A photograph of Germany

Country guide

Up to 1 hour in 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. Fernsehturm Berlin Fernsehturm Berlin
    02 1 hour

    Fernsehturm Berlin

    Berliner Fernsehturm

    Fernsehturm Berlin is the 368-metre television tower at Alexanderplatz, built in the German Democratic Republic and now used as a city observation attraction. High-speed lifts carry admitted visitors to the observation deck and rotating Sphere restaurant.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  2. Brandenburg Gate Brandenburg Gate
    03 45 min

    Brandenburg Gate

    Brandenburger Tor

    The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, Germany. Commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia, it was completed in 1791 based on designs by Carl Gotthard Langhans.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  3. Charlottenburg Palace Charlottenburg Palace
    04 45 min

    Charlottenburg Palace

    Schloss Charlottenburg

    Charlottenburg Palace, known locally as Schloss Charlottenburg, stands as the largest and most significant palace complex in Berlin.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  4. Rotes Rathaus Rotes Rathaus
    05 45 min

    Rotes Rathaus

    The Rotes Rathaus is the historic city hall of Berlin, serving as the seat of the Governing Mayor and the Senate of Berlin.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  5. St. Hedwig's Cathedral St. Hedwig's Cathedral
    06 45 min

    St. Hedwig's Cathedral

    St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale Berlin

    St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, locally known as St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale Berlin, is a Catholic cathedral near Bebelplatz in Berlin’s Mitte district.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  6. New Town Hall New Town Hall
    07 1 hour

    New Town Hall

    Neues Rathaus

    The Neues Rathaus fills the whole north side of Marienplatz and is a working building rather than a monument: the mayor, the city council and part of Munich's administration sit here, and the city counts more than 600 staff across…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  7. Theatine Church Theatine Church
    08 45 min

    Theatine Church

    Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan

    Theatine Church of St. Cajetan is a prominent Catholic church beside Odeonsplatz in central Munich. Built in the Italian Baroque style during the seventeenth century, it is recognised by its pale yellow facade, monumental proportions, and ornate interior.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  8. Siegessäule Siegessäule
    09 45 min

    Siegessäule

    The Siegessäule, or Victory Column, stands in Berlin's Tiergarten park. Erected in the 1870s to commemorate Prussian military victories, the monument features a gilded bronze statue of Victoria at its summit.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  9. Berlin-Tempelhof Airport Berlin-Tempelhof Airport
    10 45 min

    Berlin-Tempelhof Airport

    Ehemaliger Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof

    Berlin-Tempelhof Airport is a former airport whose immense terminal and airfield now form a public park and event landscape. Flights ended in 2008, leaving behind a place where aviation history and everyday city life meet.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  10. Spandau Citadel Spandau Citadel
    11 45 min

    Spandau Citadel

    Zitadelle Spandau

    The Spandau Citadel, known locally as Zitadelle Spandau, is a fortress complex in Berlin's Spandau district. Constructed in the 16th century on the site of earlier medieval fortifications, it represents one of Europe's best-preserved Renaissance military structures.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  11. Hofgarten (München) Hofgarten (München)
    12 45 min

    Hofgarten (München)

    Hofgarten

    Hofgarten is a formal garden in central Munich, located adjacent to the Residenz palace complex. The garden was originally laid out in the early 17th century as a Renaissance-style court garden for the Bavarian rulers.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  12. Olympiaturm Olympiaturm
    13 20 min

    Olympiaturm

    The Olympic Tower is shut. Olympiapark München GmbH closed it on 1 June 2024 for renovation, and it had not reopened when this page was checked on 26 August 2026, so nothing described here can be entered today.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  13. Gendarmenmarkt Gendarmenmarkt
    14 45 min

    Gendarmenmarkt

    Gendarmenmarkt is a historic public square in the Mitte district of central Berlin. The ensemble comprises the Konzerthaus concert hall flanked by the German Cathedral and the French Cathedral, two nearly identical domed church structures.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  14. Neue Wache Neue Wache
    15 45 min

    Neue Wache

    Neue Wache is a neoclassical memorial on Berlin’s Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district. Karl Friedrich Schinkel designed the building, completed in 1818 as a guardhouse for Prussian troops.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  15. Schleißheim palace complex Schleißheim palace complex
    16 45 min

    Schleißheim palace complex

    Neues Schloss Schleißheim

    The Schleißheim palace complex, locally known as Neues Schloss Schleißheim, stands among the most significant Baroque palace ensembles in Germany. Located in the Munich metropolitan area, this architectural complex comprises multiple palaces and extensive gardens developed over several centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  16. Bavaria Bavaria
    17 45 min

    Bavaria

    Bavaria is a monumental bronze statue standing prominently in Munich's Theresienwiese, the traditional grounds of Oktoberfest. Cast in the 19th century, this female personification of the Bavarian homeland ranks among Europe's largest bronze sculptures.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  17. East Side Gallery East Side Gallery
    18 1 hour

    East Side Gallery

    The East Side Gallery is an open-air gallery on a preserved section of the former Berlin Wall in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It stretches along Mühlenstraße and comprises approximately 1,316 metres of concrete wall surface.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Berlin
  18. Feldherrnhalle Feldherrnhalle
    19 45 min

    Feldherrnhalle

    Feldherrnhalle is a monumental loggia on the Odeonsplatz in central Munich. Commissioned by King Ludwig I and completed in 1844, it was modelled on the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  19. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin
    20 1 hour

    Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin

    Botanischer Garten

    Berlin’s Botanic Garden is a large living plant collection in Dahlem, paired institutionally with the Botanical Museum. The garden, greenhouses and major outdoor collections remain open, but the Botanical Museum exhibition areas are closed for modernisation until approximately 2027.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Berlin
  20. Siegestor Siegestor
    21 45 min

    Siegestor

    Siegestor is a nineteenth-century triumphal arch at the northern end of Ludwigstraße, where the avenue becomes Leopoldstraße in Munich. King Ludwig I commissioned the monument to commemorate Bavarian military achievements, and Friedrich von Gärtner designed it.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  21. World Clock World Clock
    22 45 min

    World Clock

    Urania-Weltzeituhr

    The World Clock, or Urania-Weltzeituhr, is a public landmark on Alexanderplatz in Berlin’s Mitte district. Its rotating display presents the time for twenty-four world cities and international time zones.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  22. Hackesche Höfe Hackesche Höfe
    23 45 min

    Hackesche Höfe

    Hackesche Höfe is a historic courtyard complex in Berlin's Mitte district, situated in the Spandauer Vorstadt area near Hackescher Markt. Constructed in the early twentieth century around 1906-1907, the ensemble comprises eight interconnected courtyards with Art Nouveau architectural detailing.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Berlin
  23. Isartor Isartor
    24 45 min

    Isartor

    Isartor is one of Munich's surviving medieval city gates and marks the eastern edge of the historic Altstadt.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Munich
  24. Grunewald Tower Grunewald Tower
    25 20 min

    Grunewald Tower

    Grunewaldturm

    Grunewald Tower, known locally as Grunewaldturm, stands as a historic observation structure within Berlin's expansive Grunewald forest area. The tower offers elevated vantage points over surrounding woodland and nearby waterways.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • 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.