Germany · best-of list
40 Top Things to Do in Germany
We narrowed 65 things to do from our curated routes in Germany down to 40, spread across 11 destinations. 36 come with an insider tip, and 23 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
40 things to do in Germany, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Berlin 6 picks
Berlin Wall Memorial
Berlin · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Preserved stretch of Wall and death strip on Bernauer Straße, with a viewing tower.
Tip: Start at the visitor center opposite Nordbahnhof.
Photo: Greg Drzazgowski (Greg Dee) · Google
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Neoclassical gate that once stood inside the border strip, now Berlin's symbol.
Tip: Walk through to Unter den Linden at dusk when it is lit.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0
East Side Gallery
Berlin · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
1.3 km of Wall covered in murals along the Spree.
Tip: Combine with a walk across the Oberbaum Bridge.
Photo: Max Henike · Google
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Berlin · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Field of 2,711 concrete stelae with an underground information center.
Tip: The information center is closed Mondays.
Photo: Alexander Blum · CC BY-SA 4.0
Neues Museum
Berlin · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Rebuilt museum on Museum Island holding the bust of Nefertiti.
Tip: Book a time slot online.
Photo: Janericloebe · Public domain
Reichstag Building Dome
Berlin · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Glass dome atop the parliament with a spiral ramp and free audio guide.
Tip: Register online days ahead and bring ID.
Photo: Marc Boberach · Google
Cologne 6 picks
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Gothic cathedral with 157-metre twin spires and the gilded Shrine of the Three Kings behind the altar.
Tip: Climb the 533 steps of the south tower for the view over the markets.
Photo: Rolf Heinrich, Köln · CC BY 3.0
Groß St. Martin
Cologne · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Romanesque church whose square crossing tower rises over the gabled houses of the Rhine riverfront.
Tip: The Rheingarten promenade below gives the classic view of the tower with the cathedral behind.
Photo: Superbass · CC BY 3.0
Heinzels Wintermärchen
Cologne · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Old-town market on the Alter Markt and Heumarkt themed on Cologne's Heinzelmännchen, with an ice rink on the Heumarkt.
Tip: Skate rental is available at the rink.
Photo: Corradox · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hohenzollernbrücke
Cologne · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Railway bridge over the Rhine with a footpath hung with love locks, looking straight at the cathedral.
Tip: Walk across to the Deutz bank for the night view back to the cathedral.
Photo: Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0Markt der Engel
Cologne · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
The angels' market on Neumarkt: white stalls under trees hung with thousands of star lights.
Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom
Cologne · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Red-roofed stalls on the Roncalliplatz under a canopy of lights, directly below the cathedral's west front.
Tip: Go at dusk for the lights against the cathedral.
Photo: Superbass · CC BY-SA 3.0
Nuremberg 6 picks
Albrecht-Dürer-Haus
Nuremberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
The half-timbered house below the castle where Albrecht Dürer lived and worked from 1509 until his death.
Christkindlesmarkt
Nuremberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
Around 180 red-and-white striped stalls fill the Hauptmarkt, selling Lebkuchen, plum-people figures and Glühwein.
Tip: Glühwein comes in a souvenir mug that changes design every year.
Photo: DALIBRI · CC BY-SA 4.0Frauenkirche
Nuremberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
Gothic church on the Hauptmarkt whose 1509 clock runs the Männleinlaufen figure parade every day at noon.
Tip: Stand in front of the church a few minutes before 12.
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Nuremberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
Germany's largest museum of cultural history, from Dürer paintings to the oldest surviving globe.
Tip: Closed on Mondays.
Kaiserburg
Nuremberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
The imperial castle on the sandstone ridge above the old town, with the Sinwell Tower and a 50-metre well.
Tip: The garden terrace below the castle has the best free view over the roofs.
Photo: DALIBRI · CC BY-SA 2.0 deSchöner Brunnen
Nuremberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
A 14th-century spire-shaped fountain at the corner of the Hauptmarkt, with a brass ring set in its railing.
Tip: Turning the ring is said to bring luck.
Bamberg 4 picks
Altes Rathaus
Bamberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
The old town hall stands on an island in the Regnitz, half-timbered on one end and covered in painted facades.
Tip: The best view is from the Untere Brücke.
Photo: Silviomerci1971 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bamberger Weihnachtsmarkt
Bamberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
The Christmas market on Maximiliansplatz, with a large nativity scene and a children's carousel.
Tip: Pick up a Krippenweg map here to follow the nativity scenes around town.
Photo: Ermell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Klein-Venedig
Bamberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
A row of former fishermen's houses with small gardens and balconies right on the Regnitz.
Tip: See it from the Untere Brücke or the riverside path on the opposite bank.
Photo: Ermell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Neue Residenz
Bamberg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
Prince-bishops' palace on the Domplatz; its rose garden terrace looks across the roofs to Michaelsberg.
Tip: The state rooms are shown on guided tours.
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0
Potsdam 4 picks
Dutch Quarter
Potsdam · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Four blocks of red-brick gabled houses built for Dutch craftsmen in the 1730s.
Tip: Good for coffee and small shops.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Glienicke Bridge
Potsdam · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Bridge on the old border where East and West swapped spies.
Tip: Walk out to the midpoint marker.
Photo: Uwca at German Wikipedia · Public domain
Museum Barberini
Potsdam · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Art museum in a rebuilt baroque palace on the Alter Markt, strong on Impressionist paintings.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays; book a timed ticket online for big shows.
Photo: Daniel Naber · CC BY 4.0
Sanssouci Palace
Potsdam · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Frederick the Great's single-story Rococo summer palace above terraced vineyards.
Tip: Timed tickets; book online in summer.
Photo: Julio FERNANDEZ CASANOVA · Google
Dresden 3 picks
Frauenkirche
Dresden · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Baroque domed church rebuilt from rubble and reconsecrated in 2005.
Tip: Climb the dome for views over the Elbe.
Photo: Netopyr · CC BY-SA 3.0
Historic Green Vault
Dresden · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Augustus the Strong's treasury of jewels and gold in Dresden Castle.
Tip: Timed tickets only; book ahead.
Photo: Historisches Grünes Gewölbe · Google
Zwinger
Dresden · On our Berlin, Potsdam & Dresden route
Baroque palace courtyard with the Old Masters Gallery and Sistine Madonna.
Tip: The courtyard is free; the galleries need a ticket.
Photo: Stephan Czuratis (Jazz-face) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Füssen 3 picks
Hohenschwangau Castle
Füssen · On our Bavaria & the Romantic Road route
Yellow castle where Ludwig II grew up.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Marienbrücke
Füssen · On our Bavaria & the Romantic Road route
Footbridge over the gorge with the classic view of Neuschwanstein.
Tip: Can close in winter or for repairs.
Photo: Patrick Tan 11 · Google
Neuschwanstein Castle
Füssen · On our Bavaria & the Romantic Road route
King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle on a crag above the Pöllat gorge.
Tip: Book timed tours ahead; tickets are collected in Hohenschwangau.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Koblenz 2 picks
Basilika St. Kastor
Koblenz · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Koblenz's oldest church, Romanesque, a short walk from the Deutsches Eck.
Festung Ehrenbreitstein
Koblenz · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
A 19th-century Prussian fortress on the cliff opposite the Deutsches Eck, with museums and a wide valley view.
Tip: The cable car crosses the Rhine to the fortress; check its reduced winter hours before you go.
Photo: Dmitry Tonkonog and Ksenia Fedosova · CC BY-SA 3.0
Munich 2 picks
Alte Pinakothek
Munich · On our Bavaria & the Romantic Road route
Old Masters gallery with Dürer, Rubens and Rembrandt.
Tip: Sunday entry is reduced.
Photo: Photo: Andreas Praefcke · CC BY 3.0
Marienplatz and Neues Rathaus
Munich · On our Bavaria & the Romantic Road route
Main square with a Glockenspiel that chimes at 11am and noon.
Tip: Climb St. Peter's tower for the view.
Photo: _bill theo · Google
Rüdesheim 2 picks
Kloster Eberbach
Rüdesheim · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
A 12th-century Cistercian abbey in the Rheingau hills with a working wine estate and vaulted cellars.
Tip: About 20 minutes by car from Rüdesheim.
Weihnachtsmarkt der Nationen
Rüdesheim · On our Cologne, Koblenz & Rüdesheim route
Stalls from about a dozen countries fill the old-town lanes around Oberstrasse, with a nativity scene of life-size figures.
Tip: Weekday afternoons are far calmer than weekends, when coach tours arrive.
Photo: Corradox · CC BY-SA 4.0
Würzburg 2 picks
Alte Mainbrücke
Würzburg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
Stone bridge over the Main lined with baroque saints, facing Marienberg Fortress across the river.
Tip: Come at blue hour, when the fortress is floodlit.
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Würzburg Residence
Würzburg · On our Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg route
UNESCO-listed prince-bishops' palace with Tiepolo's ceiling fresco over the grand staircase.
Tip: The state rooms are seen on a guided tour; English tours run daily.
Photo: Lunitun · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. Our routes include 65 things to do here; to keep the list readable we show 40, keeping those featured on the most routes and those with an insider tip, and spreading the rest across destinations. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Germany?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. Our routes through Germany include 65 things to do; we show the 40 featured on the most routes, spread across destinations. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Germany has the most things to do on this list?
Berlin, Cologne and Nuremberg lead with 6 each; the other picks are spread across 8 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
23 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Cologne Cathedral, Berlin Wall Memorial, Marienbrücke, Christkindlesmarkt, Dutch Quarter, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
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