The most beautiful cities in Germany

Germany’s most beautiful cities and towns stand among the best places to visit in the European Union. They span almost the full range of European variety.

• There are cities with Roman origins and remains such as Trier, Cologne, Regensburg and Mainz.
• Medieval cities such as Nuremberg, Erfurt, Bamberg and Worms and the half-timbered Harz region towns of Goslar, Quedlinburg and Wernigerode.
• Renaissance showpiece cities such as Lübeck, Augsburg or Bremen.
• Cities with Baroque survivals, including Dresden, Heidelberg or Passau.
• Plenty of German cities have beautiful palaces on their streets or nearby, like Potsdam, Munich, Stuttgart, Würzburg and Weimar.
• The great cathedrals such as Cologne, Regensburg, Bamberg, Mainz, Erfurt, Worms, with countless other churches, sometimes in Romanesque but more commonly in the Gothic style. The münster of Ulm has the tallest spire of them all.
• Museums of culture and art among world’s best, including Deutsches Museum, Deutsches Nationalmuseum, Alte Pinakothek and the Pergamonmuseum.

All these places can be reached by train and bus (Quedlinburg is on a branch line). All offer a range of hotels, hostels, guest houses and other types of accommodation. All are very walkable and, like most German towns and cities, are really best seen on foot. But trams and buses help get people to and from hotels or attractions and for the bigger centres, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Nuremberg, there are fast regular options in the form of S-bahn and U-bahn trains and light-rail transport.

Costs

Most German cities come in cheaper for cost of living than the great English-speaking capitals and slightly above the middle of the European cost scale.

International comparisons: According to the collaborative website Expatistan early in 2023, Germany ranked as the 19th most expensive country in the world. The rankings included Singapore (1), Switzerland (3), Ireland (7), US (8), Denmark (9), Netherlands (10), Norway (11), Australia (13), New Zealand (14), UK (15), Canada (17), France (22), Austria (23), Italy (29), Czechia (38), Spain (39), Hungary (48) and Poland (52).

The Expatistan site allows costs for basic items to be compared between international cities based on data supplied by users. Figures fluctuate with exchange rates. The overall cost of living in Berlin was 29% cheaper overall than New York city (No.2 in the world), 20% cheaper than Miami (No.12), 18% cheaper than London (No.13) and Los Angeles (No.15), 10% cheaper than Dublin (No.20), but slightly higher (6%) than St Louis. It was 29% cheaper than Singapore (No.3), 5% more expensive than Melbourne (No.47), 28% more expensive than Vienna (No. 92), 53% more expensive than Prague (No.139) and 85% more expensive than Warsaw (No.181). On the whole, Berlin was roughly comparable with Amsterdam (No.32), Sydney (No.34), Toronto (No.37), Auckland (No.39), and Paris (No.42).

Expatistan shows Berlin as 25% more expensive than Birmingham, 36% more expensive than Rome, 190% more expensive than Mumbai, 227% more expensive than Bangalore, 113% more expensive than Cape Town, 125% more expensive than Johannesburg and 143% more expensive than Kuala Lumpur.

German comparisons: Other cost of living estimates for Germany are offered at Numbeo. According to this index, early in 2023, the German cities Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Frankfurt am Main occupy positions 2 to 5 on the list of expensive cities. Heidelberg and Cologne are at Nos. 8 and 9, Stuttgart, Bremen and Nuremberg are 16-18 and Dresden is No.21.

The Expatistan main international ranking list included the German cities Munich (68th most expensive), Hamburg (No.71), Cologne (No.78), Stuttgart (No.111) and Dresden (No.150).

Numbeo put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant in the range €8-20, 0.33 litres of imported beer at €2.80-5.00, regular cappuccino at €2.00-4.50 and a 0.33 litre bottle of water at €1.60-3.00.

Value-added tax: The EU consumption tax (in Germany Umsatzsteuer, usually referred to as Mehrwertsteuer) upper rate of 19% is levied on all purchases except food and common items such as urban transit, newspapers and accommodation, all of which attract 7%. Cafe and restaurant meals attract 19% tax. Residents from outside the EU can reclaim tax paid on receipted purchases from the trader if the goods are presented when departing from the EU – but this must be within three months of purchase.

Buyers intending to claim must have the trader endorse and sign refund documents at the time of purchase. Not all traders take part in the refund scheme, but those who do should display the tax-free sign. If not, travellers should check with the trader before buying (for details on claiming refunds on departure see In Customs). Thresholds apply and you have to show that you are an EU visitor – perhaps also show a dated ticket of departure.