18 beautiful destinations in Germany's nature
Where to go on the weekend or on a holiday, you ask? There are numerous places in Germany that are ideal for an active day trip. We have plenty of inspiration for a tour in each of the 16 federal states.
The ultimate experience for romantics is gazing at the night sky over Baden-Württemberg. At the stargazing spot near Zainingen/Römerstein on the Alb, tourists can go shooting star hunting. On special loungers, they have a clear view upwards and can even see the Milky Way!
The rule of thumb is: the colder the night, the clearer the sparkling sky. So, be sure to wrap up warm for this adventure. The stargazing spot is easily accessible by car – and is one of several suitable observation spots where you can also easily set up your own telescope.
Stargazing in winter is worthwhile – the air is often particularly clear then.
Source: imago images / Arnulf Hettrich
The Swabian Alb is also worth a hike or two. From the viewing cliffs on the Albtrauf, which are up to 1,000 meters high, you'll enjoy views of the Alb foothills, the Black Forest, and even the Alps. There are countless tours – nature-oriented trails that lead across sunny juniper heaths, past turquoise-blue springs, mysterious caves, and through shady ravine forests. You'll find many tour suggestions on the Alb website.
In Baden-Württemberg, tourists will find Germany's highest waterfall outside the Alps. The Triberg Waterfalls are located in the Black Forest, where the waters of the Gutach River plunge 163 meters down seven cascades. They are an idyllic photo opportunity not only in summer, but also in winter and spring.
The Triberg Waterfalls in the Black Forest are among the most beautiful destinations in Germany
Source: IMAGO/Zoonar
You can reach the waterfalls on foot from the town of Triberg, which bears the same name. Choose one of the three signposted routes and enjoy this natural spectacle on the Nature Trail, the Cultural Trail, or the Cascade Trail. The waterfalls are illuminated until around 10 p.m., according to the municipality.
Königssee, Chiemsee, Hintersee: These places are enchantingly beautiful. Another recommended excursion is the Lechfall in Füssen. The dam is located south of the town of the same name and cascades down twelve meters. The König-Max-Steg bridge runs above, offering visitors a magnificent view of the water masses. The Lechfall is located on the southern edge of a short but deeply cut gorge—both locations have been designated as geotopes.
The unique Lechfall near Füssen is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Germany.
Source: imago images/Peter Widmann
If you want to escape the Berlin city air, head to Peacock Island or Tempelhofer Feld. When an east wind blows over the former runway, it can still be chilly on the former airport site. But the visit is worth it: visitors can explore the colossal airport buildings on guided tours.
The Peacock Island on Lake Wannsee is one of the capital’s most popular tourist destinations.
Source: imago/Martin Müller
With its white castle and its eponymous animals roaming freely, Peacock Island appears idyllic at any time of year. Cars and bicycles are not allowed on Peacock Island, so nothing will disturb the tranquility during your visit.
Quiet meadows, tree-lined avenues, and water always nearby: The landscape of the Oderbruch, with its numerous river branches, lakes, and drylands, is unique and a paradise for diverse wildlife. What are you waiting for? It's time for a trip to the Oder River Delta on the border with Poland.
You have many options for your excursion: For a dike hike, for example, you can head to the listed colonial village of Neulietzgöricke. The village itself is a highlight, with its rows of half-timbered houses.
Hiking at sunset on the flood protection dike near Reitwein in the Oderbruch region. Pure idyll.
Source: imago images/Hohlfeld
A winter tip from the " Oderbruch Blog " is a trip to the northern Oderland region. There, surprisingly deep gorges and valleys, for Brandenburg, crisscross the forests west of Bad Freienwalde, and small streams trickle down into the valley. Numerous marked hiking trails lead to observation towers, mountain huts, and hidden lakes.
Cycling enthusiasts can enjoy the 142-kilometer Oderbruch Cycle Path, which partially runs along disused railway lines. Or how about a canoe trip on the Alte Oder River?
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Those who visit the home of the Bremen Town Musicians often stroll through the narrow streets of the Schnorrviertel, visit the harbor, and Bremen Cathedral. But did you know that the city also has five windmills dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries?
One of them is located within the ramparts – the tranquil town is easily overlooked. The mill has a long history, having stood there since 1699. It burned down in 1832 and was rebuilt a year later. It was extensively restored in 1997 – and where flour was once milled, there is now a café.
This place in Hesse is truly special: In the Odenwald forest, there's a sea of rocks. Two giants are said to have created it in a dispute, throwing boulders at each other. That's the legend , but the reality is less mystical: The sea of rocks was formed by weathering.
There is actually a sea of rocks in the Odenwald. According to legend, it was formed when two giants threw stones at each other during a dispute.
Source: imago images/Westend61
Even the Romans used the sea to extract stone. At the upper end of the Felsenmeer (Sea of Rocks) is a small spring, whose trickle flows between the rocks down into the valley and eventually flows into the Graulbach stream. You can discover the Odenwald, which is steeped in many more legends, on a hike along the Nibelungensteig trail .
They are the first National Natural Monument: the Ivenacker Oaks near Stavenhagen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania . The trees are estimated to be between 600 and 1200 years old, making them among the oldest in Germany. Visitors can also admire another record: the mightiest of the old oaks, at 140 cubic meters, is considered the largest oak in Europe.
This pedunculate oak is about 1,000 years old; you can find it in the nature park in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Source: imago images/blickwinkel
Walks are possible year-round. You might even spot fallow deer and mouflon among the trees. A special treat awaits you between April and October: you can walk along the treetop path, which winds through the treetops. At the end of the path, the view of the Ivenacker Oaks from the 35-meter-high observation tower is worth it.
With the North Sea coast, the Lüneburg Heath, and cities like Cuxhaven, Hanover, and Braunschweig, Lower Saxony offers plenty of destinations for a day trip. The state is characterized by expansive flat land, but you can also climb!
In addition to the Harz Mountains, the Deister and Leinebergland are also worth exploring. The low mountain range between Göttingen and Hanover along the Leine River offers many vistas. You can experience some particularly beautiful panoramas from Thüster Berg, at up to 441 meters. Steeper climbs await you on the Felsen-Runde (Rock Loop) from Ahrenfeld . On the Hexenküchen (Witches' Kitchen Loop) from Salzhemmendorf, you can optionally climb the rocks on Thüster Berg and enjoy a fantastic view of the quarry from above.
The highlight of the hike is the view from the Lönsturm tower on Kanstein. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Brocken and the Hermann Monument in the Teutoburg Forest. Along the way, it's worth stopping at several rock formations, from which you can also enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding area.
Freudenberg in the Siegerland region is known for its picturesque old town. The town center is a magnet for lovers of half-timbered houses and romantics – and it's precisely there that a twelve-kilometer circular tour through forests and meadows begins, all the way around the town.
The " Freudenberger Fachwerkweg " (Freudenberg Timber-Framed Trail) offers particularly beautiful views of the old town, which was completely rebuilt after a devastating fire in the 17th century, based on its original 1540s model. And in cool, clear air, hikers can enjoy particularly far-reaching views.
Autumnal Siegerland: the bakery at the parish pond in Oberholzklau, a district of Freudenberg.
Source: imago images/Rene Traut
The Wisent World near Bad Berleburg is a very special place, as Europe's largest land mammals, which were threatened with extinction, have been living there again since 2013. This is unique in all of Western Europe! That year, a herd of eight bison was released on the Rothaarsteig trail, and they have since multiplied. With a little luck, you can experience the animals up close.
You've probably heard of the Devil's Table near Hinterweidenthal, right? This striking, 14-meter-high mushroom rock stands on a mountain ridge and is one of the scenic landmarks of Rhineland-Palatinate. But the Palatinate Forest is home to more than 20 of these mushroom rocks made of red sandstone.
One example is the Salzwooger Teufelstisch (Devil's Table), which is located just five kilometers away from its famous counterpart. So complete another nature challenge and discover all of these impressive rocks!
Could be in Arizona, but it's the Devil's Table in the Palatinate Forest.
Source: imago images/Chromorange
The Saar Loop is Saarland's most famous natural wonder, but the Dollberg Loop is also an exciting destination. On an eleven-kilometer circular hiking trail, tourists experience magnificent panoramic views and trace the history of the Celts, charcoal burners, and ironworkers. They pass the Züscher Hammer, the largest ironworks in the Hunsrück region, the Celtic Ring Wall with stone walls up to ten meters high, and the Primstal Dam, the state's largest drinking water reservoir.
View from the Koppenstein on the Traumschleife Heimat hiking trail.
Source: Dominik Ketz
Anyone looking for a mountain range in Saxony will usually end up in Saxon Switzerland. And that's not surprising, as hikers there will find a wild mountain landscape, wide valleys, and many enchanted forests. But it's not the only mountain range in the state you can climb.
A trip to the Zittau Mountains is worthwhile.
Source: imago stock&people
Considerably less well-known, but no less beautiful, are the Zittau Mountains in southeastern Saxony. The baroque town of Zittau also blends harmoniously into the mountainous nature park. The highest peak, at 792.6 meters, is the Lausche, located on the Czech border. Also worth seeing is the Nonnenfelsen rock formation near Jonsdorf.
South of Halberstadt, you can venture on a mystical tour into the Klus Mountains . Impressive sandstone formations await you there: the Klusfelsen, Fünffingerfelsen, and Teufelskanzel (Devil's Pulpit). You can even enter the caves that were carved into the rock by humans centuries ago as living quarters and places of worship.
Hikers discover the Ilse Falls on a tour in the Ilsetal in Saxony-Anhalt.
Source: imago images/Schöning
And if you want to go hiking, but not up the Brocken again, then head to the northern Harz Mountains, through which the Ilse River winds. The Ilsestein Tour, for example, takes you 13 kilometers past the Paternoster Cliffs and the Ilse Falls.
Forests, hedgerows, and wild beaches: The Ice Age created a magnificent landscape in the Schlei region. In summer, many tourists are drawn there – but a day trip is a great way to unwind and recharge your batteries as a city dweller. How about a stroll along the beaches of Ulsnis and at Gut Bienebek in Thumby?
A fish trap on the frozen Schlei.
Source: imagoimages/Jochen Tack
It doesn't always have to be the Alps: Poppenberg, on the edge of the southern Harz Mountains, isn't the most well-known hiking or cycling destination in Thuringia, but a tour is worthwhile. You can, for example, venture up from Neustadt. At an elevation of about 600 meters, the 33-meter-high Poppenberg Tower offers panoramic views of the landscape.
To the south, the landscape slopes down to the Rüdigsdorfer Schweiz (Rüdigsdorf Switzerland), while the Kappelbach stream flows to the east. To the northwest, the landscape leads via the Rabenkopf (547.4 meters) and Sandlünz (516.2 meters) to the Bere Valley.
In Thuringia, you can even take a husky tour . Depending on the season and weather, visitors can walk with the animals or sit in a sleigh and be pulled through the snowy landscape.
The dogs are out and about in temperatures as low as plus 15 degrees Celsius – when there is no more snow, they also pull handcarts or scooters through the Thuringian Forest.
Looking for more inspiration? You can find tips for all the top travel destinations at reisereporter .
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