Germany is a huge country with an incredible number of beautiful places and interesting sights. In this blogpost we cover the most beautiful places we visited on our road trip through Germany.
From fairytale castles and interesting architecture, to impressive mountains and stunning viewpoints. But also emerald green lakes, mysterious forests, and gigantic gorges... Name it and you'll find it in Germany.
Overview
Brockenbahn
- 51° 48′ N, 10° 37′ E
In the middle of Harz, in the Harz mountains, you find the Brockenbahn. It’s part of the Harz Railway. The Brockenbahn itself is a 19km long railway from Drei Annen Hohne, via Schierke to the highest mountain of northern Germany: the Brocken. On this track a real steam train will bring you all the way to the top of this 1141m high mountain. On his way up, the train makes a 10 minute stop in Schierke to fill up with water to make it to the top.
To explore the Brockenbahn and see the steam train you can either take the train itself or you can try to catch a glimpse of the train along the track. There are different places and times to make a daytrip with the steam train.
If you just want to see the train instead of taking a ride with it, there are different walking routes in the area that will cross the train tracks. We parked our van at the train station of Schierke and then we started walking on a trail along the train track.
Note
Apparently they use 2 different types of steam trains: a monopoly type, and more of a Hogwarts/Polar express type. We've seen the Hogwarts/Polar Express version, but we've heard that if you want to see the Monopoly version, you're more likely to see it on weekends.
Practical
Parking 'Schierke': € 6
Harz National Park
We didn't had the time to visit this park but we heard it is definitely worth a visit when you're in this area.
A 2-week Road Trip Itinerary through Germany, Austria and Dolomites
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Rakotzbrücke
- 51° 32′ N, 14° 38′ E
Rakotzbrücke, also known as the Devil’s Bridge, is a bridge that would fit perfectly in a fairy tale book. This beautiful piece of architecture can be found in Kromlauer park in Gablenz. This is a 81 ha park similar to an English garden with many small ponds and lakes.
The Rakotzbrücke is a semicircular bridge from the 19th century and is built in such a way that it creates a perfect circle with its own reflection in the water beneath. It’s also called devil’s bridge because its design is so complicated and unique that it could only have been built by the devil. There’s a legend saying that the devil helped to build this bridge in exchange for the soul of the first who would cross the bridge.
Practical
Entrance to the park is free
Parking costs:
Car: € 3
Camper: € 5
There's a parking lot next to the park and it's only a five minute walk to the bridge
In order to preserve the Rakotzbrücke it is not allowed to cross the bridge.
Rent your car in Germany here
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Basteibrücke
- 50° 57′ N, 14° 04' E
The Bastei is a stunning rock formation in the Saxon Switzerland National Park, characterized by enormous steep rocks. Here you find a few short hiking trails with some impressive viewpoints, through gorges and between and over the rocks. But a must see here is the Bastei Brücke, an impressive stony bridge that connects multiple rocks of the Bastei rock formation. When walking over the bridge you get a beautiful view over the gorge underneath.
The bridge is located close to the parking lot, so you can either pay a short visit to only the bridge or you can follow one of the hiking trails that loop around the area. The trails are safe and well maintained, with railings on the steeper parts. Sturdy walking shoes should be sufficient.
You can also start your hike in Rathen and walk up to the Bastei. This hike is quite pleasant and will take you about 30-45 minutes.
The Bastei bridge leads to the ruins of Neurathen Castle, the largest rock castle in the Saxon Switzerland region. The ruins and the partly reconstructed castle are now part of the open museum at Bastei and can be visited for a small entrance fee.
Practical
Entrance to the bridge is free
Neurathen Castle: € 4
Parking lot
Up to 3 hours: € 5
More than 3 hours: € 7
We recommend you to visit the Bastei Bridge early in the morning or late in the afternoon, as it can get really busy around the middle of the day.
Kleiner Winterberg
- 46° 30′ N, 12° 13′ E
Kleiner Winterberg is a hill with an amazing panoramic view over the rear of Saxon Switzerland. To get to the top of this hill you’ll have to hike 3,5km upwards in total with a height difference of 330m. So the total hike is about 7km and will take you approx. 3 hours. It’s not an easy hike as you’ll have to climb a few rocky stairs, but it is certainly doable.
Practical
Entrance to the park is free
We parked our van at the border with Czech Republic
Bring enough water and snacks on your hike
Königssee & Obersee - Berchtesgaden
- 47° 33′ N, 12° 59′ E
Berchtesgaden national park is a park in Bavaria and it’s the only German national park in the Alps. In 1990 the park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. There are a lot of trails and bridges in this park, so you can make many of amazing hikes in this area. but the most beautiful and popular sights in Berchtesgaden are the wonderful Königssee and the little Obersee behind it.
Königssee is an emerald green lake in the National Park of Berchtesgaden, and probably one the most beautiful lakes in Germany. The lake is surrounded by steep mountains, making it impossible to have a walk around the lake. The only way to visit the stunning waters of the lake is by electric(!) boat. You can either take the boat to st. Bartholomeus or you can go even further until Salet. From here you can walk to the stunning Obersee.
There’s a viewpoint, called Rabenwand that overviews this beautiful lake. This viewpoint can be reached in 30 minutes on the trail of ‘Malerwinkel’. There are a few benches to have a rest and enjoy the view. Make sure to wear sturdy shoes because the trail is quite rocky, but the trail is not that difficult.
Fact
Besides being the deepest lake in Germany, Königssee is also one of the cleanest lakes in the country. There’s no wastewater discharged in this lake and only electric boats operate here since 1909. Therefor they say Königssee should have drinking water quality.
Practical
Return ticket
to St. Bartholomeus €22
to Salet €27,50
Operating hours vary every year and between periods. You can find the timetables at https://www.seenschifffahrt.de/en/koenigssee/timetable/timetable/
As Königssee is (one of the) most beautiful lakes in Germany, it is unfortunately also the most crowded lake, especially during the summer. Therefore we recommend you to not visit this lake during this period. You also have to keep in mind that boats run to Saint Bartholomeus the whole year but not to Salet. So make sure to check the operating hours if you want to visit Obersee as well.
Find the best hotels in berchtesgaden here
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Schloss Neuschwanstein
- 47° 34′ N, 10° 45′ E
On a craggy cliff above the village of Hohenschwangau in Bavaria, you find the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle. It is probably one of the most famous castles and even sights in Germany. It was built in the 19th century by King Ludwig II. The shy king built the castle to withdraw from public life. Unfortunately the king died on June 13th 1886, before the construction work was completed. On August 1st 1886 the castle was opened for public and now approximately 1,5 million visitors annually come from all over the world to visit this beautiful castle.
It’s idyllic location on top of the cliff in front of the Alps and its fairytale look is what makes this palace so popular.
You don’t need a ticket to see the Schloss Neuschwanstein from the outside. Visiting the castle from the inside is only possible during a guided tour of 30 minutes.
Fun Fact
This castle inspired Walt Disney and served as a model for his famous Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Practical
Guided tours
Adults: €17,5
Students: €16,5
Tickets are available online at www.hohenschwangau.de and on premise at the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau (limited capacities).
Guided tours
April 1st to October 15th
Daily between 9am - 6pm
October 16th, 2021 to March 31st
Daily between 10am - 4pm
Annual closing: December 24th, 25th and 31st and January 1st.
Photographing or filming is not allowed in the castle. Also drones are not permitted in the area, as the castle is on the edge of the Ammergebirge nature reserve.
Things to visit close to Schloss Neuschwanstein
- Schloss Hohenschwangau
- St. Coloman church
Partnachklamm
- 47° 28′ N, 11° 07′ E
Partnachklamm is a deep gorge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the South of Germany. The gorge is 702 meters long, with limestone walls that reach 80 meters high and acts as a natural conduit for the Partnach River. There’s a path carved out the rocks, so visitors can walk along the flowing water of the river and behind the waterfalls in the gorge. In 1912 the gorge was designated a natural monument. When you enter the Partnach Gorge you’ll be amazed by the massive rock faces and the rushing water through the gorge beneath and next to you.
Practical
Adults: € 7,5
June to September: 8am - 8pm
October to May: 8am - 6pm
A 2-week Road Trip Itinerary through Germany, Austria and Dolomites
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Burg Eltz
- 50° 12′ N, 07° 20′ E
Burg Eltz or Eltz castle is one the most beautiful castles in Germany. The castle is located in Wierschem, in a valley of the Moselle between Koblenz and Cochem. It is built on a rock at a height of 70 meters and is largely surrounded by the water of the Elzbach.
You don’t need a ticket to see the Burg Eltz castle from the outside. Visiting the castle from the inside is only possible during a guided tour of 45 minutes.
In this area you can also enjoy various walks through the Eltzerbos around the castle. There are walks of different lengths and levels of difficulty.
Practical
Parking lot
Car: €2
Campers: €4
Shuttle: €2 per person, per trip
Guided tour
Adults: €14
Students: €7
Daily: 9.30am - 5.30pm
From the car park you can either walk to the castle or you can take the shuttle (€2). If you choose to walk you can choose between two ways. Both ways will take you about 20 minutes to reach the castle. The first one goes through the woods. The second one goes the same way as the shuttle, down a paved road. This one is quite steep but you’ll get a stunning view over the valley and the castle along the way.
Find the best hotels in Wierchem here
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Geierlay Hängeseilbrücke
- 50° 05′ N, 07° 20′ E
Not far from Burg Eltz, in Mörsdorf, you’ll find the Geierlay Suspension bridge. This is a suspension bridge in the low mountain range of the Hunsrück and it connects the villages of Mörsdorf and Sosberg. With its 360 metres Geierlay is the second longest suspension rope bridge in Europe. Crossing the bridge is a thrilling experience as you’ll walk up to 100 meters above the ground of the Mörsdorfer Bachtal. And on top of that: visiting ànd crossing the bridge is totally free!
Practical
The entrance to the bridge is free
The bridge is 24/7 open as it is part of a hiking trail
It’s not possible to park your car near the bridge. There are several parking lots specifically for visiting the Geierlay Suspension bridge, and they are well indicated with arrows. The closest parking lot is located at the visitor’s center. From here it’ll take you 15 to 20 minutes by foot to reach the bridge.
There’s two different paths to the bridge. The first one is the short and easy one. This way will take you about 20 minutes and goes along a paved road. The other route goes through the forest and will take you about 25 minutes. Both routes are shown on google maps and on this map below.
You can either visit the bridge and go back to your car the same way you came or you can cross the bridge and complete the 6,4km long Geierlayschleife hiking trail.
As the Geierlay is a popular sight in Germany, it can get really crowded, especially on weekends. Therefore we recommend you to go there on weekdays and as early as possible. Most people start arriving from 10am, so try to finish your visit before this time.