The Best Cities to Visit in Germany | Germany Travel Guide
If you’re wanting to know the best cities to visit in Germany then you’ve come to the right place for a quick run down on the amazing European Country. This Germany travel guide is in no way an extensive or exhaustive itinerary to fulfill your Deutschland adventure, but merely a mildly worded article to use as building blocks to plan your European getaway. Germany is a country rich in culture and history so you won’t have a shortage of things to keep you occupied and interested. This travel guide for Germany will give you ideas from the Western to Eastern Border and a few places in between.
Things to Know Before Travelling Germany
Germany is the type of country that I would recommend to solo female travelers time and time again. I’ve been to Germany once on my own and again with my husband and neither ttimdid I ever feel unsafe or on edge. The hospitality from locals is amazing and I never felt like my personal safety was at risk of being breached. Germany is definitely an incredible country that I can’t wait to revisit.
Language
German is the official language, but you will find a lot of people speak English, especially in the large cities. It’s when you get to the small provincial towns that you might have to get creative with your communication.
Safety
I’ve travelled Germany twice; once on my own for a week and the second time was with my husband
and not once did I feel threatened or scared. I can’t recall a moment where I thought my wallet was going to get pinched or our car stolen. But that doesn’t mean you should walk around without a care in the world, always think about your personal safety and never show off how much cash you have on you.
Currency
Germany uses the Euro. Easiest way to see the exchange rate to is to look it up on Google.
The Best Cities to Visit in Germany
This isn’t an exhaustive list of amazing cities and towns in Germany, so don’t be thinking that if it’s not on this list that it’s not worth going to. I’ve only travelled the southern border and as far north to Cologne on the western side, and as far north as Berlin on the eastern side. There are plenty of amazing places to visit in the centre and further north, I just unfortunately haven’t been there yet.
- Berlin
- Konstanz
- Heidelburg
- Trier
- Dresden
- Bamberg
- Baden-Baden
- Cochem
- Koblenz
- Friedrichshafen
- Stuttgart
- Frankfurt
- Cologne
The first 9 cities on this list (From Berlin to Frankfurt) were visited on a 2-week road trip through Germany. We picked up a rental car in Berlin and began our 2,000km road trip to the Southern border towards the west and flew, back home from Frankfurt. During that time we ate amazing food, drank too much beer, and killed far too many bugs with the front bumper. However, this list doesn’t include the small towns we stopped in for lunch and the amazing little gems we came across on our journey. A road trip is one of the best ways to experience any country, whether it’s by bus, train, or hire car.
Tourist Attractions of Germany
It isn’t a proper trip to Germany if you haven’t visited any of the incredible castles, palaces and cathedrals in the country. You literally cannot drive between two cities without spotting the ruins of castles dotted along the highways. Again, this list doesn’t include all of the incredible landmarks throughout Germany, and no doubt I have probably missed some that I have visited along the way.
- Neuschwanstein, Schwangau
- Neue Residenz, Bamberg
- Schloss Seehof Palace, Bamberg
- Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
- Imperial Castle, Cochem
- Burg Eltz, Wierschem
- Trier Cathedral, Trier
If you want a better understanding on prices, exact locations on each palace or more photos on these beautiful German Castles then read my post on the Best 5 Castles in Germany. Just make sure to get to each location as early as possible, especially if you’re wanting to get some amazing photographs while no one is around.
Must do in Germany
If you’re looking for both fun and educational things to do in Germany then this list is a good starting point, from racetracks to iconic monuments throughout history, Germany isn’t a place where you can possibly be bored or underwhelmed.
- Drive the Nurburgring Racetrack, Nurburg
- Visit the Porsche Museum, Stuttgart
- Bathe at Caracalla Spa, Baden-Baden
- Visit Bauhaus – German school of architecture and design
- Visit as many cathedrals and castles as possible
- Enjoy the Botanical Gardens, Frankfurt
- Dine at the Lindt Factory Cologne
- See Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
- Berlin Wall, Berlin
- Black Forest, Southwest Germany
Things to Know when Travelling Germany
I found Germany extremely easy to travel, majority of people in the big cities speak English but even then some German words can be easily read and translated into English. I had no problem with personal safety and the road rules are pretty easy to follow.
Food and Dining
The cheapest way to eat in Germany is to purchase your food from a supermarket and cook yourself meals, but in reality that’s no fun when you’re travelling. The supermarkets are incredibly cheap in Europe so getting snacks or meals on the go is no problem at all. But if you want to dine out then my biggest tip would be to stay away from the Old Towns and main squares in touristy towns. These places cater to tourists so their prices are slightly higher than normal.
Ask a local where they go to eat or take a short walk away from the main hustle and bustle and find a small hole in the wall for dinner. The most unassuming places are where I’ve had some of the best meals and best interactions with locals, even if neither of us could understand each other.
Autobahn –
German Motorway
If there’s one thing anyone should know about Germany it’s that their Autobahn is almost a free for all for speed. This German motorway is famous for having no posted speed limit (unless there is construction, it’s an urban or high crash area or the road is uneven). Our average speed travelling along the autobahn was somewhere between 120km -140km in our 5 speed rental car, and after over 2,000km I think we broke the poor thing.
The right lane is for driving and the left lane should only be used for overtaking, unless traffic is too heavy to justify only driving in the right lane.
Alcohol
Unlike New Zealand, in most countries in Europe you can buy a bottle of beer and wander the streets drinking it without being fined. In Germany you can buy beer from almost every corner store and drink it wherever you want, almost. There are even vending machines of beer but unfortunately if you don’t have a German I.D. you can’t us it, but still a pretty cool thing to see.
Driving
Germans drive on the right side of the road. Don’t get that mixed up.
Other Things to do in Germany
Germany is not only famous for its history and architecture, but their nightlife is one of the best in the world If you want to go out for a drink or to experience a German night out then these are some good places to start. The below bars and clubs are in Berlin, but if you visit any large city in Germany you will be sure to find some amazing clubs that don’t close until the sun comes up on Monday morning.
- Klunkerkranich Rooftop Bar, Berlin
- Matrix, Berlin
- Berghain, Berlin
- Yaam, Berlin
