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If you’re an avid Caliglobetrotter reader, you’ve likely noticed by now that many of the places we visit are low-key destinations. Small towns and cities or hidden natural gems not always found between the pages of a travel guide. You might ask, well then how did you discover these hidden gems in Germany? I certainly like to think I have a special talent in sniffing out the diamond in the rough, the whimsical town that is better than any major city. It’s taken years of observation and note taking, but I’m here to share with you some of my favorite hidden sights to see in Germany!

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You might ask, how are you so good at sniffing out such unique places to visit in Germany? Well I can tell you I find my travel inspiration in the oddest places. Yes, a majority of the secret places to visit in Germany that I find, I find on obvious places like social media. I have a keen eye and when I even remotely see a picture I’ve never seen before, I investigate. Sniff sniff sniff.

Other times, my inspiration comes from something as simple as a screen saver on my computer which changes daily before I sign in. Sometimes, I can, but rarely find Germany’s hidden gems between the pages of a travel guide, but it’s usually such a small blip you might not even take the time to look it up and see what it is. If it doesn’t take up a whole page in a travel guide, does that mean it’s not worth visiting!? NO! Definitely not! It just means, it was definitely noteworthy, but because it’s so special, perhaps you can imagine they don’t want to overwhelm such small villages and places of interest with mass tourism.

Sometimes my inspiration can come from even reading a book. A magazine. A commercial. Anything can be a source of inspiration for me. I will go anywhere. The more obscure the town, the likelier I will visit. I hate crowds and crowds = expensive sights to see. And yes, sometimes, one small half-timbered own can start to look like another but I can personally find beauty in everything I see, so I am never bored.

Blaubeuren’s Blautopf

Source of inspiration: Found after an un-healthy amount of hours sifting through Pinterest.

In a small town not far away from Ulm and Schloss Lichtenstein, is a beautiful half-timbered town called Blaubeuren. Just on the edge of this picturesque town sits a little lake, which is the source of the river Blau (Blue). As in, the blue-ist water you’ve ever seen. And this little lake is tucked up all quaint and fairytale-like next to the edge of the woods. And it’s not just the water that is so stunning that makes Blaubeuren’s Blautopf worth the visit, but the dream-like half-timbered house with flowers perched just on the edge of the lake with a little water wheel churning away. You can walk around the little lake and catch the different shades of turquoise when the sun hits the water just right.

It’s not one of Germany’s main tourist attractions, but it certainly gets a fair share of German tourists, especially motorcycle tourists who once the weather is nice, hit the road also looking for obscure places to ride to and chill.

Walchensee

Source of inspiration: An obsessive amount of time scrolling on Instagram.

I’m assuming I found Walchensee on Instagram, as I had a screen shot of it on my phone for the longest time, and that usually means I found something of interest, snapped a screen shot to save it to Pinterest for later or mark it in my Germany travel book for later.

You can find Walchensee in probably any travel guide for Germany, yet it will be just a tiny blip. No pictures to show you the stunning beauty of this vibrant turquoise water (I’m sensing a theme here…). Any blip in a book about a lake without a picture just makes it another lake somewhere in Germany. But for me, this was no ordinary lake.

I’ve only seen such beautiful turquoise water a few times in my life, and up until this moment, never before had I seen a lake of such beauty in Germany. Yes, Königssee and Chiemsee are both stunning lakes in their own right, but IMO, nothing beats a turquoise lake. And when you have the chance to see the lake from the peaks of a surrounding mountain, all the better.

Walchensee and Kochelsee are normally always paired together as sights of interest in the area. Here, it’s popular to waste away the warm summer days by windsurfing and sailing, laying out at the small beach or even biking around the lake.

Wernigerode

Source of inspiration: Internet digging, researching half-timbered towns in Germany. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

When I first fell in love with half-timbered towns, I discovered that there was such a thing as the Deutsches Fachwerkstrasse (German Timber-framed Road). Upon discovery, it led to me a haven of half-timbered clusters of Germany’s best half-timbered towns. *Blinking light flashes in brain* “Road trip. Road Trip. Road Trip”. (Husband: “Oh no…..”).

So, I studied the map, and I looked up every single town to see which ones would be the most interesting to visit. Naturally, Wernigerode made the list because it’s ochre, twin spired, half-timbered city hall was the most unique city hall in Germany I had ever seen. Not to mention, that Wernigerode is LOADED with streets and streets and streets of half-timbered houses. It was like a half-timbered dream come true.

Located in northern Germany, in a region called the Harz Mountains, you’ll find a plethora of half-timbered towns to pop around to, which have survived WWII and the Soviet era under the Iron Curtain that have been restored to their former glory. Not only is it one of the best towns to visit in Saxony-Anhalt, but it’s also home to the smallest half-timbered house in Germany! Other nearby towns of interest will be Goslar and Quedlinburg, and while there, hop aboard the historic Harz Mountain Steam train.

As one of my favorite buildings in Germany, I would later buy a miniature ceramic version of the city hall at one of Germany’s many Christmas Markets.

The Island of Rugen

Source of Inspiration: A screen saver picture on my computer of Sellin Pier.

Sellin Pier, which can not be found in any of my Germany tour guide books, is a beautifully rebuilt for (at least) the 6th time since it’s first construction in 1906. With a record of bad luck, of constantly being destroyed by fire, ice, ill-maintenance, it’s no wonder it’s practically never been heard of. But the pier you see today re-opened in 1998 and is going strong. But it’s wait drew me first to think of visiting one of Germany’s islands, which once peaked during the Belle epoche as the vacation destination for the Kaisers of Germany and later saw the decline of visitors after Hitler advertised the area as the perfect German family holiday destination, building a massive holiday complex which would later be abandoned and never completed, thus preserving this area’s untouched natural beauty.

Today, the island of Rügen itself is one of Germany’s best kept secrets along the Baltic Sea. When people think of Germany, they definitely don’t think of beaches, considering that the country is practically 90% landlocked by 9 countries. However, the northern portion of Germany has a coastline and while the weather is fickle up north, sunny days can appear, making a beach day well worth the trip.

Loaded with soft sandy beaches lined with Strandkorb (Beach Baskets) for rent to lounge on in the sun, it’s one of the best beaches in Germany, often in competition with Sylt.

Lichtenstein Castle

Source of inspiration: A history channel documentary

My husband often has the history channel on and if they’re not talking about WWII, they’re talking about places to visit in Germany. Schloss Lichtenstein was a blip on the TV, but enough to pique my interest. I knew it was worth visiting when it was compared to Schloss Neuschwanstein as the “Little Brother”. Way less popular and thus way less crowded and way less expensive, the Lichtenstein Castle, perched upon a cliff overlooking a small village down in the valley is one of the best secret castles to visit in Germany.

It’s so far off the main tourists destinations in Germany that tours here are only given in German and is only well-known to the Germans, but is definitely an easy day trip from Ulm or Tübingen. But just because it’s not on the radar of non-German tourists doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit because it is every bit of a fairy tale castle as the next.

Monschau

Source of inspiration: A teeny tiny picture in my DK Travel Guide Germany book

We had planned to visit Liege, Belgium because we were on the hunt of waffles but once there, we really weren’t thrilled about the part of the town we saw, so we instantly left. We booked a hotel in Aachen and made a plan to go see Monschau, just on the border between Germany and Belgium.

It was one of my first half-timbered towns I had ever visited and I knew it was love at first site. Located in the Northern Eifel, this adorable town managed to be forgotten about and survived both WWI and WWII which is amazing in itself considering where it’s located. It’s like time simply forgot Monschau and the world kept spinning forward, leaving the town 300 years in the past.

It’s where I fell in love with a mustard cream sauce on my schnitzel which in itself says how tasty it was considering that I hate mustard. But, I had to try it when here because the town has a mustard mill as one of its main sights to see.

Parish Church of St. Sebastian Ramsau

Source of inspiration: An iconic picture of the Bavarian Alps found in my DK Travel Guide Germany book.

When looking up things to do in Berchtesgaden, you may or may not come across a simple Parish Church worth stopping on the side of the road for. It’s barely a blip in any of my tour guide books, but one at least has a picture and a two sentences pointing out this picturesque church with the Alps in the background located in Ramsau an der Ache.

Berchtesgaden Land has some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Germany which makes hopping in the car and driving around the countryside a must-do, which eventually led us to this small church.

Leutasch Spirit Gorge (Leutaschgeisterklamm)

Source of inspiration: Pinterest search for Bavarian Alps

Located just a short drive away from Mittenwald, a beautiful Alpine village with fresco painted houses, Leutasch Spirit Gorge is a fun, family-friendly hike along a wooden walkway built into the side of the mountain side, just feet above the pale blue river below. With lots of signs posted, guiding you either on the short and easy or the longer hikes, you can explore this lush forestry and follow the myth of the spirits that inhabit the area.

Partnach Gorge (Partnachklamm)

Source of inspiration: Pinterest search most likely though I’ll never know for sure.

Located in Partenkirchen (as in Garmish-Partenkirchen), a short walk beyond the historic Olympic Stadium built for the 1936 Olympic Games, is a gorge that is so beautiful, it’s almost laughably sad that it’s only mentioned in one of my three travel guides for Germany and it’s only a small paragraph.

Partnach Gorge is a lovely little hike, easy for the whole family which has been etched into the cliff side, above the flowing river below. It’s mostly popular with German tourists who head down to the Alps in the summer for a bit of nature and hiking and unless you’ve seen a picture on social media, perhaps you’ve never heard of this natural hidden gem in Germany. So, pack a light picnic and head to the Alps for a bit of gorge-hunting as there are quite a lot down in the Alpine region.

Idstein

Source of inspiration: Found sniffing around on the German Timber-framed Road Wikipedia page and map.

I believe we were headed somewhere in the direction of Frankfurt and I knew we would be passing a part of Germany with a plethora of half-timbered towns to pick from, so I found one that would be an easy day trip from Frankfurt and a pit stop on the way home.

Idstein instantly caught my eye because it wasn’t far away from where a friend lives, and it had a building that was so wonky I just had to see it. Called the “Scheifes Haus”, it’s a half-timbered house which over time starting to lean to the side, giving it a tilting look to it, though not all manage to see the tilt.

It’s definitely the kind of town popular with locals from the surrounding region and of course, bikers out for a leisurely Sunday drive. I instantly knew I was the only true tourist in the town with a camera strapped around my neck and was one of the best non-touristy places to visit in Germany. But that didn’t stop me from exploring this ADORABLE half-timbered town, learn about the famous witch trials which happened here and enjoying an ice cream in the main square.

I loved this town so much, that later at a Christmas Market in Germany, I would find one of the town’s main buildings as a miniature ceramic village piece. I would add it to my collection of ceramic houses.

Goslar

Source of Inspiration: Hours upon hours of sifting through #halftimbered towns on Instagram

Surprisingly, Goslar can be found in all of my travel guides for Germany, but does not even remotely do the town justice. With just a few pictures, no mention whatsoever of being a half-timbered town, but described as a Medieval town which survived WWII, it hardly entices me to visit. Good thing once I discovered some pictures with the hashtag Goslar and did a bit of internet research, I discovered just how much of a half-timbered town it is.

Because I was already interested in visiting Wernigerode and also Quedlinburg in the Harz Mountains, I searched my faithful German-timber Framed Road wikipedia page and put together a weekend trip to visit all three towns in one go. With over 1,800 timber frame houses, it makes it a UNESCO World Heritage Site and all the more worth visiting.

And unless you live in northern Germany, you have probably not even heard of any of these hamlet towns as most people who come to Germany head to all the big cities like Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg etc and rarely make time to see such simple towns. I also find that visiting such an adorable town is not on the radar of many younger tourists and when visiting, I do see a lot more middle-age or older German tourists. But I have an old soul with a classic heart.

Wiblingen Monastery Library, Ulm

Source of inspiration: After visiting a library in Prague, I was hooked, so we came home and I Googled for beautiful libraries in Germany and this one popped up.

Located just on the outskirts of Ulm, the Wiblingen Monastery was definitely a very quiet sight to see in Ulm. We were the only tourists on this day so we had the entire library to ourselves and had the pleasure of spending as long as we wanted here. And unless you’re a hard core bibliophile who loves wasting away hours of your day in a library, you’re not likely to have heard of this monastery library or want to make a special trip to see it. Let’s put it this way, the Wiblingen Monastery Library was my only reason for wanting to visit Ulm and later became a life savor on a scorching hot day to get out of the heat and sun. To this day, it’s one of my favorite and most beautiful libraries in Europe.

Kuchlbauer Brewery’s Hunderwasser Tower, Abensberg

Source of inspiration: Riding on a train from Regensburg to Ingolstadt to visit family I saw a shiny gold tipped, futuristic onion dome towering over the town which piqued my interest.

Unless you live near Regensburg (hey!) or are a fan of the Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser who has architecture all over Vienna, you may have never heard of Abensberg, the Kuchlbauer Brewery or their tower designed by Hundertwasser. It’s not in any guide book so you’re not likely to have heard of it but if you plan to be in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, it’s just a twenty minute train/car ride away from Regensburg.

In the small Bavarian village of Abensberg, you’ll find the Kuchlbauer Brewery famed for making Weissbier (Hefeweizen beer) and on their property is a long, Rapunzel-like tower designed by Friedreich Hundertwasser known for combining architecture and nature. It’s a unique looking structure which can be seen from quite a ways away. Once there, enjoy the view from the base of the tower at the Kuchlbauer biergarten or take a tour of the brewery for views over the village and surrounding area.

You can visit throughout the entire year, and when biergarten season has been packed up for the winter, a Christmas Market pops up. The Kuchlbauer Brewery Christmas Market offers a different kind of Christmas Market experience as it is more focused on truly artistic, handmade, locally produced Christmas knickknacks and even extends into the parking garage. It’s one of the most unique Christmas Markets you’ll find in Germany.

Regensburg

Source of inspiration: I applied for a job in this city and then moved here. Prior, I had never heard of this town. But I got the job. Met the man of my life and stayed.

Now, after living in Regensburg for 10 years, I can officially say, if you do not visit this town on one of the many cruise ships that dock on our shores, you most likely won’t visit this town. But it’s a great day trip from Munich and Nuremberg as they’re both just an hour away, so perhaps you might come by car/train. But like Augsburg, and many other smaller cities, it easily gets over looked for people heading only to the big cities. So I can say, 100% that Regensburg is one of the best hidden gem cities in Germany!

Like a few of the other towns on this list, Regensburg was sparred any damage from WWII, thus preserving its Medieval appearance. We have colorful buildings, small alleys and loads of cafes that spill out on to the streets. Best of all, we have some of the best weather in Bavaria, thus giving us the nickname “the northern most Italian city”.

So I can honestly say, if you’re heading to the big cities, please, please, PLEASE take a look at a map and see what other mini cities are nearby because they are without a doubt worth the visit and don’t even have half the fraction of tourists. And I can say because I’m a bit biased, Regensburg is really one of the best kept secrets in Germany and one the many true hidden gems in Bavaria!

Michelstadt

Source of inspiration: Found on the map of the German Timber-frame Road and as a miniature ceramic house at the Christmas Market.

While I had found Michelstadt on my treasured map of half-timbered towns in Germany, it really wasn’t until I was at a Christmas Market and I was adding to my collection of half-timbered ceramic village houses that I saw a beautiful Medieval towered city hall piece. I asked what town it was and knew I had to visit. My stepmom secretly bought it as a Christmas gift for me.

In the following spring, we would visit Michelstadt along with a string of other cute towns, like Heppenheim and Miltenberg. And I can say it’s definitely off the main tourist route as once again, I was the only one walking around with a camera on my neck. All three of these towns are either just a blip in my tour guide books or not even mentioned at all.

But with Michelstadt, I find that surprising because the town’s city hall is one of the oldest in Germany and was idolized on stamps. Other than that, there wasn’t much to visit in the town, but it’s definitely cute enough for a quick stop if you’re as obsessed with half-timbered towns as yours truly.

And for anyone out there about to accuse me of having not seen or found all of the best secret gems in Germany, all I have to say to you is “Duh” and “I know, it’s on my list already”. Not to sound like a snob, but I know these are only a fraction of the amazing places to see in this country and I have a gargantuan list of hidden places to visit in Germany I plan to get to one day and as I do, I will add them to this list, so check back often! Just give me time to visit the rest!

But I find it so much more enjoyable to visit the lesser known destinations in Germany than to go to the bigger cities. Hence why you won’t find a blog post on Germany’s most popular cities like Berlin or Hamburg (at the time of writing this) on my blog. I’ll eventually make it to the big cities too, but they have less of a priority on my to-see list than towns where I feel like one of the lucky few who visit such hidden gems. It’s nice to feel like one of only hundreds of people who have stumbled upon a special place than to feel like one in millions of billions of people who flock to the major hot spots.

Meissen – Germany’s Porcelain City

Practically unheard of for tourists to Germany, Meissen is better known for their porcelain production which is also home to Europe’s first porcelain factory, as well as Saxony’s oldest castle, the Albrechtsburg. It’s a town you’re more likely to find German tourists and a few river cruise tourists strolling the quaint little town. Like many towns in the former East German region, the town has been beautifully renovated after years under Soviet control.