Weekend destination: cities to visit in Germany

What do you think about when you hear ”Let’s go to Germany!” Berlin at the first place, Oktoberfest, Christmas markets, Heidelberg, Burg Eltz – all these places are great and are worth to be visited at least once in a lifetime, but as I live in the Netherlands and Germany is just around the corner, I would like to share with you some good ideas for weekend escapes.

Let’s go!

My favourite Germany city is Hambourg! I wanted to visit it so much and did it last spring! We were lucky to visit Hamburg during the festivities on the port. The weather was nice and we were walking along the port all day long. The port’s days were celebrated with an exhibition of training sailing ships from all around the world, a lot of wursts and music festival with stands for different music styles and their fans. We spent three days in Hambourg, but a weekend is also enough. My top 5 places remain the Port; the Elbphilharmonie; St.Pauli neighbourhood; Tronqvist cafe and the freestyle street party we’ve joined. For more details read: Go hipster and visit Hamburg!

The second place is for Dusseldorf for its beautiful modern architecture. We spent only one day and were walking along the Rhine river enjoying the weather and taking pictures. We also climbed up at the top of the Rhine tower and saw the whole city from above. Great destination, especially during spring time and on the weekends!

The third place is for Cologne (Koln) and its top three highlights: the Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom), the Christmas market and the Chocolate museum Cologne! The Cathedral is a must-see as it’s the symbol of the city. It’s a massive gothic edifice in the centre of the city and you won’t miss it out. The Christmas market is nice and it’s located close to the cathedral and spreads the festive atmosphere with its various wooden houses for hot chocolate and gluhwein, wursts, Christmas decoration and unique artisanal chocolate. The Chocolate Museum is also worth visiting if you have time and if you want to learn more about this desert we all love!

The last city I visited in Germany so far is Aachen. It’s located 70 km south-west from Cologne and you can combine both cities in a weekend.

Aachen surprised me very much with its aristocratic atmosphere, all the massive buildings (that was the city of Charlemagne), its cosy little streets where you can have a rest and get a hot beverage and Aachener Printen and the great street sculpture. I thought it’s a city similar to any Dutch city because of its location close to the Dutch border, but not at all. The city is not big but definitely deserves to be on your radar. If you plan a stay over a weekend, make sure you book a spa! The city is famous for its mineral water.

Are you ready to embark on your German weekend escape?

Thanks for reading!