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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Chinese Tower Chinese Tower
    57 45 min

    Chinese Tower

    Chinesischer Turm

    The Chinese Tower is a wooden pagoda-style structure located in Munich's Englischer Garten, one of the world's largest urban parks. Built in 1790, the tower stands approximately 25 metres tall and was designed by architect Johann Baptist Lechner.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  8. Prinzregententheater Prinzregententheater
    58 1 hour

    Prinzregententheater

    Prinzregententheater is a major theatre building in Munich, Germany. Constructed in the early twentieth century, it represents an important period of Bavarian cultural patronage under Prince Regent Luitpold.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Munich
  9. Berlin Mosque Berlin Mosque
    59 30 min

    Berlin Mosque

    Wilmersdorfer Moschee

    Berlin Mosque, also known as Wilmersdorfer Moschee, is an active Islamic place of worship in Berlin’s Wilmersdorf district. It serves a local Muslim community and forms part of the city’s diverse religious landscape.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Berlin
  10. St. Peter's Church St. Peter's Church
    60 30 min

    St. Peter's Church

    St. Peter

    St. Peter’s Church, known locally as St. Peter, is a historic church in Munich’s city centre. The building is one of the city’s notable religious landmarks and forms part of the architectural character of Munich’s historic core.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Munich
  11. Blutenburg Castle Blutenburg Castle
    61 45 min

    Blutenburg Castle

    Schloss Blutenburg

    Blutenburg Castle, or Schloss Blutenburg, is a historic castle complex in western Munich beside the Würm River. The site began as a medieval ducal hunting residence and preserves the character of a compact Bavarian noble ensemble.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  12. Mauerpark Mauerpark
    62 1 hour

    Mauerpark

    Mauerpark is a public park in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg district, occupying a former section of the death strip associated with the Berlin Wall. The name translates directly to Wall Park, referencing this divided history.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Berlin
  13. Stachus Stachus
    63 45 min

    Stachus

    Karlsplatz (Stachus)

    Karlsplatz, colloquially known as Stachus, is a major square in central Munich. The name Stachus derives from a former inn, the Beim Stachusgarten, which once stood nearby.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  14. Hohenschönhausen Castle Hohenschönhausen Castle
    64 45 min

    Hohenschönhausen Castle

    Schloss Hohenschönhausen

    Hohenschönhausen Castle is a historic building in Berlin’s Hohenschönhausen district, within the Lichtenberg borough. The castle forms part of the neighbourhood’s architectural heritage and stands among residential streets and green surroundings.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  15. Palais am Festungsgraben Palais am Festungsgraben
    65 45 min

    Palais am Festungsgraben

    Palais am Festungsgraben is a historic palace building on Unter den Linden in central Berlin. Its name refers to the Festungsgraben, the former moat associated with Berlin’s defensive walls.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  16. St. Ursula St. Ursula
    66 45 min

    St. Ursula

    Kirche St. Ursula

    St. Ursula is an active Catholic church in Munich, also known locally as Kirche St. Ursula. It serves the local Catholic community and welcomes visitors interested in religious architecture and the atmosphere of a working place of worship.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  17. Ismaning Palace Ismaning Palace
    67 45 min

    Ismaning Palace

    Schloss Ismaning

    Ismaning Palace is a Baroque palace in the municipality of Ismaning, northeast of Munich. Unlike a palace preserved solely as a museum, it functions as a municipal administrative center and cultural venue.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  18. Berliner Ensemble Berliner Ensemble
    68 1 hour

    Berliner Ensemble

    Berliner Ensemble is a theatre company and performance venue on Bertolt-Brecht-Platz in Berlin’s Mitte district. Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel founded it in 1949, and the institution remains closely associated with epic theatre, political engagement and Brecht’s ideas about performance.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Berlin
  19. Körnerpark Körnerpark
    69 1 hour

    Körnerpark

    Körnerpark is a formal public park in Berlin, designed around symmetry, axial views, clipped greenery, lawns, paths, and architectural framing. It feels more like a composed garden room than a stretch of untamed urban nature.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Berlin
  20. Bauakademie Bauakademie
    70 45 min

    Bauakademie

    Bauakademie is a historic Berlin site associated with architectural education and Prussian building administration. The original nineteenth-century building became an important institution for architects and engineers, but it was badly damaged during the Second World War and later demolished.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  21. Köllnischer Park Köllnischer Park
    71 1 hour

    Köllnischer Park

    Köllnischer Park is a public green space in Berlin’s Mitte district, close to the Spree and the historic Nikolai quarter. It occupies land associated with the former settlement of Cölln, which later joined Berlin.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Berlin
  22. Arco-Zinneberg Palace Arco-Zinneberg Palace
    72 45 min

    Arco-Zinneberg Palace

    Palais Arco-Zinneberg

    Palais Arco-Zinneberg is a historic palace building in Munich, associated with the noble Arco family. The structure represents aristocratic residential architecture from the 19th century, reflecting the cultural and social prominence of its patrons.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  23. Castle Suresnes Castle Suresnes
    73 45 min

    Castle Suresnes

    Schloss Suresnes

    Castle Suresnes, known locally as Schloss Suresnes, is a historic building in Munich. It gives travelers a chance to explore a less conventional architectural landmark within the city’s urban landscape.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  24. Rykestrasse Synagogue Rykestrasse Synagogue
    74 30 min

    Rykestrasse Synagogue

    Synagoge Rykestraße

    Rykestrasse Synagogue is an active Jewish house of worship on Rykestraße in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. Its red-brick architecture and substantial scale make it a prominent landmark in the neighbourhood.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Berlin
  25. Berlin-Marzahn concentration camp Berlin-Marzahn concentration camp
    75 45 min

    Berlin-Marzahn concentration camp

    Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn

    The Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn is a memorial in Berlin’s Marzahn district commemorating a Nazi-era forced-labor camp. It belongs to the city’s wider landscape of remembrance and addresses the persecution and exploitation carried out under National Socialist rule.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • 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.