Top Day Trips in Germany

Aachen: Printen and Charlemagne's Table ★ 4.8 · Cologne

Aachen is 65 minutes from Cologne by train; Leo van den Daele at Büchel 18 has produced Printen gingerbread since 1655 alongside Aachener Bier.

Bonn: Rhineland Gastronomy and Cassius Garten ★ 4.7 · Cologne

Bonn is 25 minutes from Cologne by S-Bahn; Cassius Garten at Maximilianstr. 28d is Germany's most celebrated organic vegetarian buffet, open Monday.

Andechs (Monastery brewery) ★ 4.7 · Munich

Andechs Monastery, on the Holy Hill above Lake Ammersee, has brewed Andechser beers for 500+ years; the Bräustüberl beer hall pours Doppelbock.

Luebeck ★ 4.6 · Hamburg

Luebeck, 45 minutes north of Hamburg by train, is the marzipan capital of Germany, with the Niederegger company on Breite Strasse making marzipan since 1806.

Tip: Niederegger's first-floor cafe and museum on Breite Strasse is the canonical visit; train continues to Travemuende on the Baltic.

Salzburg (Austria) ★ 4.6 · Munich

Salzburg, 1.5 hours by train from Munich, has its own Old Town and the Augustiner Bräustübl Mülln, a 17th-century monastery beer hall that still pours.

Ahr Valley: Germany's Pinot Noir Country ★ 4.5 · Cologne

The Ahr Valley is 80 minutes from Cologne; Germany's northernmost Pinot Noir region produces acclaimed Spatburgunder on steep slate terraces.

Sylt ★ 4.5 · Hamburg

Sylt, 3.5 hours from Hamburg on the IC over the Hindenburgdamm, is the North Sea oyster island, with Sylter Royal oysters from the Dittmeyer farm in List.

Tip: Dittmeyer's Austern-Compagnie in List runs farm tours and tastings; book ahead in season.

Tegernsee (Lake town, Bavarian Alps) ★ 4.5 · Munich

Lake Tegernsee, an hour south of Munich, is officially designated a Genussort (place of culinary enjoyment), 200+ restaurants between the lake's two shores.

Freising (Weihenstephan brewery) ★ 4.5 · Munich

Freising, half an hour north of Munich, is home to Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, the world's oldest continuously operating brewery (since 1040).

Mosel Valley: Riesling at its Source ★ 4.4 · Cologne

The Mosel Valley is 105 minutes from Cologne by IC train; steep slate vineyards produce Germany's most mineral Riesling alongside pike-perch at riverside.

Bremen ★ 4.4 · Hamburg

Bremen, 1.5 hours west of Hamburg by IC train, is the city of Bremer Knipp (oat-and-pork sausage), Buntje (offal stew) and its own Hanseatic stew tradition.

Tip: Ratskeller Bremen under the Town Hall is the canonical Knipp address; cellar wine list runs since 1405.

Helgoland ★ 4.4 · Hamburg

Helgoland, 3 hours by catamaran from the Landungsbruecken in Hamburg, is Germany's only deep-sea island, with the Helgolaender Knieper crab claws.

Tip: Knieper season runs Apr to Sep; Hotel Atoll on the harbour serves the best at the dockside.

Potsdam (Dutch Quarter) ★ 4.3 · Berlin

Potsdam combines Schloss Sanssouci's park gardens with the cobbled Dutch Quarter built by Frederick William I for Dutch craftsmen in the 1730s.

Düsseldorf: Altbier and Rhine Promenade ★ 4.3 · Cologne

Düsseldorf is 35 minutes from Cologne; Altbier at Uerige on Berger Str. 1 and Japan's largest Japanese community outside Japan at the Immermannstrasse.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Alps) ★ 4.3 · Munich

Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, is the Alps day trip from Munich, mountain inns serve Käsespätzle.

Spreewald (Luebbenau) ★ 4.2 · Berlin

The Spreewald biosphere reserve 100km south of Berlin is the origin of Germany's most famous gherkin. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Travemuende ★ 4.2 · Hamburg

Travemuende, on the Baltic 1 hour from Hamburg, runs harbour seafood restaurants serving Baltic turbot, eel soup and the Luebeck marzipan tradition.

Tip: Atlantic Hotel terrace looks out over the Baltic; Stoever's Fischhandel near the harbour does Fischbroetchen.

Lueneburger Heide ★ 4.2 · Hamburg

Lueneburger Heide, 1.5 hours south of Hamburg, is the heather-honey and Heidschnucke (Heath lamb) heartland, with smoked trout from the river Seeve nearby.

Tip: Wilsede's Imkerei Suckow runs honey tastings; Heidschnucke lamb on most village tavern menus.

Beelitz (Asparagus Country) ★ 4.1 · Berlin

Beelitz, 40km south of Berlin, grows the asparagus that fills Berlin's restaurant menus from late April to 24 June. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Münster: Westphalian Food Culture ★ 4.1 · Cologne

Münster is 90 minutes from Cologne by direct IC train; the cathedral market sells Westphalian pumpernickel while Pinkus Müller on Kreuzstr. 4 pours Altbier.

Waren an der Mueritz (Lake District) ★ 4.0 · Berlin

Waren at the edge of Mecklenburg's Mueritz lake is the destination for freshwater fish that supplies Berlin's better restaurants. Booking recommended.

Siegburg and Bergisches Land ★ 4.0 · Cologne

Bergisches Land is 40 minutes from Cologne by RE train; the home of the Bergisches Kaffeetafel tradition, a Sunday coffee spread with Waffeln and Roggenbrot.

Werder an der Havel (Fruit Country) ★ 3.9 · Berlin

Werder an der Havel, 35km west of Berlin, supplies the capital's markets with cherries, apples and redcurrants. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.