The Atlas Obscura Guide To Germany

727 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Germany

Updated November 26, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Germany

Gesundbrunnen Bunker - Entrance from inside

Berlin, Germany

Berliner Unterwelten (Subterranean Berlin)

A tour of underground Berlin takes you through WWII air raid shelters and tunnels used to smuggle people out of East Germany.

Rakotzbrücke

Gablenz, Germany

Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge

This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.

Peaks of the Tempodrom

Berlin, Germany

Liquidrom

This futuristic German spa allows visitors to float in a pool of salt water while zoning out to underwater techno.

Berlin, Germany

Monsterkabinett

A whimsical and twisted animatronic monster tour beneath the streets of Berlin.

Berlin Botanic Garden

Berlin, Germany

Berlin Botanical Garden

Started as a kitchen garden, now the second largest botanical garden in the world.

Berlin, Germany

Tajikistan Tearoom

A slice of central Asia in the middle of Berlin.

Schwangau, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle

The fairy tale castle of the "fairy-tale king."

Berlin, Germany

Pergamon Museum

The most visited, and possibly most controversial, museum in Germany.

See All 727 Things To Do in Germany

Explore Germany Like Never Before

Sponsored By The German National Tourist Office and Lufthansa

Lohmen, Germany

The Bastei

Ruins of a German Castle on top of a towering stone pillar.

In winter, this 590-acre Baroque park is home to sledding, skating, and romping dogs.

Kassel, Germany

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

A sprawling Baroque park with 300-year-old hydro-pneumatic waterworks.

Dresden, Germany

Kunsthofpassage Singing Drain Pipes

When the rain falls, this drain system turns into a musical instrument.

The Wuppertal "kaiserwagen" which once carried the German Emperor.

Wuppertal, Germany

Schwebebahn Wuppertal

This "floating railway" is one of the world's oldest monorail systems.

This castle, as witnessed today, was inspired by vivid portrayals of its 12th-century predecessor in the novel Lichtenstein by Wilhelm Hauff.

Lichtenstein, Germany

Lichtenstein Castle

A striking 12th-century-style castle built on the edge of a cliff.

Umschreibung

Munich, Germany

Umschreibung

A stairway to heaven, or to nowhere at all.

This perfectly petite palace makes for a calm and cozy wintry retreat.

Ettal, Germany

Linderhof Palace

A small but immensely extravagant palace built by the "Night King."

The 62 narrow houses atop Krämerbrücke make it the longest-inhabited bridge in the world.

Erfurt, Germany

Krämerbrücke

This historic stone bridge has an entire neighborhood clinging to its sides.

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Germany

Berlin, Germany

Tajikistan Tearoom

A slice of central Asia in the middle of Berlin.

Burgermeister at night, sailor's delight

Berlin, Germany

Burgermeister

Where once there was a train station bathroom, there is now this German burger joint.

Late afternoon coffee and cake.

Berlin, Germany

Café Strauss

Residents of Berlin take their coffee and cake in one of the city’s most restful spaces: a cemetery.

Berlin, Germany

Prinzessinnengarten

Berliners converted a bombed-out, disused lot into a community-run urban farm with its own cafe and bar.

See all 45 Places to Eat in Germany

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Architecture 108

Museums 94

Military 82

World War Ii 80

Architectural Oddities 67

Nazis 47

History 45

Sacred Spaces 44

Churches 42

Collections 41

Art 39

Memorials 39

Places To Stay 8

Unique Restaurants & Bars 7

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Recent Germany Activity

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wants to go to 'Zeitpyramide' ('Time Pyramid')

Stories About Germany

Was ‘Dracula’ the Biggest Flying Creature Ever?

In prehistoric Transylvania, a giant darkened the skies.

by Andrew Coletti

October 3, 2024

For more than half a century, the traveling International Astronomical Youth Camp has offered a gateway to careers in astronomy—and to lifelong friendships.

Up at Noon, Out All Night: This Summer Camp Is for Serious Stargazers

For more than half a century, the International Astronomical Youth Camp has attracted aspiring astronomers from around the world.

Many zombie graves span Europe—was this site in Oppin one of them?

Could This Recently Found Skeleton in Germany Have Been a Zombie?

It was possibly treated like the undead.

by Charis McGowan

End winter with some fiery chaos.

Spinning Balls of Fire Light Up Spring in This German Town

Plus fireworks, music, and maybe a goddess or two.

by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Aubrite meteorite from asteroid 2024 BX1, found by Laura Kranich near the village of Ribbeck, Germany.

Germany Had 90 Minutes to Prepare for a Beach Ball-Sized Meteorite Impact

Meanwhile meteorite hunters rushed to Berlin to find this most rare space rock.

by Meg St-Esprit

February 6, 2024

The Virgin Mary was a common feature on Schluckbildchen.

These Tiny Baroque Prints Once Served as Edible Prayers

The sacred scraps were meant to be ingested.

January 18, 2024

Scientists finally find out something they haven't been able to see.

Why Holes at the Bottom of the Ocean Disappear and Reappear

What lurks below doesn’t always stay beneath the sand.

January 18, 2024

Frau Perchta is often called the Christmas Witch, but that is just one aspect of who she is: a powerful winter goddess who has endured a centuries-old campaign to vilify her.

Fearsome Frau Perchta Is an Ancient Alpine Winter Goddess

Today, she's commonly called the Christmas Witch or even "the female Krampus"—but she is so much more.

by Victoria Linchong

December 29, 2023

Lists Featuring Germany

The "pet ham" is 119 years old.

Bog Butter, Ancient Beef, and Other Remarkably Old Foods on Display in Museums

Some of these foods are centuries past their expiration dates.

Including Ancient Bog Butter, Preserved Victorian Wedding Cake, and World’s Oldest Edible Ham

Bolivia's Witch Market

Dubrovnik Maskeron

The Statue of St. Anthony's Pig

The Guardhouse Monkey

15 Unlikely Places to Re-Up Your Luck

Luck be a... llama fetus?

Including Bolivia's Witch Market, Dubrovnik Maskeron, and Statue of St. Anthony's Pig

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