Germany’s most historic sites have fascinating stories

Places with a past

Germany has seen all forms of human and natural history, and its landscapes and cities still have many of those stories on display. There are sites bearing witness to the first humans arriving on the continent of Europe, soaring places of worship and architectural achievements that have influenced the rest of the world.

From monuments to mudflats, here are some of the most historic sites in Germany according to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Aachen Cathedral

It’s hard to decide whether this 8th-century structure is more beautiful outside or in. The cathedral was originally built as a chapel for Emperor Charlemagne (who was buried here) and further expanded and embellished in the Middle Ages. The Gothic exterior is elegant and imposing while the interior dazzles with marble columns, bronze gates, an intricate mosaic and a gilded dome (pictured). There’s even a stone throne, upon which German emperors were crowned here until 1531, while the cathedral shelters priceless treasures including a bust of Charlemagne.

Haus am Horn

Weimar was the birthplace of Bauhaus, one of the world’s most influential schools of design and architecture – yet its presence here is only discernible in a few remaining structures and a museum, which opened in 2019. The controversial avant-garde school moved to Dessau in 1925 and then to Berlin in 1932, and was forced to close completely a year later by the Nazi regime. The 1923-built Haus am Horn, an experimental residential house in a striking, steel and concrete cubic design, is the only Bauhaus-designed building in the city.

Masters’ Houses

Some of the Bauhaus movement’s greatest names lived in this cluster of seven homes in Dessau, where the design school moved from Weimar in 1925. The residences were designed and decorated by Bauhaus professors Henry van de Velde, Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, László Moholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky. Comprised of one detached home and three identical semi-detached houses split into apartments, the interlocking cubic structures are among the most striking examples of the progressive – and hugely influential – style Bauhaus became known for.

Hainich National Park

Swathes of ancient and primeval beech forests are protected under UNESCO World Heritage status, including the native woodland of Hainich National Park. This wonderful wilderness was once a restricted military zone, which allowed the woodland to grow relatively undisturbed – preserving one of the last remaining primeval beech forests in Central Europe. It’s home to some fascinating creatures, too, with lynx, wolves and wild cats among those who roam the land, which is dissected by a zigzagging canopy walk that weaves through the treetops.

Wadden Sea

This network of sand spits, mud flats and wetlands is the largest such intertidal system in the world, spilling into the Netherlands and Denmark as well as Germany. The water is scattered with the wildly beautiful Frisian (or Wadden) Islands, known for pale sandy beaches and spa resorts. But it’s the waterways that swirl with historical and natural significance. With up to 12 million birds passing through the area each year, it’s one of the world’s most important areas for migratory birds.

Lorsch Abbey

The imposing gatehouse is the standout feature of Lorsch Abbey, a church and monastery founded in 764 and one of the finest surviving monuments from Germany’s early medieval Carolingian Renaissance period. The entryway is more than 1,200 years old yet wears its age remarkably well, with its archways, turrets and pitched roof impeccably preserved. Though other parts of the site have been ravaged by time and fire damage, much remains intact as a chronicler of monastic life.

Hedeby and the Danevirke

These connected sites are considered among the best preserved from the Viking era, offering a captivating glimpse into what life might have been like towards the end of the first millennium AD. The archaeological finds here date back as far as the 6th century, in fact, and with roads, buildings and cemeteries discovered in trading town Hedeby. Today, reconstructed homes bring the period back to life, while the defensive forts of the Danevirke show a complex network of walls, mounds and ditches that protected the trading hub.

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Water features don’t come much grander than this incredible example of man-made design enhancing the dramatic beauty of nature. The construction of this Baroque “bergpark” (mountain park) began in 1689 when the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Charles I, created a display of waterworks that cascade from a building topped by a copper statue of Hercules. Along the way are waterfalls, rapids, grottoes and a fountain, interspersed by a Chinese-style pagoda and Roman aqueduct.

Bauhaus Building

The progressive design movement Bauhaus was only in Dessau, where it had moved from Weimar, for seven years. In fact its time in Germany was short-lived, with its professors and many alumni fleeing the country in 1933, having been forced to close what the Nazi party described as its “degenerate” school. Its sweeping influence, from iconic chairs by Mies van der Rohe to skyscrapers in New York and Chicago, has since been recognised. Dessau’s Bauhaus Building, designed by the movement’s founder Walter Gropius as the new school and workshop, is among sites protected by UNESCO.

Gartenstadt Falkenberg

These warm-hued homes are among six Modernism housing estates in Berlin that have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These were bold, colourful examples of a new attitude to social housing, with cheery hues, clever use of space and lots of natural light creating a striking contrast to the dark, cramped flats that were previously the norm. Gartenstadt Falkenberg was the first to be constructed, built by Bruno Taut from 1913-15. Building styles changed under Nazi rule from 1933, though most of these bright and beautiful buildings survived.

Großsiedlung Siemensstadt 

Another example of Berlin’s progressive social housing movement, which reached its peak in the 1920s, this joyful Modernism estate was hugely influenced by the Bauhaus design movement. In fact the school’s founder Walter Gropius was one of the six architects involved in its construction in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The apartment complex, which provided affordable housing for workers at the nearby Siemens factory, was a deliberate antidote to cheerless blocks and incorporated open spaces and communal areas to foster a sense of community.

The Westwork of Corvey

This monastery, convent and abbey was built on the riverbank by French Benedictine monks in AD 822, when it was among many such structures. Today, the central building’s westwork (western façade) is the only standing structure dating back to the early medieval period of the Carolingian era. Perhaps its rural location, in West­phalia, northwestern Germany, aided its survival, with the imposing structures and grand interiors with vaulted halls and columns remarkably intact. The underground remains of a “lost” medieval city were also discovered nearby.

Augustusburg Castle

The hunting lodge that shares the grounds with this decadent Brühl residence is palatial enough. Built on the edge of a tucked-away grove in the German Rococo style, Falkenlust has lavish rooms fit for a king or indeed the Archbishop Clemens August, who had the structures built in the early 18th century. His castle, though, is something else entirely. It looms elegantly in buttercup-yellow and white above impeccably landscaped gardens, reflecting the Baroque opulence of the time.

Caves of the Swabian Jura

The six caves of the Swabian Jura or Swabian Alps, a mountain range in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg, effectively house art galleries and a series of natural history museums. This is one of the areas where, during the last ice age, humans first arrived in Europe, and a rich array of artworks, musical instruments and jewellery were excavated from the caves in the mid-19th century. Carved figurines of mammoths, horses and mythical creatures are among the world’s oldest examples of figurative art.

Naumburg Cathedral

The dramatic spires of this 11th-century cathedral can be seen from pretty much every part of the town of Naumburg, towering above pretty red-roofed buildings and gazing across at surrounding hills and vineyards. The Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, or Naumburg Cathedral, encompasses Romanesque and Gothic features, and is just as beguiling on the inside. Its choir is dotted with life-size statues of the cathedral’s founders including Uta, described as the most beautiful woman of the Middle Ages.

Maulbronn Monastery

This former Cistercian abbey oozes charm, colour and intrigue. Just the fact that its many structures still stand in such impeccable condition seems like a miracle, while the grounds are rich in religious, cultural and architectural history. There’s the Paradise, which forms a vaulted entryway to the church and is a masterpiece of early Gothic design – yet the name of its master building remains a mystery. Its colourful medieval cloister buildings (pictured) are especially charming.

Schloss Belvedere

Weimar underwent an incredible cultural renaissance from the late 18th century – so much so that a raft of its buildings and other sites have UNESCO World Heritage status as Classical Weimar. It would be hard to pick a more striking site here than this Baroque castle, though. Schloss Belvedere was built as a summer residence or pleasure palace for Duke Ernst August. The elegant structures are surrounded by equally elegant grounds, including an orangery and labyrinth.

Peacock Island

Counted among the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Berlin and neighbouring Potsdam, this river island is like something from a fairy tale or children’s picture book. The island on the River Havel was settled thousands of years ago, with Iron Age artefacts unearthed by archaeologists. But it’s the pristine palace, built as a summer residence for Friedrich Wilhelm II in the late 18th century, that’s the real draw. Details such as the cast iron bridge, spanning two towers, add to the charm – as do the peacocks that roam the gardens.

Würzburg Residence

This Baroque palace in southern Germany was built and decorated within the same century, which is pretty fast compared to many similarly sized structures. Because of this it’s not only one of the most beautiful such palaces in Germany, it’s also one of the most cohesive in terms of style and vision. Construction began in 1720 under Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz, who hired the period’s most renowned architects, landscapers and decorators to create an ostentatious work of art.

Muskauer Park

The bold red New Palace is the most eye-catching part of this park, which crosses over the border into Poland. But it’s the landscaping of the grounds that has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The grounds that make up Muskauer Park were designed by Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau in the early 19th century. Inspired by English gardens, it bucked trends for manicured lawns and classical landscaping and instead used native plants and blooms to seamlessly and beautifully blend with nature.

Goethe's Garden House

German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is among the artists and intellectuals credited with transforming Weimar into a hub of culture and architecture. The home where he was born in 1749 is also in the town and operates as a museum, though his garden house is perhaps the most charming of all. It’s located in the Park on the Ilm, with both among the sites making up the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Classical Weimar.

Speyer Cathedral

German emperors were buried at Speyer Cathedral for almost 300 years from the late 11th century, which gives some idea as to its importance. It’s also the largest Romanesque church in the world, having been extended from a flat-ceilinged basilica to a grand vaulted structure in 1077. The significance of the church goes beyond its size, though. Its groundbreaking design, from the gallery that encircles the building to the series of arcades, was hugely influential on European architecture.

Sanssouci Palace

Potsdam is so rich in opulent architecture that it’s been dubbed the “Prussian Versailles” – and Sanssouci Palace is the jewel in its gilded crown. Built in the mid-18th century as the summer home of Frederick the Great, its name translates as “without a care” – and it would be tough to worry in such gorgeous surroundings. There are even other palaces, including the Charlottenhof Palace and New Palace, on its beautifully landscaped grounds. UNESCO World Heritage includes Sanssouci Palace with other structures and parks in Potsdam and neighbouring Berlin.

Reichenau

Off the northern shore of Lake Constance, Germany’s largest lake, Reichenau is a glorious blend of natural beauty, bucolic farmland and early medieval architecture. A Benedictine monastery was founded here in AD 724 and several churches and monastic buildings remain on the island. It’s also home to well-preserved wall paintings, vineyards – and some pretty impressive vegetables from tomatoes to lettuces (pictured).

Cologne Cathedral

It took successive armies of builders more than 600 years to complete this Gothic masterpiece, which is the most recognisable and iconic landmark of the city by the Rhine. Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and, though it wasn’t completed until 1880, the final result was remarkably faithful to the original medieval plans. The grandeur of the five-sided basilica is equalled only by the contents, which includes statues, stained-glass windows and a shrine to the Three Wise Men.

Museum Island

The buildings that make up this unique cluster of cultural institutions in Berlin are as important for their role in the story of the museum as for the art and artefacts they contain. Museum Island or Museumsinsel encompasses five world-class institutions on Spree Island, right in the heart of the city and accessed via bridges. Begun under Prussian rule and built between 1824 and 1930, the buildings include the Pergamon Museum and Altes Museum, which was the first public museum when it opened in 1830.

Duchess Anna Amalia Library

This library is pretty nice to admire from the outside, with its buttery stone façade. But it’s the interior that truly stuns and particularly the Rococo Hall (pictured) opened in 1766. Duchess Anna Amalia is credited with ushering in Weimar’s cultural and artistic renaissance, appointing poet Christoph Martin Wieland as her sons’ tutor. Other literary luminaries followed and many played a role in curating the library’s collections. The building was damaged in a fire in 2004 and reopened three years later after extensive renovations.

Wartburg Castle

Perched high above the town of Eisenach, hilltop Wartburg Castle was the first fortress in Germany to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its origins are believed to date back to 1067, though the oldest surviving part is the 12th-century great hall – with later additions and 19th-century reconstructions giving the façade an eclectic charm. Aside from its aesthetic appeal, and the way it blends beautifully into its forested surroundings, the castle is especially important as the place where Martin Luther translated the Bible.

Regensburg old town

Regensburg’s old town is both a remarkably preserved medieval city and a vibrant urban centre. Founded in the 2nd century AD and named an imperial city in the Roman Empire, this was the first capital of Bavaria and is so rich in historic importance that it’s crammed with more than 1,500 listed buildings, including close to 1,000 designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In other words, it’s a charmer, from its position on the Danube and colourful homes to important structures like St. Peter's Cathedral and the ancient Stone Bridge.

Bremen Market Square

This charming market square is the heart of Bremen, a city that straddles the Weser River in northwest Germany. It’s also home to two UNESCO designated structures, both dating from the early 15th century: the grand, Gothic town hall and a stone statue of Roland, symbolising civic freedom. Other highlights include 11th-century St. Peter’s Cathedral and “The Hole of Bremen”, a drain cover with a slot for coins. The latter is inspired by the legend of the Musicians of Bremen – a group of animal performers said to reward donations with their music.

Messel Pit Fossil Site

From fossilised bats to perfectly preserved primates, Messel Pit is considered the world’s best site for shedding light on the early evolution of mammals. It was an oil shale mine until the late 1960s and nearly became a refuse dump until the government stepped in and placed it under protection. Since then, some incredible discoveries have been made of intact plants and animals from the Eocene age (up to 48 million years ago). Finds include Ida, the most complete primate fossil ever discovered.

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

The miracle happened before this Rococo church was created – though, looking at its riotously ornate interior, this incredible structure itself seems pretty miraculous. In 1738, it’s said a wooden figure of Christ, mounted on a column in the hamlet of Wies in Bavaria, was seen to shed tears. In response to the miracle, a simple wooden chapel was erected to house the statue – and it became a pilgrimage site. Architect Dominikus Zimmermann thought the statue deserved more, building his opulent masterpiece between 1745 and 1754.

The High Cathedral of St. Peter

The southwestern city of Trier is rich in Roman history. On the Moselle River and surrounded by vineyards, the city was an empirical colony from the 1st century AD and a trading hub so significant that it became known as the “second Rome”. Its monuments are so impeccably preserved that it resembles an open-air museum, with important UNESCO-listed structures including this 4th-century cathedral, the oldest bishop’s church in Germany. It stands above a former emperor’s palace, with the original Roman walls still visible inside.

Margravial Opera House

This Baroque masterpiece in Bayreuth is the last remaining structure of its kind. Built between 1745 and 1750, the gorgeously sumptuous theatre and opera house keeps the tradition of Baroque court opera alive, with the incredible acoustics provided by the original materials of wood and canvas. The interior, with ornate carvings, gilded details and layers that create the illusion of depth, is both decadent and dazzling.

Bamberg old town

Towns don’t come much prettier than this Bavarian beauty. In the north of the region, Bamberg has some perfectly preserved structures sweeping from the 11th to 19th centuries and had a huge architectural influence in Germany and beyond. Unsurprisingly, given its beauty, it attracted some great writers and philosophers and was a centre of Enlightenment. Highlights include the Romanesque-Gothic cathedral, the Baroque New Palace and the medieval stone bridges that lead to Altes Rathaus (the old town hall), on an artificial island.

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