Marking the south starting point of southern Germany's famous Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road), Fussen is a small town close to the border with Austria. Framed by the mountain peaks of the Alps and gateway to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, it's easy to see why the place is popular with visitors.
This famous wine-making town sits at the foot of the Taunus mountains, with half-timbered houses and narrow alleyways. It's a delight to wander on foot and Drosselgasse (pictured) has some of the best historic inns, restaurants and souvenir shops. Take a Rhine river cruise to visit nearby vineyards and castles, and come in September for the much loved wine festival.
Steeped in tales of miners, witches and emperors, Goslar in the Harz mountains is a bewitching place. The beautiful UNESCO World Heritage town was founded after silver was discovered in the mountains in AD 968. You can go into Europe’s oldest subterranean mine chamber, the 13th-century Feuergezähe, at the Rammelsberg Mining Museum. The sprawling Imperial Palace of Goslar and the medieval old town's pretty marketplace are other highlights. Along with most Harz towns, Goslar celebrates all things witchcraft on Walpurgis Night each Spring.
Sitting on the Polish border, Görlitz is Germany's easternmost town. Connected to sister town Zgorzelec by two bridges over the Neisse river, it's awash with historic pastel-coloured buildings and ancient churches, such as St Peter and Paul (pictured). The pretty town survived the Second World War intact and remains well preserved. It's no surprise then that Görlitz has been the backdrop for several movies set during or before the war, such as Valkyrie and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Huddled on the river Diemel, little Trendelburg enchants with its old-world charm but it's the fairy-tale tower in the town's 13th-century castle, thought to have inspired the tale of Rapunzel, that lures most visitors. A popular stop on Germany's Fairy Tale Route, which runs from Hanau in central Germany to Bremen in the north, the long-haired princess makes regular appearances in the window of the tower, which is now a hotel. While you're in town, take a canoe trip along the river and go for a pedal around its network of forest trails.
The Moselle Valley is well known for its wines but it’s been keeping its quaint little villages quiet. Surrounded by stunning scenery and home to less than 1,000 people, Bremm is a beauty of a place. Its whitewashed houses and slate-roofed churches sit snug at the foot of Europe’s steepest vineyard, the Calmont. Hike up the mountain trails and enjoy the mesmerising views over the town, as vines and the Moselle River bend beneath you. Then hotfoot it back to town to recover with a crisp riesling.
Sat on Germany's Baltic Sea coastline, Wismar is a weekender's delight. With its colourful and characterful buildings (evidence of Swedish rule during the 16th and 17th centuries), Gothic architecture and old harbour, the once powerful trading port is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wismar’s picture-perfect looks have long lured filmmakers too: its harbour famously featured in the 1922 Dracula movie Nosferatu.
At 1,050-years-old Lüneburg is one of the oldest and best-looking towns in northern Germany. Located between the Elbe river and the colourful heathland of Lower Saxony, the Hanseatic trade town – famous for its salt production – has an abundance of medieval treasures, not to mention gabled red-brick houses and pretty old churches. But as a university town too, Lüneburg is lively with plenty of places to enjoy food and drinks. The Stintmarkt (Smelt Market) at the old harbour (pictured) is a lovely spot to try the local beer.
Built in the middle of the Regnitz river between two arched bridges, Bamberg’s 14th-century town hall is just one of many reasons why this German gem is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like Italy's capital, Bamberg was built over seven hills, earning it the title of 'Franconian Rome'. Stroll down the hilly city’s cobbled lanes, lined with half-timbered façades, and stop for a Mass (a litre of beer) in one of the many breweries. After all, you are in Bavaria. The old fishermen's district in Bamberg's Island City – known as Little Venice – is also worth a wander.
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Chug along the canals of Friedrichstadt in Schleswig-Holstein and you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re in the Netherlands. With its Dutch-style red-brick houses, stone arch bridges and canals, Friedrichstadt is unsurprisingly known as Little Amsterdam. The town was founded by Dutch settlers in 1621 – discover its history at the museum Alte Münze, which has fascinating exhibitions, and is a beautiful example of Dutch Renaissance architecture. True to form, cycling is also big here – tackle part of the Viking Friesian Cycle Path that stretches across Schleswig-Holstein from coast to coast.
On the edge of the Thuringian Forest, the Wartburg (pictured) is an awe-inspiring castle first founded in 1067. It sits on a high bluff and overlooks the lovely town of Eisenach. Once the hiding place for protestant priest Martin Luther, who translated the Bible into German, today the fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eisenach is a cultural hot spot and popular with classical music lovers, as the birth town of Johann Sebastian Bach – don’t miss the Bachhaus museum.
Located at the northern edge of the Harz mountains, Wernigerode is a wonderful place for a break with its cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. Among its most notable buildings is the unique Gothic town hall, which has a timber façade from 1498 and twin turrets (pictured), and the fairy-tale-like 12th-century castle that looms high above the old town. Winter is a magical time to visit Wernigerode when snow dusts its rooftops and Christmas decorations twinkle.
Famed for the bright blue waters of 'Blautopf', Blaubeuren has attracted visitors for centuries and its spring has inspired many myths and fairy tales. The town has lashings of medieval charm with sights including a Benedictine monastery. Its history runs far deeper, however, with nearby caves, such as Hohle Fels, the sight of many important archaeological finds dating to the Upper Paleolithic period. Be sure to visit the town's Museum of Prehistory to unearth some.
Step straight into the stories of the Brothers Grimm in the old town of Alsfeld. With its ancient half-timbered houses and striking twin-turreted town hall, it has lashings of fairy-tale charm. Go on a Grimm-themed tour and discover the brothers’ tales inside the Fairy Tale House, a half-timbered building dating from 1628. Little Red Riding Hood is thought to have been inspired by the Schwalm region's local traditional costume of a red cap.
Another of north-central Germany’s medieval gems, Celle’s history dates back 800 years. Once the home of European nobility, it is rich in historic buildings including having one of Europe's largest collections of listed half-timbered houses (just under 500, don’t miss the beautiful Hoppener Haus) and a charming castle that dates from 1292. Notable features include its 16th-century chapel with a Renaissance interior and 17th-century theatre, the oldest existing example of a Baroque theatre in Germany. Celle sits scenically on the banks of the Aller river and is well located for hikes into Lower Saxony’s bucolic heathlands.
Built along narrow green-banked canals, little Lehde is one of the oldest and most charming villages of Brandenburg's Spreewald area. It's best discovered by boat – specifically on one of the region's traditional Spreewald boats. Or you could hire a kayak to make your own way along the wooden farmhouse-lined waterways, stopping to buy some of the area's famed pickles from farm shops. Glimpse what life was like in this rural community during the 19th century at the village’s captivating open-air museum.
Dominated by majestic hill castle Burg Altena and edging along the Lenne river, this town in North Rhine-Westphalia is spellbinding. Its history is fascinating too: the town once filled its coffers by making the wire used for chainmail-shirts for medieval knights. Now, the town celebrates its heritage with a Middle Ages Festival each August (due to the coronavirus pandemic, check ahead for 2022).
Bobbing on the harbour waters of the pretty port of Neuharlingersiel are brightly coloured boats, known as cutters – one of many charming sights in this fishing town in Lower Saxony. From here you can hop on a ferry to the nearby East Frisian Islands, a chain of isles in the UNESCO-listed Wadden Sea and a popular holiday destination with their sandy shores and rich traditions.
Now discover Europe's most adorable small towns and villages
With vineyards, pastures and gentle mountains, peppered with medieval villages and castles, the Rhine region astounds at every stretch. St Goarshausen in the Upper-Middle Rhine Valley is one of the prettiest, boasting no less than two castles, Burg Maus and Burg Katz (pictured). The ancient fortifications and a striking steep slate rock, known as Lorelei or Loreley, forms the backdrop for the annual fireworks event 'Rhein in Flammen' (Rhine in flames) in September, that lights up the village and its neighbour across the water, St Goar.
Less than two hours from Berlin, the pretty town of Rheinsberg lies in Brandenburg’s Ruppiner Seenland – characterised by its lakes and waterways. With a history that dates back to the 14th century, the town's chief attraction is its grand palace which sits on Lake Grienerick surrounded by landscaped parklands. It was home to Frederick the Great as a young crown prince between 1736 and 1740. The historic centre, with its cobblestones and cafés, is a lovely place to wander.
Dominated by a palace and abbey complex perched high on a sandstone bluff, Quedlinburg in the Hartz mountains is a treasure trove of medieval riches. As capital of the East Franconian German Empire from 919 to 1024 and a prosperous trading town, it’s now UNESCO-listed and has more than 1,300 timber-framed buildings lining the sloped streets of its old town and Münzenberg hill. It has exquisite Romanesque churches and monastic buildings too, along with a beautifully preserved Marktplatz and stunning Gothic town hall.
With three castles, a medieval centre and scenic surrounds, Hattingen is one of the Ruhr region's highlights. Stroll down the snaking cobbled lanes of the former Hanseatic town and admire its well-preserved half-timbered houses. Learn about the town’s past inside the historic Bügeleisenhaus. The quaint buildings of the old town make a beautiful backdrop for Hattingen’s annual festive fair too.
Surrounded by the thick tangle of Thuringia forest, the little spa town of Bad Blankenburg woos visitors with its grand feudal castle Greifenstein, home to the Counts of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg in the 13th and 14th centuries. The town, also known as Lavender City in reference to a former lavender farm in the area, is famous for being the birthplace of kindergarten. Education pioneer Friedrich Froebel opened the very first kindergarten here in 1840 and now a namesake museum is housed in the very same spot.
The stilt houses of St Peter-Ording are a unique sight along the wind-buffed North Sea coastline. The towering wooden structures were built along the wide sands of this scenic seaside resort more than 100 years ago for beachgoers. Today they still replenish visitors with their cafés and soaring views. Set within the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, St Peter-Ording is a popular health resort and home to many wellness centres. It’s also much loved by kite-surfers and surfers.
Overlooked by hilltop Stahleck Castle, the beautiful riverside hamlet is a popular stop for river cruisers. It’s a spectacular spot to drink in the views over the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and linger in lush vineyards of the bucolic wine-growing region. And of course, you have to try the local riesling too. Stroll through the medieval gateway to discover the charming village, walk along its 14th-century ramparts and admire the higgledy-piggledy houses that centre around the Postenturm (pictured).
Translating as "red fortress above the Tauber river", the ancient red-roofed village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber leaves a lasting impression. Set along southern Germany’s Romantic Road, it is one of many medieval storybook settlements with its defensive towers, narrow timber-clad houses and cobbled streets. There is lots to entertain in this picturesque place with its many museums, gardens, enticing shops and buzzy cafés.
Once home to the writer Goethe and the poet and playwright Schiller, Weimar is a beacon of Germany's high culture and a fascinating place to visit. As well as numerous museums, there are tranquil parks and lush gardens for quiet contemplation. Take in a play in the National Theater (Deutsches Nationaltheater, pictured here with its landmark Goethe-Schiller monument) and don't miss a culinary walk around Weimar's handsome streets to discover the best places to tuck into Thuringia's traditional cuisine and wines.
Crouched on the left bank of the Moselle Valley, waterside Cochem can't fail to charm with its pastel-hued houses, medieval gateways and the fairy-tale form of Reichsburg Castle, which presides over the town on a craggy rock. Once you’ve meandered around its atmospheric old town and tasted the local wines, head for the hills. The hiking trails in this wine-growing region are out of this world.
Take a tumble back in time to tiny Schiltach, a medieval gem in the Upper Kinzig Valley in the Black Forest. The pretty town’s history dates back to the 11th century – something you soon sense on a stroll down its river promenade, which is lined with quaint half-timbered houses, or when you explore its market square. While the town's intriguing museums – the pharmacy museum and craft tannery, the last in the Black Forest – showcase the area’s rich traditions and crafts.
Time seems to have stood still for many centuries in this small riverside town in the lovely Eifel region. It’s easy to see why Monschau is dubbed the "Pearl of the Eifel" with its romantic cobblestoned lanes and traditional half-timbered houses which line the Ruhr river. Learn how the town's famous mustard is made (and taste it) at the historic Mustard Mill, while a pedal through the old town and out along the riverbanks makes for a delightful day out.
Just an hour's drive from Dresden, Schmilka is one of Saxony’s most stunning villages and one of its best wellness retreats. The picturesque town lies in the Elbe Valley and was founded around 1582 by Czech lumberjacks. What makes the riverside town truly unique is that it looks and functions like it did two centuries ago. Focused on tradition and sustainability, here you can discover a mill that still uses water to grind grain, a brewery that uses ancient techniques and buildings with their original materials. Even the wellness remains traditional with nature walks, saunas and relaxing baths.