View source for Tourism in Germany

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[[File:Deutschland Übersichtskarte.png|thumb|400px|Physical map of Germany]]Germany is the [[World Tourism rankings|seventh-most-visited country]] in the world,<ref name="april11">{{cite journal |url=http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/UNWTO_Barom11_iu_april_excerpt.pdf |title=Interim Update |journal=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer |access-date=26 June 2011 |date=April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101005051/http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/UNWTO_Barom11_iu_april_excerpt.pdf |archive-date=1 January 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights13_en_hr_0.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=11 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004212850/http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights13_en_hr_0.pdf |archive-date=4 October 2013 }}</ref> with a total of 407.26&nbsp;million overnights during 2012.<ref name="deutschertourismusverband">[http://www.deutschertourismusverband.de/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank/PDFs/Zahlen_Daten_Fakten_2012_aktuell.pdf Zahlen Daten Fakten 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101015058/http://www.deutschertourismusverband.de/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank/PDFs/Zahlen_Daten_Fakten_2012_aktuell.pdf |date=1 January 2015 }} (in German), German National Tourist Board</ref> This number includes 68.83&nbsp;million nights by foreign visitors, the majority of foreign tourists in 2009 coming from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland (see table). Additionally, more than 30% of Germans spend their holiday in their own country. According to [[Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report]]s, Germany is ranked 3 out of 136 countries in the [[Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report#2017 Ranking|2017 report]], and is rated as one of the safest travel destinations worldwide.

In 2012, over 30.4&nbsp;million international tourists arrived in Germany, bringing over US$38&nbsp;billion in international tourism receipts to the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights13_en_lr_0.pdf |title=Tourism Highlights 2013 edition |publisher=UNWTO |access-date=26 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127174556/http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights13_en_lr_0.pdf |archive-date=27 November 2013 }}</ref> Domestic and international travel and tourism combined directly contribute over EUR43.2&nbsp;billion to the German [[GDP]]. Including indirect and induced impacts, the industry contributes 4.5% of German GDP and supports 2 million jobs (4.8% of total employment).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/germany2013_1.pdf |title=2013 Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report Germany |publisher=WTTC |access-date=26 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001157/http://wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/germany2013_1.pdf |archive-date=3 December 2013 }}</ref> The [[ITB Berlin]] is the world's leading tourism [[trade fair]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ITB Berlin: The World's Leading Travel Trade Show|url=http://www.expodatabase.com/tradeshow/itb-berlin-the-worlds-leading-travel-trade-show-908.html|website=expodatabase.com|publisher=M+A Expo Database|access-date=13 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020023934/https://www.expodatabase.com/tradeshow/itb-berlin-the-worlds-leading-travel-trade-show-908.html|archive-date=20 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to surveys,{{cn|date=December 2024}} the top three reasons for tourists to come to Germany are the [[Culture of Germany|German culture]], outdoor activities, German holidays and festivities, the countryside and rural areas, and the German cities.{{clarification needed|date=December 2024}}

== History ==
The history of tourism in Germany goes back to cities and landscapes being visited for education and recreation. From the late 18th century onwards, cities like [[Dresden]], Munich, [[Weimar]] and [[Berlin]] were major stops on a European [[Grand tour]].

Spas and [[Seaside resort]]s on the North and Baltic Sea (e.g. [[Rügen|Rugia]] and [[Usedom]] islands, [[Heiligendamm]], the islands [[Norderney]] and [[Sylt]]) particularly developed during the 19th and early 20th century, when major train routes were built to connect the seaside spas to urban centers. An extensive bathing and recreation industry materialized in Germany around 1900. At rivers and close to natural landscapes (along the [[Middle Rhine]] valley and in [[Saxon Switzerland]] for example) many health spas, hotels and recreational facilities were established since the 19th century.

Since the end of [[World War II]] tourism has expanded greatly, as many tourists visit Germany to experience a sense of European history and the diverse German landscape. The country features 14 [[List of national parks of Germany|national parks]], including the [[Jasmund National Park]], the [[Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park]], the [[Müritz National Park]], the [[Wadden Sea National Parks]], the [[Harz National Park]], the [[Hainich National Park]], the [[Saxon Switzerland National Park]], the [[Bavarian Forest National Park]] and the [[Berchtesgaden National Park]]. In addition, there are 14 [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Europe and North America#Germany|Biosphere Reserves]], as well as 98 [[Nature parks (Germany)|nature parks]].

The countryside has a pastoral aura, while the bigger cities exhibit both a modern and classical feel. Small and medium-sized cities often preserved their historical appearance and have old towns with remarkable architectural heritage – these are called [[Altstadt#Germany|Altstadt]] in German.

== Statistics ==
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{| cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="border:solid 1px #aaa"
|+'''Yearly tourist arrivals in millions<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2024 |title=Germany: International tourist trips |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/international-tourist-trips?tab=chart&country=~DEU |website=Our World In Data}}</ref><ref name="Barom May24">{{cite web |date=May 2024 |title=World Tourism Barometer |url=https://pre-webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2024-06/Barom_PPT_May_2024.pdf?VersionId=U7O62HatlG4eNAj.wcmuQG1PMCjK.Yss |access-date=24 June 2024 |publisher=[[World Tourism Organization]] |language=en |page=19}}</ref>'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global and regional tourism performance |url=https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.unwto.org}}</ref>
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[[File:St.Bartholomä.jpg|thumb|[[Bavaria]] is the German state with the most visitors.]]
[[File:StrandDüne.JPG|thumb|[[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] with its beaches at the [[Baltic Sea]] has the highest density of tourists. It is favourably located between Germany's major cities Berlin and Hamburg.]]
[[File:Ausblick vom Grossen Knollen (Turm) - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Harz]] with its rugged terrain extends across parts of [[Lower Saxony]], [[Saxony-Anhalt]], and [[Thuringia]] and has a long history of mining and being a seat of German political power, represented in the [[List of World Heritage Sites in Germany|Unesco world heritage sites]] of [[Goslar]] and [[Quedlinburg]].]]
[[File:Blick vom Hohfelsen.jpg|thumb|The [[Black Forest]] is a large [[forest]]ed [[mountain range]] in the [[States of Germany|state]] of [[Baden-Württemberg]] in southwest [[Germany]], bounded by the [[Rhine Valley]] to the west and south and close to the borders with [[France]] and [[Switzerland]].]]

The table below shows the distribution of national and international visitor nights spent in each of the sixteen [[states of Germany]] in 2017.

Germany overall had 459&nbsp;million visitor nights in 2017, of which 83&nbsp;million were of foreign guests. With 94.3&nbsp;million nights spent in hotels, hostels or clinics, [[Bavaria]] has the most visitors. With 18.4 nights per inhabitant, [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] has the highest density of tourists per population (German average: 5.5 nights per inhabitant).<ref>[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Publikationen/Thematisch/BinnenhandelGastgewerbeTourismus/Tourismus/TourismusinZahlen1021500177005.xlsx?__blob=publicationFile DeStatis: Tourism in Numbers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209165251/https://www.destatis.de/DE/Publikationen/Thematisch/BinnenhandelGastgewerbeTourismus/Tourismus/TourismusinZahlen1021500177005.xlsx?__blob=publicationFile |date=9 December 2018 }}, 2017</ref>

{|
|-
|valign=top|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! valign=bottom; | [[states of Germany|State]]
! valign=bottom; | Nr. of nights <br />in 2017<br /><small>in million</small>
! valign=bottom; | of whom<br />foreign visitors<br /><small>in million</small>
! valign=bottom; | nights per<br>inhabitant
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| ''Germany'' 
| 459
| 83
| 5.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Baden-Württemberg]] 
| 52.9
| 11.3
| 4.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Bavaria]]
| 94.3
| 19.1
| 7.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Berlin]] 
| 31.1
| 13.9
| 8.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Brandenburg]] 
| 13.0
| 0.96
| 5.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]] 
| 2.4
| 0.49
| 3.6
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Hamburg]] 
| 13.8
| 3.4
| 7.6
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Hesse]] 
| 34.1
| 7.6
| 5.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] 
| 29.7
| 1.0
| 18.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Lower Saxony]] 
| 43.4
| 3.7
| 5.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] 
| 51.5
| 11.0
| 2.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] 
| 22.2
| 5.2
| 5.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Saarland]] 
| 3.0
| 0.46
| 3.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Saxony]]
| 19.5
| 2.0
| 4.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Saxony-Anhalt]] 
| 8.1
| 0.63
| 3.6
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Schleswig-Holstein]] 
| 29.8
| 2.0
| 10.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Thuringia]] 
| 9.9
| 0.62
| 4.6
|}
|}

Most visitors arriving to Germany on short-term basis are from the following countries of nationality:[https://www-genesis.destatis.de/datenbank/online/table/45412-0008/table-toolbar]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|- style="color:white;"
! style="width:5px; background:#00966E;"|Rank
! style="width:170px; background:#00966E;"| Country
! style="width:50px; background:#00966E;"| 2024
|- 
|1||{{flag|The Netherlands}} || 5,261,187
|-
|2||{{flag|Switzerland}} || 3,326,404
|-
|3||{{flag|United States}} || 3,226,355
|-
|4||{{flag|United Kingdom}} || 2,376,674
|-
|5||{{flag|Austria}} || 2,140,298
|-
|6||{{flag|France}} || 1,855,356
|-
|7||{{flag|Italy}} || 1,581,377
|-
|8||{{flag|Denmark}} || 1,530,693
|-
|9||{{flag|Poland}} || 1,476,207
|-
|10||{{flag|Belgium}} || 1,469,679
|-

!colspan=1| 
|-
|}

=== Surveys ===
The official body for tourism in Germany is the [[German National Tourist Board]] (GNTB), represented worldwide by National Tourist Offices in 29 countries. Surveys by the GNTB include perceptions and reasons for holidaying in Germany, which are as follows: culture (75%), outdoors/countryside (59%), cities (59%), cleanliness (47%), security (41%), modernity (36%), good hotels (35%), good gastronomy/cuisine (34%), good accessibility (30%), cosmopolitanism/hospitality (27%), good shopping opportunities (21%), exciting nightlife (17%) and good price/performance ratio (10%) (multiple answers were possible).

== Countryside ==

=== Health ===
{{See also|List of spa towns in Germany|List of seaside resorts in Germany}}
[[Image:Heiligendamm (11853140905).jpg|thumb|right|[[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] with its beaches at the [[Baltic Sea]] has many seside resorts, like the pictured [[Grand Hotel Heiligendamm]], built between 1793 and 1870]]

About 242 million nights, or two-thirds of all nights spent in hotels in Germany, are spent in [[spa towns]].<ref>[http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/EN/Content/Statistics/Binnenhandel/Tourismus/Tabellen/Content75/UebernachtungenGemeindegruppen,templateId=renderPrint.psml Overnight stays by groups of communities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118125511/http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/EN/Content/Statistics/Binnenhandel/Tourismus/Tabellen/Content75/UebernachtungenGemeindegruppen,templateId=renderPrint.psml |date=18 November 2010 }}, [[Statistisches Bundesamt]], Wiesbaden</ref> Germany is well known for [[health tourism]], with many of the numerous spa towns having been established at a [[hot spring]], offering convalescence (German: ''Kur'') or preventive care by means of [[mineral water]] and/or other spa treatment. Spa towns and seaside resorts carry official designations such as Mineral and mud spas (''Mineral- und Moorbäder''), Healthy climate resorts (''Heilklimatische Kurorte''), [[Sebastian Kneipp|Kneipp]] cure resorts (''Kneippkurorte'' = water therapy resorts), [[List of seaside resorts in Germany|Seaside resorts]] (''Seebäder''), Climatic resorts (''Luftkurorte''), and Recreation resorts (''Erholungsorte''). The largest and most well known resorts also have [[casino]]s, most notably at [[Bad Wiessee]], [[Baden-Baden]] (''[[Kurhaus (Baden-Baden)|Kurhaus]]''), [[Wiesbaden]] (''[[Kurhaus, Wiesbaden|Kurhaus]]''), [[Aachen]], [[Travemünde]] and [[Westerland, Germany|Westerland]] (''Kurhaus'').

=== Regions ===
{{See also|Geography of Germany|List of national parks in Germany}}
[[File:Dünenstrand auf Sylt.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Dune]] on the North [[Frisian Islands|Frisian island]] of [[Sylt]]]] 
[[File:Königsstuhl und Viktoria-Sicht.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Jasmund National Park|Stubbenkammer]] on the Baltic island of [[Rügen]]]]
The most visited [[tourist region]]s in Germany are the [[East Frisian Islands|East Frisian]] and [[North Frisian Islands]], the [[Baltic Sea]] coasts of [[Holstein]], [[Mecklenburg]] and [[Vorpommern]], the [[Upper Middle Rhine Valley|Rhine Valley]], the [[Bavarian Forest|Bavarian]] and [[Black Forest]], and the [[Bavarian Alps]].

The table below shows the five most visited [[List of rural districts of Germany|rural districts]] in 2008:<ref>{{cite web |title=Tourismus- und Hotelatlas 2009–2010 |publisher=Georg & Ottenströer |language=de |url=http://georg-ic.de/cms/upload/marktstudien/TourismusHotelatlas_2009-2010_GO.pdf |page=8 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! valign=bottom; style="text-align:left" | rank
! valign=bottom | district
! valign=bottom | # of nights <small>''in 2008''</small>
|-
| 1
| [[Nordfriesland]]
| 6.96&nbsp;million 
|-
| 2
| [[Rügen]] 
| 5.57&nbsp;million 
|-
| 3 
| [[Oberallgäu]] 
| 5.29&nbsp;million 
|-
| 4 
| [[Ostholstein]] 
| 5.27&nbsp;million 
|-
| 5 
| [[Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald]] 
| 4.41&nbsp;million 
|}

Other popular regions include 
* in the north: [[Usedom]], [[Holstein Switzerland]], the [[Lüneburg Heath]], [[Harz]] and [[Mecklenburg Lake District]]
* in the west: [[Teutoburg Forest]], [[Sauerland]], [[Eifel]] and the [[Moselle (river)|Moselle]] Valley
* in the east: [[Saxon Switzerland]], [[Thuringian Forest]], [[Ore Mountains]] and the [[Elbe Valley]]
* in the south: [[Taunus]], [[Spessart]], [[Rhön]], [[Odenwald]] and [[Allgäu]].

=== Theme routes ===
[[File:Du200613.png|thumb|120px|right|A cuckoo clock, symbol of the Black Forest]]
Since the 1930s, local and regional governments have set up various theme routes, to help visitors get to know a specific region and its cultural or scenic qualities. The table below shows some of the most prominent theme routes. Other popular German theme routes include parts of the [[European Route of Brick Gothic]] and [[European Route of Industrial Heritage]], the [[Harz-Heide Road]], [[Bertha Benz Memorial Route]] and [[Bergstraße Route|Bergstrasse]]. 
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ List of theme routes (incomplete)
! Route
! Established
! Theme
! Length
|-
| [[German Wine Road]] (''Deutsche Weinstraße'')
| style="text-align:right" | 1935
| [[Palatinate (wine region)|Palatinate]] [[wine route]]
| style="text-align:right" | 85&nbsp;km
|-
| [[German Avenue Road]] (''Deutsche Alleenstraße'')
| style="text-align:right" | 1993
| Tree-sided [[Avenue (landscape)|avenues]] and lush countrysides
| style="text-align:right" | 2900&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Romantic Road]] (''Romantische Straße'')
| style="text-align:right" | 1950
| [[Romanticism]] 
| style="text-align:right" | 366&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Black Forest High Road]] (''Schwarzwaldhochstraße'')
| style="text-align:right" | 1952
| [[Black Forest]]
| style="text-align:right" | 60&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Castle Road]] (''Burgenstraße'')
| style="text-align:right" | 1954
| [[List of castles in Germany|Castles in Germany]] 
| style="text-align:right" | 1,000&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Road of Weser Renaissance]] (''Straße der Weserrenaissance'')
| style="text-align:right" | 
| [[Weser Renaissance]] 
| style="text-align:right" | 350&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Romanesque Road]] (''Straße der Romanik'')
| style="text-align:right" | 1993
| [[Romanesque architecture]]
| style="text-align:right" | 1,195&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Deutsche Fährstraße|German Ferries Route]]
| style="text-align:right" | 2004
| Fords, ferries, bridges and tunnels
| style="text-align:right" | 250&nbsp;km
|-
| [[German Timber-Frame Road]]
| style="text-align:right" | 1990
| [[Timber framing]] (''Fachwerk'') 
| style="text-align:right" | 3,000&nbsp;km
|-
| [[German Clock Road]] (''Deutsche Uhrenstrasse'')
| style="text-align:right" | 
| [[Cuckoo clock]] Manufacturers, clock-face paintings workshops,<br>museums, [[Black Forest]] and [[Baar region|Baar]] villages, landscapes
| style="text-align:right" | 320&nbsp;km
|-
| [[Industrial Heritage Trail]] (''Route der Industriekultur'')
| style="text-align:right" | 
| [[Industrial heritage]] of the [[Ruhr area]] 
| style="text-align:right" | 400&nbsp;km
|-
| [[German Fairy Tale Route]] (''Deutsche Märchenstraße'')
| style="text-align:right" | 
| Fairy tales and legends of the Brothers Grimm 
| style="text-align:right" | 600&nbsp;km
|}

=== Winter sport ===
[[File:Bolsterlang Hörnerbahn.jpg|thumb|upright|View of [[Bolsterlang]], [[Oberallgäu]]]]
{{See also|List of ski resorts in the German Alps|List of ski resorts in the German Central Uplands}}

The main [[winter sport]] regions in Germany are the [[Bavarian Alps]] and [[Northern Limestone Alps]], as well as the [[Ore Mountains]], [[Harz Mountains]], [[Fichtel Mountains]] and [[Bavarian Forest]] within the [[Central Uplands]]. First class winter sport infrastructure is available for [[alpine skiing]] and [[snowboarding]], [[bobsledding]] and [[cross-country skiing]].

In most regions, winter sports are limited to the winter months November to February. During the [[Advent]] season, many German towns and cities host [[Christmas market]]s.

== Cities ==
{{See also|Metropolitan regions in Germany}}

In terms of numbers of overnight stays, travel to the twelve [[List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants|largest cities in Germany]] more than doubled between 1995 and 2005, the largest increase of any travel destination.<ref>[http://www.deutschertourismusverband.de/content/files/anhang_staedtestudie.pdf Städte- und Kulturtourismus in Deutschland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819165317/http://www.deutschertourismusverband.de/content/files/anhang_staedtestudie.pdf |date=19 August 2006 }}, German Tourism Association (DTV)</ref>{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} This increase mainly arises from growth of [[cultural tourism]], often in conjunction with educational or [[business travel]]. Consequently, the provision and supply of more and higher standards of cultural, entertainment, hospitality, gastronomic, and retail services also attract more international guests.

The table below shows the ten most visited cities in Germany in 2012. Other cities and towns with over 1 million nights per year are [[Rostock]], [[Hannover]], [[Bremen]], [[Cuxhaven]], Bonn, [[Freiburg im Breisgau|Freiburg]], [[Münster]], [[Lübeck]], [[Wiesbaden]], [[Essen]] and [[Regensburg]].

{{bar box
|float=left
|caption=Top 10 city destinations in 2018 by nr. of overnight stays (millions)<ref>[https://www.statistischebibliothek.de/mir/receive/DEHeft_mods_00132010 Tourismus in Zahlen] on statistischebibliothek.de</ref>
|width=550px
|bars=
{{bar pixel|[[Berlin]]|#6699CC|329||32.9m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Munich]]|#6699CC|171||17.1m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Hamburg]]|#6699CC|145||14.5m}}
{{bar pixel|{{nowrap|[[Frankfurt am Main]]}}|#6699CC|102||10.2m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Cologne]]|#6699CC|63||6.3m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Düsseldorf]]|#6699CC|50||5.0m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Dresden]]|#6699CC|46||4.6m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Stuttgart]]|#6699CC|39||3.9m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Nuremberg]]|#6699CC|36||3.6m}}
{{bar pixel|[[Leipzig]]|#6699CC|34||3.4m}}
}}
{{clear}}

===Berlin===
[[File:Museumsinsel Berlin Juli 2021 1 (cropped) b.jpg|thumb|[[Spree (river)|Spree river]], [[Museum Island]], [[Berlin TV Tower]] and [[Berlin Palace]] in the centre of Berlin, [[Mitte (locality)|Mitte]]]]
{{See also|List of sights in Berlin}}

Berlin has a yearly total of about 135 million day visitors, which puts it in third place among the most-visited city destinations in the [[European Union]]. Berlin had 781 hotels with over 125,000 beds in June 2012.<ref name="visitberlin">[https://worldtravelergroup.com/germany-top-10-tourist-attractions/ Tourist Attractions In Germany] (August 2023)</ref> The city recorded 20.8&nbsp;million overnight hotel stays and 9.1&nbsp;million hotel guests in 2010.<ref name=third>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/pms/2011/11-02-18.pdf |title=Berlin-Tourismus 2010 mit neuem Rekord |website=Amt für Statistik |access-date=19 February 2011 |language=de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719085426/http://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/pms/2011/11-02-18.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2011 }}</ref> In the first half of 2012, there was an increase of over 10% compared to the same period the year before.<ref name=visitberlin/>

===Munich===
[[File:Stadtbild München.jpg|thumb|The [[Marienplatz]] in the centre of [[Munich]]]]
{{See also|:Category:Tourist attractions in Munich}}

Munich, the capital of [[Bavaria]], is one of Germany’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and architectural beauty. At the heart of the city lies [[Marienplatz]], the central square featuring the [[New Town Hall (Munich)|Neues Rathaus]] with its famous [[Rathaus-Glockenspiel|Glockenspiel]], which draws crowds daily for its animated show.

A short walk away is [[Frauenkirche, Munich|Frauenkirche]], Munich’s iconic cathedral with its twin domes and panoramic city views. The [[Munich Residenz]], once the royal palace of Bavarian monarchs, now houses a museum complex showcasing centuries of art, furniture, and jewels.

For art lovers, the [[Kunstareal]] features world-class museums like the [[Alte Pinakothek]], [[Neue Pinakothek]], and [[Pinakothek der Moderne]], each covering different periods of European art. Families often enjoy the [[Deutsches Museum]], one of the largest science and technology museums in the world.

Munich also offers green escapes, such as the expansive [[Englischer Garten]], larger than New York’s Central Park, complete with beer gardens and even river surfing. Nymphenburg Palace, with its baroque architecture and gardens, offers a glimpse into royal life.

The city’s mix of tradition and innovation makes it a must-visit destination in Germany.

===Hamburg===
[[File:Hamburgs Kirchen bei Sonnenaufgang.JPG|thumb|Hamburg is with [[List of tallest church buildings#Overview - church buildings ≥ 99 m (325 ft) - country and city list|5 of the world's 29 tallest churches]] the city with the greatest number of churches surpassing {{convert|100|m}} worldwide.]]
{{See also|:Category:Tourist attractions in Hamburg|List of museums and cultural institutions in Hamburg}}

In 2007, more than 3,985,105&nbsp;visitors with 7,402,423&nbsp;overnight stays visited [[Hamburg]].<ref>{{Citation |author=Staff |publisher=Hamburg Tourismus GmbH |url=http://www.hamburg-tourism.de/fileadmin/files/B2B/Zahlen_und_Fakten/Tourismusmonitor/Newsletter/Newsletter_Nr18.pdf |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080910140737/http://www.hamburg-tourism.de/fileadmin/files/B2B/Zahlen_und_Fakten/Tourismusmonitor/Newsletter/Newsletter_Nr18.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 September 2008 |title=Newsletter Nr. 18 |date=29 February 2008 |access-date=13 August 2008 |language=de}}</ref> The tourism sector employs more than 175,000 people full-time and brings in [[revenue]] of €9.3&nbsp;billion, making the tourism industry a major economic force in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Hamburg has one of the fastest-growing tourism industries in Germany. From 2001 to 2007, the overnight stays in the city increased by 55.2% (Berlin +52.7%, [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]] +33%).<ref>{{Citation |publisher=[[Politics of Hamburg#Ministries|Behörde für Kultur, Sport und Medien]] |url=http://www.hamburg.de/daten-fakten/349180/aktuelles.html |title=Umsatzbringer und Jobmotor Tourismus |author=Staff |date=11 July 2008 |access-date=13 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809030041/http://www.hamburg.de/daten-fakten/349180/aktuelles.html |archive-date=9 August 2010|language=de}}</ref>

A typical Hamburg visit includes a tour of the city hall and the grand church [[St. Michaelis Church, Hamburg|St. Michaelis]] (called the ''Michel''), and visiting the old [[warehouse district]] (''[[Speicherstadt]]'') and the [[Landungsbrücken|harbour promenade]] (''Landungsbrücken''). Sightseeing buses connect these points of interest. As Hamburg is one of the world's largest harbours many visitors take one of the harbour and/or canal boat tours (''Große Hafenrundfahrt'', ''Fleetfahrt'') which start from the ''Landungsbrücken''. Major destinations also include museums.

The area of [[Reeperbahn]] in the quarter [[St. Pauli]] is Europe's largest red light district and home of strip clubs, brothels, bars and nightclubs. [[The Beatles]] had stints on the Reeperbahn early in their careers. Others prefer the laid-back neighbourhood ''Schanze'' with its street cafés, or a barbecue on one of the beaches along the river Elbe. Hamburg's famous zoo, the [[Tierpark Hagenbeck]], was founded in 1907 by [[Carl Hagenbeck]] as the first zoo with moated, barless enclosures.<ref>{{Cite news |work=Audubon Magazine |publisher=[[National Audubon Society]] |title=The New Zoo |url=http://audubonmagazine.org/features0111/newzoo.html |author=Rene S. Ebersole |date=November 2001 |access-date=1 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906144905/http://www.audubonmagazine.org/features0111/newzoo.html |archive-date=6 September 2007 }}</ref>

===Gallery===
<gallery>
File:Berlin Brandenburger Tor Abend.jpg|The [[Brandenburg Gate]] at night. [[Berlin]] is Germany's largest and most visited city.
File:AlsterPanorama.jpg|View over Hamburg [[Binnenalster]]
File:Heidelberg_corr.jpg|[[Heidelberg]] with its famous [[Heidelberg Castle|Castle ruins]]
File:Semperoper at night.jpg|The [[Semperoper]] in [[Dresden]] is the most famous building of an opera house in Germany.
File:Nuremberg panorama morning 3.jpg|View over [[Nuremberg]]'s Old Town from the [[Nuremberg Castle]]
File:13-04-20-bremen-by-RalfR-026.jpg|[[Bremen Market Square]] in [[Bremen]]
File:Neues Rathaus bei Nacht.jpg|[[New Town Hall (Hannover)|New Town Hall]] in [[Hannover]]
File:GraphyArchy - Wikipedia 00589.jpg|[[:de:Kö-Bogen|Kö-Bogen]] in [[Düsseldorf]]
File:Erfurt, Dom und Severikirche.jpg|[[Erfurt Cathedral]] and [[St Severus' Church, Erfurt|St Severus' Church]] in [[Erfurt]]
File:Neues Schloss Schlossplatzspringbrunnen Schlossplatz Stuttgart 2015 01.jpg|[[Schlossplatz (Stuttgart)|Castle Square]] with [[New Palace, Stuttgart|New Palace]] in [[Stuttgart]]
File:Hildesheim Knochenhauer-HD.jpg|The [[Butchers' Guild Hall, Hildesheim|Butchers' Guild Hall]] in [[Hildesheim]] is one of the most famous [[Half-timbering|half-timbered houses]] in Germany.
File:Altes Rathaus, Nikolaikirche, von Norden Leipzig 20180814 001.jpg|View over [[Leipzig]] old town, Germany's Boomtown
File:Quedlinburg asv2018-10 img04 pano from Muenzenberg.jpg|View over [[Quedlinburg]]
File:Rothenburg BW 4.JPG|The small town of [[Rothenburg ob der Tauber]] is a destination for tourists from around the world.
File:Regensburg 08 2006 2.jpg|The [[Stone Bridge (Regensburg)|Stone Bridge]] and [[Regensburg Cathedral|Cathedral St. Peter]] of [[Regensburg]] ([[List of World Heritage Sites in Germany|UNESCO world heritage]])
File:Kongresshalle Nbg Juli 2021 1.jpg|The Kongresshalle (Congress Hall) on the [[Nazi party rally grounds]] in [[Nuremberg]]
File:Www.gerhard-blank.de_münchen_ansicht_von_oben.jpg|View over [[Munich]]'s Old Town
File:TrierKonstantinbasilikaNachtsH3dFB.jpg|The [[Aula Palatina]] of [[Trier]], a [[basilica]] constructed during the reign of the [[Roman emperor]] [[Constantine I]] (r. 306–337 AD)
File:Pfalzkapelle vom Katschhof 2014.jpg|The [[Palatine Chapel, Aachen]], built during the reign of the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] emperor [[Charlemagne]] (r. 800-814 AD)
File:Holstentor in Lübeck Frontseite - Zuschnitt.jpg|The [[Holstentor|Holsten Gate]] in [[Lübeck]], a landmark of the [[Hanseatic League]] in Germany
</gallery>

=== Events ===
The table below shows some of the largest annually recurring events in Germany:

{| class="wikitable style="font-size:90%"
! valign="bottom;" | <br>Type
! valign=bottom | Event 
! valign=bottom | Location
! valign=bottom | Season
! valign=bottom | # of visitors 
! valign=bottom | Notes
|-
| [[Volksfest]]
| [[Oktoberfest]]
| Munich
| September/October
| 6.0&nbsp;million
|
|-
| [[Volksfest]]
| [[Cannstatter Volksfest]]
| Stuttgart
| September/October
| 4.2&nbsp;million
| <small>locally called "Cannstatter Wasen"</small>
|-
| [[Fair]] 
| [[Largest Fair on the Rhine]] 
| Düsseldorf
| July/August
| 4.0&nbsp;million
| 
|-
|[[Sailing]] [[regatta]]
| [[Kiel Week]] 
| Kiel
| last week of June (ending the last Sunday in June)
| 3.5&nbsp;million
| <small>Largest sailing event of the world, one of the largest "Volksfeste" in Germany</small>
|-
| [[Volksfest]]
| {{ill|Nürnberger Frühlingsfest|de}}
| [[Nuremberg]]
| April
| 2.3&nbsp;million<ref>[https://www.nordbayern.de/region/nuernberg/uber-zwei-millionen-besucher-kamen-zum-fruhlingsfest-1.8894566 Über zwei Millionen Besucher kamen zum Frühlingsfest] on nordbayern.de, from 12 May 2019</ref>
| <small>locally called "Frühlingsfest"</small>
|-
| [[Volksfest]]
| {{ill|Nürnberger Herbstfest|de}}
| [[Nuremberg]]
| August/September
| 2.0&nbsp;million<ref>[https://www.nordbayern.de/region/nuernberg/herbstvolksfest-zieht-bilanz-abends-war-es-brechend-voll-1.9300522 Herbstvolksfest zieht Bilanz: Abends war es brechend voll] on nordbayern.de, from 8 September 2019</ref>
| <small>locally called "Herbstfest"</small>
|-
| [[Volksfest]]
| [[Liborius of Le Mans#Libori|Libori]]
| Paderborn
| End of July
| 1.7&nbsp;million
| <small>9 days, one of the biggest and oldest city center fests</small>
|-
|[[Techno music]] festival
| [[Love Parade]]
| varies
| June/July
| 1.6&nbsp;million
| <small>canceled following the [[Love Parade disaster]] in 2010</small>
|-
| [[Carnival parade]]
| [[Cologne Carnival]] 
| Cologne
| February
| 1.5&nbsp;million
| <small>number of visitors for [[Rosenmontag]]szug</small>
|-
| [[Gay pride]] 
| [[Cologne Pride]] 
| Cologne
| June/July
| 1.2&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| Maritime festival
| [[Hanse Sail]] 
| [[Rostock]]
| 2nd weekend of August
| 1.1&nbsp;million
| <small>one of Europe's biggest events for sailors</small>
|-
|Rock music festival
| [[Bochum Total]]
| [[Bochum]]
| June/July/August
| 1.0&nbsp;million
|-
| Anniversary 
| [[Port of Hamburg]] birthday
| Hamburg
| 7 May
| 1.0&nbsp;million
|
|-
| [[Fireworks show]] 
| {{ill|Kölner Lichter|de}}
| Cologne
| July
| 1.0&nbsp;million
|
|-
|contemporary art exhibition
| [[documenta]] Kassel 
| Kassel
| 
| 0.9&nbsp;million
| <small>only held once every 5 years</small>
|-
|Rock music festival
| [[Rock am Ring and Rock im Park]]
| Nürburgring & Nuremberg
| May/June
| 0.8&nbsp;million
|
|-
| [[Wine festival]] 
| [[Wurstmarkt]] 
| Bad Dürkheim
| 2nd—3rd weekend<br> in September 
| 0.6&nbsp;million
|
|-
| Film festival 
| [[Berlinale]] (Berlin International Film Festival) 
| Berlin
| February
| 0.5&nbsp;million
| Film festival 
|- 
|Rhine river fireworks
| [[Rhein in Flammen]] 
| Bonn
| May
| 0.5&nbsp;million
|-
|Classical music
| [[Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival]]
| throughout Schleswig-Holstein
| July/August
| 0.2&nbsp;million
|
|-
|[[World Marathon Major]]
| [[Berlin Marathon]] 
| Berlin
| September
| 
|
|-
| nowrap|contemporary art exhibition 
| {{ill|Quadriennale Düsseldorf|de}}
| Düsseldorf
| September/January
| 
| <small>only held once every 4 years</small>
|-
|}
<small>Note: This list only includes the largest, annually recurring events in selected categories. This list may be incomplete.</small>

=== Trade fairs ===
[[File:IAA Frankfurt 2007.jpg|thumb|upright|Visitors at [[Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung|IAA]] 2007]]
[[File:Leipziger Buchmesse 2012 Merchandising Stand.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Leipzig Book Fair]] in 2012]]
Germany is home to several of the world's largest [[trade fair]]grounds, and many of the international exhibitions are considered trend-setters or industry leaders. Thousands of national and international trade fairs, conventions and congresses are held in Germany annually. In 2008, 10.3&nbsp;million people visited the 150 largest trade fairs alone. More than half of these visitors come from abroad, more than one third from countries outside Europe. The table below shows some of the most visited trade fairs.

{| class="wikitable style="font-size:90%"
! valign=bottom | Trade fair ground
! valign=bottom | City
! valign=bottom | Trade fair
! valign=bottom | Industry
! valign=bottom | # of visitors<ref>[http://www.auma.de/_pages/d/16_Download/download/FKM/EuroFairStatistics_2008.pdf Euro Fair Statistics 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718201111/http://www.auma.de/_pages/d/16_Download/download/FKM/EuroFairStatistics_2008.pdf |date=18 July 2011 }}, Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM)</ref><ref>[http://www.auma.de/_pages/e/12_Download/download/TradeFairPreparation/FKM_Report2008.pdf Audited Trade Fair and Exhibition Figures 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227081636/http://www.auma.de/_pages/e/12_Download/download/TradeFairPreparation/FKM_Report2008.pdf |date=27 February 2012 }}, Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM)</ref>
! valign=bottom | Notes
|-
| [[Messe Frankfurt]]
| nowrap|[[Frankfurt]], Main
| [[Internationale Automobilausstellung]] (IAA)
| [[motor show]]
| nowrap|850,000 <small>''in 2009''</small> 
| <small>held in Hanover every other year as a truck show</small>
|-
| 
| [[Frankfurt]], Main
| [[Frankfurt Book Fair]] 
| books 
| 300,000 <small>''in 2008''</small>
| 
|-
| 
| 
| [[ISH (trade fair)|ISH]] 
| [[heating, ventilation and air conditioning]] 
| 201,000 <small>''in 2009''</small>
| <small>biennial</small>
|-
| [[Hanover fairground|Messegelände]]
| [[Hanover]]
| [[CeBIT]]
| [[computer expo]] 
| 334,000
| <small>87,000 foreign visitors</small>
|-
| 
| [[Hanover]]
| [[Hannover Messe]]
| [[industrial technology]] 
| 250,000 <small>''in 2011''</small>
| <small>world's biggest industrial fair</small>
|-
| Messe München 
| [[Munich]] 
| [[Bauma (trade fair)|BAUMA]] 
| [[construction machinery]] 
| 530,000 <small>''in 2013''</small> 
| <small>triennial</small>
|-
| 
| [[Munich]]
| [[BAU (trade fair)|BAU]] 
| architecture, [[materials science|materials]], [[systems engineering]] 
| 212,000 <small>''in 2009''</small>
| <small>biennial</small>
|-
| Messe Nürnberg
| [[Nuremberg]] 
| [[Consumenta (trade fair)|Consumenta]] 
| [[consumer goods]] 
| 214,209 <small>''in 2003''</small> 
| <small>biennial</small>
|-
| 
| [[Nuremberg]]
| [[Holz-Handwerk (trade fair)|Holz-Handwerk]] 
| machine technology, equipment and supplies for [[woodworking]] 
| 193,169 <small>''in 2001''</small>
| <small>biennial</small>
|-
| [[Messe Berlin]]
| [[Berlin]] 
| [[Berlin International Green Week|International Green Week]] (IGW)
| [[sustainable agriculture]] 
| 425,000 
| <small>9,000 foreign visitors</small>
|-
| 
| [[Berlin]]
| [[Internationale Funkausstellung]] (IFA)
| [[consumer electronics]] 
| 240,000 <small>''in 2012''</small>
| 
|-
| [[Messe Düsseldorf]]
| [[Düsseldorf]] 
| [[Drupa]] 
| print media 
| 390,000
| <small>230,000 foreign visitors, quadrennial</small>
|-
| 
| [[Düsseldorf]] 
| [[Boot Düsseldorf]] 
| [[boats]] 
| 267.000
| <small>43,000 foreign visitors</small>
|-
| 
| [[Düsseldorf]] 
| [[Kunststoffmesse]] (K)
| plastics 
| 242,000 <small>''in 2007''</small> 
| <small>triennial</small>
|-
| [[Koelnmesse]]
| [[Cologne]] 
| [[Gamescom]]
| [[video games]]
| 345,000 <small>''in 2015''</small> 
| <small>organised by [[Leipzig Trade Fair]] until 2008 as [[Games Convention]]</small> 
|}
<small>Note: This list only includes trade fairs with 250,000 visitors per year or more. This list may be incomplete.</small>

== Most visited ==

=== Protected areas ===
The table below shows the most visited protected areas in Germany.

<gallery class="center">
File:Bayerischer_wald_intakt.jpg|[[Bavarian Forest National Park]]
File:Pilsumer Watt from the Leyhörn 2.jpg|[[Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park]]
File:Herbst in den Berchtesgadener Alpen.jpg|[[Berchtesgaden National Park]]
File:Wattenmeer-Nordfriesland.jpg|[[Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park]]
File:Die Alpen, gesehen vom Lusen.JPG|View from Mt. [[Lusen (Bavaria)|Lusen]] in the Bavarian Forest over the [[Alpine Foreland]]
File:Zollernalb MichaD.jpg|[[Swabian Jura]]
File:Aus dem Zeppelin fotografiert, Insel Mainau, Bodensee. 10.jpg|[[Mainau]]
File:Kölpinsee bei Jabel.jpg|The [[Kölpinsee (Mecklenburg)|Kölpinsee]], [[Jabelscher See]] and [[Fleesensee]] in the [[Mecklenburg Lake Plateau]]
File:Bremm und Calmont 0016.jpg|View over the [[Moselle]] and past the village of Dorf [[Bremm]] to the [[Calmont (hill)|Calmont]] in the [[Eifel]]
File:Wilseder Berg 005.jpg|[[Wilseder Berg]] in the [[Lüneburg Heath]]
File:Lilienstein Saxon Switzerland.jpg|upright|[[Lilienstein]] at [[Saxon Switzerland]]
File:Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, Darß--Grenze zur Kernzone, Blick Richtung Pramort (1).jpg|upright|The [[Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park]]
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable style="font-size:90%"
! valign=bottom | Rank
! valign=bottom | Protected area
! valign=bottom | Location
! valign=bottom | Type
! valign=bottom | # of visitors in 2002<ref name="Deutscher Tourismusverband">[http://freizeitparkweb.de/cgi-bin/dcf/dcboard.cgi?forum=DCForumID4&mark=4509&az=next_topic&archive= Deutscher Tourismusverband] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719025150/http://freizeitparkweb.de/cgi-bin/dcf/dcboard.cgi?forum=DCForumID4&mark=4509&az=next_topic&archive= |date=19 July 2011 }}, German Tourism Association (DTV)</ref>
! valign=bottom | # of visitors in 2008
|-
| 1
| nowrap|[[Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park]]
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
| nowrap|[[List of national parks of Germany|National park]]
| style="text-align:center"|2.50&nbsp;million
| style="text-align:center"|3.00&nbsp;million<ref>[https://www.welt.de/welt_print/article2577691/Sorgen-im-Nationalpark-Touristen-stoeren-Kraniche-an-Rastplaetzen.html Mehr als drei Millionen Besucher jährlich] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225654/http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article2577691/Sorgen-im-Nationalpark-Touristen-stoeren-Kraniche-an-Rastplaetzen.html |date=3 March 2016 }}, [[Die Welt]], 15 October 2008</ref>
|-
| 2
| [[Saxon Switzerland National Park]]
| Saxony
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|2.15&nbsp;million
| style="text-align:center"|2.90&nbsp;million<ref>[http://www.mdr.de/sachsen/7157047.html Immer mehr Besucher im Nationalpark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421075109/http://www.mdr.de/sachsen/7157047.html |date=21 April 2010 }}, [[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk]], 12. March 2010</ref>
|-
| 3
| [[Bavarian Forest National Park]]
| Bavaria
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|2.00&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| 4
| [[Jasmund National Park]] 
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|2.00&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| 5
| [[Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park]] <sup>1</sup>
| Lower Saxony
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|2.00&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| 6
| [[Berchtesgaden National Park]]
| Bavaria
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|1.50&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| 7
| [[Harz National Park]]
| nowrap|Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|1.50&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| 8
| nowrap|[[Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park]]<sup>1</sup>
| Schleswig-Holstein
| National park
| style="text-align:center"|1.50&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| 9
| [[Mainau Island]]
| Baden-Württemberg
| nowrap|garden island
| style="text-align:center"|1.30&nbsp;million
| 
|}
{{smalldiv|Note: This list only includes protected areas with 1 million or more visitors per year. This list may be incomplete.
:<sup>1</sup> [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe#Germany|World Heritage Site in Germany]]}}

=== Landmarks ===
<gallery class="center">
File:Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge b.jpg|The [[Cologne Cathedral|Cathedral]] of [[Cologne]] is Germany's most visited landmark.
File:Berlin reichstag west panorama 2.jpg|[[Reichstag building]] in [[Berlin]]
File:Schloss Neuschwanstein 2013.jpg|Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for [[Disneyland]]'s [[Sleeping Beauty Castle|Sleeping Beauty's Castle]].
File:Dresden-Zwinger.courtyard.04.JPG|The [[Zwinger (Dresden)|Zwinger]] in [[Dresden]]
</gallery>

The German Tourism Association ''(Deutscher Tourismusverband)'' irregularly publishes statistics on the most visited landmarks. With an average of over 6 million visitors entering [[Cologne Cathedral]] per year, the cathedral is Germany's most visited landmark. Second and third places go to the [[Reichstag building]] in [[Berlin]] and the [[Hofbräuhaus]] in [[Munich]]. Other much visited architectural landmarks include the Drosselgasse in [[Rüdesheim am Rhein|Rüdesheim]] (3.0m), the medieval [[old town]]s of [[Rothenburg ob der Tauber]] (2.5m), [[Regensburg]] (2.0m), [[Dresden Frauenkirche|Frauenkirche]] in [[Dresden]] (2.5m), [[Bad Münstereifel]] (2m), the [[Brandenburg Gate]] in Berlin and the [[Holsten Gate]] in [[Lübeck]] <sup>1</sup>.

{| class="wikitable style="font-size:90%"
! valign=bottom | Rank
! valign=bottom | Landmark
! valign=bottom | Location
! valign=bottom | Subject
! valign=bottom | # of visitors
|-
| 1
| [[Cologne Cathedral]] <sup>1</sup>
| Cologne
| [[Gothic Cathedral]]
| 6.0&nbsp;million<ref>[http://www.hr-online.de/website/specials/wissen/index.jsp?rubrik=6572&key=standard_document_2641096 Der Kölner Dom] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070630004752/http://www.hr-online.de/website/specials/wissen/index.jsp?rubrik=6572&key=standard_document_2641096 |date=30 June 2007 }}, [[Hessischer Rundfunk]]</ref> <small>''(2004)''</small>
|-
| 2 
| [[Reichstag building]]
| Berlin 
| [[Bundestag]]
| 2.70&nbsp;million<ref>[http://www.bundestag.de/dasparlament/2008/01-02/Kehrseite/19155083.html Das Parlament]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}, February 2008</ref> <small>''(2006)''</small>
|-
| 3 
| [[Hofbräuhaus]]
| Munich 
| Brewery
| 1.80&nbsp;million<ref>[http://www.hofbraeu-muenchen.de/download/Zapfhahn-07-07.pdf Zapfhahn 2007]{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Hofbräuhaus, page 9</ref> 
|-
| 4 
| [[Heidelberg Castle]] 
| Heidelberg
| [[Renaissance architecture]]
|
|-
| 5 
| [[Neuschwanstein Castle]] 
| Schwangau
| Bavarian King [[Ludwig II of Bavaria|Ludwig II]]'s castle
| 1.5&nbsp;million <small>''(2018)''</small><ref>[https://www.dw.com/en/neuschwanstein-castle-is-top-again/a-42643183 Neuschwanstein Castle is top, again] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206184828/https://www.dw.com/en/neuschwanstein-castle-is-top-again/a-42643183 |date=6 February 2019 }}, Deutsche Welle (5 February 2019).</ref>
|-
| 6
| nowrap|[[Zwinger (Dresden)|Zwinger]] and [[Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister]] 
| Dresden
| [[Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden|Dresden State Art Collections]]
| 
|-
| 7 
| [[Fernsehturm Berlin|Fernsehturm]] 
| Berlin
| TV and [[observation tower]]
|
|-
| 8 
| [[Aachen Cathedral]] <sup>1</sup>
| Aachen
| Holy Roman [[Imperial Cathedrals|Imperial Cathedral]]
| 1.5&nbsp;million<ref>[http://www.eis.abf.nl/media/43732/tourismusbarometer_2008.pdf Tourismus-Barometer]{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, [[Aachen district]], 2008</ref> 
|}
{{smalldiv|Note: This list only includes physical landmarks with 1.0 million visitors per year or more. This list may be incomplete.
:<sup>1</sup> [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe#Germany|World Heritage Site in Germany]]}}

=== Theme parks ===
The table below shows some of the most visited theme parks or related facilities in Germany. 
[[File:Atlantica (Europa-Park Germany).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Atlantica SuperSplash]] in [[Europa-Park]]]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! valign=bottom | Name
! valign=bottom | Location
! valign=bottom | Type
! valign=bottom | # of visitors in 2002<ref name="Deutscher Tourismusverband"/>
! valign=bottom | # of visitors in 2008
|-
| [[Europa-Park]] 
| Rust
| [[Amusement park]]
| 3.5&nbsp;million
| 4.0&nbsp;million<ref>[http://presse.europapark.de/lang-en/m359/Startseite-oben/Press-kit-2009.c818/d7350.html Europa-Park Facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004120252/http://presse.europapark.de/lang-en/m359/Startseite-oben/Press-kit-2009.c818/d7350.html |date=4 October 2011 }}, March 2010</ref>
|-
| [[Berlin Zoological Garden]]
| Berlin
| [[Zoo]]
|
|3.0&nbsp;million
|-
| [[VW]] [[Autostadt]]
| Wolfsburg
| [[Automobile]] park
|
| 2.1&nbsp;million
|-
| [[Nürburgring]] 
| Nürburg
| [[Formula One]] park
| 2.0&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| [[Therme Erding]] 
| Erding
| [[Water park]]
| 1.5&nbsp;million
|
|-
| [[Movie Park Germany]] 
| Bottrop
| [[Amusement park]]
| 1.3&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| [[Legoland Deutschland]]
| Günzburg
| [[Miniature park]]
| 1.3&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| [[Leipzig Zoological Garden]] "Zoo of the future"
| Leipzig
| [[Zoo]] 
| 1.2&nbsp;million
| 2.1&nbsp;million
|-
| [[Phantasialand]]
| Brühl
| [[Amusement park]]
|
| 1.75&nbsp;million
|-
| [[Heide Park Resort]]
| Soltau
| [[Amusement park]]
| 
| 1.6&nbsp;million
|-
| [[Deutsches Museum]] 
| Munich
| [[List of museums in Germany|Museum]] 
| 1.4&nbsp;million
| 
|-
| [[Hamburg Planetarium]]
| Hamburg
| [[Planetarium]]
| 
| 0.4&nbsp;million
|}
<small>Note: This list only includes the largest theme parks/facilities in selected categories. This list may be incomplete.</small>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Germany}}
* [[Transport in Germany]]
* [[Public holidays in Germany]]
* [[List of museums in Germany]]
* [[Economy of Germany]]
* [[Cuisine of Germany]] 
* [[Tourism in East Germany]]
* [[German tourism industry]]
*[[List of World Heritage Sites in Germany]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
# [[Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland]] (Federal Statistical Office)
# DZT / [[World Travel Monitor]]
# [[World Tourism Organization]]

https://www.deutschertourismusverband.de/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank/Dateien/ZDF_2016.pdf

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Germany}}
{{Commons category-inline|Tourism in Germany}}
* [http://www.germany.travel Official Germany tourism website] {{in lang|de|ar|cs|da|en|es|fi|fr|he|hu|it|ja|ko|nl|no|pl|pt|ru|sl|sv|zh}}
* [https://www.tourism.de Germany Travel Guide (tourism.de)]
* [https://www.parrotio.com/best-time-to-visit-germany-weather-popular-cities/ Best time to visit Germany] Travel Guide

{{Germany topics}}
{{Tourism in Europe}}

[[Category:Tourism in Germany| ]]
[[Category:Tourism in Europe by country|Germany]]