The German Destinations You Need to Have on Radar

The German Destinations You Need to Have on Radar

It’s time to veer off the well-travelled path and explore Germany beyond Berlin. From a white-sand island on the Northern coast to a fairy-tale village giving serious Disney vibes, here are five lesser-known Deutsch destinations we love.



Think
Germany, think Berlin? Think again. We’ve pulled together a handful of
Deutsch destinations that veer slightly off the well-travelled
path. From fairy-tale villages that put Disney imitations to shame
to pulsing cities that haven’t yet fallen victim to tourist
footfall, here’s where to head when you’re ready to quit queuing
for Berghain.

Beat the crowds by visiting these under-the-radar German
destinations


Leipzig

Germany

Why we can’t wait to go back: It’s like Berlin,
but better. This city is filled with ex-Berliners who, outpriced by
gentrification, went looking for a cheaper alternative to call
home. By day, we’ll catch a film at the Leipzig Panometer – a
360-degree cinema (yes, really) – before popping into the Museum of Fine Arts.
After dinner at Umaii ramen bar, it’s time for drinks at the
spectacularly painted La Boum. Ready to make a night of it? Leipzig’s
techno clubs rival the German capital in their renown. See you
beside the left-of-stage speaker.

Where we’re staying: Hotel Fregehaus

Before you go: Read up on Spinnerei, a cotton
factory turned artists’ hub. It’s a compound filled with more 120
artists’ studios and home to the so-called “New Leipzig School” of
art.

A sandy beach on Sylt, Germany

Sylt

Germany

Why we can’t wait to go back: Some have called
it the “Martha’s Vineyard of Germany”, but this tiny
island is most commonly known as “The Queen of the North Sea”. It’s
teeming with salty-fresh seafood restaurants and a generous fringe
of coastline loved by swimmers, surfers and kiteboarders alike.
Rugged watersports sessions not your thing? A whopping third of the
island is a protected nature reserve so pack your hiking boots.
Lanserhof’s latest medi-spa also opened here
recently, which is testament to the island’s wellness creds.

Where we’re staying: Söl’ring Hof

Before you go: Take a moment to familiarise
yourself with the artwork of Siegward Sprotte, who spent most of his life painting
seascapes from his island studio.

The Disney-like architecture of this mountain village

Monschau

Germany

Why we can’t wait to go back: It’s so cutesy
you’ll want to wrap it up in ribbon and stuff it in your carry-on.
There’s the Monschau Castle, which delivers all the fairy-tale
turrets and cobbled inner passages you could want, the Rotes Haus
museum which was once home to Germany‘s entrepreneurial Scheibler family, and
a glut of small cafés to visit. We’re not sure which part we like
best about Monschau: that fact it sits on the edge of the dramatic
Eifel National Park, or that it suffers from
lack of phone signal. This is a Zoom-free zone, folks.

Where we’re staying: Haus Barkhausen

Before you go: Get your hands on some
guilt-free outdoors gear by kitting yourself out in second-hand
Arc’teryx.

A waterway in Karlsruhe, Germany

Karlsruhe

Germany

Why we can’t wait to go back: Heading for the
Black Forest? Make sure to stop here en route. It might have a
reputation as a destination for legal buffs, due to its high
proportion of constitutional courts, but this historical city is
far from dull. There’s the State Museum of Baden, the glorious Karlsruhe Palace and ZKM, The Centre for Art
and Media Technology – an innovative new take on the traditional
museum and part of the reason why Karlsruhe was recently named
Unesco’s City of Media Arts. Also not to be
missed: the eminently Instagrammable spa town of Baden-Baden, which
is just a short drive away.

Where we’re staying: 133 Boutique Hotel

Before you go: Tour a few of ZKM’s virtual exhibitions –
it was digitising collections way before the coronavirus struck so
there is plenty to explore.


Konstanz

Germany

Why we can’t wait to go back: This village
might be on the cusp of the Black Forest, but it feels like the
Italian Lakes. We’ll spend 90 per cent of the
time sunning ourselves in a lido or on the side of Lake Constance –
cooling off from the later summer heat by dipping in the water and
loading up on fresh gelato. The other 10 per cent will be spent
ambling about the city’s well-clipped gardens and paddling out to
Konstanz’s pretty neighbours. The vineyards and sugarplum-pink
mansions of Meersburg are just across the bay.

Where we’re staying: Riva

Before you go: Read up on Peter Lenk, the
satirical artist behind Imperia, a rotating statue on the edge of
Lake Constance which was met with much controversy upon its
unveiling in 1993.

This article was updated 21 July 2022.

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