Which, in your opinion, is the best German city to visit?

Question

I've been to Munich, Nuremberg, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Bonn, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt. I've liked them all, but I guess I prefer Berlin. However, I know I'm missing some cities. Could you please tell me where should I go, or if I should go back to some of those cities?

Answer 1

I totally agree with Catherine B. It's time for you to visit some towns in East Germany. So Potsdam, Dresden and Weimar are absolutely worth a visit each.

Answer 2

Hamburg of course, but if you have been there ... Hamburg is not a city for one day sightseeing. The best of Hamburg a shorttime tourist will not see --- it is the liberal ambience of this city and to learn that you must stay a little bit longer. But Hamburg is a nice place to visit. If you have been there --- have a look at Lubeck. Perhaps you have also a look to Luneburg.

Greetings from Hamburg, Germany

Heinz

@Karl Rudolf: In medieval times Lubeck was beside Venice the most powerful and the most richest city in Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCbeck

Answer 3

I always recommend what, I guess, some others call the "hidden gems", the smaller towns out of the main tourist routes. I love Würzburg, which has two old castles, wonderful architecture, great flair (summer nights by the old Kai... wonderful!), old bridges and churches, good wine, wonderful landscape all around, some nice shopping, University and University of applied sciences=> nice nightlife...

Marburg is also one of the hidden gems. Wonderful, old houses, freaky architecture, loads of steps in old downtown, great nightlife...

Or the smaller cities along the Moselle region. One city depending on wine after another. You can't go wrong with that! Nor with the wonderful landscape. Not so much nightlife there, though (if you don't happen to be there during the wine-fest season, that is).

A little more on the "tourist" side is probably Rothenburg ob der Tauber. I don't think it has that much to offer nightlife-wise (but than again I can't judge. I've lived too close to it all my life, I never had the chance to stay over night), but the whole "downtown" is preserved in its medieval state. The houses and streets, that is. There are of course modern shops and stuff, but if you want to see a McDonalds-facade without the red and yellow lights, and with an actual wrought-iron sign, Rothenburg is the place to go for you.

Up to you, I would say. But there are so many places in Germany that are not "tourist-only areas" in summer (as I find Heidelberg downtown to be, mostly), and if I were you, I'd try to go to some of them.

Have fun!

Answer 4

Berlin is an ever-changing city, so when you go back there, you'll always discover something new. I live in Bavaria now, but lived and worked in Berlin for seven years, and I'd still like to go back there whenever there comes a chance. I'm really in love with that city, so I keep recommending it.

They say Rostock is an interesting city. I've never been there, but if you liked Hamburg, maybe that's a place to see for you.

As I'm Bavarian, I'd of course suggest you see Regensburg (Ratisbon in English) with its cathedral, the river Danube, and a beautiful old town with Roman relics. And while in the south, you should also consider seeing Passau and even take a ship cruise on the Danube down to Austria. I was on one of those ships for three days, but unfortunately chose the wrong tour; they didn't inform me that there were mostly elderly people aboard who preferred some more quiet sort of evening entertainment than I did then. But in daylight, the landscape compensates for everything.

Answer 5

Dresden and Weimar are nice, too.  Potsdam is lovely.  I live in Berlin and I recommend it, too.  You won't be bored, that's for sure.

Answer 6

Hamburg is my favorite city in Europe.

The new Maritime Museum

The new Hafencity area

New shopping malls

...

Answer 7

I love Heidelberg most.  

Its just amazing.

However, Calw, is also an incredible city, which I recommend you visit.  Calw is the birthplace of Hermann Hesse, a fantastic writer, and lies right in the middle of the Blackforest.

Its really an incredible little town.

Hope you enjoy it!

Answer 8

There are many hidden gems in Germany. I lived in Schwerin (capital city of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)  for a while which is nice and has one of the best castles in Germany, but not a ton of stuff to do. Another person said Rostock, which is a cool port city with a huge university so there's a fun night-life. Luneburg, which is located west of Hamburg, is a cool little town. The big thing there is the EXTREMELY old homes that are still inhabited by the citizens...so from the late 1400's!!!!! I guess it just depends what you like...

Architecture: Berlin

History:  Cologne

Nature:  Many villiages in the Alps

Night Life: Munich/Hamburg

Good luck with your travels!!!!

p.s.  if you can, go south to Switzerland....one of the most beautiful places on earth!!