german travel shows

• South Africa
• Philippines
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Solomon Islands
• Itineraries
• About Travel2Next
• Hotel Reviews
• Travel2Next TV
• Travel Shop

• 20 German Shows On Netflix

- This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure.

Watching German shows on Netflix is an excellent way to gain cultural fluency while honing vocabulary and listening skills. Luckily for language learners, Netflix and Amazon Prime are adding German TV series to their streaming lineups. German shows on Netflix are a great place to start if you’re looking for something easy-to-watch that will improve your understanding of the country and its people.

Likewise, if you want to learn more about Germany or practice listening to native speakers, these shows can be a good starting point. German television programs focus on a range of subjects, including family life, love stories, relationships between friends and colleagues, and everyday topics. The most common themes in German television programming are love, family life, friendships and crime drama.

Millions have spoken German of people worldwide for over 1,000 years ago. Watching German movies or a German series on Netflix will help you learn a foreign language faster and get insights into German culture. Learning German can be useful and language learning is something everyone can do at any age. German shows on Netflix are available worldwide, so there’s no excuse not to try one out!

• 17 Nordic Noir Shows On Netflix
• 27 Spanish Shows On Netflix
• 12 Italian Shows On Netflix
• 20 Movies About Greece
• 25 Travel Shows On Netflix
• 17 Australia Shows On Netflix
• 45 Australian Movies On Netflix
• 26 French Shows On Netflix
• 15 Italian Movies On Netflix
• 20 Danish Shows On Netflix

Watch Any Show On Netflix From Anywhere In The World

2- babylon berlin, 3- biohackers, 6- charite at war, 7- dogs of berlin, 8- criminal germany, 9- isi & ossi, 10- oktoberfest: beer & blood, 11- holiday secrets, 12- skylines, 13- rising high, 14- who am i (kein system ist sicher), 15- we are the wave, 16- unorthodox, 17- crime scene cleaner (der tatortreiniger), 18- tribes of europa, 19- barbarians, german shows on netflix.

Can’t find a show on Netflix? You can watch your favourite Netflix shows and series by using a VPN. We’re offering our readers some great deals on low-cost VPNs to try.

• NordVPN allows you to connect to 2380+ servers in 56+ countries and offers military-grade encryption and top security.
• AtlasVPN is a cheap VPN provider that allows you to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and more on unlimited devices.
• Streamlocator is a plug and play streaming hub that provides access to 40+ popular streaming services worldwide, including shows in eight Netflix countries.

Top German Netflix Shows

Dark is a German TV show on Netflix that has nothing to do with the Cold War or Nazis. This supernatural thriller has become one of Netflix’s most successful non-English shows.

Dark is a binge-able Netflix series that opens with the disappearance of a child in a small town in Germany.

The story starts as a tale about searching for a missing child but evolves into a complex web of characters who interact across time.

The timeline jumps in 33-year cycles starting in 2019 and going back to the 1800s and 33 years into the future in 2052.

Keeping track of all the characters through their different stages of life is a mind-bender, but it’s a series that is one of the best German fantasy series on Netflix and a classic time travel series to tick off your to-watch list.

Dark is one of the best Netflix original shows to watch. 

First episode: 1 December 2017

Set in: Winden, a fictional town in Germany

Cast: Louis Hofmann, Oliver Masucci, Julika Jenkins, Andreas Pietschmann.

Babylon Berlin is a lavish German neo-noir crime drama set in Berlin in 1929. Neo-noir is a contemporary revival of the film noir genre that was popular in the 1950s.

This German Netflix series is set during the Weimar Republic, officially the German Reich between 1918 to 1933, and focuses on police inspector Gereon Rath and clerk Charlotte Ritter.

Rath is from Cologne and on a mission to break up an underground extortion ring.

The story has an exceptional screenplay with lavish sets, excellent acting and well-developed characters.

It communicates the challenge of halting the gradual slide into fascism with beautiful cinematography of East Berlin.

It’s a mega-budget German series on Netflix that is in the league of Game of Thrones.

First episode: 13 October 2017

Set in: Berlin

Cast: Volker Bruch, Liv Lisa Fries, Peter Kurth, Matthias Brandt, Leonie Benesch.

Awards: 2020 German Camera Awards for Best Cinematography, Rose d’Or Best Drama, German Television Awards Best Drama, German Screen Actors Awards Best Supporting Actor and many other awards since 2017.

Read this post: 25 Facts About Germany

Biohackers is a Sci-Fi thriller about biohacking technology that revolves around University of Freiburg medical student Mia Akerlund, interested in revolutionary biohacking technology.

Mia meets biology student Jasper and his roommate Niklas and is plunged into a world of illegal genetic experimentation as she investigates the reason for her brother’s death.

It’s a fast-moving series with twists and turns that keep you guessing.,

To viewers, the opening episode seems to be about a pandemic outbreak and the launch of the series was pushed back so as not to alarm viewers at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

The core theme of Biohackers is the consequences of gene modifications.

The series raises questions about the ethics of scientific experimentations, and the boundaries scientists should not cross.

Biohackers was shot on location at the University of Freiburg and in Munich.

First episode: 20 August 2020

Set in: Freiburg

Cast: Thomas Kretschmann, Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Thomas Prenn, Adrian Julius Tillmann.

This German Netflix series based on the best-selling novel Das Parfum by Patrick Süskind is a contemporary remake about passion, smell and serial killing.

Six friends with a passion for scent bond at boarding school, and when one of the six is murdered years later, secrets begin to emerge.

When other bodies killed in the same way surface, investigators Nadja Simon, Matthias Köhler and prosecutor Grünberg find themselves knee-deep in an investigation.

Parfum is a gruesome murder mystery with shots of stark naked dead bodies.

First episode: 14 November 2018

Set in: Germany

Cast: Friederike Becht, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Juergen Maurer, August Diehl.

Charité is a German drama series set in 1888 and is a period drama based around a prestigious hospital in Berlin.

The story focuses on scientists, doctors and nurses, their quest to cure disease and interpersonal relationships.

The plot weaves in good doses of romance and religion and explores more severe issues of the period, such as the gap between men and women.

It also takes a good look at society’s attitude toward healthcare.

First episode: 21 March 2017

Cast: Alicia von Rittberg, Maximilian Meyer-Bretschneider, Justus von Dohnányi, Matthias Koeberlin.

The sequel to Charite, this series is set between 1943 to 1945.

The series features the doctors and nurses in the same hospital during World War II.

First episode: February 2019

Cast: Sarah Bauerett, Susanne Böwe, Mala Emde

This German Netflix series about two cops in Berlin who investigate the murder of a Turkish-German soccer player exposes the city’s darker side.

From the Berlin mafia clans to minority Turks, betting dens and Neo Nazi thugs, this series is gritty and rooted in a reality that doesn’t fit into a travel guide!

The second German-language original Netflix series explores the racial conflict between the Germans and the Turkish community.

First episode: 7 December 2018

Cast: Fahri Yardim, Fliex Kramer, Urs Rechn, Katharina Schüttler.

Criminal: Germany is part of Netflix’s highly successful ‘Criminal’ anthology set across four countries and filmed in French, Spanish, German and English.

Episodes are all set in an interview room and based around detectives interrogating suspects to crack their stories.

It’s a riveting watch and a must-see if you love intelligent crime drama.

First episode: 20 September 2019

Set in: an interview room

Cast: Eva Meckbach, Sylvester Groth, Florence Kasumba.

Isi & Ossi is a romantic comedy German movie about a billionaire’s daughter who fakes a romance with a struggling boxer.

Isi’s motivation is to convince her parents to send her to culinary school while Ossi needs money.

The unlikely pair develop a relationship that blossoms into a full-blown romance.

It’s a light-hearted and happy story with plenty of feel-good moments and one of the top German movies to make you smile.

First episode: 11 February 2020

Set in: Heidelberg and Mannheim

Cast: Lisa Vicari, Dennis Mojen, Christina Hecke, Pegah Ferydoni.

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood is a German historical series on Netflix set in Munich around the turn of the 20th century.

It tells the story of Curt Prank, who arrives in Munich with a dream to set up a large brewery 20 times the size of the town’s Oktoberfest gatherings.

When Prank’s daughter (Clara) falls head over heels in love with the son of a rival beer maker, and a feud follows.

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood has a historical drama’s ingredients, including lots of beer-drinking, murder, blackmail, and secret liaisons.

First episode: 2020

Set in: Munich

Cast: Mišel Matičević,Martina Gedeck,Klaus Steinbacher.

A Christmas reunion turns into a walk down memory lane, exploring a family’s complex history.

Holiday Secrets is a German show on Netflix about going home and discovering that nothing ever stays the same.

This series explores some serious topics, including death, dementia, alcoholism, mental illness and suicide.

The mood is melancholy and exposes personal trauma experienced by the characters.

First episode: 20 November 2019

Set in: Germany’s north coast

Cast: Corinna Harfouch, Christiane Paul, Svenja Jung, Leonie Benesch.

Skylines is about a hip-hop producer who gets tangled with an organized crime syndicate when the record label’s owner’s gangster brother appears to claim his share of profits.

The first episode is rather busy and introduces a confusing list of complex characters that makes it hard to keep up with the storylines.

First episode: 27 September 2019

Set in: Frankfurt

Cast: Edin Hasanovic, Murathan Muslu, Peri Baumeister, Anna Herrmann.

Rising High is a German comedy thriller about a group of scammers who con people with a get-rich-quick scheme.

Viktor, Gerry and bank employee Nicole are running a property scam in Berlin by buying derelict flats and selling them within the 10-day grace period to bank customers Nicole can offer cheap mortgages to.

They get rich quickly and start living the high life, but the law catches up with them, and Viktor goes into debt, eventually establishing a private bank in Malta.

First episode: 17 April 2020

Cast: David Kross, Frederick Lau, Janina Uhse

Fans of Dark will love Who Am I as this German show on Netflix was also created by the Dark crew.

A German computer whiz joins a hacker group that is trying to be noticed by the world.

The storyline travels at a fast pace and keeps you guessing right up to the very end.

First episode: 6 September 2014

Cast: Tom Schilling, Elyas M’Barek, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Antoine Monot Jr., Stephan Kampwirth, Leopold Hornung, Trine Dyrholm, Hannah Herzsprung, Leonard Carow.

Awards: The film won three German Movie Awards and the Bambi for Best German Film.

This Netflix series provides insights about a group of teenagers in the fictional German city of Meppersfeld who are fighting against injustice.

A student from a wealthy family doubts her way of life and feels compelled to create a better world.

This show addresses issues of racial discrimination, poverty, bullying and gender stereotypes.

First episode: 1 November 2019

Set in: Meppersfeld (a fictitious city) and filmed in North Rhine-Westphalia in a number of cities including Cologne, Bonn, Hürth, Leverkusen, Düren, Euskirchen, Neuss, Solingen, Wuppertal, Gelsenkirchen and Remagen.

Cast: Ludwig Simon, Luise Befort, Michelle Barthel, Daniel Friedl.

Unorthodox is a story about a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage who runs away from a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn to seek a new life in Berlin.

When her husband learns she is pregnant, he travels to Berlin to drag her home.

She finds her place in the world in Berlin and becomes friends with music students, auditioning to join their conservatory.

First episode: 26 March 2020

Set in: Brooklyn and Germany

Cast: Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, Jeff Wilbusch.

Awards: The series won eight primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, German Television Awards for Best Production and Costume Design.

This Netflix German show takes a look at the life of Schotty, a crime scene cleaner in Hamburg whose job it is to remove the last traces of the living.

It’s a humorous take on the work of the crime scene cleaner through the main character’s interaction with the people associated with the victims.

If you want to watch a show that is entertaining, this story will have you laughing your head off. 

First episode: 23 December 2011

Set in: Hamburg

Cast: Bjarne Mädel, Jörg Pose, Peer Martiny, Jule Böwe.

Tribes of Europa is a German Sci-Fi series on Netflix set in 2074.

Three siblings from the Origines tribe go on a quest to alter the fate of Europe after a global catastrophe.

The continent is fractured into dystopian warring tribal microstates, and the setting is deliciously dystopian.

The Origines tribe is a puritan drive that rejects technology.

When an Atlantian aircraft crashes near their village, the youngest sibling finds a cube in the wreckage.

Inspiration for Tribes of Europa occurred in 2016 after the British population voted to leave the EU.

The writer was so disturbed by the referendum it inspired this post-apocalyptic future where all European countries had been destroyed.

First episode: 19 February 2021

Set in: Europe

Cast: Henriette Confurius, Emilio Sakraya, David Ali Rashed, Melika Foroutan, Oliver Masucci.

Barbarians is a German series on Netflix that revolves around the fate of three people in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

Set in 9 AD, during the Roman occupation of Magna Germania, the story takes place during the rule of emperor Augustus.

All attempts to form a unified Germanic resistance are thwarted because of petty in-fighting between the tribal chieftains.

First episode: 23 October 2020

Cast: Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter, Bernhard Schütz

This German-language Netflix thriller is an imaginative characterisation of neurologist Sigmund Freud, who pairs up with a police officer and psychic medium to solve crimes in Vienna.

Set in 1886, this German-language drama revolves around a young Freud when his revolutionary theories are strongly objected to.

First episode: 15 March 2020

Set in: Vienna and Prague

Cast:Robert Finster, Ella Rumpf, Christoph Krutzler, Brigitte Kren.

Plan Your Trip

Rent A Car – Find the best car rental rates at Discover Cars . They compare car hire companies to provide you with the best deal right now.

Find A Hotel – If you’re curious about this article and are looking for somewhere to stay, take a look at these amazing hotels .

Editor's Picks

101 travel quotes – inspiring the journey, 60 luxury escapes for your bucket list, 25 australian landmarks, what's hot, 20 fairytale castles in wales.

Binge-worthy German TV shows on Netflix (Best for 2024)

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: April 14, 2024

Discover our selection of the best German TV shows on Netflix for some binge-worthy viewing! Plus a little travel inspiration for future travel to and around Germany.

Are you learning German? Or are you hoping to visit Germany and are looking for travel inspiration? This guide to the best German TV shows on Netflix and will sort your viewing for the next few months (and have you planning that future trip to Germany)

Get ready for these ultimate binge-worthy German Netflix series! Please bear in mind that not all these shows may be available on Netflix in your location ! If you would like unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany) we recommend Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

This list contains a guide to recommended German TV series which has been compiled in conjunction with travel bloggers from all around the world.

WITH SURFSHARK VPN YOU CAN!

How to sell drugs online (fast), oktoberfest: beer and blood, dogs of berlin, der tatortreiniger, tribes of europe, babylon berlin, charité, über weihnachten, the houseboat, best netflix tv series from around the globe, german tv shows on netflix.

Biohackers is a fast-paced German series and thriller about gene modifications and their consequences. It follows Mia Akerlund, a medical student at the University of Freiburg, who is interested in biohacking technology. She is determined to uncover a conspiracy that links her family’s tragedy to a biology professor.

Mia becomes involved in illegal genetic experimentation to avenge her brother’s death. When a breakthrough in biohacking results in the search results landing in the wrong hands, Mia has to decide if she should protect her friends, or avenge her brother’s death.

Biohackers is a gripping story about friendship, love, and revenge. After the first couple of episodes, the series becomes quite suspenseful.

• Genre – Thriller
• Date of Release – August 2020
• Seasons – One, renewed for a second season
• Episodes – 6
• Starring – Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Adrian Julius Tillmann
• Where filmed ? –  University of Freiburg and in studios in Munich

Watched by Debbie Fettback at WorldAdventurists.com

Click to watch on Netflix

Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

DO YOU WANT TO WATCH THE GREAT SHOWS LISTED IN THIS GUIDE?

✅ With Surfshark VPN you get unrestricted access to the Netflix libraries of 15 countries.

✅ Access to the US, UK and German Netflix libraries (plus a further 12 countries)

✅ Access 13 Amazon Prime libraries including the USA and UK

✅ 1 subscription covers every gadget in your house

Click here for all the info!

If you would like  access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world  (including USA/Canada) we recommend  Surfshark VPN.  You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house.  Click here for more information about Surfshark

It all starts when a heartbroken teen provokes a local drug dealer in a painfully common German town. Short but leg-slappingly funny and inspired by a true story, this show is about how nerdy teenagers Moritz (Maximilian Mundt) and Lenny (Danilo Kamperidis) launch Europe’s largest online drug shop to win back the love of Moritz’ ex-girlfriend Lisa (Lena Klenke).

It’s fast-paced, exciting, heart-warming, and peak comedy—regardless if you understand German. Topics covered range from the tech literacy generational gap to FOMO, Instagram jealousy, authenticity, teenage insecurity, and entrepreneurial success.

Set in the fictional North Rhine-Westphalian town of Rinseln, the show was mostly shot in Eppendorf, Bonn, and Köln, all in NRW. Netflix released the first season in 2019. There are two seasons of this German show available with six half-hour episodes. A third season is on its way.

• Released – 2019
• Number of episodes -2 seasons and 12 episodes
• Genre – Comedy
• Starring – Maximilian Mundt, Danilo Kamperidis
• Where was the series filmed? Ippendorf, Bonn and Köln

Watched by Iris Veldwijk of Mind of a Hitchhiker

Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood (or Octoberfest 1900) is an epic drama about the famous annual Munich beer festival around the turn of the 20th century.

The show follows the rich Curt Prank who wants to take Oktoberfest to a new level by building a large beer palace. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make this dream come true but runs into trouble with some local brewers. Especially when his daughter falls in love with one of those brewers’ sons.

Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood is not very historically accurate and only loosely based on true events. But it makes for an entertaining German show that certainly does its title justice, with lots of beer, blood, drama, and romance.

Genre – Historical Drama

Date of Release –

Seasons – 1 season, 6 episodes

Starring – Misel Maticevic, Martina Gedeck, Klaus Steinbacher, Mercedes Müller, Brigitte Hobmeier

Where was it filmed? – Prague, Munich, and various locations around Bavaria and Czechia.

Watched by Sophie van der Meulen of Just Heading Out

Dogs of Berlin is a German series that tells the story of how the murder of a famous Turkish-German soccer player forced two detectives of opposing sides to work together against their will.

The pair go on a gripping territorial battle with the underworld in Berlin on a gripping adventure of human weakness and the workings of criminal minds.

The cutting-edge crime drama Netflix series first aired on 7 December 2018 and so far, only has one season of 10 episodes. The main stars are Felix Kramer, Fahri Yardim, Mohamed Issa and Anna Maria Mühe.

It’s the second Netflix original to be written, produced and shot in German.

• Genre – Crime Drama
• Released – 2018
• Number of episodes – 10
• Starring – The main stars are Felix Kramer, Fahri Yardim, Mohamed Issa and Anna Maria Mühe.
• Where was the series filmed? Berlin

Watched by Alice from Adventures of Alice

More to watch!

• Best Scandinavian and Nordic Noir Netflix series to watch in 2023 and beyond
• Best Danish TV series to watch on Netflix
• Best Italian TV series on Netflix
• Best French TV series on Netflix
• Best Spanish movies on Netflix
• Best Icelandic shows on Netflix
• Best Danish movies on Netflix

“Der Tatortreiniger” which translates to “Crime scene Cleaner” in English is a German TV show about Heiko, whose job it is to clean up crime scenes.

Despite the topic, the show is actually quite humorous and perfectly combines a crime show with comedic elements. The show is set in northern Germany and incorporates many elements of the local dry humour into episodes.

In most cases, the actual crimes that Heiko (also called Schotty in the show) has to clean up aren’t the focus of attention. It is more so the strange situations that he gets himself in and his reactions to absurd moments.

This show is easy to watch and a great way to switch off and enjoy a comedy focusing on a deeper topic.

• Date of Release: 2011
• Number of episodes – 31 Episodes in 7 Seasons
• Starring: Bjarne Mädel
• Where was it filmed ? Hamburg

Watched by Victoria of Guide Your Travel

Tribes of Europe is a German sci-fi series in post-apocalyptical, after anabout a catastrophe event in Europe in the year 2074. Europe is divided into tribal microstates, each tribe is at war with the other for dominance.

Three siblings from the Origine, which is a peaceful tribe, are caught in the war after finding a mysterious cube that fell out of a plane. The mysterious cube is powerful, very valuable and everyone wants it.

The story follows each of the siblings after their tribe is destroyed and while developing the meaning and the abilities of the mysterious cube.

• Genre: German sci-fi television series
• Date of release:   19 February 2021 on Netflix
• How many seasons and episodes: 1 season with 6 episodes 
• Starring:   Henriette Confurius, Emilio Sakraya, David Ali Rashed, Melika Foroutan 
• Where was it filmed ? The Czech Republic and Croatia

Watched by by Jorge & Cláudia Travel Drafts

Set from 1929 Germany follow the political plots and twists of this action-packed German drama series.

Inspector Rath is the honest cop trying to sort out spies, smuggling rackets, political anarchists and cover-ups in pre-war Germany.

Greta is an aspiring police officer facing the misogyny of a world where women are not expected to succeed in this line of work.

• Genre – Historical Political Police Drama
• Released – 2020
• Number of episodes – 3 seasons 28 episodes
• Starring – Liv Lisa Fries, Volker Bruch and Leonie Benesch

Some German TV shows on Netflix are set in German-speaking countries such as Austria.

A fictional crime thriller based on the supposition of a young Freud using his emerging skills to solve mysteries in late 19th century Vienna .

Freud faces skepticism and suspicion from others over his theories and beliefs.

• Genre – Crime thriller
• Number of seasons & episodes – 1 season 8 episodes
• Starring – Robert Finster, Ella Rumdf, Anja Kling, Georg Friedrich
• Where was the series filmed? Vienna

If you love Germany, the German language, history, medicine, and science. this is the perfect show for you!

Charité is a drama series set in 1888, that’s inspired by the true story of the famous Berlin Charité hospital. Back in 1888 the hospital was the center of many famous scientific breakthroughs. Plus three future Nobel Prize winners worked at Charité around that time; Emil von Behring, Robert Koch and Paul Ehrlich.

What makes this German show great, is the combination of true events with a bit of fictional drama by adding romances à la Grey’s Anatomy. The series revolves around the relationship between the doctors, scientists and the main character, Ida Lenze, who works as an assistant nurse at the hospital. 

Ida is an awesome, independent, smart-ass woman. She a great role model, and I guess it’s that feature of a strong female main character that makes Charité one of the best German TV series.

• Genre – Drama
• Released – March 21 2017
• Number of seasons & episodes – 1 season and 6 episodes (there is another season called Charité at war, which covers the Charité hospital during the second world war. However, none of the characters of the first season return in the second season, so I consider them two separate series)
• Starring – Alicia von Rittberg as Ida Lenze, Maximilian Meyer-Bretschneider as Georg Tischendorf, Justus von Dohnányi as Robert Koch, Matthias Koeberlin as Emil Behring, and Christoph Bach as Paul Ehrlich
• Where was the series filmed? Though the series is set at a hospital in Berlin, most of it is actually filmed in Prague. Which makes sense, considering the fact that none of the building that made up Berlin in 1888 are still there.  

Watched by Lara of The Best Travel Gifts

Über Weihnachten , called Over Christmas in English, is a holiday drama that revolves around Basti. With a failing music career and very few leads, he returns home for Christmas only to be met by his goodie-two-shoes brother now dating his ex-girlfriend.

Forced to confront the familial tensions between his parents due to an underlying secret while coming to terms with his brother’s new relationship, Christmas at home quickly becomes a disaster for Basti.

But during this holiday season, he reflects on his own path in life while striking up a romance with a local woman. From a stolen Christmas tree, hectic church service, and ruined Christmas dinner, Über Weihnachten is a realistic representation of a family Christmas.

• Genre: It’s classified as dramedy (drama + comedy) but has a nice dose of romance!
• Date of release: November 27, 2020
• How many seasons and episodes: 1 season with 3 episodes
• Starring:  Luke Mockridge, Seyneb Saleh, and Carmen-Maja Antoni
• Where was it filmed? In the Eifel region of Germany – specifically in Monschau (and a bit in Cologne)

Watched by Jordan of Hamburg and Beyond

The German show “Dark” starts with the disappearance of a child in the fictional town of Winden, which also houses a nuclear power plant. It is uncovered that near the power plant there’s a tunnel allowing people to travel through time at 33-year intervals.

Over the course of this German series, secrets are uncovered about the families of the main characters over generations and all through the future, which includes the aftermath of a nuclear disaster.

The more the series goes on, the more intricate and complicated it gets, including parallel worlds as well as parallel times, and the opportunity to travel across several dimensions. 

• Genre : Science Fiction thriller
• Date of release: 1st Dec 2017
• How many seasons and episodes: 3 seasons, 26 episodes
• Starring: Louis Hoffmann, Oliver Masucci, Maja Schoene, Lisa Vicari
• Where was it filmed? Most scenes were filmed in Berlin and its immediate surroundings, like Grunewald forest.

Watched by Margherita of The Crowded Planet

Two musicians decide to renovate the houseboat of late Gunter Gabriel a famous German singer.

Follow this fun docuseries and the trials, tribulations, and moments of joy experienced by the two musicians as they grapple with the transformation.

• Genre – Docuseries
• Released – 2021
• Number of episodes – 4
• Starring – Olli Schulz, Fynn Kliemann
• Where was the series filmed? Elbe River near Hamburg

Enjoyed these German shows? Watch more with these best Netflix travel shows, dramas, TV series, and movies set around the world in these posts:

• Best Danish TV series on Netflix
• Australian TV shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime
• 10 best movies about South Africa to watch before you visit
• Complete guide to the best French TV series on Netflix & Amazon Prime
• 25 Must-Watch British TV Series (& where they are set)
• Best Italian TV series on Netflix & Amazon Prime to watch now!
• Best Spanish TV shows on Netflix
• Best German movies on Netflix
• 16 binge worthy Turkish series on Netflix
• Best Norwegian TV shows on Netflix
• Best Danish movies to watch on Netflix

If you enjoy movies I also have a selection of the best French movies , South African movies and Australian movies to enjoy on Netflix (and Amazon Prime) Coming soon – Best German movies to watch on Netflix

• Trade shows Worldwide
• Leisure - Travels - Family
• Tourism - Travel

Tourism - Travel Trade Shows in Germany 2024 - 2025

Countries in europe.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

14 Best German Shows on Netflix to Watch in April 2024

For high-quality German shows that’ll keep your eyes glued to the screen, head over to Netflix. 

Fast-paced spy thrillers, lavish period dramas, amazing sci-fi that’ll get you thinking—Netflix has all of these and more . Several of them are mini-series too with ten episodes or less, so you can finish them fast.

Here’s a roundup of the best German series on Netflix that you can watch right now:

1. Dark (2017)

2. biohackers (2020), 3. how to sell drugs online (fast) (2019), 4. barbarians (2020), 5. babylon berlin (2017), 6. king of stonks (2022), 7. woman of the dead (2022), 8. oktoberfest: beer and blood (2020), 9. freud (2020), 10. billion dollar code (2021), 11. kleo (2022), 12. the empress (2022), 13. the signal (2024), 14. crooks (2024).

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Genre: Science fiction Main Actors: Louis Hoffman, Lisa Vicari, Maja Schöne, Oliver Masucci 

As Netflix’s first German-language original series, “Dark” was a major success. It’s the top show that I want to recommend here because it’s mind-blowing.

Two children disappear mysteriously in a small town. During the investigations, the secrets of four main families are unearthed, including illegitimate children and several affairs.

At the heart of the series is time travel. Several characters take advantage of a hidden wormhole, traveling as far as the 1950s and even the distant future. However, they struggle to break the time loop—where the past and future need to be consistent so events cannot be changed.

Genre: Science fiction Main Actors:  Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Thomas Prenn

Genetic experiments outside the laboratory, scientists testing out new substances on themselves, mice glowing in the dark… The German thriller “Biohackers” explores these, showing how cutting-edge science can be used in morally questionable ways.   

Mia, a medical student, wants to find out the truth behind her brother’s mysterious death. She suspects that it’s linked to genetic experiments done by a prominent biology professor, Dr. Lorenz. As she tries to expose him, she becomes deeply interested in biohacking herself and starts to draw the attention of influential researchers and even corporations—all with their own agendas.

Genre: Comedy Main Actors:  Maximilian Mundt, Danilo Kamperidis, Lena Klenke

This quirky coming-of-age series is about a high school student, Moritz, who teams up with his best friend, Lonny, to sell ecstasy online. Somehow, their shop becomes one of the most popular drug marketplaces in Europe. While his goal at first is to win his ex-girlfriend back, it gets harder and harder to maintain his regular high school life while handling rival drug dealers and dodging the police.

It’s an entertaining watch because Moritz isn’t your typical drug dealer at all. In fact, he’s a bumbling teenager who sees himself as a good student. The details are pretty authentic—Reddit and Discord get featured a lot!

Genre: Action Main Actors: Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter

“Barbarians” is an action-packed show that revolves around a defining moment in history: the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD.  

The main character here is Armenius, a chieftain of a Germanic tribe who was raised by Romans. Back then, the Roman Empire was among the most powerful in the world, and the Germanic tribes were mistreated under their rule. Because of this, Armenius decides to rally the tribes to rebel against the Romans.  

Visually, “Barbarians” doesn’t hold back, from intense battle scenes to full-on whippings and crucifixions. I found it cool that the characters also spoke German and Latin all throughout.

Genre: Thriller Main Actors: Volker Bruch, Liv Lisa Fries

“Babylon Berlin” is said to be the most expensive German series ever, with a budget of  €55 million. It brings 1920s Berlin to life in all its decadent glory, from the lavishness of the set to the sheer amount of historical detail.

Police inspector Gereon is transferred from Cologne to Berlin to look into a pornographic ring run by the Berlin Mafia. He partners up with Charlotte, who has a day job at the police while working at nightclubs.

As they explore Berlin’s underworld, they discover massive crime dealings, like arms smuggling and drug trafficking. I was fascinated by the diverse characters, including Armenian mobsters and Soviet rebels.  

Genre: Comedy Main Actors: Thomas Schubert, Matthias Brandt, Larissa Sirah Herden

“King of Stonks” is based on the Wirecard scandal, which is the biggest fraud incident in Germany ever.

A fintech company called CableCash is about to release its IPO, and it promises to revolutionize the banking industry. Felix Armand is its ambitious yet somewhat amoral CFO. As the pressure mounts on him to exceed everyone’s expectations, he starts to make increasingly unethical decisions, including manipulating stock prices, faking financial reports and even doing money laundering.

It’s chaotic, exciting and brimming with dark humor. I binged all six episodes in one go because events were so fast-paced!

Genre: Thriller Main Actors: Anna Maria Mühe, Yousef Sweid, Felix Klare

This Austrian thriller presents a compelling revenge story.

Blum, a funeral home owner, is devastated after her husband dies in a hit-and-run accident. She suspects that there’s foul play behind it, and she soon uncovers a deeper conspiracy involving influential members of her town. While she’s originally a caring wife and mother, she becomes consumed by thoughts of revenge and even starts to become violent, targeting those involved one by one.

Her character is pretty unique because she takes advantage of her skills as a funeral home owner, such as knowing anatomy very well. There are plenty of breathtaking shots of different parts of Austria, including the Alps.

Genre: Thriller Main Actors: Misel Maticevic, Martina Gedeck, Klaus Steinbacher, Mercedes Müller

We normally think of Oktoberfest as a fun festival, but “Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood” shows its dark side.

Let’s rewind to the year 1900. Munich is about to celebrate Oktoberfest, but this year, a brewer named Curt Prank wants to secure a prime spot at the festival. He’s willing to use ruthless tactics, such as bribing, sending out thugs and ruining other brewers’ property and reputation.   

This has messy consequences that even Curt himself couldn’t have predicted, with other businesses betraying him. To make it worse, his daughter has her eyes set on the heir of a rival brewer. 

Murder, violence and political manipulation—they’re all here, and it’s loosely based on true events too!

Genre: Crime Main Actors: Robert Finster, Ella Rumpf, Georg Friedrich

“Freud” is the first Austrian Netflix original. I watched it as soon as it was released, and the plot twists constantly kept me on my toes since the show turned out to be a psychological thriller (with magic involved)!  

In 1880’s Vienna, Freud hasn’t invented psychoanalysis yet—he’s still at the start of his career and eager to make a name for himself. The story takes a supernatural turn as he’s called to help in a series of grisly murders and occult rituals. To figure out what’s really happening, he teams up with a medium named Fleur Salomé and a war veteran, Alfred Kiss.

Genre: Thriller Main Actors: Leonard Scheicher, Marius Ahrendt, Mark Waschke, Misel Maticevic

This eye-opening courtroom drama delves into who really created Google Earth.

Two German computer visionaries, Juri Müller and Carsten Schlüter, develop an innovative software called Terravision in the 1990s. It’s a precursor to Google Earth and shows the earth in a digital, three-dimensional way using satellite imagery and data visualization.

Years later, after Google launches Google Earth, Juri and Carsten realize that their pioneering technology was used without their permission. They decide to sue Google for patent infringement, leading to a high-stakes legal battle.

The narration is engrossing, and I felt disturbed afterwards at how big companies can just sometimes take other people’s inventions as their own.  

Genre: Thriller Main Actors: Jella Haase, Dimitrij Schaad, Julius Feldmeier, Vladimir Burlakov

“Kleo” might be a spy thriller, but it’s also hilarious and sometimes absurd.

Kleo Straub, a former East German spy and assassin, is wrongfully imprisoned in 1987. She’s released after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but then discovers that her imprisonment was part of a deeper plot involving former Stasi members and West German businessmen. Fueled by revenge, she goes on a deadly mission across Berlin and beyond to track down and eliminate those who betrayed her.

“Kleo” actually throws a lot of unpredictable curveballs, to the point that I still can’t get over the finale. There’s tons of dark humor too!  

Genre: Drama Main Actors: Devrim Lingnau, Philip Froissant

Fans of “The Crown” should totally go for this period drama. It’s focused on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the 19 th century. Also known as Sisi, she unexpectedly becomes the empress after falling in love with Emperor Franz Joseph.

Because of her free-spirited and rebellious personality, she has a hard time adjusting at first to her new status as royalty. Aside from this, her relationship with Franz gets strained too as they deal with the politics of the Austro-Hungarian empire and personal vendettas from the court.

It’s not historically accurate, but the production quality is top-notch, with gorgeous costumes and palace scenes.

Genre: Thriller Main Actors:  Florian David Fitz, Peri Baumeister, Yuna Bennett

You can fly through this new Netflix limited series in just a few hours.

A female astronaut named Paula goes missing after boarding a flight to see her family, which leads them on an eye-opening, life-altering journey to find her. Paula works for the International Space Station as a scientist, and the more her family learns about her disappearance, the more they learn about her work.

This leaves them with more than questions about where she is. It makes them question everything they know about the world they live in.

Soon, everyone in the family finds themselves in danger. And wrapped up in a new, mind-blowing discovery Paula makes.

Genre: Thriller Main Actors: Frederick Lau, Kida Khodr Ramadan 

“Crooks” is a new Netflix Original German crime drama that follows a former safecracker named Charly.

Charly lives a peaceful life with his family in Berlin, but suddenly he’s forced to face his past and reenter criminal life. The mission? To steal a highly valuable coin.

But the odds aren’t in his favor. And when the heist goes wrong and risky complications arise, Charly finds himself running from gangs, a new mysterious master thief and other secret criminal groups searching for the same coin.

With all of these highly rated German series, you can prepare some popcorn, get cozy and start watching! 

Aside from being entertaining, German TV shows can help you improve your German language skills. To learn German through TV show and movie clips , check out FluentU. 

FluentU is one of the best websites and apps for learning German the way native speakers really use it. FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons .

Watch authentic media to simultaneously immerse yourself in the German language and build an understanding of the German culture.

By using real-life videos, the content is kept fresh and current. Topics cover a lot of ground as you can see here:

Vocabulary and phrases are learned with the help of interactive subtitles and full transcripts .

Hovering over or tapping on any word in the subtitles will automatically pause the video and instantly display its meaning. Interesting words you don’t know yet can be added to a to-learn list for later.

For every lesson, a list of vocabulary is provided for easy reference and bolstered with plenty of examples of how each word is used in a sentence.

Your existing knowledge is tested with the help of adaptive quizzes in which words are learned in context.

To keep things fresh, FluentU keeps track of the words you’re learning and recommends further lessons and videos based on what you've already studied.

This way, you have a truly personalized learning experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

• 9 Films And T V...

9 Films and T.V. Shows to See before Visiting Germany

German culture is close enough to American culture that a deep dive into the protocol books isn’t really necessary for an enjoyable visit. Germans are not so complicated in their actions, but they are complicated in their thoughts. Before you visit, take a weekend and curate your own deep-dive into the German psyche with these nine essential films and television series.

A coffee in berlin.

Germany comedies are often either cheesy or childish. A Coffee in Berlin , sumptuously shot in black and white, cuts a line closer to Frances Ha , Woody Allen’s Manhattan or Jim Jarmusch’s early work. Jan Ole Gerstner’s debut film, based largely around a college drop-out and his awkward entanglements, is an introspective delight.

Goodbye, Lenin!

A mother falls into a coma in 1989, weeks before the Berlin wall comes down. When she wakes up, her son works as a cable guy, her daughter makes milkshakes at Burger King, and what remains of the Wall is now a giant Coca-Cola advert. Her children assume she cannot cope with the change and resort to increasingly outrageous antics – finding pre-Wall food, making fake news bulletins, etc – to keep the pre-Wall illusion alive.

The Lives of Others

Gerd Wiesler, a Stasi agent (East German secret police), can’t help but become emotionally involved with, and inevitably deeply intertwined in the lives of the people he is meant to be spying on. The Lives of Others is a Cold War spy thriller like no other. No wonder it’s the most talked about German film of the last decade.

The White Ribbon

This masterpiece by Michael Haneke is the last German film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The film moves slowly, is careful not to have any obvious highs or lows and is perhaps a little too pretentious for its own good. Nevertheless, it is unquestionably one of the top three best German films of the past 10 years.

Toni Erdmann

A harried businesswoman is forced to spend time with her estranged father when he pops in for a surprise visit while she is away in Bucharest for work. If that wasn’t bad enough, her dad is the sort that likes fake teeth, being annoying, and generally embarrassing himself and everyone around him. Somehow, two unhappy people find their way to each other in this standout film.

Die Sendung mit der Maus

“The Show With the Mouse” is more or less the German answer to Sesame Street . It’s been on the air since 1971 and every day teaches kids about the world. The main characters – a brown and orange mouse, a blue elephant, and a yellow duck – are animated, but the rest of the segments are live action. In the program below, viewers find out why windmills always have three blades.

Babylon Berlin

A policeman moves from Cologne to Berlin in the “Golden Twenties” and becomes the new police commissioner. It’s a decade where Berlin is ablaze with fun and all the crime that is attendant to a good time. An adaptation of the bestselling novel by Volker Kutscher, the series is an international collaboration headed up by Netflix and is rumoured to have cost in the region of €40 million to make.

You Are Wanted

Amazon Prime’s series You Are Wanted is all about a young man who has all his personal data stolen and is then depicted by the hacker as a global eco-terrorist. With his family and life under threat, Matthias Schweighöfer does his best to fight back. But how can you fight an invisible enemy?

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Guides & Tips

Top tips for travelling in germany.

Places to Stay

The best hotels in germany for every traveller.

The Best Spa Hotels in Baden-Baden

See & Do

Craft and culture in the lesser-known gems of eastern germany.

Architecture

Breathtakingly beautiful buildings in germany.

Places in Germany for History Lovers

10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Bavaria

The Best Hotels to Book in Garmisch for Every Traveller

The Best Hotels to Book in Thuringia, Germany

Stay Curious: Experience Germany From Your Living Room

A Voyage Through Germany: the Lowdown on River Cruising

The Story Behind Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle

Culture trip spring sale, save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips limited spots..

• Post ID: 1342781
• Sponsored? No
• View Payload

The loop DNA

Unlike usual travel trade shows, loop is not some standalone event. It is a most successful, one-stop platform and community that enables you to connect with only the finest, high-end travel designers, tour operators and media in order to fully cover the attractive German-speaking and/or the Central & Eastern European market. Learn more about the loop DNA

„Best luxury showcase for the German speaking countries.“

Jennifer Ripoll

Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort

„The sincerity and interest of all participants at loop is very appealing.“

Dr. Beatrice Zarges

Thurner’s Alpenhof

„About loop I like a lot to have networking opportunities in a relaxing ‘family’ atmosphere.”

Kratinos Socratous

Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

„loop is incredibly well organized.“

Antje Rudhart

Luxury Hotels of Saint Lucia

„You meet the most important travel agencies in a very short time.“

Michelle Franke

Althoff Hotel Collection

„The organization could not be better!“

Magdalena Sánchez

Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa

„loop offers a great mixture of new accounts as well as well-known faces.“

Vila Vita Parc

„I decided to attend loop because meetings with the best buyers are concentrated in 3 days.”

Alejandro Nedstrom

All year around

loop is not a ‘one-time a year’ event. Well on the contrary, loop has developed into a pro-active community that offers you numerous opportunities, key market events as well as services to connect with the finest buyers and media of your choice throughout the year. Whether you wish to follow-up your participation in one of the loop shows with a dedicated action targeting the finest buyers from a specific region and/or strengthen your presence in another region through a specific service, there are absolutely no limits. All is possible throughout the year at the pace and budget of your choice. Enjoy being part of this exciting community all year round to drive the results you want, when you want them.

loop luxury fair premium sponsor

loop luxury fair media partner

What is a good story if nobody talks about it? We are proud to partner with the No 1 luxury travel magazine in the German speaking market throughout all loop events in 2020. Benefit from exclusive coverage and advertisement opportunities as a looper and make the magazine‘s audience specifically aware of your product. Connoisseur Circle is the only German-language magazine that exclusively addresses luxury travelers. Contact us and find out more at ccircle.cc  

LuxusInsider - the digital trade magazine for experience-oriented luxury travel around the world. The content focuses on detailed product, sales and destination tips from the destination tips from the luxury and experiential travel segment, which have not yet available in the German trade media. Each issue of LuxusInsider conveys product knowledge and offers relevant support for the sale of luxury travel. Contact us and find out more at luxusinsider.de  

Next Events

Lobster Experience Dinner | Hamburg

Lobster Experience Breakfast | Kiel

LOOP CRUISE 2024

LOOP ROADSHOW CEE | Belgrade | Leisure

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Second-Half Travels

Adventures of a Fifty-Something Cubicle Escapee

Best German TV Shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime (2022)

Watching popular German TV shows online is an excellent way to gain cultural fluency while honing vocabulary and listening skills. Luckily for language learners, Netflix and Amazon Prime are quickly adding German TV series to their streaming lineups.

Here are some of the best German shows   on Netflix and Amazon Prime in the US as of December 6, 2022. If you’re not in the US, click the title to check if the show is available in your country. If it’s not available, it’ll display an error or redirect to Netflix’s homepage.

If you are an advanced learner, try using German subtitles if available as studies show it enhances language learning .

To amp up your German learning, try Google Chrome browser’s free Language Reactor (LR) extension. It allows you to watch subtitles in two languages, listen to dialogue one line at a time, and change playback speed. There’s also a pop-up dictionary, and LR suggests the most important words for you to learn.

Netflix originals will stick around, but watch the rest while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.

Also, don’t miss my list of  top German movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime .

Best German TV Shows on Netflix

Note: Be sure to select German audio, as Netflix defaults to the dubbed English version.

For a show that has nothing to do with the Cold War or Nazis, try Dark , Netflix’s first German-language production. The supernatural thriller has become one of Netflix’s most successful non-English shows ever.

This bingeable series opens in a German small town with a child’s disappearance, sending four families on a frantic hunt for answers. Follow them down the rabbit hole to unearth a mind-bending mystery that turns time on its head.

2. Biohackers

This fast-paced science thriller follows Mia Akerlund, a medical student at the University of Freiburg.

Mia’s interest in revolutionary biohacking technology is not limited to scientific reasons: She wants to win the trust of star lecturer Professor Tanja Lorenz. Both women are connected by a dark secret. To shed light on the mysterious death of her brother, Mia enters a dangerous world of illegal genetic experiments.

Filmed at the University of Freiburg as well as at studios in Munich.

Quirky revenge thriller with great acting and a retro DDR vibe.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, former Stasi agent Kleo uses her deadly skills to exact revenge against those who betrayed her. Recommended for fans of Quentin Tarantino-style dark comedy.

4. How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)

This German teen comedy follows nerdy Moritz, who launches an online drug business with his best friend. He soon becomes one of Europe’s biggest dealers.

The series is largely based on a true story that took place in Leipzig in 2015.

5. Babylon Berlin

Gripping noir thriller set in 1920s Berlin with superb acting and lavish sets.

A cop suffering from PTSD and a typist aspiring to become a police inspector uncover a dangerous web of intrigue when they investigate an underground porn ring.

6. Das Letzte Wort (The Last Word)

If you enjoyed “Six Feet Under,” try this funny, heart-wrenching German drama about Karla, a widow who starts working as an eulogy speaker.

She’s unapologetic, loud, and unconventional. Karla ignores her own life until she’s surrounded by total chaos and has to ask herself: Is there a right way to grieve? And if so, what’s her right way?

7. Parfum (Perfume)

Patrick Süskind’s best-selling novel  Das Parfum about smell, passion, and serial killing gets a contemporary spin.

In boarding school, a group of six friends bond over their intense passion for scent. When one is brutally murdered years later, disturbing secrets about the group are revealed when the police investigates each as a suspect.

8. Dogs of Berlin

The murder of a famous Turkish-German soccer player leads two cops into a battle with Berlin’s underworld as tensions mount throughout the city.

9. Altes Geld (Old Money)

This dark Austrian comedy revolves around the dysfunctional family of a wealthy Viennese patriarch as they compete to find him a new liver at all costs.

Backstabbing, blackmail, and revenge abound in this satirical soap described by its creator as “ Dallas for psychos.”

10. Das Hausboot (The Houseboat)

No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer. Click here to watch English-subtitled trailer on Netflix.

Fun four-part docuseries with a lot of heart. Two musicians struggle to renovate a houseboat owned by the late Gunter Gabriel, known as Germany’s Johnny Cash.

11. Wer kann, der kann! (Nailed It! Germany)

German spin-off of Netflix’s hilarious pastry disaster show.

Savor the lighthearted Schadenfreude of witnessing untalented home chefs compete for cash with their epic baking fails. Lots of Umgangssprache (slang).

12. Wir sind die Welle (We Are the Wave)

Slick German coming-of-age drama loosely based on the 1981 American YA novel The Wave .

A mysterious new classmate recruits a group of bullied teens in a rebellion against a rising tide of nationalistic fervor. However, what begins as an idealistic and playful anti-establishment revolt soon develops deadly momentum.

Wir sind die Welle was shot in several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Köln (Cologne).

13. Zeit der Geheimnisse (Holiday Secrets)

No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer. Watch English-subtitled trailer on Netflix .

Short three-part German miniseries about family secrets. A Christmas reunion becomes a gateway to the past in this saga of three generations of women that explores the complexities of one family’s history.

The story is purportedly set in Germany’s gorgeous North Sea coast, but the series was actually filmed in Denmark and Budapest.

14. Skylines

In this gritty crime drama set in Frankfurt, a hip-hop producer is hurled into the violent world of organized crime when his record label becomes the center of a deadly drug business.

Best German TV Shows on Amazon Prime

I hope you love my German TV show recommendations! Just so you know, I may get a small fee from purchases made using the Amazon links in this section at no extra cost to you .

1. Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter (Generation War)

This excellent World War II miniseries follows the different paths of five young German friends through Nazi Germany and the war. They are Wehrmacht soldiers on the Eastern Front, a war nurse, an aspiring singer, and a Jewish tailor.

Note: Available free on Amazon with an PBS Masterpiece channel trial.

This six-part miniseries was a massive hit in Germany. At Berlin’s Charité hospital in 1888, young nurse Ida finds romance, a path to her dream job in medicine, and an inside look into the cures for tuberculosis and diphtheria.

Read more about Charité .

3. You Are Wanted

Amazon’s first original German series follows Lukas, a young hotel manager who finds himself a victim of a hacking attack. His online information is altered to implicate him as the mastermind of a cyber-attack on Berlin resulting in a city-wide blackout.

Suspected as a terrorist, Lukas scrambles to find out why he’s been targeted, as even his family and friends begin to doubt his innocence.

This Prime Original tells the story of Robert Schlag, called Beat, a Berlin club promoter addicted to Berlin’s nightlife, including drugs and sex with men and women. Beat works for Berlin’s most famous techno club, owned by his best friend.

Given Beat’s connections, the European Security Intelligence (ESI) recruits him to investigate the clubs. Emilia, an ESI agent, partners with Beat on his dangerous journey through organ trafficking and arms trades against the backdrop of Berlin’s party scene.

5. 4 Blocks

Gritty, addictive gangster drama about a Lebanese mafia family in Berlin. Toni Hamady wants to leave organized crime behind and lead a quiet life with his wife and daughter.

But when a police raid with devastating consequences derails his plans, Toni has to assume the leadership of his clan once more. Will he be able to escape the downward spiral of the drug trade?

6. Hotel Sacher

Very witty trailer, unfortunately with no English subtitles available

A soapy but well-made two-part period drama about the iconic Hotel Sacher in Vienna, beginning with the takeover by Anna Sacher after the death of her husband.

7. Inside Borussia Dortmund

This four-part docuseries goes behind-the-scenes with Borussia Dortmund, one of the Bundesliga’s biggest clubs.

Football fans can relive the thrilling 2018/19 season from the team’s point of view. Discover their training facilities, experience the locker room drama first-hand, and become acquainted with the players’ personal lives.

8. Hotel Adlon

No English subtitles available for trailer

Note: Available free on Amazon with a PBS Masterpiece channel trial.

This opulent Downton Abbey-like drama traces the history of Berlin’s most famous luxury hotel through the eyes of two families whose fates intertwine over four generations and two world wars.

9. Der Tatortreiniger (Crime Scene Cleaner)

Note: Available free on Amazon with an MHz Choice channel trial.

In this immensely popular dark German comedy , Bjarne Madel stars as Schotty, a man whose work begins where others pass in horror. He’s a contract cleaner, sent to sanitize crime scenes after the police have finished their investigations.

Also available for free with German subtitles in the ARD Mediathek .

10. Tatort: Cologne

This cult crime show stars smooth-talking Max Ballauf and his robust, level-headed partner Freddy Schenk, Cologne’s best homicide detectives. The two are among the most popular investigators in the almost 50-year history of Germany’s iconic Tatort franchise.

Fun locations in Köln (Cologne) like the Wurstbraterei, a currywurst sausage stand made famous by the series.

Tatort: Köln is also available for free with German subtitles in the ARD Mediathek .

11. Bukow & König

This crime drama consists of selected episodes featuring detective team Bukow and König from the long-running German crime franchise Polizeiruf 110 . This show was originally created in East Germany in 1971 as a counterpart to the West German Tatort . That’s why, at the beginning of  Bukow & König episodes, you see the Polizeiruf 110 logo.

They’re Frick and Frack, opposites united by the job of investigating crimes in the port city of Rostock, Germany. She’s cerebral and analytical; he’s emotional and reactive. Together, they’re the detective duo Bukow and König, a great crime-fighting team — when they’re not fighting each other.

Polizeiruf 110 is also available for free with German subtitles in the ARD Mediathek .

For yet another Tatort odd couple, try Tatort: Weimar , also on Amazon.

12. Tannbach (Line of Separation)

This gripping historical drama is set after the fall of the Third Reich in the fictional village of Tannbach located on the border of Bavaria and Thuringia. Tannbach is cruelly divided in two by the Iron Curtain, and the town’s inhabitants suffer the consequences.

The story is based on real-life events in the German town of Mödlareuth.

An award-winning ZDF mini-series exploring the traumatic period of German history between the end of World War II and 1952.

13. Spuren des Bösen (Anatomy of Evil)

Viennese police psychologist Richard Brock is a loner who blames himself for his wife’s suicide. He fights crime and his own demons in this dark mystery series set in Austria with gorgeous backdrops.

14. Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries

Venice’s crumbling beauty provides the backdrop for these lush versions of Donna Leon’s bestselling mystery novels .

The suave Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts crime with canal boat rides instead of car chases in this series that provides insights into Italian and Venetian culture, such as the importance of family, relationships, and good food.

You may also like:

• Great German Movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime
• Recommendations for Learning Advanced German
• Best German Language-Learning Podcasts
• Best Russian TV Shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime

About Ingrid

Ingrid left software engineering at age 43 to devote herself to language learning and travel. Her goal is to speak seven languages fluently. Currently, she speaks English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and is studying Italian.

Reader Interactions

August 15, 2018 at 6:06 pm

Nice, thank you! Oder besser : Vielen Dank!

August 15, 2018 at 11:22 pm

Bitte sehr!

August 16, 2018 at 2:07 pm

Super helpful info about using subtitles when watching foreign shows/films, etc. This is a question I always have when showing my high schoolers videos. Most of them say they don’t want subtitles. But now I know that it’s actually in their best interest to keep them on. Thanks!!! UND ich freue mich auf dich! Schon nächste Woche – unglaublich!!!

Hey, there’s an editing feature now! 😀 Great!

August 17, 2018 at 2:20 am

Ha! Personally, I love watching with subtitles… like the big nerd I am, I keep a notebook close by to jot down any interesting new words! But if they really hate them, then maybe keep them off? I do believe we learn best when doing things we enjoy… Bin schon am Münchner Flughafen und freue mich sehr auf das Wiedersehen mit dir und E!

December 24, 2018 at 5:24 am

Babylon Berlin and Dark, the best of the “bestest”. Would I love to see more of them!

December 24, 2018 at 8:59 am

Great news… Dark Season 2 and Babylon Berlin Season 3 are scheduled to release in 2019! 🙂

February 3, 2019 at 1:02 pm

Amazing stuff is going on on Netflix and one of them is “Charité”.

February 22, 2019 at 3:39 pm

When can we see Der Fall (Austrian/Swiss)?

February 22, 2019 at 6:58 pm

Right now I can’t find a release date for that show, but I monitor both Netflix and Amazon Prime for new German television shows each month, so if it gets added I’ll list it here.

May 28, 2019 at 4:42 am

Vielen Dank, sehr hilfreich

August 26, 2019 at 7:42 pm

Amazon Prime’s shows, at least in the US, aren’t available IN German, they’re only available in English.

August 28, 2019 at 8:59 pm

Hi Cheryl, some shows like You are Wanted, Beat, and 4 Blocks are also available dubbed in English on Prime Video, but I’ve linked to only the German-language versions in my list.

I noticed that Amazon also mistakenly lists the Audio Language as English in the episodes of some shows like Deutschland 83 and Der Tatortreiniger, although they are in German with English subtitles.

March 18, 2020 at 3:30 pm

A great source for German movies and series is the ARD Mediathek. You can download the app for tablet or phone for free. Many of the series and movies are available outside Germany but some are not. For instance, in France, where I live, you cannot get Der Tatortreiniger on Prime but it is available for free on the ARD Mediathek. All the Tatort series too. Also ZDF Mediathek is similar. The second German tv channel.

March 20, 2020 at 10:58 am

Bobby, thanks so much for this fantastic tip. I’ve added a link for each show to the Mediathek where available. In future I’ll try to add new sections for the Mediatheken as well.

April 21, 2020 at 5:16 am

Thank you very much that will help. However Netflix doesn’t provide verbatim subtitles(I don’t know if Amazon does this also). I find it difficult and annoying that subtitles are not transcribed exactly as the audio being spoken. Do you know why Netflix is doing this? Many thanks.

April 24, 2020 at 8:11 am

Hi Frankie, it’s certainly frustrating when they don’t match. Unfortunately, subtitles are made for viewers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing rather than us language learners.

Netflix has stated their official policy is to include as much of the original content as possible. They only truncate the original dialogue when reading speed and synchronicity with the audio are an issue.

That means dialogue is often abridged to reduce the amount of text the viewer has to read. It’s hard to have verbatim subtitles that are actually readable because people understand speech much faster than they can read. So for example, verbs in Perfekt tense (e.g. “hat geschrieben”) are often changed to Präteritum (e.g. “schrieb”) to save space. I imagine this kind of subtitle paraphrasing happens even more frequently in German due to its long words.

May 1, 2020 at 10:20 am

I always find the subtitles very helpful IF I can get them in German; subtitles translated to English are not always accurate. Back in the dark ages, the only way to do that was to get videos manufactured in Europe and play them on a PAL machine with an electrical transformer. Here in the US, it seems like the only options are English, Spanish, or French.

May 3, 2020 at 11:23 am

Yes, subtitles in German are best, but sadly not always available outside of Netflix!

June 27, 2020 at 7:46 pm

I really enjoyed Deutschland 83 and 86, kept me wide awake the whole time. Now looking forward to Deutschland 89. Thank you for taking the time to put this list together for us : )

June 30, 2020 at 9:23 am

Glad you’re enjoying the list, Christine!

Just read that there will be 8 episodes in the third and final season about the fall of the Berlin Wall. It’ll be available in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video in Germany, Austria, India, and Japan and on Sundance TV and Hulu in the US.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Best new German TV Shows in 2024 & 2023 (Netflix, Prime, Hulu & TV List)

New German TV series in 2024

Best German TV series on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ or DVD in 2024

The Empress

ÜberWeihnachten

Tribes of Europa

Das Mädchen am Strand

Criminal: Germany

Deutschland 86

Dogs of Berlin

Mord mit Aussicht

Der Tatortreiniger

Im Angesicht des Verbrechens

Deutschland 83

Babylon Berlin

You are Wanted

Die Lebenden und die Toten

The Best Sports Series To Watch in 2024

Jurassic World 2015 Movie: A Lifetime Inspiration

Kickoff with convenience with the allure of live streaming

15 Movies Coming in 2022 We’re Really Excited About

15 Hotly Anticipated 2022 TV Shows We Can’t Wait to See

15 Great New TV Shows That Started in 2021

• Portuguese (Brazil)

The Only Germany Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need

Last Updated: January 5, 2024

*FYI - this post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase from them. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosure. for more info.

While most commonly associated with beers, bratwursts and tight leather pants, Germany is a country full of delightful finds that extend far beyond the stereotypes.

From dreamy castles and fairytale towns to awe-inspiring nature and sprawling cities, Deutschland has a little something for every kind of traveler… although I’ll admit the leather pants are also great.

I first visited Germany on a 6 week backpacking trip across Europe, and as I sipped my comically large beer under the toasty Berlin sun, I felt a strange sense of calm and belonging.

Spurred by this hunch, I moved to Munich. One study abroad, and 5 years later, I’m still here, with so much giddy enthusiasm for this country that I’ve become a thoroughly insufferable dinner guest.

But my social life’s loss is your gain, my friend… because today, I’ve decided to channel all my Deutschland fangirl tendencies into this concise Germany travel guide filled with all my top tips, itineraries, and recommendations.

Save this Germany travel guide for later!

I promise it’ll come in handy!

I hope you find it helpful, and of course, feel free to ask any more questions in the comments section or on Instagram here.

Traveling to Germany Basics

Currency: Euro

Language: German, although accents and dialects vary wildly! In larger cities and tourist hotspots, most Germans also speak excellent English.

Getting Around: Trains, buses and flights are plentiful and affordable in Germany – my best tip is to use Omio to compare options easily. Having a car is ideal for visiting smaller towns, more remote locations and numerous destinations in a short amount of time, but is otherwise not needed for big cities.

Germany Highlights (By the Season)

• Winter: Christmas markets, skiing & alpine sports, Karneval and Fasching season (Carnival), Starkbier (Strong beer) season
• Spring: Cherry blossoms in Bonn , Frühlingsfest (Springfest) in Munich
• Summer: Hiking, Beer Garden season, summer festivals/celebrations
• Fall: Oktoberfest and other Volksfests, the world’s biggest pumpkin festival in Ludwigsburg, the Wurstmarkt (world’s largest wine festival)

My Favourite Places in Germany

Let’s get my mega-biased opinion out of the way first – Munich is the city I now call home, and I couldn’t recommend it more… especially if you’re obsessed with beer like I am. This is the birthplace of Oktoberfest after all!

There are lots of fun things to do in Munich , like hopping around the city’s sprawling museum district (many only cost 1 euro on Sundays!), eating up the best Bavarian food that Munich has to offer or soaking in the wealth of historical sites scatered around the city.

It’s also an ideal base for many epic day trips. Going from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle (AKA the real life Sleeping Beauty castle) takes only 2.5 hours. Or, if you want to visit glorious Salzburg from Munich (AKA the birthplace of Mozart and setting of Sound of Music), that’s only 1 hour by train.

Why visit Munich when you travel Germany:

• Amazing beer & beer festivals
• The English Garden – one of the largest city parks in the world
• Beautiful palaces and museums
• Easy base for amazing day trips to the Alps

Berchtesgaden National Park

If it’s natural beauty you’re after, Germany’s Berchtesgaden National Park (near the border to Austria) is a must-visit.

Everything here is breathtaking – from the shimmering turquoise lakes and snow-flecked mountains to the adorable Berchtesgaden town center.

And, if you’re up for it, this is the ideal place to enjoy a typically Bavarian wellness weekend.

Why visit Berchtesgaden National Park when you travel Germany:

• Stunning hikes and scenery
• The glorious boat ride on Königssee to see the equally stunning Obersee
• Historic sights like Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest

Hands down one of my favourite places to visit time and time again is Berlin.

This endlessly fascinating city is home to incredible museums, delicious food, and a unique culture that makes it distinct from the rest of the country, despite its status as capital!

Whether you’re a history nerd, an avid partyer, or a famished foodie, Berlin has plenty to offer.

Why visit Berlin when you travel Germany:

• Fascinating history
• World-class museums and attractions
• A thriving nightlife and food scene

Franconia is a glorious region in northern Bavaria that is divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper Franconia.

To me, it’s one of the most underrated regions in Germany for international visitors, with an abundance of fairytale half-timbered houses, amazing beer, and unique natural landscapes.

Here are some places in Franconia that are absolutely worth visiting:

• Franconian Switzerland
• Würzburg (still haven’t been yet!)

Perhaps the most idyllic entry of this list is Monschau, a sleepy but gorgeous village found near the border to Belgium.

I was lucky enough to come here for Christmas markets a few years ago, and I loved it so much, I skipped the train I’d pre-booked just so I could spend a few more hours there. 

Picturesque half-timbered houses clustered around a roaring central river… oh, and a castle on a hill. Because of course they have one.

Why visit Monschau when you travel Germany:

• Super friendly locals
• Picture-perfect scenes at every turn
• Christina might cry if you don’t

Hamburg is an amazing city I’ve had the chance to visit a few times now. It’s a lifestyle city that reminds me a lot of my hometown, Vancouver.

Home to a mix of classic and modern architecture (including the coolest opera house in the world!), as well as Germany’s #1 attraction – the adorable Miniatur Wonderland, Hamburg has a lot to offer tourists, but perhaps the best way to enjoy it is with a nice beer and sunset along the Elbe.

Why visit Hamburg when you travel Germany :

• Amazing architecture like the Elbphilharmonie
• Fresh and tasty seafood (and a booming foodie scene!)
• A fun, vibrant vibe

Dresden is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, and its beauty is all the more astounding when we consider that much of the city was destroyed completely in WWII.

After decades of reconstruction however, Dresden once again shines with its former glory, establishing itself as one of the most important cultural hotspots in Germany.

… and all only a stone’s throw from Saxon Switzerland, one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the country!

Why visit Dresden when you travel Germany :

• Stunning architecture and sights
• World-class museums and culture scene
• Its jawdropping Christmas market (the oldest one in the country!)

Stuttgart (and its Surrounding Area)

Stuttgart is the biggest city (and capital) of the German state Baden-Württemburg. 

It’s perhaps best known as the ‘cradle of the automobile industry’, which explains why it’s home to not just one, but two car-centric museums: one belonging to Mercedes-Benz, and one to Porsche.

Besides cars though, the area around Stuttgart offers up some of the cutest small towns you can find in Germany, all easily reachable by public transport, meaning you get the best of all worlds during a visit here.

Why visit Stuttgart and the surrounding area when you travel Germany:

• Fairytale towns like Esslingen, Ludwigsburg, and Tübingen
• Stuttgart’s Stadtbibliothek, one of the most unique and beautiful libraries in the world
• Lots of fun events like Stuttgart’s Christmas Market and the Cannstatter Volksfest 

Thuringia is a state often overlooked by international tourists, but if you’re looking for a truly charming German escape, its capital Erfurt makes an excellent choice.

This beautiful city is famed for its unique Krämerbrücke, which is a gorgeous medieval bridge lined with residential buildings.

But that’s not all – there’s also an impressive cathedral, an imposing fortress, and surprises waiting on every corner… quite literally, because Erfurt is the HQ of the German children’s channel KiKA, and there’s plenty of fun statues of famous characters scattered around town.

Why visit Erfurt when you travel Germany:

• Krämerbrücke, the longest inhabited bridge in Europe
• Quirky and fun children’s channel sculptures all over the city

Cologne, to me, is a city synonymous with fun and celebration. While at first glance, it might not rank among the “prettiest” places to visit in Germany (much of it was destroyed in the war), it still boasts several impressive landmarks and sights, like the epic Cologne Cathedral.

Where Cologne really shines though is during special events – the Christmas markets here are some of the best I’ve been to in my entire life, and the Karneval celebrations… well, those are truly epic!

Why visit Cologne when you travel Germany:

• Bucket list events like the Cologne Christmas Market and Kölner Karneval
• The iconic Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), one of the most famous churches in the world 
• Fun-loving locals who are among the friendliest I’ve ever encountered in Germany

Last but not least, we have Hannover, a city which (in my opinion) is one of the most underrated cities in Germany where tourism is concerned.

Locally, people often joke that Hannover is one of the most boring cities in Germany, but I don’t think that’s true at all. One quick look and you’ll find a stunning palace within the city, an architecturally impressive Town Hall (with a unique elevator offering epic views), and a cool laidback vibe that many compare to what Berlin was like decades ago.

Here are some awesome things to do in Hannover.

Why visit Hannover when you travel Germany:

• Its gorgeous New Town Hall
• The stunning Herrenhausen Palace and its gardens
• A fun, laidback city vibe

Bucket List Experiences in Germany

Germany is full of incredible bucket list experiences. Here are a few of my favourites:

Christmas Markets

German Christmas markets are the stuff of bucket list dreams.

If you adore Christmas, a German Xmas market trip needs to make it on your bucket list, because nobody captures Christmas coziness and joy quite like the Germans do.

The best part (besides the droolworthy assortment of German Christmas Market foods ) is that you’ll find Christmas markets in just about every city, town, and even the smallest of villages, each with their own unique take on traditions.

Trust me, you could never get bored of visiting these.

Here are some full guides to the Christmas markets I’ve visited in Germany:

• Munich’s Christmas Markets
• Berlin’s Christmas Markets
• Cologne’s Christmas Markets
• Esslingen Christmas Market
• Ludwigsburg Christmas Market
• Karlsruhe Christmas Market
• Düsseldorf Christmas Market
• Nuremberg Christmas Market
• Essen Christmas Market

Oktoberfest

Trust me – Oktoberfest , AKA the world’s largest beer festival, is reason enough to make a trip to Germany.

Typically celebrated annually in Munich, this is one of the most incredible events in the world, with millions of people attending, millions of beer served, and a guaranteed recipe for making memories to last a lifetime.

… If you can remember anything after 5L of beer that is.

Read my full Oktoberfest guide for more details.

Visiting Fairytale Castles

If you love castles, I recommend avoiding Germany……. because you might just combust from sheer fangirl joy.

Seriously, Germany is every castle lover’s kryptonite, with elegant palaces and fairytale castles in the thousands. If you’re a Disney gal like me who grew up dreaming of happily ever afters, pack a ballgown and head to Germany ASAP.

I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Here are some castles that you must visit in Germany:

• Neuschwanstein Castle
• Nuremberg Castle

The Cherry Blossoms in Bonn

The cherry blossoms in Bonn (also the birthplace of Beethoven and gummy bear legend, Haribo) are absolutely spectacular, and 100% worth visiting in Spring time. In fact, I’d even say they’re one of the best things to see in Europe at Spring time.

Yes, you, too, can come frolic in these tunnels of pink! Here is my guide on where to find cherry blossoms in Bonn.

Karneval, Fasching, Etc.

Carnival Season is one of the best times to visit Germany if you’re looking for a party.

The grandest celebrations take place just before Lent, and are celebrated throughout the country, although the festivites in North-Rhine Westphalia are probably the best known.

My top recommendation? Go celebrate in Cologne, where the Kölner Karneval draws millions of visitors every year.

My Recommended Germany Itineraries

Germany is a huge country with a massive diversity in sights… so how can you organize your time efficiently and make the most of your trip? Here are some German trip itinerary ideas…

Germany itinerary ideas for a taste of everything:

• Southern Germany Classic: Munich, the Allgäu (for Castles!), Garmisch Partenkirchen, Berchtesgaden National Park, Stuttgart & Area, Black Forest
• Eastern Germany Classic: Berlin, Dresden, Saxon Switzerland
• Western Germany Classic: Aachen, Monschau, Eifel National Park
• Northern Germany Classic: Hamburg, Bremen , Lübeck, Kiel, Sylt
• The Rhine River Classic: Mainz, Koblenz, Burg Eltz, Cochem, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
• The Harz Mountains Experience: Harz Mountains, Goslar, Wernigerode, Quedlinburg

Germany itinerary ideas for city breakers and culture hunters:

• The Big City Tour: Berlin and Munich (a 4 hour express train connects them)
• The BaWu Special: Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, Tübingen, Esslingen, Heidelberg
• The Bavaria Special: Munich, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Bayreuth
• The Saxony Special: Leipzig, Görlitz, Dresden
• The Rhine City Hop: Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
• The Romantic Villages Hop: Würzburg, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Füssen

Germany itinerary ideas for nature lovers:

• Southern Germany Nature Itinerary: Berchtesgaden National Park, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Black Forest and Lake Constance (Bodensee)
• Bavaria’s Best Nature Itinerary: Berchtesgaden National Park, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Munich’s Lake Region, Franconian Switzerland, Danube Gorge
• Eastern Germany Nature Itinerary: Dresden and Saxon Switzerland National Park

My Top Germany Travel Tips

• If you’re overwhelmed by transport options, Omio is a great resource for comparing trains, buses and flights in Germany at the same time.
• If travelling by train, look into group discount tickets like the Bayern Ticket which give you unlimited train travel for one day on regional trains. It can save you a TON of money.
• If you are traveling to multiple countries nearby (i.e. Switzerland), a Eurail pass might save you money.

Accommodation:

• Booking.com is a great place to search up hotels, and filtering by Free Cancellation allows you to book without paying upfront
• Airbnb can be a very affordable alternative for longer stays/bigger groups

Attractions and Tickets:

• GetYourGuide is a great site for finding tours and attraction tickets
• City passes like the Munich City Pass , Berlin Pass , and the Cologne Card can save you a LOT of money if you plan to visit many tourist attractions in a short time
• If you’re trying to find specific info about a place, try using Google Translate to search in German because German versions of sites always have more info

If you’re past the planning stage and heading to Germany soon, make sure you read this before you go:

• Hilarious must-knows before you visit Germany

More Germany Travel Reads

Feeling inspired to visit Germany after reading all that?

As you can (probably) tell, I’ve written extensively about Germany.

So, here are some more articles that might pique your interest:

• Unique Things to do in Germany (That You Can’t Do Anywhere Else)
• The Best Christmas Markets in Germany
• Hilarious Must-Knows Before You Visit Germany

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

4 thoughts on “The Only Germany Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need”

i found myself reading almost every post in your website for days and days and i ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT and adore and thank you for spending so much time and effort to make it so helpful, informative and fun to read. you have helped me plan my trip to munich in december and i cant wait to visit just because of your enthusiasm 🙂

We would like to Thank you for sharing such a beautiful blog! Very informative.

This Germany Travel Guide truly captures the multifaceted beauty of Deutschland, a country that has something to offer to everyone, from culture enthusiasts to nature lovers. Your personal anecdotes from living in Munich make it come alive, making me yearn for a taste of that amazing beer you’ve mentioned, and a wander around the English Garden! The varied seasonal highlights emphasize how Germany is a year-round destination, offering uniquely charming experiences, from the festive winter Christmas markets to the lively summer festivals. It’s heartening to know that navigating around the country is convenient, making it possible to explore its picturesque small towns and vibrant cities. This guide is a treasure trove for anyone planning to travel to Germany – it gives a well-rounded view of the country, infused with personal insights, which makes it even more valuable. I’m particularly intrigued to visit Munich, the city you so passionately call home.

As a Berliner, I can’t agree more with this guide. Germany truly is a delightful mix of tradition and innovation, natural beauty and urban charm, hearty cuisine and diverse cultures. Moving around in Germany is indeed quite convenient thanks to the well-organized public transportation system, including trains, buses, and trams. And yes, English is widely spoken in major cities, so communication shouldn’t be a problem for travelers. As for the varied dialects across regions, it just adds to the unique charm of exploring this beautiful country. Safe travels, fellow adventurers!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. *

German TV series about time travel

In the top there are new series of 2021, a plot description and trailers for series that have already been released.

A missing child causes four families to help each other for answers. What they could not imagine is that this mystery would be connected to innumerable other secrets of the small town.

The story of the town and people who live above “The Loop,” a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe – making things possible that were previously relegated only to science fiction.

When strange anomalies start to appear all over England, Professor Cutter and his team must track down and capture all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past and near future.

Mia goes to medical school to get close to a professor she suspects had a hand in her past family tragedy and gets tangled in the world of biohacking.

Berlin, 1888. After penniless Ida’s life is saved at the Charité Hospital she must work off the treatment costs. While she becomes acquainted with the most brilliant physicians of this era at the world-famous hospital, the self-determined young woman discovers her passion for medicine.

Through globalization, many countries have been opened and barriers removed to ensure easy trade, travel and cultural diversity. However, this openness has given opportunities to criminals looking to exploit the system and ultimately threaten our global safety. As Europe has become a "safe house" for criminals eluding law enforcers, a special kind of law enforcement team is needed to handle specific ongoing crimes on a global level. "Crossing Lines" is the story of one such team, made up of five international cops, headed by Captain Daniel. The team - comprised of individuals who have little in common - must learn to live and work under the most dangerous and potentially deadly conditions. Housed in an unused storage section underneath the ICC, this mismatched team faces bureaucratic, jurisdictional and cultural obstacles while traversing continents in pursuit of justice.

With a huge asteroid rushing towards Europe, there are only eight days left till impact. In the face of the apocalypse everything changes; laws and rules are abandoned. Who can save themself, what is really important now?

Carl Hamilton has just returned to Sweden after many years of secret education in the US when Stockholm is shaken by a series of terrorist attacks. Hamilton is assigned to assist the Swedish intelligence service in their pursuit of the guilty, but at the same time works as a double agent.

When a singer is found murdered, with her scent glands excised from her body, detectives probe a group of friends who attended boarding school with her.

The true story of the Allied ship Laconia, sunk in WWII by a German U-Boat, which then surfaced against orders to rescue the civilian crew

Newly divorced journalist returns to her hometown to restart her life and work through her past.

Cold War, the seventies. Lars is a Romeo agent from East Germany: he must go to the West side and seduce and spy on Western women who work in government or defense institutions.

A deadly virus hits a small community living on an island in the North Sea.

Old-school police detective Pierre Niemans and his former student Camille Delaunay tackle complex, brutal murder cases.

We don't have an overview translated in English. Help us expand our database by adding one.

David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.

A three-part German mini-series about the luxury hotel in Berlin.

Within the walls of an interrogation room and with time running out, London investigators go after three suspects, each accused of a grievous crime.

The incredible, true story of the Norwegian Crown Princess Märtha’s efforts to support her country during World War II. After a headlong flight from the Nazis, she was forced to part from her husband and cross the Atlantic Ocean to seek refuge in the United States. There, she soon found herself involved in a close relationship with the President of the United States: Franklin D. Roosevelt.

At Sydney's National Dance Academy, a few talented youngsters are recruited for the excruciatingly tough course. It follows Tara Webster, a sheepfarmgirl who's ambition is to be the next best ballerina. Jewish long line of doctors' heir Samuel 'Sammy' and minor juvenile offender Christian are the outsiders but gradually fit in, making new kinds of friends. Star ballerina's daughter Kat also introduces them in the circle of last-year brother Ethan, who already aspires a career as choreographer. Also Abigail, a smart young girl who'll walk over dead bodies to reach the stars tries to sabotage everything and everyone.

After the death of his mother, 16-year-old Juri and his father Jaschek move into a rundown housing complex on the city outskirts. While Jaschek tries to establish a new life for himself and his son, as caretaker of the building, Juri gradually discovers that the house has a vicious life of its own and feeds on the suffering of its inhabitants

When a gruesomely staged body is found, propped up on a mountain pass in the Alps close to the German-Austrian border, two detectives are sent to investigate. For German detective Ellie, this is the first real challenge of her career; her Austrian counterpart Gedeon though seems to have lost any ambitions in his job. Very soon, they discover more crime scenes with symbolically posed victims, reminiscent of pagan rituals. It all seems to be part of a bigger, sinister plan. Ellie finds herself under increasing pressure to understand the deranged killer's motives so she can stop him. The hunt leads them ever deeper in the dark valleys and archaic Alpine customs - and the paranoid world of the killer.

Mira is 17 and a loner. When she is invited by an unknown number to download the app "Wishlist", at first she believes that it is just spam. But Wishlist offers her to satisfy every wish - for a trade-off...

A Hasidic Jewish woman in Brooklyn flees to Berlin from an arranged marriage and is taken in by a group of musicians -- until her past comes calling.

Eager to make his name in 19th-century Vienna, a hungry young Sigmund Freud joins a psychic and an inspector to solve a string of bloody mysteries.

In the midst of the impassable landscape at the foot of the Alps, a young group of serious offenders is undergoing an experiential educational program intended to rehabilitate them. All of a sudden, a member of the program dies a violent death. Nobody knows exactly what happened, and the youths face a difficult decision. Should they wait for the authorities to recover the body and investigate the crime? Or, escape and take their fate into their own hands? The group doesn't have much in common with each other, though one thing unites them; all of them have had really bad experiences with the authorities and don‘t expect to be treated fairly. Since they don't know who the perpetrator is, they only have one option: to run. Up the mountains, up the highest peaks of the Alps. It seems hopeless until they stumble onto a complex cave system where they can find shelter from wind, weather, and their pursuers.

The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick. This is a TV series starring William Hurt, Ethan Hawke, and Charlie Cox.

After a number of murders of prostitutes at a motorway stop near Berlin, in a rear courtyard in Antwerp, and in a brothel in Copenhagen, Europol decides to form a taskforce to tackle the case. Harald, a Dane, Jackie, a German, and Alice from Belgium embark on the hunt for the killer. As the case unfolds, the killings prove to be just the tip of the iceberg, the iceberg itself being a large, pan-European criminal organization involved in everything from drugs and financial crime to corruption, hired killings and not least people trafficking , illegal labor and prostitution.

A young girl falls in love with a poor brewer's son. Their relationship is opposed by the girl's father, a rich mobster who has come to town to try to bully his way into the inner circle of Munich's brewery dynasties.

Belfast, 1909. The Harland and Wolff shipyard has been handed the greatest project in its history. It will build a great, unsinkable ship. And it will be called the RMS Titanic.

As a major criminal investigation tries to stem the flow of corruption, Italy is poised on the brink of collapse.

A politically sensitive murder forces two disparate detectives into a battle with the Berlin underworld and a confrontation with their own corruption.

The true story of the classic Arabian Nights tales. We follow Sherazade, the real hero of the famous stories, on her quest to find the Tree of Life and save the Prince of the Golden City, who has been turned into a blue-haired monster.

During a snowy Christmas season in Sweden, psychologist and profiler Inger Johanne Vik finds not only herself but also her autistic daughter drawn into the investigation of a number of disturbing deaths, through which she meets detective Ingvar Nyman of “Rikskrim,” a Swedish national police force.

When Sofia Karppi, a detective in her 30's who is trying to get over her husband's death, discovers the body of a young woman on a construction site, she triggers a chain of events that threatens to destroy her life again.

Following a cyber attack on a German bank, an investigator teams with local authorities and an elite hacker to track the suspects.

A mysterious disappearance makes two completely separate worlds collide, creating an extremely odd couple – the lawyer Emily and recently released convict Teddy. They have two opposing desires. She wants up. He wants out. She wants to secure her future. He wants to leave his old life behind. They are both forced to thi

In the interview room, detectives go head-to-head with suspects and try to get to the truth—even if it means breaking the rules and risking it all.

An inexperienced U-boat crew has to survive a secret mission and a young German woman is torn between loyalty for her home country and the French resistance in the WWII drama.

Recounts the tumultuous history of Cuba, a nation of foreign conquest, freedom fighters and Cold War political machinations.

Sophie Haas and her team are forced to state everything they know about the committed crime in the nearby village.

When 10 year old girl is kidnapped from the natural history museum, the police questions eight key witnesses to uncover the truth and find the child before it's too late.

Colognian commissioner Gereon Rath moves to Berlin, the epicenter of political and social changes in the Golden Twenties.

Based in Neukölln, Berlin Toni manages the daily business of dealing with the Arabic gangs and ends up wanting to leave his old life behind for his family, but as expected, its never that simple.

The life of Gumball Watterson, a 12-year old cat who attends middle school in Elmore. Accompanied by his pet, adoptive brother, and best friend Darwin Watterson, he frequently finds himself involved in various shenanigans around the city, during which he interacts with various family members: Anais, Richard, and Nicole Watterson, and other various citizens.

2074. In the wake of a mysterious global disaster, war rages between the Tribes that have emerged from the wreckage of Europe. Three siblings from the peaceful Origine tribe are separated and forced to forge their own paths in an action-packed fight for the future of this new Europa.

A mysterious classmate leads four idealistic teens in a revolt against a rising tide of nationalistic fervor, but their movement takes a dark turn.

Carlos is a French-German television and cinema biographical film from 2010, about the life of the 1970s international terrorist Carlos the Jackal, from his first series of attacks in 1973 until his arrest in 1994. It premiered as a three-part TV mini-series on French pay channel Canal+, with the three parts airing on 19 May, May 26 and June 2, 2010. On the same day it premiered on Canal+, the full 5½ hour version was also shown out of competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Produced by Daniel Leconte of French production company Film En Stock and Jens Meuer of German production company Egoli Tossell Film, in association with Canal+ and French Arte, it was directed by Olivier Assayas from a screenplay by Leconte, Assayas and Dan Franck, and stars Édgar Ramírez as Carlos. The film exists both as a three-part mini-series and a feature film of various lengths between 338 and 319 minutes, but also in several abridged versions, from 187 minutes down to 166 minutes. Classified as a theatrical film as well as a TV film/TV mini-series, Carlos has been awarded both theatrical awards and TV awards; among them the 2010 Golden Globe award for the 'Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television', the 2010 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director, the National Society of Film Critics 2010 award for Best Director, the New York Film Critics Circle 2010 award for Best Foreign Language Film, the 2010 European Film Award for Best Editor, the 2010 Critics Award for Best Film at the São Paulo International Film Festival, and Édgar Ramírez won the 2010 César Award for Most Promising Actor.

15 Best Germany Travel Guides

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my  disclaimer policy.

Looking for the best Germany travel guide to take on your trip? Here are 15 of the most useful options for travelers planning trips to Germany!

Germany is a world class tourist destination in the heart of Europe.

Every year, millions of people travel there to taste its many famous beers and traditional German cuisine , visit enchanting fairy tale castles , national parks, and beautiful sights, learn about its rich history and culture, and much more.

No matter whether you plan to visit busting big cities or Germany’s many thriving smaller cities, you’ll find tons of attractions and points of interest. But they can be difficult to explore effectively without a guide to help you along the way. 

Join our FREE Germany Trip Planning Facebook Group!

This article shows you the best Germany travel guides out in the market today (both in hard copy and Kindle) and how you can choose the best one for your trip.

Whether you plan to spend time in Berlin, the Rhine, Bavaria (or elsewhere!), want to travel by cruise, train or take a road trip, or are traveling solo, with a partner or your entire family, there’s a guide for every kind of itinerary and traveler!

• 1 Quick Guidebook Recommendations
• 2 Why Use A Travel Guide?
• 3 Germany Travel Guides Comparison Chart
• 4 How To Choose The Best Travel Guide For You
• 5 15 Best Germany Travel Guides
• 6 What To See And Do In Germany?
• 7 When Is The Best Time To Go To Germany?

Quick Guidebook Recommendations

Check out this quick list of our favorite guide books if you’re in a hurry, or continue scrolling to see our full list with in-depth reviews.

• For Insider Tips On Hidden Gems : Fodor’s Essential Germany
• For Kindle Unlimited Users : The Rough Guide to Germany
• For First-Time Travelers to Germany: Rick Steves Germany
• For multiple formats and off-line maps: Lonely Planet Germany
• For DIY Berlin Walking Tours: National Geographic: Walking Berlin
• For Visiting Munich, Bavaria & The Black Forest: Lonely Planet: Munich, Bavaria, and the Black Forest
• For Visiting Rothenburg & the Rhine: Rick Steves’ Rothenburg & the Rhine
• For Road Trips & Day Trips in Germany, Austria & Switzerland : Lonely Planet’s Guide to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
• Best City Pocket Guide s: Lonely Planet’s Pocket Guide Berlin, Hamburg, Munich
• For Roadtrips in Germany: DK Eyewitness Road Trips
• For Rail Travel in Germany: Europe by Rail
• For River Cruises: Lonely Planet Cruise Ports European Rivers
• Best Guide for Kids: Kids Travel Guide Germany
• For Quickly Learning About German Culture: Culture Smart Germany
• For Learning German Language: 1,000 German Phrases

Why Use A Travel Guide?

Germany travel guides are a great resource for planning specific aspects of your trip, especially when combined with the info we provide on this website.

You can never have too much trip planning information, and a good travel guide provides essential travel information without the need for wifi.

Travel guides are especially useful for people who don’t have a lot of experience traveling abroad or who don’t speak the language of their destination country.

The guides we highlight below can help you find good restaurants, learn about regional customs and traditions, and avoid scams in specific locations.

If you’re looking for something more specific than general travel advice, there are many specialty travel guidebooks available that cover everything from hiking trails to famous literary locations around the world!

Germany Travel Guides Comparison Chart

Here’s an overview of the best guidebooks for Germany travel. Scroll down for a more detailed review of each book!

• Perfect for insider tips
• Full-size street maps
• Sample itineraries

• Free with Kindle Unlimited (as of now)
• Carefully planned itineraries
• Full-color maps

• Perfect first timers
• Strategic advice for making the most out of your budget
• Tips on how to plan a multi-week trip to different cities in Germany

• Honest reviews of restaurants
• Free on Kindle Unlimited too
• Add notes to personalize your digital guidebook

• 15 walking tours
• Step-by-step itineraries
• Detailed maps

• Up-to-date research on travel information and what businesses are still open after light of Covid-19
• “What’s new” sections featuring cultural trends
• New, up-and-coming areas to visit

• Insider travel tips 
• How to avoid tourist traps
• Rothenburg & Rhine focused

• Germany, Austria & Switzerland
• 33 trip ideas
• Fastest travel routes & scenic detours

Small & handy

Books for Berlin, Hamburg & Munich

Expert advice on top tourist destinations & neighborhoods

• 24 well-researched driving routes.
• Discover stunning views and hidden gems off the beaten track
• Practical tips for driving in Germany

50 key routes

Tips on the best ticket deals

Fun sights to see along the routes

• Advice for first-timers
• Covers Germany & other European cruise routes

• Fun facts about Germany
• Language learning
• Coloring pages, quizzes, puzzles & journal pages

• German history
• Cultural values, traditions & etiquette
• Regional cultural differences

• 1,000 basic words, phrases, and sentences in German
• Small talk, asking for directions, finding a bank, ordering at restaurants
• Phonetic pronunciation guide!

How To Choose The Best Travel Guide For You

There are a lot of travel guides on the market, making it pretty overwhelming to find the right one. When choosing the best travel guide for your trip, there are a couple of things you should take into consideration.

Grab our FREE Germany Trip Planning Checklist Now!

What are your travel plans?

If you’re going on a multi-week trip across Germany, visiting several cities and regions, then the best travel guide for you will be a comprehensive general country guide on Germany.

These kinds of guides usually have multiple chapters dedicated to all the big cities and regions, making it easy to flip through whichever destination you’re going to along your trip.

On the other hand, if you’re mostly staying in a specific region or a couple of cities, then it’s better to find a regional guide that really narrows in the area you’re visiting. This way you won’t be bogged down with city information that may not be applicable to your trip. 

What’s your travel style?

If you’re going on road trips, you’ll find guidebooks with specific information and helpful tips on driving in Germany, the best scenic routes, and more. Likewise, if you’re going on a river cruise, find a guide that covers that specific type of travel. There are also guides that are geared towards kids.  

What’s your preferred writing style?

Do you prefer matter-of-fact, objective, no-frills writing? Or do you gain more value from reading personal guides filled with the author’s own anecdotes and experience of the city?

There are also guides that focus heavily on history, others on beautiful travel photography. Make sure to read reviews to get a gist of the style and content of the guide!

Fodor’s Essential Germany is the perfect guide for those who want insider tips on how to experience Germany like a local.

Fodor’s Travel Guides are all written and researched by local experts, who can offer you unique insights you might not find in other guides. 

In this guide you’ll find fully updated information on all of Germany’s main attractions and hidden gems, which includes restaurants, hotels, and even outdoor activities.

As well as full-size street maps and beautiful photographs, you’ll also have access to multiple sample itineraries to help you make the most out of your travel time.

The Rough Guide to Germany is one of the best options   for those who want a guidebook on their Kindle – it’s free with Kindle Unlimited (as of now)!

You’ll have rundowns of must-see landmarks, carefully planned itineraries, and full-color maps to navigate the streets of Berlin or Munich without the need to go online.

This guide covers a vast majority of areas in Germany, not just the major cities . If you’re spending more time in a certain region, then the detailed regional coverage will be very useful. 

Rick Steves is one of the most well known travel writers from the United States. His mission is to empower Americans to go on fun and culturally enriching trips to Europe and his guidebook to Germany reflects that.

People who are traveling to Germany for the first time will find this guide very useful. It has strategic advice on how to make the most out of your budget and time with tips on how to plan a multi-week trip to different cities in Germany.

Other handy features include self-guided walking tours, a packing checklist, and a German phrasebook. This edition also has up to date detailed information reflecting the changes brought about Covid-19.

Lonely Planet has some of the best guidebooks in the market and the Lonely Planet’s Germany is no exception - it's currently the #1 best seller on Amazon.

They provide comprehensive and trustworthy information on everything you need to know about Germany, from the most visited tourist areas to less well known historic cities.

This guide makes sure to provide itineraries and honest reviews of restaurants, shops, landmarks that cater to every kind of travel style and budget.

The book is available in both digital (it’s free on Kindle Unlimited too!) and paperback versions. The digital version comes with downloadable PDF and offline maps that are great for preventing extra roaming charges, embedded links to recommendations with websites.

You can even add notes to personalize your guidebook. The paperback version is small and sleek, making it easy to bring around while traveling.

If you’re staying in Berlin for some time, then you’ll probably be spending a good amount of time walking (alongside using their excellent public transport).

And there’s no better way of getting to know a city than by walking! National Geographic Walking Berlin is the best guidebook for this.

This book contains 15 walking tours with step-by-step itineraries and detailed maps that will have you roaming and exploring Berlin like a true local in no time.

Lonely Planet just came out with their newest guide on Munich, Bavaria, and the Black Forest.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect spa town to relax along the Black Forest or celebrating Oktoberfest in Munich, this guidebook will have you covered.

Since it was just recently published, you’ll be able to find up-to-date research on travel information and what businesses are still open after light of Covid-19.

Aside from all the essential reading, there are also “what’s new” sections that feature cultural trends and new, up-and-coming areas to visit. 

From wandering around quaint villages, going back in time exploring ancient castles ruins, or dining in good restaurants by scenic vineyards, the Rhine Valley is a must-visit.

It’s particularly known as a romantic destination, but every kind of traveler can enjoy it. Rick Steves’ guide to the Rhine is a great place to start planning your trip.

It includes insider travel tips on how to beat crowds and avoid tourist traps. The selective coverage also includes information on Rothenburg, a picturesque well-restored medieval city. 

Lonely Planet’s Guide to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is perfect for those whose travel plans always include day trips or road trips.

Especially if you’ve planned your itinerary with the goal of visiting neighboring countries like Austria or Switzerland, then this guide is for you.

This guide covers everything from the Romantic Road, Lake Bodensee, the Swiss Alps, Zurich, Lake Geneva, Vienna, Salzburg, and more! It features over 33 trips to take with useful advice on breaks to stretch your legs along the way, the fastest travel routes, and scenic detours.

The Lonely Planet’s Pocket Guide series are perfect for those taking shorter trips over a weekend or maybe those who have limited leisure time during business trips.

These guides are small and handy, getting down to the basics of each German city. It’s easy to use and concise, with expert advice on the top tourist destinations, neighborhood chapters, and day planners.

Click here for more information on Pocket Berlin, Pocket Hamburg , and Pocket Munich

DK Eyewitness Road Trips is ideal for those who want to explore Germany through road trips.

This guide contains 24 well-researched, easy to follow driving routes. Each lasts from 1 to 5 days, so you can choose any depending on your time and preference.

You’ll get to learn about stunning views and hidden gems off the beaten track that you can only discover on the road. It’s full of practical tips like road conditions, detours, parking info, and navigation details for GPS use.

Plus, each tour includes ideas for activities and sights along the way.

Europe by Rail is the definitive guide for planning your European trail travel journey using Interrail or Eurail.

This guide includes 50 key routes that you can follow or incorporate into your Germany itinerary.

It also contains tips on the best ticket deals, where to stay, and fun sights to see along the routes. It covers popular routes such as Glacier Express, the Rhine Valley, French Riviera, and the Scottish Highlands with information on new routes to Slovakia, Greece, and more.

River cruises have been gaining popularity, with many tourists loving the different perspective you get as you travel by water through scenic riverfront views.

Riverboats are usually much smaller than Mediterranean cruises, making for a more social experience and more frequent stops and onshore activities. 

This Lonely Planet guide is perfect for those going on a European cruise through a number of different countries but who do not want to buy a guide book for each country.

It covers the following routes: Northern Rhine, Southern Rhine (France, Germany, Switzerland), Western Danube (Austria and Germany), Eastern Danube (Hungary and Serbia), the Seine (France), and the Elbe (Czech Republic and Germany).

Traveling with children to Germany for the first time can be intimidating. Kids Travel Guide Germany is here to help ease your worries!

This guide is a fun gift to give your kids as a way to cultivate their interest in traveling from a young age. Leonardo, the cute cartoon tour guide, will teach your kids fun facts about Germany and even basic German words.

It also comes with an activity book full of coloring pages, quizzes, puzzles, and journal pages to document their trip.

Nothing enriches travel experiences like immersing yourself in the country’s local culture. Culture Smart Germany shows you everything you need to know about German culture and way of life.

You’ll find chapters discussing history, values, cultural differences between regions, cultural traditions, and common etiquette to follow.

It’s great for navigating day to day life while you travel and even for more formal business trips.

This German phrase book is the ideal companion for your trip to Germany.

With more than 1,000 basic words, phrases, and sentences in German it covers every travel situation you could think of from small talk, asking for directions, finding a bank, and ordering at restaurants.

Easy to use and straight to the point, this guide will help you familiarize yourself with the German language and navigate social situations with locals. It also comes with a phonetic pronunciation guide!

What To See And Do In Germany?

If you’re not sure which guidebook will work best for you, consider where you most want to spend your time.

Germany is filled with tons of historic places to learn from, beautiful landscapes to admire, and fun cultural activities to experience. To get a gist of what awaits you in your Germany trip, let’s break it down to some of the main travel destinations in the country.

Berlin, the capital of Germany (and the largest city), is where you’ll find some of the most iconic landmarks of German history. You won’t run out of things to see from the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery, the Holocaust Memorial, the German Parliament Building (Reichstag), and many more.

For more information on the top historic places to visit in Berlin, read our guide to planning the ultimate Berlin itinerary.

This dynamic city has also undergone a lot of changes in the past decades, growing into one of the most interesting cities to visit in central Europe. Many people are drawn to the vibrant Berlin arts scene and music scene.

After all, the capital city is home to world-class museums (including some that give you a glimpse into what life was like in East Germany) and some of the best nightlife in Europe. 

Plus, it’s the gateway to rugged Rügen island to the north on the Baltic Sea, historic Dresden to the south, as well as “Swiss Saxon” national park area.

Hamburg, located on the Elbe river in northern Germany, is one of the most unique German cities. Famous for its ports, lakes, canals, and rivers running throughout the city, Hamburg shows you a different side of Germany.

Whether you canoe through the canals (super fun!) or try delicious fresh seafood after a harbor cruise, you won’t run out of fun activities to do in Hamburg. It’s one of my favorite cities in Germany!

The Black Forest is a region worth visiting for its spectacular scenery, small towns, and close proximity to France and Switzerland. It’s one of the best places to visit for those who love outdoor activities. There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails to explore and lakes and waterfalls to admire.

In-between immersing yourself in nature, you can explore picturesque smaller towns like Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, or Freiburg, and villages like Titisee-Neustadt, Triberg, and Gengenbach. You can also spend an afternoon seeing how people used to live at the Black Forest Open Air Museum.

Making your way to southern Germany, you’ll find the Bavarian Alps. For a scenic drive that makes the most out of your experience, we recommend driving south down the Romantic Road.

This route connects storybook castles , medieval towns, and breathtaking landscapes. It’s also one of the best ways to get to Neuschwanstein, the fairy tale castle that’s undoubtedly one of Germany’s most popular attractions.

A staple in all Germany itineraries is, of course Munich, the biggest city in Bavaria. It’s a popular destination for good reason – it’s a beautiful city rich with history far beyond the famous Oktoberfest. Munich (and Bavaria in general) is what most people envision when they think of Germany.

From Munich’s beer gardens, lush urban parks, and historic plazas, you won’t run out of things to see! Check out our guide on how to plan the perfect Munich weekend itinerary here.

Before leaving southern Germany, make sure to stop by Lake Constance (Bodensee in German). Found along the country’s border of Austria and Switzerland, this region with its lakeside small towns is a great place for sunny summer holidays. 

In Central Germany, you’ll find the Rhine Valley which holds great historical and cultural importance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also a popular romantic destination where you can do activities like wine tasting in hillside vineyards and going on a cruise on the Rhine river. We recommend exploring the area on a boat tour to bring you to quaint villages and ancient castles.

Cologne is a great gateway city to the Rhine Valley. The city’s old town is home to the famous Cologne Cathedral and it’s a great walkable area with lots to see.

Another nearby major city is Frankfurt. Though you may only know Frankfurt as Germany’s financial capital or home to one of the world’s busiest airports, the city is fun to explore for its modern architecture, the contrasting historic old town, and interesting museums. Read our guide to spending a day in Frankfurt here or how to day trip to the many castles in the area.

We hope this gives you a good idea of all the exciting things to see and do in Germany. We know there’s a lot to take into consideration. That’s why we also prepared a step-by-step guide on how to plan the perfect Germany vacation that answers everything from where to stay, what cities to visit, and how to get around!

When Is The Best Time To Go To Germany?

We get this question a lot! The best time to go to Germany totally depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for. There’s really no bad time to visit because each season has something great and unique to offer!

During summer, you’ll get to enjoy warm and sunny weather. The long days are perfect for sightseeing since the sun sets as late as 10:00-10:30 pm. Be aware that you won’t always be guaranteed clear, blue skies, though. Some days can be rainy or windy but that kind of weather usually doesn’t last longer than a couple of days.

On the flip-side, it can also get really hot during heat waves, and you won’t find A/C in all restaurants and hotels.

Another downside is that since it’s peak season, streets and tourist attractions can be much more crowded with families from all over the world traveling during summer break. Prices for tickets and accommodations are also at their highest so we recommend booking reservations as early as possible.  

Winter can also be a beautiful time to visit, but you’ll obviously have a very different experience. Snow, cold weather, and short days with the sun setting as early as 5 pm are just some of the things that you can expect.

Luckily, you’ll have the festive bright lights and cozy atmosphere of Christmas markets to make up for it. It’s also an ideal time to visit if you love winter activities like skiing or sledding.

Fall can be a good time to visit, especially if you want to participate in Oktoberfest festivities which take place late September to early October. The autumn weather means it’s still pleasantly enough for strolls, though you’ll have colder nights as you approach winter. 

Weather during spring can be a bit of a toss-up. Some days can bring light breezes and warmth but other days can be gloomy and rainy. But you’ll get to see cities come alive and locals spend more time in parks or beer gardens as flowers bloom and outdoor activities kick into gear.

Cate has been traveling to Germany for 30+ years. She has lived in Germany, taught college German, and has a PhD in German Applied Linguistics. She loves helping travelers plan their dream trips to Germany!

Similar Posts

The Best Beer To Try in Germany for 2024

Top 35 German Foods To Try in Germany

How to Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day Like a German

Best Germany Vacations & Tours: Places to Go in 2024

Summer in Germany: 19 Beautiful Places to Visit & Things to Do

Christmas in Germany: Food & Traditions

Here’s how we can help you plan your perfect trip in 2024.

GERMANY TRAVEL PLANNER:  Just getting started? Have questions about Germany’s confusing train tickets or how to find the best guided tours? Not sure which parts of Germany should be in your itinerary (and what to leave out)? Our  Germany Travel Planner  answers those questions and more via how-to videos, our interactive Germany Planning Map, City Cheatsheets, and MUCH more. Click here to unlock the best of Germany the easy way!

GERMANY TRAVEL CONSULT:  Feeling overwhelmed? Itinerary just not coming together? Wonder if a few tweaks would take your trip to the next level? Book a Mini or Full consult with Cate! She’ll help you create or tweak your itinerary, recommend train tickets/passes, hotels, things to do, guided tours, show you how to buy train tickets, orient you to specific cities, help you plan out day trips, and answer your Germany travel questions.

ACCOMMODATIONS:  We recommend using  Booking.com  since they have widest range of accommodations available from hostels, boutique hotels, luxury chains, aparthotels, at the best prices. Check out our  accommodation guides  for specific recommended hotels.

WHAT TO PACK: If you’re bringing your phone, be sure to bring this plug adapter , this power bank , and this wrist strap . They’ve been lifesavers for us! You can see our other packing essentials here and here .

TICKETS & TOURS:  For guided tours, day trips, private tours, and skip-the-line tickets,  Get Your Guide  is our go-to!

TRAINS & BUSES:  To research train schedules and buy tickets or a Germany Rail Pass, we recommend the official  Deutsche Bahn (German Rail System)  website (and download their DB Navigator app). For buses, look at  FlixBus  , which offers tickets for routes within Germany and to other European countries. FlixBus is often cheaper than trains but can take longer.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Germany: The perfect destination with beautiful nature and cultural attractions for every taste

Privacy settings.

Here you will find an overview of the types of cookies used on the website. You can set your consent for each category individually. Further information can be found in the privacy policy .

• Essential Cookies For the use of the website with all functions (e.g. user settings, watch lists, etc.)
• Statistics Statistics Cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
• Marketing In order to provide you with the best possible offer in cooperation with our partners, we use marketing tools. For example, in order to use our chatbot, you must activate this setting.
• External contents Required for viewing external media and third-party content. The provider may set cookies for its part. The respective data protection regulations of the provider apply.
• Inspiring Germany
• Cities & Culture
• Nature & Outdoor Activities
• Royal Palaces & Castles
• Experience & Enjoy

Current highlights

• Sustainable travel
• Barrier-free travel
• Easy language
• Federal states

Classical Art Museums: Genuine Masterpieces

Discover now

Old Towns with UNESCO World Heritage status

16 highlight natural landscapes, a 48-hour trip is full of possibilities, castles and palaces: fairytale film settings, the latest trend: travelling out into the countryside by train., 52 unesco world heritage sites and so much more, must-see museums, enjoy vegan and eco-sustainable city getaways, read our latest articles here, geological time travel: land of volcanoes, excellent hiking experiences in quality regions, creative and refreshing: the 'workation' travel trend, children are welcome: where the little ones take the main stage, 10 palaces and castles off the beaten path, slow travel by train: 9 gorgeous rail routes, 250 years of caspar david friedrich: pathways of history, university cities: youthful vibes and colorful atmosphere, capitals of culture: a grand entrance on the european stage, hotspots of automobile history, baroque cities: travel back in time to the 17th and 18th centuries, bauhaus: follow in the footsteps of this world-famous art school, nightlife cities: paradise for night owls, football hotspots: cities with an extra kick, action and adrenalin: tours for adventurers.

Aerial view of the Dauner Maar in the Volcanic Eifel ©AdobeStock (RalfenByte) Geological time travel: land of volcanoes To the overview

Experience nature and national parks as completely accessible

Pilgrimage: slow down, meditate, reflect, along the magic of peaceful lakes and wild river landscapes, romantic or fairytale: german holiday routes, the world of german animals: more than fox and deer, top spots for astronomy fans: starry skies, 16 highlights in germany, from medieval banquets to the song of the nibelungs, a journey back in time to the baroque era, top tips for special holiday experiences, where world history was written, dine and sleep in regal style, this is the taste of germany, wine experiences from the ahr to württemberg, craft beer: hop heroes everywhere, germany has a (wine) queen, an a to z of health and wellness, health spas and health resorts - a little time out, wine hikes: 5 regions for connoisseurs, discover german originality, 35 years since the fall of the wall, chemnitz: european capital of culture 2025, 52 unesco world heritage sites, summer of football: germany 2024, caspar david friedrich, simply feel good, germany’s top 100 survey, journey of discovery by train, travel from austria to germany with öbb, travel from switzerland to germany with sbb, from france to germany at high speed, barrier-free, experience germany barrier-free, all four seasons enchant in their own way.

The sun is warming the air, the days are getting longer, everywhere things are budding and blossoming: it's spring in Germany - time for getaways, blossom festivals, asparagus feasting and popular Easter traditions.

Summer At Last: Beer Gardens, Swimming Fun, Strawberry Ice Cream

Golden sunshine, colourful forests: the Indian summer can also be found in Germany. An ideal time for active holidaymakers and wellness fans. And for epicures, since this is harvest time.

Winter is the favourite season for any romantic. Outside, snowed-in forests and frozen lakes beckon. Inside, it feels cosy with baked goods, mulled wine and candlelight.

Follow us on Instagram

@germanytourism

Discover Germany

You're almost there

You will shortly be receiving an email to confirm your subscription. Please remember to click on the verification link so we can authenticate your email address.

We look forward to sending you all the latest news and information about Germany.

You have clicked on the confirmation link. Your registration is now complete. You will now begin to receive our newsletter.

We're sorry to see you go...

You have been unsubscribed from the Destination Germany newsletter. Feel free to continue using our digital channels. We hope to see you again soon!

Your participation has been confirmed.

• Un-/Subscribe

Press Release

Itb berlin 2024 – day 1: the world of international tourism gathers at the world’s largest travel trade show.

The ITB Newsroom and ITB Show Daily have all the latest updates on events at the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show.

3 – 2 – 1, GO! Taking as its slogan #ITBTOGETHER , the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show with over 5,500 exhibitors from 170 countries opened its doors to trade visitors and buyers from the international travel industry. Oman, the Official Host Country of ITB Berlin, impressed the audience at the official opening event with a spectacular show. Media representatives and bloggers can find all the latest on ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Congress for their coverage of the event here.

News Highlights

ITB Berlin – Travel market set for growth again

As ITB Berlin opens, experts are upbeat about the industry’s future – 2023 surpassed the highs of 2019. Read more

Tourism as a bridge to peace

ITB Berlin’s 360-degree approach includes mastering the challenges of digitalisation, sustainability and global crises. Read more

ITB Berlin opens with a positive outlook

At ITB Berlin the host country set new standards with its multimedia presentation – Politicians urged action – Emphasis on the bridge-building aspect of tourism. Read more

AI is fundamentally changing the travel industry

According to Charuta Fadnis of Phocuswright on Tuesday at ITB Berlin, the use of AI by agents and personalised travel apps is an important future trend. Read more

Travel behaviour in the age of AI and VR

In his keynote speech on the Green Stage at ITB Berlin, Rohit Talwar, CEO of Fast Future, talked about AI’s potential for shaping a more inclusive travel industry. Read more

You can find more daily updates in the ITB Show Daily and the ITB Newsroom .

In conversation with leading industry speakers

Taking as its slogan ’Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism. Together’, the ITB Berlin Convention features high-profile speakers discussing international trends and the latest topics.

In an interview, Rohit Talwar , world-renowned futurist and CEO of Fast Future, talks about future challenges and the opportunities for diversity and inclusion in the tourism industry. Watch now

Impressions from day 1 at ITB Berlin 2024

For more impressions of day one at ITB Berlin 2024 please click the link below

Press photos of ITB Berlin

A look ahead to press events on Wednesday, 6 March 2024

From 5 to 7 March numerous press events hosted by destinations, companies and organisations await media representatives and bloggers on the Hybrid Stage in Hall 5.3, in hub27, the CityCube Berlin and on exhibitors’ stands. List of events at ITB Berlin

USA press breakfast 9.00 - 11.00 a.m., CityCube A | A7

Eifel press conferences 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m., hub27 | Gamma

Tuscany press conference 10.30 – 11.00 a.m., Hall 1.2 | 107

DER Touristik press conference 10.30 – 11.30 a.m., hub27 | Gamma 8

Presentation of the ADFC Cycle Tour Report 2024 11.00 a.m. – 12 noon, Hall 5.3 - Hybrid Stage

Liguria press conference 11.30 – 12 noon, Hall 1.2 | 107

Albania – ITB Berlin Host Country 2025 – Official signing ceremony and photo op 12.00 – 12.30 p.m., Albanian Ministry of Tourism & Environment, Hall 1.1/ 214

VIR tour for journalists – travel tech behind the scenes

Companies participating: TraSo, Bewotec, Chain4Travel, Peakwork, Sabre and GIATA. To register email: [email protected]

12.00 - 2.30 p.m., VIR stand, Hall 5.1/ Stand 100 (at GIATA)

All texts can be used free of charge by editorial departments. Photos and videos can be used free of charge for your coverage stating ’Messe Berlin’, but not for advertising purposes.

Online accreditation for press representatives and bloggers You can register here to obtain online accreditation . After your application has been processed and approved you will receive an email with a PDF containing your accreditation and press badge along with a personal QR code for admission. Please display this QR code at the entrance to the event. Your ticket is non-transferable.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention ITB Berlin 2024 will take place from Tuesday, 5 to Thursday, 7 March. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. As in previous years, the internationally acclaimed ITB Berlin Convention will take place parallel with the show as a live event on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Under the heading „Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism. Together.“, leading speakers from business, science and politics will discuss the industry’s current and future challenges on 4 stages with a total of 17 themed tracks and more than 24,000 attendees.

Additional information is available at www.itb.com and from the ITB Newsroom & Social Media .