UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany

With 33 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Germany ties France for third most in Europe (Spain has 41 and Italy has 44). This means that you could spend weeks touring all of them. Here are five great ones to start with.

Cologne Cathedral

Arguably one of the world’s most recognizable buildings, let alone churches, Cologne Cathedral was a long time coming. The first stone was laid in 1248, and the last in 1880, making it a mere 632 year construction job. It was worth it, even if the Cathedral’s reign as tallest building in the world only lasted four years, when it was replaced by the Washington Monument. Still boasting the second and third highest church spires in the world (after Ulm Minster), its awesome 157 metre height still provides wonderful views of Cologne and makes the climb to the top totally worth it. In fact, 30,000 people make the climb every day. Since the Cathedral is in the city centre and close to the railway station, there are many nearby Cologne hotels in which to stay.

Aachen Cathedral

Much older than Cologne Cathedral and much smaller, Aachen Cathedral, often referred to as the Imperial Cathedral, has played a much larger role in the history of Germany. The oldest Cathedral in northern Europe, Aachen Cathedral’s Chapel was where 30 German kings and 12 German queens were coronated between 936 and 1531. The most famous “resident” of the Cathedral is Charlemagne himself, who was buried there in 814. Legend has it that when his tomb was opened in 1000, “He did not lie, as the dead otherwise do, but sat as if he were living.” There are many Aachen hotels set in the old city around the Cathedral.

Hanseatic City of Lübeck

One of the closest things to time travel is a trip to Lübeck, which for several centuries was the capital of the Hanseatic League. Many of the medieval buildings still remain in the city centre of what is still the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. You can enter the Old City through the last two remaining city gates, the 1478 Holstentor and the 1444 Burgtor. Now you’re ready to wander the ancient streets of the town centre which is dominated by seven church steeples, including the Lübecker Dom and the Marienkirche, both of which date from the 13th and 14th centuries. Be sure to also check out the Lübecker Rathaus (Town Hall), Church of St. Lawrence and the houses of Thomas Mann and Günter Grass. Many Lübeck hotels are located either in or around the Old City as well.

Museum Island (Museumsinsel), Berlin

Set in the former East Berlin, the famous Museum Island alone can take days to explore. Surrounded by the River Spree, this is where you’ll find a complex of five important museums, as well as the Berlin Cathedral. The Altes Museum (Old Museum) dates back to 1830, while the Neues Museum (New Museum) was completed in 1859, destroyed in World War II and was rebuilt in 2009. The 1876 Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) hosts a collection of 19th century art, and the 1904 Bode Museum has a sculpture collection and late Antique and Byzantine art. The 1930 Pergamon Museum, displays reconstructed international historical buildings like the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. As the island is in the central Mitte section of the city, there are many Berlin hotels within easy walking distance.

Wartburg Castle

Majestically perched on a 410 metre precipice above the town of Eisenach, this Thuringian gem of a castle was first laid out back in 1067. Between 1952 and 1966 the East German government restored the castle to its 16^th century appearance, returning it to its former glory. So now you can explore the Luther Room with its original floor and paneled walls, as well as the Great Hall, the Hall of the Minstrels and the half-timbered Knights’ House on the side of the drawbridge. The castle gate at the end of the draw bridge remains the only way to get in and out of the castle. Most Eisenach hotels give you a pretty good view of the castle.