Discover places worth seeing — from historic sites to mountain trails.
Theme parks
Cleebronn
Erlebnispark Tripsdrill in Cleebronn, between Stuttgart and Heilbronn in southwest Germany, is widely described as the country's oldest amusement park. Instead of movie sets, it recreates a Swabian village of around 1880, complete with hal…
Fortresses
Singen (Hohentwiel)
The Hohentwiel in Singen is an extinct volcanic cone in the Hegau region near Lake Constance, crowned by the ruins of one of Germany's largest fortresses. Spread over about 9 hectares (22 acres), the ruins offer sweeping views across the H…
Churches & monasteries
Freiburg im Breisgau
Freiburg Minster (Freiburger Münster) is the landmark of Freiburg im Breisgau and one of the finest Gothic churches in Germany. Built of red sandstone on the edge of the Black Forest, it is crowned by an openwork spire that the Swiss histo…
Old towns & squares
Heidelberg
The Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg is the long, car-free main street of one of Germany's most romantic old towns. Running from Bismarckplatz almost to the Karlstor gate, parallel to the Neckar River, it links baroque mansions, churches, museum…
Mountains & peaks
Göppingen
Hohenstaufen is the cone-shaped mountain near Göppingen, east of Stuttgart, that gave its name to the Hohenstaufen dynasty, the medieval emperors who included Frederick Barbarossa. At 684 meters (2,244 feet), it is the westernmost of the "…
Caves
Sonnenbühl
The Bärenhöhle (Bear's Cave) in Sonnenbühl-Erpfingen is one of the best-known show caves of the Swabian Alb, about an hour south of Stuttgart. It combines two caves: the Karlshöhle, known since 1834, and the Bärenhöhle, discovered in 1949…
Churches & monasteries
Alpirsbach
Alpirsbach Abbey (Kloster Alpirsbach) is a former Benedictine monastery in the Black Forest, founded in 1095 and famous for its plain Romanesque church built of red sandstone. A Gothic cloister, a museum and a quiet village setting make it…
Churches & monasteries
Tübingen
Bebenhausen Abbey (Kloster Bebenhausen), just north of Tübingen, is one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in Germany. The former Cistercian house sits in a forest clearing inside the Schönbuch Nature Park, with a late Gothic clois…
Palaces
Salem
Salem Abbey (Kloster und Schloss Salem) on Lake Constance is one of the most important baroque monastery complexes in southern Germany. This former imperial Cistercian abbey blends a Gothic minster with baroque state rooms, and in the 19th…
Churches & monasteries
Reichenau
Reichenau Island, the "Monastic Island" in Lake Constance near Konstanz, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. It preserves three Romanesque churches whose origins reach back to a Benedictine abbey founded in the 8th century, s…
Viewpoints
Heidelberg
The Königstuhl in Heidelberg is the city's local mountain, rising 567.8 m (1,863 ft) directly behind Heidelberg Castle. A historic funicular climbs to the summit, where you'll find sweeping views over the Old Town, the Neckar Valley and th…
Churches & monasteries
Konstanz
Konstanz Minster (Konstanzer Münster) in Konstanz on Lake Constance served for more than a thousand years as the cathedral of one of the largest dioceses in the German-speaking world. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady is the landmark of the…
Lakes
Seebach
Mummelsee is the best-known mountain lake in the northern Black Forest, set right on the Black Forest High Road at more than 3,300 feet above sea level. This small, dark glacial lake, ringed by spruce forest beneath the Hornisgrinde, is wr…
National parks
Baiersbronn
Black Forest National Park at Ruhestein, on the scenic Black Forest High Road between Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt, is the first national park in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Here the dark fir and spruce forests of the northern B…
Caves
Sonnenbühl
The Nebelhöhle ("Fog Cave") near Sonnenbühl is one of the best-known show caves of the Swabian Jura (Schwäbische Alb) in southwestern Germany, just a few kilometers from fairy-tale Lichtenstein Castle. You descend 141 steps about 25 meters…
Museums
Uhldingen-Mühlhofen
The Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen (Lake Dwellings Museum) on the northern shore of Lake Constance is one of the most memorable things to do in southern Germany: wooden boardwalks lead you through reconstructed Stone Age and Bronze Age vill…
Viewpoints
Heidelberg
The Philosophers' Walk in Heidelberg (Philosophenweg) is a hillside path on the north bank of the Neckar that offers the most famous view of the city. From the slopes of the Heiligenberg, you look straight across the river at the Old Bridg…
Museums
Stuttgart
The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart stands right next to the sports car maker's main factory in the Zuffenhausen district and tells the story of the brand through around 80 cars, from the very first Porsche to Le Mans winners. The futuristic w…
Waterfalls
Breitnau
The Ravenna Gorge (Ravennaschlucht) near Breitnau in the southern Black Forest is one of the region's most beautiful short hikes, framed by a soaring stone railroad viaduct at its entrance. Wooden walkways and stairs lead you past rushing…
Theme parks
Meckenbeuren
Ravensburger Spieleland in Meckenbeuren, between Ravensburg and Friedrichshafen near Lake Constance, is a theme park built around the games and characters of the famous German puzzle and board game maker Ravensburger. It is aimed squarely…
Palaces
Rastatt
Rastatt Palace (Residenzschloss Rastatt) is the oldest Baroque residence on the Upper Rhine, built in the style of Versailles for the Margraves of Baden-Baden. Its pink facade and huge forecourt make a good stop for anyone looking for thin…
Industrial heritage
Blumberg
The Sauschwänzlebahn near Blumberg is a historic heritage railway in the southern Black Forest that runs about 25 kilometers (15 miles) through the Wutach valley. The nickname, roughly "piglet's tail railway," comes from the curly route an…
Mountains & peaks
Freiburg im Breisgau
Schauinsland is Freiburg's own mountain and one of the best viewpoints in the southern Black Forest. Rising to 4,213 feet (1,284 m) about six miles southeast of the old town, it is reached by Germany's longest circulating cable car. At the…
Palaces
Bruchsal
Bruchsal Palace (Schloss Bruchsal) was the residence of the prince-bishops of Speyer and is billed as the oldest ecclesiastical Baroque residence on the Upper Rhine. Its pink-and-yellow facades, forecourt and gardens make a rewarding stop…