Germany is not just Berlin. In fact, crossing the country it is possible to cross different historical centers, small medieval villages and several other metropolises, pervaded by history and culture. Here is the list of the ten most beautiful cities in Germany .
1 – Berlin
Berlin, the capital of Germany, is one of the cultural, political, scientific and trade fair centers of all of Europe, but one of the most populous cities, with its 3,531,201 inhabitants. A city full of life and energy, Berlin is a young city, home to numerous festivals, fairs and events, which together with the numerous cultural destinations, make it suitable for any type of holiday.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Berlin
- Best period : from mid-May to the end of September. Always have an umbrella with you, and some clothes that are a bit warmer even in summer.
- Main attractions : Brandenburg Gate, East Side Gallery, Holocaust Memorial
2 – Munich
Munich with its nearly 2 million inhabitants is the third largest city in Germany . Famous for being the home of royal residences (some of which are used by Disney as a model) and home to numerous churches and museums, Munich is a city where trendy and folklore go hand in hand. Just take a trip to Oktoberfest and the Allianz Arena to realize it.
- Best period : mid-May mid-September, when the temperature is mild. July and August are the hottest months, but it is still advisable to bring with you what you need for the “cool” and the rain.
- Main attractions : Oktoberfest, Allianz Arena, Marienplatz, Residenz
3 – Stuttgart
Stuttgart has about 600,000 inhabitants, and is among the most famous cities in all of Germany, due to its administrative, economic and above all cultural importance. Typical tourist city, known both for its innumerable historical and cultural sites, and for the large automobile industries (Porsche and BMW), Stuttgart is located near the Neckar river and the Black Forest, famous for being the setting for many of the Grimm’s fables.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Stuttgart
- Best period : mid-May mid-September, when the temperature is mild. July and August are the hottest months, but it is still advisable to bring with you what you need for the “cool” and the rain ..
- Main attractions : Neues Schloss, the New Palace – Schloss Solitude, the Solitude Castle – Stiftskirche Heiligen Kreuz, the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross
4 – Frankfurt
Frankfurt, with its 701,350 inhabitants, is one of the largest cities in Germany, and is located on the River Main. Given its almost total reconstruction, due to the bombings suffered during the war, Frankfurt has lost almost all of its historical heritage, but still has some interesting tourist attractions, such as numerous shops, skyscrapers and art galleries. Financial center of Germany and one of the most important in Europe , Frankfurt is the seat of the European Central Bank, the German Federal Bank and the Bank of Frankfurt.
SEE ALSO : what to see in Frankfurt and surroundings
- Best period : from mid-May to the end of September. Always have an umbrella with you, and some clothes that are a bit warmer even in summer.
- Main attractions : The Neue Altstadt “new old town” – The Imperial Cathedral, or Kaiserdom – The Romerberg
5 – Hamburg
Hamburg, with its 1.763 million inhabitants, is the second most populous city in Germany . Located on the estuary of the Elbe River, Hamburg is to all effects a city-state, and still today boasts the title of Freie-und Hansestadt Hamburg (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg). A city with a magical atmosphere, given by the contrast between the ancient structures of the center, dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, and the port, with its futuristic buildings, Hamburg provides everyone with the right opportunity to have fun. Famous for its Spiecherstadt, the largest warehouse complex in the world that rests on thousands of oak poles, the city also has no shortage of “nightlife”, as well as cultural and / or family-friendly entertainment.
SEE ALSO: 10 things you absolutely must see in Hamburg
- Best period : spring and summer, when the climate is milder and less rainy. In Hamburg it rains all year round but from April it is possible to encounter less intense rains and thunderstorms. In summer the climate is around 13 ° up to a maximum of 22 °, all thanks to the mitigating action of the storm surges.
- Main attractions : Speicherstadt, the fish market, the harbor
6 – Weimar
Weimar is a city of 65,479 inhabitants in Thuringia, and is one of the major cultural centers in all of Germany . With a rather small extension, the city has no representative monuments, but it can be considered a monument itself, so much so that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the birthplace of illustrious personalities such as Schiller, Goethe, Bach and Nietzsche , and is the seat of the Buchenwald concentration camp, now active as a memory and documentation center.
As in other German cities, also in Weimar it is possible to find a variant of bratwurst, the roasted sausage, accompanied by Thuringer KloBe, pasta balls and potatoes typical of Thuringia.
- Best time: in summer, when thunderstorms are short and not very intense, even if daily.
- Main attractions : The Goethehaus, the Lutherweg, the Anna Amalia Library
7 – Leipzig
Leipzig is a city of 531,562 inhabitants located in Saxony, historically significant as the site, in 1813, of the Battle of the Nations, and in 1989 of some peaceful pro-fall demonstrations of the Berlin Wall. Today Leipzig is defined as the “new Berlin” as it is modeled on the example of the capital, of which it is cheaper and with a nightlife of equal “fame”.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see absolutely in Leipzig
- Best period : from mid-May to late September, when the weather is still pleasant, with temperatures around 24/25 degrees. However, it is always better to have an umbrella in your suitcase and be prepared for the cold, as temperatures are characterized by strong instability.
- Main attractions : German National Library, Museum of Musical Instruments
8 – Cologne
Situated on the banks of the Rhine, Cologne has 1,800,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in Germany . Completely rebuilt after the Second World War, and considered as the cultural, political and above all economic center of the Rhineland, given the large presence of metallurgical, automotive and chemical industries .
Famous for its carnival, legend has it that the remains of the Magi are preserved in the Cathedral (a UNESCO heritage site since 1996).
- Best period : mid-May to mid-September, a period characterized by a mild climate
- Main attractions : Cologne Cathedral, Romisch-Germanisches Museum – Roman-Germanic Archaeological Museum, Ludwig Museum
9 – Nuremberg
Situated in the Land of Bavaria, on the banks of the Pegnitz river, Nuremberg has over half a million inhabitants. Although it was rebuilt after the Second World War, the city center still has interesting buildings from an artistic and historical point of view.
Famous is the Christkindlesmarkt, in Italian the Mercatino del Bambin Gesu: a Christmas market, which is said to have even been established by Martin Luther.
- Best period : from mid-May to mid-September, when the weather is still pleasant and mild
- Highlights : The Schoner Brunnen, the Bella Fountain, the Imperial Castle, the Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady
10 – Dresden
Dresden is a city of 531,806 inhabitants, located on the Elbe River. The valley of the city had been included by UNESCO in the World Heritage list and was then removed in 2009, following the construction of the Waldschlosschen bridge, guilty of usurping the landscape portrayed by Canaletto in his paintings.
Famous for its Christmas markets , Dresden makes architectural experimentation its strong point: on the one hand we have the faithfully Baroque part, on the other the modern part, with the famous house that rings when it rains .
Typical dessert of Dresden and the Dresden Stollen, the German equivalent of panettone.
- Best period : from mid-May to the end of September, even if the days are shorter in the last month. Although in this period the climate is pleasant and it is good to be equipped for sudden changes in temperature, and above all for rain.
- Main attractions : Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister museum, Sachsische Staatsoper opera house
Not just cities: 4 Villages not to be missed
1 – Heidelberg
Heidelberg is located on the banks of the Neckar river, and has 156,267 inhabitants, of which about 30,000 are students. This is because, after the foundation in 1386 of what is today the oldest university in Germany , Heidelberg has become the seat of the major cultural and scientific centers in the world. Although it is also the seat of numerous industries, the views of the city have retained their romanticism, inspiration for some of Turner’s paintings.
- Best time: Temperatures in Heidelberg can reach peaks of 30 ° in summer, which is still the best time to visit, given the shorter thunderstorms.
- Highlights : The Karl-Theodor-Brucke Bridge, Heidelberg Castle, the Philosophers’ Walk -Philosophenweg
2 – Bamberg
Bamberg has 70,000 inhabitants, and is located on the Regnitz River, in Upper Franconia. Tiny town, suitable for family holidays or day trips, Bamberg is famous for being the seat of the Schlenkerla brewery (born in the Middle Ages) and for the production of Rauchbier beer: although of all, the most famous is the Schinkenbier with Speck. Very characteristic is the Klein-Veneding stretch, little Venice, where it is possible to admire the floating Town Hall .
- Best time: spring – autumn, less rainy periods of the year.
- Main attractions : the Kaiserdom – Imperial Cathedral, the Altes Rathaus, the Old Town Hall, the Klein-Venedig, the Altenburg castle.
3 – Bremen
Bremen is a city of 550,000 inhabitants, located in Northern Germany. Developed on the River Weser, the city is the oldest in the nation , it has an economy based on maritime trade, shipbuilding and the automobile industry: it is in fact the headquarters of Daimler and Chrysler .
Rich in monuments, museums, art, history and culture, it is famous all over the world for being the seat of the fairytale “the Bremen Town Musicians”, of which there is a famous statue in the city.
Characteristic event is the six-day race: a cycling event that gathers more than 100,000 people every year.
- Best period : from May to September, when temperatures rise officially, starting the summer, and the rains are no longer frequent.
- Main attractions : Rathaus, Town Hall, Market Square, Uberseemuseum, Overseas Museum, among the most important in the world.
4 – Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria of 145,465 inhabitants, a rare case in all of Germany as it did not suffer damage during the Second World War: for this reason UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2006. So, for today, walking through Regensburg literally means immersing yourself in the history of what only a completely intact medieval city has to offer.
- Best period : spring and autumn, as the climate is mild and rainfall is scarce.
- Main attractions : The Stone Bridge, Steinerne Brucke, The Walhalla, the Old Town Hall
