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    Tourist Attractions in Germany

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Germany. Photos and a brief description.

    About Germany

    Germany is one of the safest countries for tourism, this fact attracts millions of travelers every year. The country has a rich history and cultural and educational tourism is one of the main directions. Palaces, fortresses and castles – many of them were built during the Middle Ages. Many of the most diverse attractions are historical UNESCO heritage sites.

    A tribute to the past is reflected in “military” tourism. It is difficult to call this direction entertaining, however, it is part of the history of the country. Fans of event tourism will be pleased with the most massive beer festival — Oktoberfest. For a family holiday, walks in park areas and attractionseeing of natural attractions are suitable, as well as a visit to the zoo in the capital and Europe Park in Rust.

    Top Cities to Visit in Germany

    Top Tourist Attractions in Germany

    Brandenburg Gate

    The symbol of the capital of Germany, since 1989 the symbol of the reunification of the country. It was built by architect Karl Gottgard Langgans. He made the gate project based on the passages of the Acropolis. The building in the classical style is perfectly combined with the rest of the buildings on Paris Square. The decoration of the gate is a 6–meter-high quadriga with a chariot driven by Victoria, the goddess of victory. The bas-reliefs of the inner walls depict the exploits of Hercules.

    Brandenburg Gate
    Reichstag

    Reichstag

    The State Assembly building. This monumental structure is 137 meters long and 103 meters wide. Built in the Italian Renaissance style in 1894. The four towers of the building symbolize the German kingdoms. Their height is 46 meters. You can climb to the top of the glass dome, from there you can see the government quarter and the city itself.

    Marienplatz (Munich)

    The central square of the city, founded in 1158. The name translates as "Maria Square", received in honor of the column of St. Mary, built in 1638. In the Middle Ages, jousting tournaments were held on the square. Also, since the Middle Ages, the Viktualienmarkt market has been located on the square. The attraction of the square is the highest cathedral of Munich Frauenkirche. There is a metro interchange under the square.

    Marienplatz (Munich)
    Oktoberfest

    Oktoberfest

    A unique, world-famous beer festival. The largest folklore folk festival in the world. It takes place in Munich, annually it is visited by about 6 million people. Traditional events at the festival were such as a costumed procession and a procession of the owners of beer tents, as well as the opening ceremony of the first beer barrel. Among the entertainment attractions are presented: a Ferris wheel, several roller coasters.

    The Berlin Wall

    The remains of the destroyed Berlin Wall, preserved as a memorial complex. Part of the complex – the "Window of Memory" is dedicated to the Germans who died while fleeing to west Berlin from the east. On the monument made of rusty steel, their black-and-white photos are placed in several rows. The Chapel of Reconciliation is also included in the complex. The entire Berlin Wall complex covers an area of 4 hectares.

    The Berlin Wall
    Museum Island (Berlin)

    Museum Island (Berlin)

    The cultural and architectural museum complex is listed as a UNESCO heritage site. It is located on the northern tip of Spreeinzel Island. The most visited is the Pergamon Museum. Its building presents objects of culture and art of the Ancient Collection and the Near East, as well as reconstructions of ancient structures of different peoples. Tourists and art critics from all over the world come to the Museum Island.

    Miniature Wonderland (Hamburg)

    The world's largest railway layout. A must-visit destination in Hamburg. The structure occupies an area of 1500 m2, it houses more than 10 zones of different subjects on a scale of 1:87. These are cities and countries, airports and train stations, gardens and parks. More than 1,000 trains move between them, 400,000 figures of people and animals are placed. Some details of the layout are actuated and controlled by buttons.

    Miniature Wonderland (Hamburg)
    Green Vault (Dresden)

    Green Vault (Dresden)

    Thanks to the collection of jewels in the museum, the "Green Vault" is called one of the richest treasuries in the world. The museum's exposition has thousands of items, of which about 1,100 exhibits belong to jewelry art. One of the most luxurious objects is the table composition "Palace Reception in Delhi", decorated with 5,223 diamonds, 175 emeralds, 189 rubies, 53 pearls and one sapphire.

    Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi, BMW and Porsche Museums

    Germany is the "birthplace of the automobile" and the cradle of the automotive industry. There are factories of the world's leading auto giants in the country. Motorist tourists can visit the headquarters and museums of their favorite automakers. Get acquainted with the history of enterprises and the biography of the people who created them. View car models, from the very first exhibits, to modern concepts. Drive on racing and test tracks.

    Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi, BMW and Porsche Museums
    Holocaust Memorial (Berlin)

    Holocaust Memorial (Berlin)

    Memorial to the memory of the murdered Jews of Europe. Opened in 2005 in Berlin, built according to the project of Peter Eisenman. It is a field on which 2700 concrete gray slabs of different sizes are placed. According to the author's idea, the labyrinths of passages between the blocks cause a feeling of inconsolability and fear, an understanding of the senselessness of the terrible deaths of millions of people. The halls of the Holocaust Museum and an information center for relatives of the victims are located under the memorial.

    Topography of Terror (Berlin)

    Memorial Center, built in 1987. It was created to comprehend and document terror during the times of National Socialism. Initially, the project was located in the basements of the Gestapo, and in 2010 a special building was built for it. The exhibition area occupies 800 m2. The center's complex also includes an open-air exhibition on the site of Prince Albrecht's Palace. About 500 thousand people visit the center annually.

    Topography of Terror (Berlin)
    Neuschwanstein Castle

    Neuschwanstein Castle

    An architectural masterpiece in the forests of the Bavarian Alps. The castle is incredibly popular with tourists. The decoration of the halls impresses with its luxury. There is a "swan motif" in many architectural and artistic elements. The swan is the heraldic symbol of the family of the Counts of Schwangau. Louis II, the initiator of the construction of the castle, belongs to this genus. He took a significant part in the development of the palace project, but lived in it for only 172 days. The construction of the castle took 17 years.

    Nymphenburg Palace

    The summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. The Baroque palace is located in a beautiful park in the west of Munich. The park area is decorated in the French style, like Versailles. The great hall of the palace is made in Rococo style and decorated with frescoes. The Gallery of Beauties presents 36 portraits by Stiller. The palace has a carriage museum and a porcelain museum. In line of sight from the walls of the palace is the Blutenburg Castle.

    Nymphenburg Palace
    Zwinger (Dresden)

    Zwinger (Dresden)

    An architectural complex in the Neo-Renaissance and Baroque style. Its buildings house the Physics and Mathematics Salon, the Dresden Art Gallery, as well as the Museum of Porcelain, Mineralogy, Sculpture and Geology. The first building of the complex was built of wood in 1709. The Dresden Art Gallery has collected more than 750 paintings by artists of Western Europe. Most of them were written before the beginning of the XVIII century.

    Sanssouci Palace and Park (Potsdam)

    The park was created in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Its area is 290 hectares, and the length of all walking paths of the park is 70 km. The most interesting building on its territory is the Frederick the Great Palace, built in 1745-1747. At the same time, grape orchards were laid out. In addition to the palace, the objects of inspection are the Ancient Temple and the Temple of Friendship, an Art Gallery built in 1764, the Grotto of Neptune. The Sanssouci complex is included in the UNESCO list.

    Sanssouci Palace and Park (Potsdam)
    Heidelberg Castle

    Heidelberg Castle

    A symbol of the architecture of German Romanticism. It is located on the 80-meter Koenigstuhl mountain. The raids of the French army in the XVII century left almost nothing but ruins from the castle. The castle received a patron in the person of Count Charles de Gremberg from France. He devoted his whole life to looking after the ruins of the castle and published a guide to it. This is what attracted millions of tourists to the castle, mainly from Japan and America.

    Frauenkirche (Dresden)

    The Church of the Holy Virgin Mary in Dresden. It was built in 1726-1743 in the Baroque style on the site of a dilapidated old building of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. It was rebuilt after the bombing of the city in 1945. The stones of the old building stand out in black spots on the light facade of the new one. The church, 95 meters high, is designed for 3,500 parishioners. It is crowned with a huge dome with a diameter of 26 meters and a weight of 12 tons.

    Frauenkirche (Dresden)
    Cologne Cathedral

    Cologne Cathedral

    A UNESCO heritage site and a symbol of Cologne. The official name is the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Mary. The facade of the cathedral is considered the largest of all the churches in the world. Its width is 86.5 meters, its length is 144.5 meters. The height of the towers is 157 meters, they can be seen from anywhere in the city. The interior is decorated with stained glass windows. The shrine of the cathedral is a shrine with the relics of the Magi who visited Christ at birth. Also one of the valuable relics is the staff of St. Peter.

    Berlin Cathedral

    Evangelical Church, built in 1894-1905. It is built of Silesian granite. The height of the cathedral after reconstruction is 98 meters. Visitors can view the crypt of the Hohenzollern dynasty, including the magnificent sarcophagus of Friedrich Wilhelm I. There is a park around the cathedral, in the center of which a fountain is built. The cathedral is located on Museum Island and is visited by tens of thousands of tourists annually.

    Berlin Cathedral
    Aachen Cathedral

    Aachen Cathedral

    It was founded in 796 by order of Emperor Charlemagne. It is one of the oldest surviving temples of the Middle Ages. The central part of the cathedral is the chapel-tomb, built according to the traditions of Byzantine architecture. A memorial stone on its floor indicates that the founder of the cathedral, Charlemagne, is buried under it. Over the years, Gothic halls, chapels and a Glass House were added to the cathedral.

    The territory of the NSDAP congresses (Nuremberg)

    In this area of more than 11 km2 in the south-east of Nuremberg, the NSDAP congresses were held from 1933 to 1938. Structures were built especially for the congresses – a stadium, a Zeppelin grandstand, a meeting building and others. Now this site has become an open-air museum. Visitors can feel the impact of the monumental architectural style. Organized excursions, seminars and talks are held at the museum.

    The territory of the NSDAP congresses (Nuremberg)
    Concentration camps of the Third Reich

    Concentration camps of the Third Reich

    The most famous in Germany are Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen. The camps of the Third Reich were particularly cruel to prisoners and inhuman conditions of detention. Not many people find the strength to visit them. In Dachau, the exposition tells about the history of the concentration camp and the fate of its prisoners. The main theme of Sachsenhausen is anti—fascist resistance. The crematorium, observation towers and gates of the camp with the inscription "To each his own" have been preserved in Buchenwald. The opening of all memorial complexes is united by one idea – not to forget the past, so as not to repeat this in the future.

    The Zollverein Mine (Essen)

    Opened in 1830, now abandoned. In the middle of the XIX century, it was considered one of the most productive and largest in the Ruhr region. After its closure in the 80s of the XX century, it was turned into a historical and cultural monument and taken under UNESCO protection. An interesting object of mine and factory architecture is open to tourists. The museum "The Road of Coal" shows all the stages of extraction and processing of this mineral.

    The Zollverein Mine (Essen)
    Hamburg Port

    Hamburg Port

    It is considered the third busiest port in Europe. Thousands of flights to different countries of the world are made from here every year. There are more than 300 berths for ocean and sea vessels in the port. There is a special department of the Hamburg History Museum. They can tell about the development of the port since its opening in 1189. Unofficially, the history of the port dates back to the IX century, from the moment when citizens received the right to trade.

    Holstentor (Lubeck)

    Medieval city gates in the architectural style of "brick Gothic". Also known as the "Holstein Gate". They are a protected UNESCO Heritage site. Until 1864, they were part of a complex of defensive structures. Two towers with conical roofs are connected by a span. Since the 1950s, Holstentor has been home to the museum of the city's history. Cultural events are held on the square at the gate.

    Holstentor (Lubeck)
    Roemer (Frankfurt am Main)

    Roemer (Frankfurt am Main)

    The square in Frankfurt am Main, which is the center of attraction for many tourists. The central place on it is occupied by the ancient Roemer Town Hall – the whole square is named in her honor. The building with a stepped facade has become a real symbol of the city. Its interior impresses with luxury, especially the Imperial Hall, decorated with frescoes. Now Remer is a tourist square with many souvenir shops.

    Speicherstadt (Hamburg)

    The warehouse district of Hamburg, included in the UNESCO Heritage. The length of the warehouse line in the harbor is more than 1.5 km. The height of the structures reaches the size of 8-storey buildings, the style of their construction is Neo–Gothic. A feature of the buildings is a deep foundation on oak logs. The construction of the district began in 1883, lasted 44 years. There are many museums in the Speicherstadt area, including the famous Miniature Wonderland.

    Speicherstadt (Hamburg)
    Porta Nigra (Trier)

    Porta Nigra (Trier)

    Antique gates with a height of 30 meters. Built in 170. They are considered the best preserved in the world and are included in the UNESCO list. Cement was not used in the construction of the gate, then it was replaced by liquid tin. They, as well as metal staples, fastened the blocks, which were obtained by manually sawing multi-ton stones. During the Roman Empire, the Porta Nigra was used as a city gate.

    Middle Rhine Valley

    Natural and architectural landscape on the Rhine River, between the cities of Koblenz and Rüdesheim. It is included in the list of UNESCO heritage sites. The area attracts a huge number of tourists. The slopes of the mountains are covered with vineyards, among them there are more than 20 castles. There are many rocks on the steep banks of the river, about one of which there is a sad legend with the name Lorelei.

    Middle Rhine Valley
    Zugspitze

    Zugspitze

    The highest point in Germany is 2962 meters. It is located in the village of Grainau on the border with Austria. You can get to the top of the peak by train. The length of the line is 19.5 km . Travel time is 1.5 hours. It is much faster to get to the top by one of the cable cars, it will take about 10 minutes. From the top there is a magnificent view of the Swiss Alps.

    Rocks and the Bastai Bridge

    Located in a picturesque park, this region is called "Saxon Switzerland". The rocks are popular among rock climbers, they rise almost 200 meters above the Elbe River. A 100-meter bridge is laid between the rocks above a 40-meter gorge. It was built in 1824 from wood, but in 1851 it was replaced with a more durable material. The path across the bridge leads to the ancient fortress.

    Rocks and the Bastai Bridge
    Europa-Park (Rust)

    Europa-Park (Rust)

    The second most popular amusement park in Europe after Disneyland Paris. Its area of 90 hectares is divided into several parts, each of which symbolizes a separate country, where its color is recreated. The main attraction of the Russian part is a roller coaster with a length of 980 meters and a maximum speed of 100 km/h. There are about 100 attractions in the park, about 150 actors from different countries are involved in the show programs.

    Berlin Zoo

    It is one of the largest zoos in the world. It was founded in 1884. More than 2.5 million people visit it annually. About 35 thousand animals have been collected in the zoo of the capital of Germany. The living conditions of pets are close to natural. There are practically no barriers in the park, but all conditions have been created for comfortable and safe observation of animals. For example, crocodiles can be observed from a suspension bridge.

    Berlin Zoo
    English Garden (Munich)

    English Garden (Munich)

    It was created in 1792. It starts in the center of Munich and extends for 1 km to the north. The landscape design of the park is as close as possible to the natural landscape style. The park is divided by the autobahn into northern and southern parts. The attractions of the southern part are a Chinese Tower with a height of 25 meters, a Japanese tea house. In the northern part, the objects of inspection are the Amphitheater, the Tivoli power Station, the Sant'emmeram Bridge.

    Grand Tiergarten (Berlin)

    There are more than 30 km of hiking trails laid across the area of this park. The composition of the park is a star. In its middle is the "Big Star" square, from which 9 rays-alleys diverge. There are many attractions in the park – Bellevue Palace, Brandenburg Gate, Museum of World Cultures. Those who prefer a relaxing holiday by the water are more suited to the park lake Neuer with a beer pub on the shore.

    Grand Tiergarten (Berlin)