Top 35 Attractions in Germany

Germany is one of the safest countries for tourism, this circumstance attracts millions of travelers every year. The country has a rich history and cultural and educational tourism is one of the main directions. Palaces, fortresses and castles - many of them were built during the Middle Ages. Many of the most diverse attractions are historical heritage sites of UNESCO.

A tribute to the memory of the past is reflected in the "military" tourism. This direction can hardly be called entertaining, however, it is part of the country's history. Fans of event tourism will enjoy the most massive beer festival - Oktoberfest. For family holidays, walks in park areas and sightseeing of natural attractions, as well as a visit to the zoo in the capital and Europa-Park in Rust, are suitable.

What to see and where to go in Germany?

The most interesting and beautiful places to visit, photos and a brief description.

Brandenburg Gate

The symbol of the capital of Germany, since 1989 the symbol of the reunification of the country. Built by the architect Carl Gottgard Langgans. He made the design of the gate based on the passages of the Acropolis. The building in the style of classicism is perfectly combined with the rest of the buildings on Paris Square. The decoration of the gate is a quadriga 6 meters high with a chariot driven by Victoria, the goddess of victory. The bas-reliefs of the inner walls depict the exploits of Hercules.

Reichstag

The building of the State Assembly. This monumental structure is 137 meters long and 103 meters wide. Built in the Italian Renaissance style in 1894. The building's four towers symbolize the German kingdoms. Their height is 46 meters. You can climb to the top of the glass dome, from where you can see the government quarter and the city itself.

Marienplatz (Munich)

The central square of the city, founded in 1158. The name translates as "Mary's Square", received in honor of the column of St. Mary, built in 1638. In the Middle Ages, knightly tournaments were held on the square. Also since the Middle Ages, the Viktualienmarkt market has been located on the square. The landmark of the square is the tallest cathedral in Munich Frauenkirche. There is a subway junction under the square.

Oktoberfest

A unique, world-famous beer festival. The largest folk festival in the world. It takes place in Munich and is visited annually by about 6 million people. Traditional events at the festival have become such events as a costume procession and a procession of owners of beer tents, as well as the opening ceremony of the first beer barrel. Among the attractions are attractions: a Ferris wheel, several roller coasters.

Berlin Wall

Remains of the destroyed Berlin Wall, preserved as a memorial complex. Part of the complex - "Window of Memory" is dedicated to the Germans who died while fleeing to West Berlin from East. On the monument made of rusty steel, their black-and-white photos are placed in several rows. The Chapel of Reconciliation is also included in the complex. The entire Berlin Wall complex covers an area of ​​4 hectares.

Museum Island (Berlin)

The cultural and architectural museum complex is included in the list of UNESCO heritage sites. It is located on the northern tip of Spreinsel Island. The most visited is the Pergamon Museum. Its building contains objects of culture and art of the Antique Collection and Western Asia, as well as reconstructions of ancient structures of different peoples. Tourists and art critics from all over the world come to the Museum Island.

Miniature Wonderland (Hamburg)

The world's largest railway model. A must-see in Hamburg. The structure covers an area of ​​1500 m², it contains more than 10 zones of different themes on a scale of 1:87. These are cities and countries, airports and railway stations, gardens and parks. More than 1,000 trains move between them, 400,000 figures of people and animals are placed. Some layout details are actuated and controlled by buttons.

"Green Vault" (Dresden)

Thanks to the collection of jewels in the museum, the "Green Vault" is called one of the richest treasures in the world. The exposition of the museum includes thousands of items, of which about 1100 exhibits belong to the jewelry art. One of the most opulent items is the Delhi Palace Reception table composition set with 5,223 diamonds, 175 emeralds, 189 rubies, 53 pearls and one sapphire.

Museums of Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi, BMW and Porsche

Germany is the "birthplace of the car" and the cradle of the automotive industry. The country has factories of the world's leading auto giants. Tourists-car enthusiasts can visit the headquarters and museums of their favorite automakers. Get acquainted with the history of enterprises and the biography of the people who created them. View car models, from the very first exhibits to modern concepts. Drive on racing and test tracks.

Holocaust Memorial (Berlin)

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Opened in 2005 in Berlin, designed by Peter Eisenman. It is a field on which 2700 gray concrete slabs of various sizes are placed. As conceived by the author, the labyrinths of passages between the blocks evoke a feeling of inconsolability and fear, an understanding of the meaninglessness of the terrible deaths of millions of people. Under the memorial there are halls of the Holocaust Museum and an information center for the relatives of the victims.

"Topography of Terror" (Berlin)

Memorial Center, built in 1987. Created to comprehend and document the terror during the times of National Socialism. Initially, the project was located in the basements of the Gestapo, and in 2010 a special building was built for it. The exposition area occupies 800 m². The center complex also includes an open-air exhibition on the site of Prince Albrecht's palace. About 500 thousand people visit the center every year.

Neuschwanstein Castle

An architectural masterpiece in the forests of the Bavarian Alps. Incredibly popular with tourists castle. The decoration of the halls is striking in its luxury. In many architectural and artistic elements, the "swan motif" can be traced. The swan is the heraldic symbol of the family of the Counts of Schwangau. This family includes Louis II, the initiator of the construction of the castle. He took a significant part in the development of the palace project, but lived in it for only 172 days. The construction of the castle took 17 years.

Nymphenburg Palace

Summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. The baroque palace is located in a beautiful park in the west of Munich. The park area is decorated in the French style, like Versailles. The great hall of the palace is made in the Rococo style and decorated with frescoes. The Gallery of Beauties presents 36 portraits by Stieler. The palace has a carriage museum and a porcelain museum. In direct line of sight from the walls of the palace is the castle of Blutenburg.

Zwinger (Dresden)

Architectural complex in neo-Renaissance and Baroque style. Its buildings house the Physics and Mathematics Salon, the Dresden Art Gallery, as well as museums of porcelain, mineralogy, sculpture and geology. The first building of the complex was built of wood in 1709. More than 750 paintings by Western European artists have been collected in the Dresden Art Gallery. Most of them were written before the beginning of the 18th century.

Sanssouci Palace and Park (Potsdam)

The park was created in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Its area is 290 hectares, and the length of all walking paths of the park is 70 km. The most interesting building on its territory is the palace of Frederick the Great, built in 1745-1747. At the same time, vineyards were planted. In addition to the palace, the objects of inspection are the Ancient Temple and the Temple of Friendship, the Art Gallery built in 1764, the Grotto of Neptune. The Sanssouci complex is included in the UNESCO list.

heidelberg castle

Symbol of German Romantic architecture. Located on the 80-meter mountain Königstuhl. The raids of the French army in the 17th century left the castle almost in ruins. The castle received its patron in the person of Count Charles de Gremberg from France. He devoted his whole life to looking after the ruins of the castle and published a guide to it. This is what attracted millions of tourists to the castle, mainly from Japan and America.

Frauenkirche (Dresden)

Church of the Holy Virgin Mary in Dresden. Built in 1726-1743 in the Baroque style on the site of a dilapidated old building of the Church of the Holy Mother of God. It was rebuilt after the bombing of the city in 1945. The stones of the old building stand out as black spots on the light facade of the new one. The church, 95 meters high, is designed for 3,500 parishioners. It is crowned with a huge dome with a diameter of 26 meters and a weight of 12 tons.

Cologne Cathedral

UNESCO heritage site and symbol of Cologne. The official name is the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Mary. The facade of the cathedral is considered the largest of all the churches in the world. Its width is 86.5 meters, length - 144.5 meters. The height of the towers is 157 meters, they can be seen from anywhere in the city. The interior is decorated with stained glass windows. The shrine of the cathedral is a shrine with the relics of the Magi who visited Christ at birth. Also one of the valuable relics is the staff of St. Peter.

Berlin Cathedral

Evangelical church, built in 1894-1905. Built from Silesian granite. The height of the cathedral after reconstruction is 98 meters. Visitors can view the crypt of the Hohenzollern dynasty, including the luxurious sarcophagus of Friedrich Wilhelm I. There is a park around the cathedral, in the center of which a fountain was built. The cathedral is located on Museum Island and is visited by tens of thousands of tourists every year.

Aachen Cathedral

Founded in 796 by order of Emperor Charlemagne. This is one of the oldest surviving temples of the Middle Ages. The central part of the cathedral is the tomb chapel, built according to the traditions of Byzantine architecture. A memorial stone on its floor testifies that Charlemagne, the founder of the cathedral, is buried under it. Over the years, Gothic halls, chapels and the Glass House were added to the cathedral.

Territory of the NSDAP congresses (Nuremberg)

This area of ​​more than 11 km² in the southeast of Nuremberg hosted NSDAP congresses from 1933 to 1938. Structures were built specifically for the congresses - the stadium, the Zeppelin stand, the assembly building and others. Now this site has become an open-air museum. Visitors can feel the impact of the monumental architectural style firsthand. The museum organizes guided tours, seminars and talks.

Concentration camps of the Third Reich

The most famous in Germany: Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen. The camps of the Third Reich were distinguished by particular cruelty to prisoners and inhuman conditions of detention. Not many find the strength to visit them. In Dachau, the exposition tells about the history of the concentration camp and the fate of its prisoners. The main theme of Sachsenhausen is anti-fascist resistance. In Buchenwald, the crematorium, observation towers and camp gates with the inscription "To each his own" have been preserved. The opening of all memorial complexes is united by one idea - not to forget the past, so as not to repeat this in the future.

Zollverein Mine (Essen)

Opened in 1830, now abandoned. In the middle of the 19th century it was considered one of the most productive and largest in the Ruhr region. After closing in the 80s of the XX century, it was turned into a historical and cultural monument and taken under the protection of UNESCO. An interesting object of mine and factory architecture is open to tourists. The museum "Road of Coal" shows all the stages of extraction and processing of this mineral.

port of hamburg

Considered the third busiest port in Europe. Every year, thousands of flights to different countries of the world are made from here. The port has more than 300 berths for ocean and sea vessels. There is a special section of the Hamburg History Museum. They can tell about the development of the port since its opening in 1189. Unofficially, the history of the port dates back to the 9th century, from the moment citizens received the right to trade.

Holstentor (Lübeck)

Medieval city gates in the architectural style "brick gothic". Also known as the Holstein Gate. They are a protected UNESCO heritage site. Until 1864, they were part of the complex of defensive structures. Two towers with cone-shaped roofs are connected by a span. Since the 1950s, Holstentor has housed a museum of the town's history. Cultural events are held in the square at the gate.

Römer (Frankfurt am Main)

Square in Frankfurt am Main, which is the center of attraction for many tourists. The central place on it is occupied by the old Römer town hall - it is in her honor that the entire square is named. The building with a stepped facade has become a real symbol of the city. Its interior is striking in luxury, especially the Imperial Hall, decorated with frescoes. Now Römer is a tourist square with many souvenir shops.

Speicherstadt (Hamburg)

The warehouse district of Hamburg, included in the heritage of UNESCO. The length of the warehouse line in the harbor is more than 1.5 km. The height of the structures reaches the size of 8-storey buildings, the style of their construction is neo-Gothic. A feature of the buildings is a deep foundation on oak logs. The construction of the district began in 1883 and lasted 44 years. There are many museums in the Speicherstadt area, including the famous Miniature Wonderland.

Porta Nigra (Trier)

Antique gate 30 meters high. Erected in 170. They are considered the best preserved in the world and are included in the UNESCO list. During the construction of the gate, cement was not used, then it was replaced by liquid tin. They, as well as metal staples, fastened blocks that were obtained by manually sawing multi-ton stones. During the Roman Empire Porta Nigra was used as a city gate.

Middle Rhine Valley

Natural and architectural landscape on the river Rhine, between the cities of Koblenz and Rüdesheim. Included in the list of UNESCO heritage sites. The area attracts a huge number of tourists. The slopes of the mountains are covered with vineyards, among them there are more than 20 castles. There are many rocks on the steep banks of the river, about one of which there is a sad legend with the name Lorelei.

Zugspitze

The highest point in Germany is 2962 meters. Located in the village of Grainau on the border with Austria. You can get to the top of the peak by train. The length of the line is 19.5 km. Travel time - 1.5 hours. You can get to the top much faster by one of the cable cars, it will take about 10 minutes. From the top there is a magnificent view of the Swiss Alps.

Rocks and Bastei Bridge

Located in a picturesque park, this region is called "Saxon Switzerland". The rocks are popular among rock climbers; they rise almost 200 meters above the Elbe River. A 100-meter bridge has been laid between the rocks over a 40-meter gorge. It was built in 1824 from wood, but in 1851 it was replaced with a more durable material. The path through the bridge leads to the ancient fortress.

Europa-Park (Rust)

The second most popular amusement park in Europe after Disneyland Paris. Its area of ​​90 hectares is divided into several parts, each of which symbolizes a separate country, where its flavor is recreated. The main attraction of the Russian part is a roller coaster, 980 meters long and with a maximum speed of 100 km/h. About 100 attractions have been collected in the park, about 150 actors from different countries are involved in show programs.

Berlin Zoo

It is one of the largest zoos in the world. Founded in 1884. More than 2.5 million people visit it every year. About 35 thousand animals have been collected in the zoo of the capital of Germany. The living conditions of pets are close to natural. There are practically no barriers in the park, but all conditions have been created for comfortable and safe observation of animals. For example, crocodiles can be observed from a suspension bridge.

English Garden (Munich)

Created in 1792. It starts in the center of Munich and extends 1 km to the north. The landscaping of the park is as close as possible to the natural landscape style. The park is divided by the autobahn into northern and southern parts. The sights of the southern part are the Chinese Tower 25 meters high, the Japanese tea house. In the northern part, the objects of inspection are the Amphitheater, the Tivoli power plant, the Sant-Emmeram Bridge.

Greater Tiergarten (Berlin)

More than 30 km of hiking trails have been laid across the area of ​​this park. The composition of the park is a star. In its middle is the Big Star Square, from which 9 rays-alleys diverge. There are many attractions in the park - Bellevue Palace, Brandenburg Gate, Museum of World Cultures. For those who prefer a relaxing holiday near the water, the Neuer park lake with a beer pub on the shore is more suitable.