A photograph of Germany

Country guide

1 to 2 hours in Germany — page 3

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. Alpine Museum Alpine Museum
    51 1 hr 30 min

    Alpine Museum

    Alpines Museum

    The Alpine Museum in Munich is a museum dedicated to the history, culture, and exploration of the Alpine region. It serves as a repository for mountaineering heritage, preserving artifacts and narratives related to the Alps across multiple countries.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  2. Das Kartoffelmuseum Das Kartoffelmuseum
    52 1 hr 30 min

    Das Kartoffelmuseum

    Pfanni Museum

    Das Kartoffelmuseum, also known locally as the Pfanni Museum, is a Munich museum devoted to the potato and its cultural significance. The subject brings together food history, agriculture and culinary use in a focused museum concept.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  3. Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke
    53 1 hr 30 min

    Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke

    Museum für Abgüsse klassischer Bildwerke

    Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke is a Munich museum devoted to plaster casts of classical sculpture.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  4. The New Collection The New Collection
    54 1 hr 30 min

    The New Collection

    Die neue Sammlung

    The New Collection, known locally as Die neue Sammlung, is a design museum located in Munich. It holds significance as one of the world's leading institutions dedicated to design and applied arts.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  5. Aquarium Berlin Aquarium Berlin
    55 1 hr 30 min

    Aquarium Berlin

    Aquarium Berlin is a zoological aquarium located in Berlin, Germany. It operates in conjunction with the adjacent Berlin Zoological Garden, forming one of the most comprehensive combined zoo and aquarium facilities in Europe.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Berlin
  6. Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleißheim Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleißheim
    56 1 hr 30 min

    Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleißheim

    Flugwerft Schleißheim

    Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleißheim is an aviation museum north of Munich, near Oberschleißheim. It occupies historic buildings at the former Schleißheim airfield, one of Germany’s oldest aviation sites.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  7. Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum
    57 1 hr 30 min

    Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum

    The Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum is a branch of the Deutsches Museum dedicated to transportation history. Located in Munich, it occupies historic exhibition halls at Theresienhöhe.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  8. Futurium Futurium
    58 1 hr 30 min

    Futurium

    Futurium is a museum and exhibition space in Berlin dedicated to exploring possible futures. It opened in 2019 near the Hauptbahnhof on the site of a former freight station.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Berlin
  9. Geologisches Museum München Geologisches Museum München
    59 1 hr 30 min

    Geologisches Museum München

    Geologisches Museum

    The Geologisches Museum München is a geological museum in Munich devoted to earth sciences and natural history.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  10. Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art
    60 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art

    MUCA

    MUCA, the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art, is a Munich museum devoted to street art and contemporary artistic practice. Its central setting connects urban culture with a formal exhibition environment.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  11. Tierpark Berlin Tierpark Berlin
    61 1 hr 30 min

    Tierpark Berlin

    Tierpark Berlin is a large landscape zoo in Friedrichsfelde, eastern Berlin. Founded in 1955 on the grounds of the former Friedrichsfelde Palace gardens, it combines animal habitats with extensive parkland and historic surroundings.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Berlin
  12. Museum Peter Gehring Museum Peter Gehring
    62 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Peter Gehring

    Museum Peter Gehring is a museum in Munich, Germany, listed among the city’s visitor destinations. The institution is identified by the name Peter Gehring and occupies a mapped place within Munich’s urban cultural network.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  13. Residence Museum Residence Museum
    63 1 hr 30 min

    Residence Museum

    Residenzmuseum und Schatzkammer

    The Residence Museum and Treasury is a palace museum complex in central Munich. It occupies part of the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach dynasty, who ruled Bavaria for centuries.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Munich
  14. Deutsches Theatermuseum Deutsches Theatermuseum
    64 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
  15. Nymphenburg Porcelain Museum Nymphenburg Porcelain Museum
    65 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
  16. Marstallmuseum Marstallmuseum
    66 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
  17. Museum Mineralogia Munich Museum Mineralogia Munich
    67 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
  18. Museum of Man and Nature Museum of Man and Nature
    68 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
  19. Otto König von Griechenland-Museum Otto König von Griechenland-Museum
    69 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
  20. Kino International Kino International
    70 2 hours

    Kino International

    Kino International is a historic cinema located in Berlin, Germany. It stands as a notable example of East German architectural heritage from the GDR period.

    • High
    • Entertainment venue
    • Berlin
  21. Zoo Palast Zoo Palast
    71 2 hours

    Zoo Palast

    Zoo Palast is a historic cinema in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district, close to the Zoologischer Garten area. The venue belongs to Berlin’s long film-going tradition and is associated with screenings and premieres.

    • High
    • Entertainment venue
    • Berlin
  22. DenkStätte Weiße Rose DenkStätte Weiße Rose
    72 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
  23. Kallmann-Museum Kallmann-Museum
    73 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
  24. Schlossmuseum Ismaning Schlossmuseum Ismaning
    74 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
  25. Sudetendeutsches Museum Sudetendeutsches Museum
    75 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

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.