Schleswig-Holstein
By far the biggest and most impressive collection of Emil Nolde’s work is in his architecturally arresting former atelier at Seebüll. The exhibition is…
Must-see attractions in Northern Germany
Lübeck
Sometimes described as a ‘fairy tale in stone’, Lübeck’s 13th- to 15th-century Rathaus is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful in Germany. Inside,…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
Stralsund's main square is a hub of its architectural treasures.
Internationales Maritimes Museum
Hamburg
Hamburg's maritime past – and future – is fully explored in this excellent private museum that sprawls over 10 floors of a revamped brick shipping…
Naturpark Holsteinische Schweiz
Schleswig-Holstein
Sprawling over 753 sq km between Lübeck to the south and Kiel to the north, the Naturpark Holsteinische Schweiz is the region's largest outdoor playground…
Northern Germany
Neubrandenburg was founded in 1248 by Herbord von Raven, a Mecklenburg knight granted the land by Brandenburg Margrave Johann I, and building progressed…
Schleswig-Holstein
View a reconstruction of the famous Gottorfer Globus, which has been placed in its own house, a five-minute walk through the castle's lovely formal…
Hamburg
During WWII, 20 Jewish children were chosen by Dr Josef Mengele at Auschwitz and sent to Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg for medical…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
The former summer ducal residence of Bad Doberan, about 15km west of Rostock, was once the site of a powerful Cistercian monastery. Construction of this…
Northern Germany
At the eastern edge of Am Sande stands the 14th-century St Johanniskirche, whose 108m-high spire leans 2.2m off centre. Local legend has it that the…
Rügen Island
A grandiose hunting palace built in 1723 on top of the 107m-high Tempelberg, Jagdschloss Granitz was significantly enlarged and altered by Wilhelm Malte I…
Lübeck
This fine Gothic church boasts the world's highest brick-vaulted roof and was the model for dozens of churches in northern Germany. Crane your neck to…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
Watching over the eastern gateway to St Pauli since 2011, the 'Dancing Towers' are a Hamburg icon. The two towers buck and weave by up to 3m from the…
Kiel
The 99km-long Nord-Ostsee-Kanal reaches the Baltic Sea from the North Sea at Kiel, with some 60,000 ships passing through every year. It's easy to view…
Northern Germany
This serene national park consists of bog and wetlands, and is home to a wide range of waterfowl, including ospreys, white-tailed eagles and cranes. Its…
Rostock
Rostock’s large, somewhat bland central square is dominated by the splendid 13th-century Rathaus. The building’s baroque facade was added in 1727 after…
Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
Hamburg's history museum has lots of kid-friendly features: it's chock-full of intricate ship models, has a large model train set (which runs on the hour)…
Northern Germany
Based on sketches he made in Russia, Ernst Barlach's squarish sculptures began bearing the same expressive gestures and hunched-over, wind-blown postures…
Hamburg
The best views of the Elbe (nearly 3km wide here) and its container ships are from the 75m-high Süllberg hill. To get to Süllberg, take the S-Bahn to…
Lübeck
The former Heiligen-Geist-Hospital has an elegant old entryway and a few resonances of Germany's first hospital (dating back to 1227). Through an early…
Kiel
The splendid waterfront promenade known as the Kiellinie begins northeast of the Schlossgarten. Sailing clubs, a tiny aquarium, cafes and restaurants line…
Rügen Island
The beach just north of Binz still bears testament to Nazi plans to create the world's largest resort: six hideous six-storey buildings, each 500m long,…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
The large Rathaus at the Markt's northern end was built between 1817 and 1819 and houses the excellent Rathaus Historical Exhibition in its basement…
Lübeck
The Dom was founded in 1173 by Heinrich der Löwe when he took over Lübeck. Locals like to joke that if you approach the Dom from the northeast, you have…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
The ‘white town on the sea’ is Germany’s oldest seaside resort, founded in 1793 by Mecklenburg duke Friedrich Franz I, and was fashionable throughout the…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
The massive red shell of the St-Georgen-Kirche has been extensively reconstructed and while work continues, the intention is to use it for cultural (Abba…
Schleswig-Holstein
Even if you’re not familiar with the 19-century author Theodor Storm, his tidy wooden house will whet your appetite. Well-placed biographical titbits fill…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
Seven copper turrets and six triangular gables grace the red-brick Gothic facade of the splendid 1370 Rathaus. The upper portion of the northern facade,…
Lübeck
Art lovers will enjoy the Katharinenkirche for its sculptures by Ernst Barlach and Gerhard Marcks, plus The Resurrection of Lazarus by Tintoretto. It has…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
The photogenic centre of this fishing village is a Dutch-style wooden drawbridge. The small harbour is often alive with fishing boats landing – and…
Hamburg
The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe is lots of fun. Its vast collection of sculpture, furniture, fashion, jewellery, posters, porcelain, musical instruments…
Northern Germany
Stade's oldest building is this hulking church, which has parts dating to the 14th century. Keeping the building standing to the present day has been the…
Northern Germany
Above the Markt, the soaring Gothic Dom is a superb example of north German red-brick architecture. You can climb up to the viewing platform of its 19th…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
South of the Reeperbahn stands the star of many a German crime film and TV show, the Davidwache. This brick police station, festooned with ornate ceramic…
Lübeck
Even if you think you don't like puppets, don’t miss this wondrous collection of some 1200 puppets, props, posters and more from Europe, Asia and Africa…
Rügen Island
A highlight of Binz is simply strolling its 4km-long north–south beach promenade, lined with elegant villas. At the southern end of the built-up area, you…
Northern Germany
Schwerin's central lake was created by a dam in the 12th century. Through the centuries it was surrounded by some of the city's most elegant buildings. At…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
Built as a training ship by the German navy in 1933, the Gorch Fock 1 is a large (82m-long) steel three-masted barque with quite a history. The Russians…
Northern Germany
The striking Stadtkirche, built in the 18th century in a neoclassical style, is utterly unlike most churches in this part of Germany. Its grand Doric…
Northern Germany
If you continue west along Waagestrasse from the Markt and veer left, you’ll come to Auf dem Meere, a particularly striking Lüneburg street. Here the wavy…
