Best places to visit on a family trip Germany

All our favourite places from various family road trips to Germany.

Berlin

In a blog about the best of Germany, we have to start off by talking about Berlin. This vibrant city was on our wish list to visit for ages. We love visiting cities with the kids – there are always amazing food options that are fun and exciting, cool sights and art to explore as well as playgrounds and parks for a break from all the sightseeing.

On our list of Must- sees were the impressive Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and the stunning Berlin Cathedral. We also wanted to visit the Jewish Memorial, and the colourful murals at the Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery.

There are lots of parks, green spaces and play areas for the kids in Berlin, including the Tiergarten in the city centre near the Brandenburg Gate which has a brilliant player easily which kept our kids entertained for hours!

Berchesgaden

Our family loves mountains and lakes, so naturally, the stunning Berchesgaden National Park in southern Germany is our number one German destination.

We were seriously blown away with the stunning natural beauty. There are beautiful and quaint mountian villages to explore, such as Bad Reichenall or Berchesgaden Old Town, where we use our go to stratergy for visiting pretty villages with the kids (bakery- stroll- playground).

There is the amazing historic Eagles Nest, the summer house of Adolf Hitler, which has stunning views of the towering mountains, lake Konigsee, and has been turned on to a cafe/ restaurant. We have not yet made it to the shores of Konigsee, the amazing alpine lake seen from a birds eye view from the Eagles Nest.

It’s high up on our wish list, though. The long emerald lake looks simply beautiful, 7.6 k cutting through the lush green forested mountains with soaring cliffs encircling it.

Driving through in summer, we have seen masses of wildflowers in the meadows, as well as several hiking paths and lakes that we MUST come back to explore!

Freiburg im Breisgau

The town of Freiburg im Breisgau is tucked away on the edge of the Black Forest and makes a great base for exploring the area. Its delightful city that’s perfect for families, with its charming Old Town and towering Freiburg Minster, where you can climb up for amazing views.

We also loved all the Bächle, little water channels running through the town, which are delightful!

From Frieburg you can make day trips in to the legendary Black Forest. The Black Forest, with over 6000km of dense spruce forest and mountains, is steeped is history, myth and legend. Just the meer name congeurs up visions of red riding good, Hansel and Gretal, and all kinds of fairytale magic.

The wolves famous from folklore and fairytale, died out 150 years ago, but amazingly are starting to live once more in the Black Forest, which is incredible – if a little unnerving for those Black Forest hikes!

Hop on the cable car up Schauinsland Mountain for breathtaking views and family-friendly hikes.

Mundenhof, on the western edge of Frieberg, is a free animal park where the kids can meet alpacas, goats and camels.

Seepark is another great spot, offering paddle boats, playgrounds, and plenty of space to roam.

Also a short drive away is Europa-Park, a theme park packed with rides for all ages.

Germanys’ highest waterfall, Trieberg Falls, can be found in the Black Forest. It is accessible along the cascade trail and also has a nature trail for children and a playground at the entrance.

Here you can also try Baumwipfelphad, a tree top walk and adventure zip line and rope park.

The Rhine Gorge

The Rhine Gorge, or upper rhine valley, is renowned for being the most beautiful part of the Rhine and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The 40k stretch of river has over 40 castles and is a definite highlight in any family trip to Germany.

Koblenz, on the banks of the Rhine, is a good base for this area. It is another beautiful historic German town that you don’t want to miss.

You can take the cable car ride over the Rhine to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress for amazing views and a large climbing adventure playground with loads of equipment for younger and older kids.

The Fortress itself is a massive maze and very fun to explore!
There is also Stolzenfels Castle in another fairy-tale setting, while the Rheinpromenade has playgrounds and space to relax by the river.
There Butterfly Garden at Sayn Palace, or you could hop on the mini train along the promenade.

Heidelberg

We adored Heidelberg, with its fairytale-like charm and history. There is Heidelberg Castle which offers panoramic views of the city and the surrounding countryside, you could take a stroll along the Neckar River; perhaps the Philosopher’s Walk, an easy scenic walk which is not to strenuous for the kids.

The Old Town is full of vibrant squares, quirky shops, and cafes.

With its mix of history, nature, and relaxed vibes, we absolutely loved our visit to Heidelberg.

Rothenburg

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a fairytale town in southern Germany, and just being there exploring the streets is an event. The medieval town walls have incredible views, the cobblestone streets and colorful half-timbered houses which are so lovely to walk around – we give the kids a pretzel or a treat from the German bakery and that keeps them happy enough for a bit, while we enjoy the scenery and take pretty pictures.

Neuwachstein Castle

Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, this iconic castle is stunning and looks like it’s straight out of a storybook – it’s a must-see and the ultimate European fairytale castle, amd a must see on any tour of Germanys highlights.

There is a 1.5k uphill walk to the castle, from the ticket centre, but if you don’t fancy this with little legs you can catch a shuttle bus. Once inside, there are many grand rooms to see, but we opted to give the crowds a miss, and we keep to the outside of the castle and amazing views of the Bavarian Alps in the background.

Stop at Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) for breathtaking views of the castle and surrounding landscape.

Another must visit attraction when visiting the castle is an amazing adventure playground and summer toboggan at Tegelberg (it even has a beer garden for the adults!) It is only a 5 minute drive from the Castle ticket office. Take the cable car up to the playground and the toboggan down (or the cable car back down if you would rather) with incredible views of the castle and mountains in the background.

Munich

Munich is a fantastic city to explore for families. Start with a visit to the English Garden, where kids can run around innthe many opem meadows or many playgrounds, or even enjoy a paddleboat ride on the river.

A stroll through Marienplatz to admire the beautiful architecture and catch the famous Glockenspiel show, which is bound to be hit with the kids.

Munich has many biergartens, where even the little ones can enjoy pretzels and outdoor play areas. Check out this blog post for all the best beer gardens with playgrounds in Munich.