Inspiration for the summer holiday: 7 dream locations in northern Germany that are not yet overcrowded
The pent-up demand for vacation is great. Nevertheless, many Germans prefer not to travel to other countries this summer. They don’t have to either, because what our homeland has to offer is phenomenal. A foray through lesser-known spots in northern Germany.
Most people associate East Friesland, the World Heritage Wadden Sea, Hamburg, the North and Baltic Sea coasts, Berlin or the Mecklenburg Lake District with northern Germany. But the northern part of Germany has much more to offer – great things in several federal states.
New dream locations in northern Germany
The Cologne publishing house Könemann has just published how much in the 700-page illustrated book “Culture and Landscape: The North”. The expedition through the north of the republic is a travel bible, historical atlas, nature guide, picture book, local history, encyclopedia and flip book in XXL size all at the same time. We were inspired by the compendium and present seven lesser-known spots in the north of the republic. For a dream holiday in your own country!
1. Osnabrücker Land: cycling, wellness and amazement
Teutoburg Forest, shipyard town of Papenburg, river meadows and Osnabrück, the town of peace: in the west of Lower Saxony, a contrasting landscape with interesting towns, castles and health resorts stretches all the way to the Dutch border. The extensive river meadows of the Vechte, Ems and Hase alternate with forests and nature reserves.
Example: The cross-border nature park Bourtanger Moor/Bargerveen, known for its huge moor area. Rare birds find refuge in the wetland and anyone who wants to know more about peat extraction can visit the Gross-Hesepe Moor Museum.
There are also fantastic routes for cyclists in the Osnabrück region: the 375 km long Ems cycle path or the route of the megalithic cultures from Osnabrück to Oldenburg. The Ems cycle path leads to the charming towns of Lingen, Meppen, Quakenbrück, Haselünne and to Papenburg with its tranquil canals. Huge cruise ships are built here in the docks of the Meyer shipyard and channeled into the open sea.
Book recommendation (ad)
“Germany Culture and Landscape – The North, the Middle, the South” by Detlef Arens et al.
Feel like wellness? In the Bad Rothenfelde spa, brine springs bubble up and you can immediately feel their positive effect in the 400 meter long graduation tower. In the spa towns of Bad Essen and Bad Bentheim, everything revolves around the natural remedies brine and sulfur – and the imposing Bentheim Castle from the 12th century. Exciting stories also await in the Peace City of Osnabrück, which has remained young and dynamic thanks to universities and their 30,000 students.
2. Uckermark: Natural beauties, solitude and castles
Secluded from the rest of the world: In times of overtourism, this title is more valuable than ever – and northern Brandenburg from the Uckermark to the Ruppiner Land to Ostprignitz can proudly adorn itself with it. Peace and relaxation in the old heartland of the Prussian monarchy were already appreciated by Theodor Fontane, Friedrich the Great and Kurt Tucholsky and raved about landscapes like from a book of fairy tales: Enchanted. Far. Sparsely populated. With lakes, canals, forests, avenues, gentle hills, magnificent castles and aristocratic residences.
Pure nature can be experienced, for example, in the Schorfheide biosphere reserve, with more than 240 lakes, numerous moors and pine and beech forests, one of the largest nature reserves in Germany. Or in the Uckermark Lakes Nature Park, where 230 lakes from the last Ice Age glitter in competition. Or in various wildlife parks such as in Kunsterspring near Neuruppin, where otters, badgers and raccoons live alongside wolves.
Would you like some culture? Picturesque towns such as Angermünde with its half-timbered houses, Prenzlau with its seven churches and city gate towers or the island town of Fürstenberg, which is also the starting point for canoe and boat tours, are on offer. Or one of the numerous castles and historic mansions such as Boitzenburg Castle, which could also be the setting for a Sleeping Beauty film, Meseberg Castle in the Löwenberger Land and the oldest preserved moated castle in northern Germany, the Plattenburg.
3. Ostwestfalen-Lippe: Hiking, cycling, relaxing and kissing
The Teutoburg Forest separates the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region (abbreviation OWL) from the rest of North Rhine-Westphalia. But being off the beaten track and a bit of terra incognita has its own appeal. Especially since there is a wealth of things that promise a relaxing holiday with lots of nature, exciting culture and wellness options.
Hikers will find the famous Externsteine on the Hermannsweg in the Teutoburg Forest. On the Weser cycle path, cyclists pass the EU bird sanctuary Weseraue, the UNESCO World Heritage monastery of Corvey and the old trading town of Höxter. It is also not far to the largest cultural treasure in East Westphalia: Paderborn Cathedral.
A highlight in OWL is the spa town of Bad Oeynhausen with its World Climate Avenue and the Aqua Magica Park. In addition to the small graduation tower, the Fairy Tale and Weser Legends Museum is located right next to the pretty Kurpark. Four kilometers further, the Werre and Weser flow together at the romantic place called “Werre-Weser-Kuss”.
4. Weserbergland: Mountains, forests and one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world
Welcome to the northernmost low mountain range in Germany: The Weserbergland inspires with its different landscapes – from narrow rocky mountain ranges to isolated rocks made of dolomite and the Emmental to healing water that shoots up from thousands of meters deep in Bad Pyrmont. The 460 meter high summit with the beautiful name Ebersnacken offers the best panoramic view. On a clear day you can see from the Weserbergland to the Harz in the east, to the Süntel in the north and to the Wiehengebirge and the Teutoburg Forest in the north-west.
Cities worth seeing such as Fürstenberg, Bad Karlshafen, Holzminden, Bodenwerder, Hessisch-Oldendorf or Rinteln are hidden between mountains, forests and the course of the Weser. If you don’t just want to discover the Weser on foot or by bike, you can take a trip on the excursion boat.
The residential town of Bückeburg, the Pied Piper town of Hamelin and Hannoversch Münden are also worth a trip. The German explorer Alexander von Humboldt described the latter as one of the seven most beautifully situated cities in the world. Almost 200 years later, this still applies to the old half-timbered town, which is surrounded by forest-covered mountain ranges and lies in the valley between the Werra, Fulda and Weser rivers.
5. Wendland and Altmark: The magic of the zone border area
The Elbe has always connected the Wendland with the Altmark, even though the two districts were separated by the zone border area in GDR times. Today, three well-known routes lead through the region: the German Half-timbered Route, the Romanesque Route and the European Route of Brick Gothic.
So there is a lot to see: from picturesque circular villages to medieval towns with half-timbered houses as well as town halls and churches in brick construction. The old Hanseatic towns of Stendal Tangermünde, for example, impress with their brick Gothic style.
But nature also has superlatives to offer here: The biosphere reserve “Flusslandschaft Elbe” is the largest inland biosphere reserve in all of Germany and was recognized by Unesco in 1997 as one of the last near-natural river landscapes in Central Europe. The former exclusion zone served as a retreat for numerous rare animal and plant species. The meadows remained almost untouched here. 260 bird species live in the Elbe meadows, including thousands of cranes.
6. Oderbruch: water landscape with wow factor
If the name of the river Oder is mentioned, many Germans remember the devastating Oder flood of 1997. But the catastrophe is long past and the loneliest stretch of land in Brandenburg is an insider tip for hikers, cyclists and canoeists who love quiet water landscapes. But spa and culture fans will also find true treasures in the area.
Like the gigantic steel construction of the Niederfinow ship lift on the Finow Canal, the world’s largest of its kind and meanwhile the oldest still working in Germany (since 1934). Or the Märkische Schweiz nature park with its deciduous forests, gorges and valleys, lakes and streams, springs, moors, fish ponds, fields, meadows and hedges – and the Kneipp spa town of Buckow.
The dry, warm microclimate and its mixture of irritating components such as ozone and soothing gas molecules were so good for Bertolt Brecht that he moved to Buckow. There are also impressive buildings, for example Neuhardenberg Castle or the Bärwinkel whey house.
In Frankfurt an der Oder, the medieval Church of St. Mary with its twelve meter high stained glass windows, the town hall in brick Gothic and the Kleist Museum are worth a visit. The museum dedicated to Heinrich von Kleist, who was born in the city, is considered one of the most beautiful literature museums in Europe.
7. Magdeburg and Elbe-Börde-Heide: Hundertwasser and the land of a thousand ditches
Magdeburg might pass as a B city on the tourist map, but based on its history and sights it is a 1A city. Because it was razed to the ground twice: in the Thirty Years’ War and in the Second World War. But with its loyal and brave citizens, the city on the Elbe fought back and has been experiencing a steady upswing since 2005.
Its landmark towers high on the left bank of the Elbe: the cathedral with its two 100-metre-high towers and 127-metre-long nave. There are no sacred buildings in the Reform district, but there are unconventional designs by the architects Bruno Taut (the one with the brightly colored facades) and Friedensreich Hundertwasser (the one with irregular shapes and pastel colors). One of his famous works of art, with which he wanted to change the world, is here: the green citadel.
Magdeburg is also the start and end point of the Romanesque Road, which connects the region with Elbe-Börde-Heide – 22 towns and 30 buildings. The Elbe cycle path is ideal for cyclists – because of the north-west wind it is best to go upstream – which leads through idyllic river meadows where many species of birds breed, rest or spend the winter. In addition to the Elbe meadows, the Elbe-Börde-Heide has two other natural highlights: Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide and Drömling. The Drömling Biosphere Reserve is also known as the “Land of a Thousand Ditches” because the fen landscape used to be an impenetrable swamp area.