Underestimated!
5 great cities in Germany that you didn’t have on your radar
Berlin, Munich, Heidelberg – all well and good, but also full. Have you ever been to these five underrated cities in Germany?
Thuringia: Erfurt © rh2010 / Adobe Stock
You have Leipzig on your radar, but not Erfurt? Big mistake! The medieval city is young and lively and partly car-free. When the weather is good, you almost feel like you’re in the south in the streets. A highlight is the Krämerbrücke, the longest bridge in Europe with houses built on and inhabited, another is the imposing ensemble of the cathedral and St. Severi on the Domberg. A market with regional products takes place here almost every day. You can shop and eat well in the Thuringian state capital.
Hesse: Wiesbaden © Branko Srot / Adobe Stock
The Hessian state capital is also on the holiday hit list for very few. But the city between the Taunus and the Rhine with its magnificent Art Nouveau buildings is beautiful and sophisticated. Because of the 26 thermal springs, not only the old Romans, but also the old Goethe. “In Wiesbaden, one needs only a quarter of an hour’s climb to see all the wonders of the world,” wrote the poet about his walks on the Geisberg. You also have a great view from the Neroberg with its temple, to which you can take one of the oldest funiculars in Europe.
Franconia: Bamberg © Bob / Adobe Stock
The Upper Franconian city of Bamberg was built on seven hills and is clearly one of the most beautiful cities in Bavaria. Here you can stroll through one of the best-preserved old towns in Germany. It is not for nothing that the romantic town center with its half-timbered houses and the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town hall with its facade paintings and the district “Little Venice” with its canals are also great. Who likes it: Bamberg has a long beer tradition with many independent breweries, where, among other things, “smoked beer” is brewed.
Baden-Württemberg: Ulm © stefanie / Adobe Stock
Ulm is known for the highest church tower in the world, from which you can see as far as the Alps in good weather. But it is worth taking a closer look at the city on the Danube and not leaving immediately after visiting the cathedral. The romantic fishing and tanning district with its bridges and alleys, the largest fortress ensemble in Europe and modern architecture – a lot comes together here. Opposite the Gothic cathedral is the modern white town house, the town library was built in the shape of a pyramid and in the Kunsthalle Weishaupt you can admire works from Rothko to Warhol. And just 20 kilometers to the west of the city on the Danube, the famous Blautopf shines, where the little river Blau has its source.
Lower Saxony: Buxtehude © Carl-Jürgen Bautsch / Adobe Stock
Many still think that in Buxtehude only hare and hedgehog meet like in Grimm’s fairy tales. The reference to the fairy tale is intended to indicate that things are a bit backwoods here. But that’s not true. Ennobled as a Hanseatic city a few years ago, the almost 1000-year-old city on the Este is really pretty. The canals of the old town are great for strolling and eating ice cream, and the inside of the Gothic brick church of St. Petri is gorgeous. The Altes Land is just outside the gates, the largest fruit-growing area in Northern Europe, where you can comfortably cycle across the flat country – for example along the Este to the Elbe, where you can take the ferry to the next larger Hanseatic city: Hamburg.