A photograph of Germany

Country guide

Germany

Germany runs from the Baltic and North Sea coasts in the north down to the Alps in the south, and its 16 states have kept enough separateness that the country r...

Photograph · Llez · CC BY-SA 3.0

21,822 Places
2Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Germany runs from the Baltic and North Sea coasts in the north down to the Alps in the south, and its 16 states have kept enough separateness that the country reads as a set of destinations rather than one. Over 83 million people live in them, more than any other European Union member. Berlin is the capital and the largest single city, Frankfurt is the financial centre, and the largest urban area is neither - it is the Ruhr, a belt of western towns that have grown into each other. Choosing between the Bavarian south, the Rhine, the Hanseatic north and the eastern cities is the actual planning decision; the distances are short and the places are not variations on one another.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
German
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+49
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112 medical/fire · 110 police
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
Public drinking water is regulated under national drinking-water rules

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Deutsches Theatermuseum Deutsches Theatermuseum
    57 1 hr 30 min

    Deutsches Theatermuseum

    The Deutsches Theatermuseum is a museum in Munich dedicated to the history of theatre. It houses collections related to theatrical performance, including costumes, set designs, and other stage-related materials.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  2. Nymphenburg Porcelain Museum Nymphenburg Porcelain Museum
    58 1 hr 30 min

    Nymphenburg Porcelain Museum

    Porzellanmuseum München

    Nymphenburg Porcelain Museum is a specialist collection within the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. It focuses on the history and artistry of the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, one of Europe’s oldest porcelain producers.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  3. Marstallmuseum Marstallmuseum
    59 1 hr 30 min

    Marstallmuseum

    Marstallmuseum Nymphenburg

    Marstallmuseum is a museum of royal carriages, sleighs and riding equipment within the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. It occupies the former royal stables and preserves vehicles associated with Bavarian rulers, particularly during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  4. Museum Mineralogia Munich Museum Mineralogia Munich
    60 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Mineralogia Munich

    Museum Mineralogia München

    Museum Mineralogia Munich is a specialist collection where crystals are presented through their roles in nature and technology.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  5. Museum of Man and Nature Museum of Man and Nature
    61 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Man and Nature

    Museum Mensch und Natur

    The Museum Mensch und Natur is a natural history museum situated within the Nymphenburg Palace complex in Munich. It explores the relationship between humans and the natural world through scientific exhibits.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  6. Otto König von Griechenland-Museum Otto König von Griechenland-Museum
    62 1 hr 30 min

    Otto König von Griechenland-Museum

    Otto-König-von-Griechenland-Museum

    Otto König von Griechenland-Museum presents the story of Otto, the Bavarian prince who became the first modern King of Greece in 1832. The subject connects Munich with nineteenth-century European monarchy, Greek state formation and the Wittelsbach dynasty.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  7. DenkStätte Weiße Rose DenkStätte Weiße Rose
    63 1 hr 30 min

    DenkStätte Weiße Rose

    The DenkStätte Weiße Rose is a memorial and exhibition space in Munich dedicated to the White Rose resistance group. During the Nazi era, this student movement distributed leaflets calling for opposition to the regime.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  8. Kallmann-Museum Kallmann-Museum
    64 1 hr 30 min

    Kallmann-Museum

    Kallmann-Museum is a museum in Munich, Germany, included in the city’s official tourism listings as a cultural place of visitor interest.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  9. Schlossmuseum Ismaning Schlossmuseum Ismaning
    65 1 hr 30 min

    Schlossmuseum Ismaning

    Schlossmuseum

    Schlossmuseum Ismaning is a castle museum in Ismaning, an independent municipality northeast of Munich. The museum occupies a historic schloss and introduces visitors to the heritage of the town and its former aristocratic setting.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  10. Sudetendeutsches Museum Sudetendeutsches Museum
    66 1 hr 30 min

    Sudetendeutsches Museum

    The Sudetendeutsches Museum in Munich presents the history and cultural heritage of the Sudeten Germans, an ethnic German population historically associated with Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  11. Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contempory Art Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contempory Art
    67 1 hr 30 min

    Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contempory Art

    Urban Nation

    Urban Nation is a Berlin museum devoted to urban contemporary art, street art and graffiti culture. It gives art forms associated with public walls, neighbourhoods and alternative scenes a formal exhibition setting.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Berlin
  12. Valentin-Volkssänger-Musäum Valentin-Volkssänger-Musäum
    68 1 hr 30 min

    Valentin-Volkssänger-Musäum

    Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum

    The Valentin-Volkssänger-Musäum, locally known as the Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum, is a museum in Munich dedicated to the Bavarian comedian and folk singer Karl Valentin and his collaborator Liesl Karlstadt.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  13. Berlin Wall Memorial Berlin Wall Memorial
    69 2 hours

    Berlin Wall Memorial

    Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Dokumentationszentrum)

    The Berlin Wall Memorial preserves the central historical site of German division along 1.4 kilometres of Bernauer Straße. It combines original border remains, archaeological traces, reconstructed elements and public interpretation across the former frontier.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Berlin
  14. Erwin von Kreibig Museum Erwin von Kreibig Museum
    70 1 hr 30 min

    Erwin von Kreibig Museum

    Erwin von Kreibig Museum is devoted to the life and artistic legacy of Erwin von Kreibig. It gives travellers a focused way to explore one figure within Munich’s wider cultural history.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  15. Kunstbau Kunstbau
    71 1 hr 30 min

    Kunstbau

    Kunstbau is an exhibition space in Munich dedicated to contemporary art. The venue occupies a distinctive above-ground structure that serves as a platform for modern artistic expression.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  16. Staatliche Münzsammlung München Staatliche Münzsammlung München
    72 1 hr 30 min

    Staatliche Münzsammlung München

    Staatliche Münzsammlung

    The Staatliche Münzsammlung München is a state-administered numismatic collection in Munich. It presents the material history of money through coins, medals, banknotes, and related objects from different periods and regions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  17. Heimatmuseum Karlsfeld Heimatmuseum Karlsfeld
    73 1 hr 30 min

    Heimatmuseum Karlsfeld

    Heimatmuseum Karlsfeld is a local history museum situated in the Karlsfeld district northwest of central Munich. The museum occupies a purpose-built or adapted structure serving as a repository for regional heritage.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Munich
  18. ZEIT+RAUM Museum ZEIT+RAUM Museum
    74 1 hr 30 min

    ZEIT+RAUM Museum

    Zeit+Raum

    ZEIT+RAUM Museum offers a specialised cultural experience in Munich centred on the ideas of time and space. Its subject separates it from conventional museums organised around a single historical period, artist or collection type.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Munich
  19. Deutsches Skimuseum Deutsches Skimuseum
    75 1 hr 30 min

    Deutsches Skimuseum

    The Deutsches Skimuseum is a museum in Munich dedicated to the history and culture of skiing. It preserves and presents equipment, artifacts, and documentation relating to the development of skiing as a sport and recreational activity.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Munich
  20. Feringer Sach Feringer Sach
    76 1 hr 30 min

    Feringer Sach

    Feringer Sach is a named museum in Munich for travellers who enjoy focused cultural places beyond the city’s most familiar landmark circuit. Its identity is established by the museum’s own visitor pages and Bavarian museum listings.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Munich
  21. Toy Museum Toy Museum
    77 1 hr 30 min

    Toy Museum

    Spielzeugmuseum

    Spielzeugmuseum is a toy museum located in Munich, Germany. It is housed within the Old Town Hall building at Marienplatz, placing it at the historic heart of the city.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Munich
  22. Kinder- und Jugendmuseum München Kinder- und Jugendmuseum München
    78 1 hr 30 min

    Kinder- und Jugendmuseum München

    Kindermuseum München

    Kinder- und Jugendmuseum München, also known locally as Kindermuseum München, is a children’s and youth museum in Munich. The museum is designed around interactive educational experiences for younger visitors, making participation central to the visit.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Munich

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Germany be?

Seven to ten days works for Berlin plus one connected region, or for a focused Rhine, Bavaria or northern-city route. Germany’s rail network makes multi-city travel practical, but changing bases every night still reduces useful time.

What entry documents are needed for Germany?

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office is the official visa reference. Review its nationality-specific entry rules and the Schengen application guidance for the passport and route being used.

What is the best way to travel around Germany?

Intercity and high-speed trains connect Germany’s major cities, with regional services completing shorter journeys. Deutsche Bahn publishes the integrated timetable; airport choice should follow the route rather than defaulting to one national gateway.

When is a practical time to visit Germany?

May through September favours outdoor city and countryside travel, while December has a distinct seasonal-market pattern. Alpine, North Sea and urban conditions differ enough that the intended region should determine clothing and reservations.

What money and payment basics apply in Germany?

Germany uses the euro (EUR). Cash and card practices are not stated as a single national rule in the cited source, so travellers should carry a backup and check the payment method before ordering or boarding.

What practical safety details should I save for Germany?

For Germany, 112 reaches medical and fire services and 110 reaches police. Type C and F plugs use 230 V, and mains tap water is recorded as safe.