Spiral” was built in Darmstadt at the very beginning of our century. It fully complies with the principles of “ecological home”, fits into the surrounding landscape. The spiral-shaped house quickly became a home for the local elite.
The advantages of a holiday in Germany
- They are very careful to ensure that every disabled person can easily move around the city, use public transportation, and not feel disadvantaged in any way.
- There are virtually no dogs or cats on the streets in Germany; they are all put in shelters and fed. Even anglers are explained how to handle the fish they catch so they don’t suffer.
- The environmental situation here is excellent, the water in the water supply is crystal clear, you can safely drink it from the tap. Ecology is strictly monitored in all areas of human life: sanitation, hygiene, etc.
Disadvantages of vacationing in Germany
- In Germany there are very large administrative fines, including for violation of the traffic rules. If you try to solve the problem by slipping the local police officer a bribe, you will immediately go to jail. There will be problems with returning to Russia.
- There are big problems with immigrants here. They greatly changed the face of the entire country, traditional Germany essentially no longer exists. Most cities already have ghettos where tourists are better off not going.
- There is no warm sea with white sand in Germany. And the North Sea is unlikely to please tourists, it is too cold. Therefore, there is no beach vacation. But richly represented by excursions.
Video overview of sights in Germany
Germany has many historical and cultural attractions, the country boasts museums, galleries and salons, it has an excellent tourist infrastructure, excellent hotels, restaurants, beer bars.
