A photograph of Germany

Country guide

Up to 1 hour 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. Zeiss Major Planetarium Zeiss Major Planetarium
    32 45 min

    Zeiss Major Planetarium

    Zeiss-Großplanetarium

    Zeiss Major Planetarium, known locally as Zeiss-Großplanetarium, is a dedicated astronomy venue in Berlin. Its large dome gives the building a memorable profile in the city, while the programme combines public education with immersive entertainment.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  2. Berlin Central Station Berlin Central Station
    33 45 min

    Berlin Central Station

    Berlin Hauptbahnhof

    Berlin Central Station, known locally as Berlin Hauptbahnhof, is the city’s principal railway hub and one of Berlin’s most striking modern buildings.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  3. Olympiapark Olympiapark
    34 1 hour

    Olympiapark

    Olympiapark is a large sports and leisure complex in northern Munich, constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. The site encompasses approximately 850,000 square metres on the Oberwiesenfeld, combining sporting facilities, parkland, and architectural landmarks.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Munich
  4. Sendlinger Tor Sendlinger Tor
    35 45 min

    Sendlinger Tor

    Sendlinger Tor is one of Munich's three remaining medieval city gates, standing at the southern end of the historic old town.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  5. Marx-Engels Forum Marx-Engels Forum
    36 1 hour

    Marx-Engels Forum

    Marx-Engels-Forum

    Marx-Engels Forum is an open-air park and memorial ensemble in central Berlin’s Mitte district, beside the Spree River. The site commemorates Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, whose writings shaped socialist and communist movements around the world.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Berlin
  6. Ruhmeshalle Ruhmeshalle
    37 45 min

    Ruhmeshalle

    Ruhmeshalle is a sweeping nineteenth-century Doric colonnade on Munich’s Theresienwiese, the open grounds associated with Oktoberfest. Leo von Klenze designed the monument as a hall of fame for distinguished Bavarians.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  7. Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide
    38 45 min

    Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide

    Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Schönholzer Heide

    The Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide is a monumental cemetery and memorial complex in Berlin’s Pankow district. It commemorates Soviet soldiers who died during the Battle of Berlin in 1945.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  8. Konzerthaus Berlin Konzerthaus Berlin
    39 1 hour

    Konzerthaus Berlin

    Konzerthaus Berlin is a classical concert hall on Gendarmenmarkt, the historic square framed by the German and French Cathedrals. The building occupies a central position in Berlin’s cultural landscape and is valued both for its music programme and its architecture.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Berlin
  9. Königsplatz Königsplatz
    40 1 hour

    Königsplatz

    Königsplatz is a historic square in Munich's Maxvorstadt district, designed in the early 19th century as part of King Ludwig I's vision for a monumental arts district.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Munich
  10. Karlstor (München) Karlstor (München)
    41 45 min

    Karlstor (München)

    Karlstor

    Karlstor is one of three remaining medieval city gates in Munich, Germany. It stands at the western end of Neuhauser Straße, marking the boundary between the historic city center and the Karlsplatz area.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  11. Berlin Cathedral Berlin Cathedral
    42 30 min

    Berlin Cathedral

    Berliner Dom

    Berlin Cathedral, known locally as Berliner Dom, stands as a prominent landmark on Museum Island in the heart of Berlin. This Protestant church serves as a major place of worship and houses the Hohenzollern crypt.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Berlin
  12. Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg
    43 1 hour

    Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg

    The Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg is the botanical garden of Munich, operated in association with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. It serves as both a scientific research facility and a public garden.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Munich
  13. AEG’s Turbine factory AEG’s Turbine factory
    44 45 min

    AEG’s Turbine factory

    AEG Turbinenfabrik

    AEG’s Turbine factory, known as the AEG Turbinenfabrik, is a landmark of Berlin’s industrial architecture in Moabit. Peter Behrens designed the building for AEG, and it was completed in 1909.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  14. Cuvilliés Theatre Cuvilliés Theatre
    45 45 min

    Cuvilliés Theatre

    Cuvilliés-Theater

    Cuvilliés Theatre is a historic rococo theatre in Munich’s Residenz complex. François de Cuvilliés designed the eighteenth-century court theatre for the Bavarian royal family, and the building remains one of Europe’s important surviving rococo theatre interiors.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  15. Justizpalast Justizpalast
    46 45 min

    Justizpalast

    The Justizpalast is a historic courthouse building in Munich, Germany. Constructed in the late 19th century, it serves as a significant judicial and architectural landmark in the city.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  16. Soviet War Memorial Soviet War Memorial
    47 45 min

    Soviet War Memorial

    Sowjetisches Ehrenmal

    The Soviet War Memorial in Berlin is a monumental commemorative site erected by the Soviet Union to honor Red Army soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin in 1945.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  17. Frauenkirche Frauenkirche
    48 30 min

    Frauenkirche

    The Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, stands as Munich's cathedral and one of its most recognizable landmarks. Its distinctive twin domes, visible across the city skyline, have become symbolic of Munich itself.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Munich
  18. Fürstenried Palace Fürstenried Palace
    49 45 min

    Fürstenried Palace

    Schloss Fürstenried

    Fürstenried Palace, also known as Schloss Fürstenried, is a Baroque palace in Munich’s southwestern Fürstenried district. Elector Max Emanuel of Bavaria built it in the early eighteenth century as a hunting lodge.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  19. Müggel-Tower Müggel-Tower
    50 20 min

    Müggel-Tower

    Müggelturm

    Müggel-Tower, or Müggelturm, is an observation tower in Berlin’s southeastern Köpenick district. The tower stands in the Müggelberge hills above a landscape of forest, lakes, and the broad waters of Müggelsee, Berlin’s largest lake.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Berlin
  20. Alter Botanischer Garten Alter Botanischer Garten
    51 1 hour

    Alter Botanischer Garten

    Alter Botanischer Garten is a historic public park in central Munich near Karlsplatz-Stachus. The site housed Munich’s original botanical garden from 1812 until the gardens moved to Nymphenburg in 1914.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Munich
  21. Abbey Church of St. Anna Abbey Church of St. Anna
    52 45 min

    Abbey Church of St. Anna

    Sankt-Anna-Klosterkirche

    Abbey Church of St. Anna, locally known as Sankt-Anna-Klosterkirche, is a religious building in Munich and serves as the church of a Benedictine abbey. The church has an active religious purpose as well as architectural and cultural interest for visitors.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  22. New Synagogue Berlin New Synagogue Berlin
    53 30 min

    New Synagogue Berlin

    Neue Synagoge

    The Neue Synagoge, or New Synagogue Berlin, stands on Oranienburger Straße as one of the city's most significant Jewish heritage landmarks.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Berlin
  23. Theater des Westens Theater des Westens
    54 1 hour

    Theater des Westens

    Stage Theater des Westens

    Theater des Westens is a major Berlin theatre venue in Charlottenburg, operating under the Stage Theater des Westens name. It belongs in a Berlin evening plan for travellers who want a full theatrical production in an established performance setting.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Berlin
  24. Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism
    55 45 min

    Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism

    Denkmal für die im Nationalsozialismus ermordeten Sinti und Roma Europas

    The Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism is a Berlin monument dedicated to European Sinti and Roma murdered under Nazi rule.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  25. Bierpinsel Bierpinsel
    56 1 hour

    Bierpinsel

    Bierpinsel is a distinctive tower structure in Berlin, Germany. The building features an unusual architectural design that has made it a recognizable landmark in the city's urban landscape.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Berlin

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.