Things to do in Germany

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Germany

BMW Museum

9

4.6/5

739 reviews

The BMW Museum is located at the BMW brand experience center in Munich, the global headquarters of BMW, and is the core venue showcasing the century-old history of the BMW brand. The museum covers a total area of approximately 5,000 m² and features a "bowl-shaped" design, adjacent to the iconic BMW "four-cylinder building" headquarters. The exhibition halls of the BMW Museum are designed as an encircling space, divided into seven themed exhibition areas, presenting the entire process from the spark of inspiration to the realization of products. It displays various BMW automobiles, BMW motorcycles, and some special-purpose vehicle samples produced over the years, and employs modern high-tech means such as sound, light, electricity, and multimedia, as well as photographic and audiovisual materials, to enhance the artistic space of product display, comprehensively interpreting the history of the growth and development of the BMW automobile company. The halls are connected by ramps and platforms, with a visiting route stretching approximately one km, and walking through it feels like shuttling through a three-dimensional city of automobile culture.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Germany

Munich Residence

8.6

297 reviews

The Munich Residence is located in the heart of Munich's old town, serving as the residence and power center for the dukes, electors, and kings of the Wittelsbach family from the early 16th century until 1918. After centuries of continuous expansion, it evolved from a castle into a large palace complex with ten courtyards and hundreds of halls. The king's building, the old palace, and the banquet hall face different directions, showcasing overlapping styles of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassicism. Today, it is open to the public primarily as the Residence Museum, the Treasury, and the Cuvilliés Theatre. The palace offers a dense concentration of highlights: the antiquities gallery, built in the late 16th century, is the oldest hall here. Stretching over 60 m long with its vaulted ceiling covered in frescoes, it initially displayed the duke's collection of ancient Roman statues and later served as a royal banquet hall for centuries, standing as a representative Renaissance hall north of the Alps. The treasury houses over a thousand royal treasures of the Wittelsbach dynasty, including crowns and scepters. The Cuvilliés Theatre is one of Europe's best-preserved Rococo court theaters, with its ornate tiered loggias. Mozart's opera "Idomeneo" premiered here in 1781, and concerts are still frequently held. During the visit, also watch for the shell-decorated grotto courtyard and the ancestral gallery lined with family portraits—both located along the route to the antiquities gallery and easy to miss if not paying attention. The noses of the bronze lions in front of the gate have been polished shiny by travelers, as local legend says rubbing them brings good luck—worth a try when passing by. The palace was severely damaged in World War II, and most of the exquisite halls seen today were meticulously restored to their original postwar state. The entire tour route is quite long, so allocating most of a day is recommended for a thorough visit. After exploring, you can take a leisurely stroll in the adjacent court garden.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region

Museum Island

8.4

474 reviews

Museum Island is located in the center of Berlin, a museum complex at the northern end of Spree Island, with the river flowing around both sides. In 1999, this complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. At the southern end, the Altes Museum faces the Berlin Cathedral across the tree-lined Lustgarten. Moving northward, the Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, and Pergamon Museum are lined up in order, with the Bode Museum completing the island's tip. These five buildings, constructed in different eras with distinct styles, form a continuous riverside ensemble, allowing visitors to explore a complete exhibition route on foot. Each museum has its own strengths. The Altes Museum in Berlin, completed in 1830, features a neoclassical facade designed by architect Schinkel, supported by rows of stone columns. Its grand domed hall primarily houses ancient Greek and Roman artworks. The Neues Museum suffered severe damage during World War II and intentionally retained some war scars during its 2009 renovation. It now hosts the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, with the painted bust of Queen Nefertiti as its star attraction. The Alte Nationalgalerie focuses on 19th-century paintings, showcasing both Caspar David Friedrich's romantic landscapes and works by French impressionists like Manet, Monet and Renoir. The Pergamon Museum is renowned for full-scale reconstructions of ancient structures, with the Pergamon Altar, Market Gate of Miletus and Ishtar Gate of Babylon as its signature exhibits. The Bode Museum combines sculpture collections, Byzantine art and hundreds of thousands of ancient coins within a Baroque building. When not visiting exhibitions, strolling on the island is equally delightful: street musicians often perform in the gardens, offering a perfect chance to rest and listen before walking to the bridge to admire the unique urban scenery of five museums lining the riverbank. △The Pergamon Museum is undoubtedly one of the most popular museums and also one of the world's renowned archaeological museums. The solemn and majestic gray building exterior easily evokes associations with various ancient architectures. Upon entering through the central gate, the left side houses the ancient Roman and Greek collections, while the right side features the ancient Near East exhibition. The second floor is dedicated to Islamic culture. The museum's crown jewel—the Pergamon Altar—is not to be missed. Dating back to the 2nd century BCE, this 9.66 m high altar features exquisitely carved deity figures on its base. Additionally, the Market Gate of Miletus from the 2nd century BCE and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon are also highly worth seeing. △The old museum in Berlin opened in 1830 and is a historic museum on Museum Island. This museum follows the neoclassical architectural style, with its facade supported by 18 parallel columns. The main hall inside is spherical, topped by a striking large circular dome. The old museum displays a rich collection of ancient Greek and Roman art treasures. △At the old national art gallery, you can admire masterpieces by impressionist masters such as Manet, Monet, and Renoir. △The Bode Museum is located on the outer side of Museum Island, built between 1898 and 1904. This Baroque-style building features a triangular layout and houses three unique small museums: the German Byzantine Art Museum, showcasing various artistic masterpieces from the Byzantine Empire; the Coin Museum, displaying 500,000 ancient coin exhibits; and the Sculpture Museum, which houses Germany's premier collection of medieval sculptures. △The new museum in Berlin was built in 1855 and was severely damaged in the bombings of World War II, leaving it in ruins. After reopening in 2009, it serves as the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, featuring exhibits such as the bust of Nefertiti, wife of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, and other artworks from the Akhenaten period. Additionally, the new museum displays unearthed artifacts from prehistoric times, ancient history, and the Stone Age. △Besides visiting museums, strolling and relaxing on Museum Island is also a great choice. The lush Lustgarten offers a beautiful environment, and street performers playing lovely music add to the charming scenery. When tired, you might as well sit down and enjoy it.

Germany · Berlin

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Stuttgart Metropolitan Region

Mercedes-Benz Museum

8.3

345 reviews

The unique shape of this building, the external metal texture, coupled with the curved design, the internal "double helix" exhibition channel design, has greatly improved the space utilization rate, beautiful and functional, and interprets the contemporary German manufacturing. On a site of 4,800 square meters, it provides an amazing exhibition area of 16,500 square meters. The museum has more than 160 cars in its collection. When visiting, first take the "capsule" elevator to the top floor of the museum, and tell the story of Mercedes-Benz from the history of the first engine. Tourists visit in chronological order along a gentle ramp. In addition to cars, the museum also has a lot of other materials: documents, parts, the development process of automobiles corresponding to the great changes in the turning points of world history, which is very interesting.

Germany · Stuttgart

No. 6 of Best Things to Do in Germany

Allianz Arena

7.8

4.5/5

287 reviews

The Allianz Arena, the home stadium of the Bundesliga Bayern Munich, was built and put into use on May 31, 2005. The opening ceremony of the 2006 World Cup in Germany was held here. The Allianz Arena is the most modern stadium in Europe. When Bayern Munich play at home, the stadium, which can seat 66,000 spectators, will be mapped by a lighting system into a red glow that can be seen from miles away. The inside of the stadium provides a variety of recreational facilities for fans. Facilities such as catering services, nursery, hall of fame, fan store are all available, and all areas serving fans total about 6,500 square meters. There are also some offices and meeting rooms. The Allianz Stadium is conveniently located near the A9 highway and has the largest underground car park in Europe - providing 10,000 parking spaces. Its unusual surface consists of 2874 diamond-shaped membrane structures, which are self-cleaning, fireproof, waterproof and thermally insulating. Each membrane structure can be illuminated at night in red, blue and white, corresponding to Bayern, 1860 And the colours of the German national team's jersey.

No. 2 of Night Attractions in Germany

Marienplatz

7.8

4.8/5

783 reviews

The square was built in 1158 and is one of the larger and more important squares in Munich. Because both the New Town Hall and the Toy Museum Munich are located around the square, Marienplatz is known as Munich's city living room. It is now a transportation hub in Munich, as well as a place for cultural activities and leisure for citizens. The FC Bayern Munich football team also celebrates their victories here. Square architecture No matter the time, Marienplatz is always bustling. If you want to explore Munich properly, Marienplatz is a great starting point. Marienplatz is not large, but you can see Munich's historical heritage and cultural accumulation everywhere. The architectural complex on the square is well worth seeing: in the center of the square stands the Column of St. Mary, topped with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. She holds a scepter in her left hand and cradles the Holy Child in her right, looking holy and dignified. The magnificent Gothic building on the north side of the square is the New Town Hall. At 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM, you can enjoy the interesting puppet dance at the Town Hall Tower. The bronze statue fountain on Marienplatz is the Fish Fountain, which faces the entrance of the New Town Hall. The eye-catching onion-domed building to the northwest of the square is the Church of Our Lady. You can climb the tower to overlook the entire city of Munich, and it is also a great place to photograph Marienplatz. The pointed building to the northeast is the Toy Museum Munich.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Rhine-Ruhr

Cologne Cathedral

7.8

4.8/5

820 reviews

Cologne Cathedral is located in the city center of Cologne, on the banks of the Rhine River, and is a landmark building of Cologne. Its 157 m tall bell tower makes it the third tallest church in Europe and the fourth tallest in the world, as well as the third largest Gothic church in the world. Construction of the cathedral began in the mid-13th century and spanned more than 600 years, with completion not declared until 1880; to this day, the cathedral is still undergoing improvements and repairs. The cathedral is considered to be an excellent combination of all medieval Gothic architectural and decorative elements, and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Germany · Cologne

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Stuttgart Metropolitan Region

Porsche Museum

7.4

181 reviews

Although there are not many exhibits in the Porsche Museum, they are all high-quality products. It is more commendable that it is also a good place to learn car knowledge. Many parts and even the whole car have been put aside for exhibition, and the internal structure can be clearly seen. , and they are all original parts of Porsche, which can also see the inherent quality of German cars, especially the Porsche brand.

Germany · Stuttgart

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Rhine-Ruhr

Cologne Chocolate Museum

7.3

206 reviews

The Chocolate Museum is a very worthwhile museum in Cologne, filled with the aroma of chocolate. Here you can see the whole process of making various chocolate beans into chocolate. There is real chocolate being processed in each machine, which is a real slander. In addition to visiting, the museum also offers tastings. On the huge turntable is a golden chocolate fruit tree with chocolate flowing under the tree. The staff will hold waffles dipped in fresh chocolate sauce and distribute them to the foodies around.

Germany · Cologne