Where are the most beautiful places in Germany?
Our pick of the most beautiful places in Southern Germany might come as a surprise to some.
Wondering where to start on planning a trip to Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg? We’ve come up with a good starting point, so have a look at our rundown of the most beautiful places in southern Germany and start planning your adventure now.
Here at Thirsty Slug we’re all about the views, be it vineyards, cityscapes, mountains, rivers or lakes, a good view is always worth the hike. And the south of Germany has some of the most jawdropping landscapes in Europe and often within spitting distance of one another.
With big cities on the doorstep of inspiring scenery, southern Germany has it all. So if we had to choose just three places to visit in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, here’s what we’d call unmissable.
The Black Forest
Found in the south-west of Germany, the Schwarzwald is a forested mountain range roughly 100 miles long. Starting from just below Pfozheim and finishing up close to the Swiss border.
Not only is the Black Forest well known for it’s Black Forest Gateaux, it is also the home of the Cuckoo clock, originally made by farmers during the winter months to supplement their income.
It’s not all pine trees around these parts, this forest is the source of the Danube and Neckar. And water really is all around you, there are lakes aplenty and a few waterfalls to check out, including the Triberg Waterfalls and All Saints Waterfalls. Not to mention lakes of all sizes, the most popular being the Titisee and the Schluchsee. Both of which offer watersports such as diving and windsurfing.
Getting around the Black Forest is an adventure in itself, the Black Forest High Road, or Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, runs from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt. Hire a car to make the most of the scenic views including the Rhine Valley and the Voges Mountains, and along the way you’ll pass by picture book perfect Black Forest villages.
With an abundance of interesting sights to visit in the Black Forest, we’ve rounded up our three not-to-be-missed tourist attractions below:
- Hornisgrinde and Mummelsee – take the scenic route and travel along the Black Forest High Road to this tourist attraction. The start of this short but steep hike is from the Mummelsee car park. from the peak of Hornisgrinde you can see Strasbourg in the distance. Back down at Mummelsee, make sure you get in the queue for the Black Forest Ham on their homemade bread baked in a wood-fired oven.
- The Black Forest Open Air Museum – also known as the Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof, here you can experience how people lived and worked in the Black Forest over the last 600 years. Visit the six traditionally furnished houses, watch people demonstrating traditional crafts and, if you’re with children, visit the adventure playground and play barn.
- Freiburg im Breisgau – Freiburg is worth visiting just for the gothic cathedral but the rest of the city is equally as enchanting. It’s over 900 years old, so there’s history galore. Wander the narrow medieval streets, then spend some time at the Münstermarkt (Cathedral Market) before climbing the Schlossberg to view the city from above. All the while, enjoying the atmospheric backdrop of the Black Forest.
Bamberg
A UNESCO World Heritage site. This is town is a little further off the beaten track, roughly two hours from Munich or Frankfurt Airport, but this makes it less of a tourist trap.
Perfect for a day or weekend trip, this city is brimming with history. So why’s it worth visiting?
Set on the Regnitz and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, the most famous landmark in Bamberg is the Old Townhall, or Altes Rathaus, positioned right on the River Regnitz. It’s a colourful Baroque & Rococo landmark with frescoes originally painted by Anwander but re-created in the 1960s.
Bamberg dates back to the 9th century and boasts Europe’s largest intact old city walls, but that’s not the only thing it can boast about. Germans and tourists alike flock to Bamberg because it is home to 11 breweries and a unique beer with a smoky flavour called “Rauchbier”. Every August, the city hosts the Sandkerwa, a street fest celebrated with beer from the local breweries. It’s not to be missed.
Everything is insta-perfect, so make sure you’ve got plenty of memory on your phone. It was a hard choice but we’ve whittled down our top tourist attractions to the following three:
- Michelsberg Monastery – it’s a bit of an uphill trek, but once you’ve made it treat yourself to Kaffee und Kuchen at the monastery cafe and a view down the vineyards over the red roofs of Bamberg. It’s breathtaking.
- Little Venice – a cluster of fishermen houses built along the river. View them from the many bridges around the old town hall, then walk around the medieval streets of Obere Sandstrasse and Untere Sandstrasse, stopping off at Schlenkerla to try the famous Rauchbier.
- Flussbad Hainbadestelle – this is a hot weather suggestion. The open air swimming pool isn’t a typical tourist attraction but it is one of the best places in Bamberg. A short walk from the town centre, at this Freibad the river is your pool. Enter the water upstream and let the river take you downstream to a ladder to get out again. A perfect spot for a cool down in the city.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Home to one of the most famous photo spots in Germany – the crooked house by the Plönlein. This is yet another town known for its medieval architecture but this one could be straight out of a fairytale book.
High above the River Tauber, little alleyways and cobblestone streets are lined with half-timbered houses and shops, this place doesn’t skim on the charm.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is medieval history encapsulated, but this place also knows how to cater to tourists wholeheartedly. The small town hosts frequent cultural events and a range of daily tours including a wine festival and a ghost tour led by an “executioner”. We’ve rounded up our choice of festivals and tours below:
- Reiterlesmarkt – the best of the best when it comes to Christmas markets. Around 50 stands are packed into the old town while twinkly lights and choral music create the most festive atmosphere. If you find large Christmas markets overwhelming, then this might be just the ticket.
- Rothenburg’s Fairy Tale Magic – in November fairytales are brought to life in tours, plays, concerts and readings. With a backdrop that could be straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale, how could anyone not find this a magical event to get involved in?
- Nightwatchman Tour – an immersive history tour, you join the night watchman on his final round of the town while he regales you with tales of old.
Have you got a favourite place in Germany? Let us know in the comments below.
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