30 Old Ruins to Explore in Germany

One of the major religious, cultural and political centres of the region from 13th to 18th century. A bolt of lightning struck the church tower in 1804, causing a large fire and destroying the building completely. Previously, two large fires in 1470 and 1555 had already destroyed parts of the monastery premises.

Beelitz-Heilstätten is home to a large hospital complex of about 60 buildings, including a cogeneration plant built-in 1898. The place served as a military hospital of the Imperial German Army in World War I. Today, a few small sections of the enormous hospital are used for neurological rehabilitation and Parkinson’s research. The majority of the complex, including the surgery ward, the psychiatric ward, and a rifle range, have all been abandoned and left to decay back into the surrounding fores

It also called Burgruine Dagstuhl or Burg Dagstuhl. It is a ruined castle on the top of a hill near Wadern town in Saarland, Germany. Knight Boemund of Saarbrücken found the castle sometime before 1290. It overlooks the newer Schloss Dagstuhl (now a computer science research center) in the valley below.

Falkenstein Castle is a German castle in the Harz mountains dating to the High Middle Ages period. It is located in the town of Falkenstein/Harz between Aschersleben and Harzgerode. It was built between 1120 and 1180 and has been modified frequently since then. Today the castle and its museum are one of the most popular destinations in the Harz mountains. It is part of the Romanesque Road. The castle has a falconry and a restaurant that offer traditional 'knightly' food.

Regenstein Castle in Blankenburg is one of the special sights in the Harz with impressively preserved rooms, worked in the rock, give an idea of how important and defensive Regenstein Castle once was. The castle is surrounded by remnants of a more recent fortress. The open-air museum makes various rooms accessible and tells the story of Regenstein through many different exhibits. At Easter, Whitsun, and in July, Regenstein Castle's past comes alive.

Burgtor is a magnificent introduction to the architectural heritage of Luebeck. It is a great place to start a walking tour of the well-preserved Gothic landmarks in the UNESCO-protected Luebeck Old Town. Admire the intimidating presence of Burgtor, discover its artistic features and browse exhibits that explain its historical importance.

Formed during the Permian period from volcanic activities, Donnersberg is the highest peak of Palantine region in Germany. Covering an area of over 2,000 hecatares, the peak has a diameter of 7 kilometers. The mountain and the surronding area is an importance place for old settlements, of which only ruins remains today. The 4,700 km Eurpean Walking Route E8 passes through the mountain.

Castle Giebichenstein is the oldest castle on the Saale River. The upper castle houses an open-air museum, which offers an extraordinary view of the river Saale. The lower castle is home to the Kunsthochschule Halle. Being a Burgward in the 9th century, the castle became a royal residence of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, who gave it to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg which he had established in 968.

Glücksburg Castle is one of the most important castles in North Germany - rested on the water, it is built on an old monastery and once housed important dukes and nobility. The castle is now a museum and is no longer inhabited by the ducal family. It is owned by a foundation. The original furnishing means that visitors get a real experience of the castle as it was once used.

Gottorf Castle was built by the Bishop of Schleswig on an island at the end of the Schlei Fiord just outside the city of Schleswig. In 1268 it was taken over by Duke Erik I of Schleswig and it remained in the possession of the Dukes until 1713. One of the oldest iconic buildings in this area which is beautifully carved and also maintaining its beauty today. It is situated on an island in the Schlei, about 40 km from the Baltic Sea.

Large wooded hill overlooking the town of Heidelberg. It has been the site of many historic and pre-historic constructions, including a Celtic hilltop fortification, a Roman sacred precinct, several medieval monasteries, modern lookout towers and the Heidelberg Thingstätte- an open air theatre built by the Nazis in the 1930s.

The Celtic hill fort of Otzenhausen was one of the largest fortifications the Celts ever constructed. It is located about 695 m above sea level. The only obvious remaining things as of now are two circular earth ramparts, covered with stones.

An extinct volcano with the ruins of a castle on its top. Hohentwiel began forming, along with the chain of volcanoes in the Hegau region, about 7–8 million years ago. Hohentwiel Castle, whose ruins are on top of Hohentwiel, was built in 914 using stone taken from the mountain by Burchard II, Duke of Swabia.

Kaiserthermen, or The Trier Imperial Baths are a large Roman bath complex in Trier, Germany constructed in the 4th century AD. This large complex consists of an impressive outer walls, and subterranean passageways with furnaces for heating.

Hubbrücke Karnin in German, a railway bridge over the Peenestrom river in North Germany that built in 1933 and destroyed in 1945. It was part of the old Ducherow–Swinemünde railway. It is nominated for designation as a Historic Symbol of Engineering in Germany.

The smallest house is in Wernigerode and is a socio-historical cultural monument . It is known for its small size. Today there is a small folklore museum in it .it is one of the most famous buildings in the city. The house was built near the former city ​​wall in a former craftsmen's quarter. The closer the buildings were to the city wall, the poorer the residents were.

Gothic Revival style fairy tale castle of Württemberg. The castle was inspired by the novel Lichtenstein (1826) by Wilhelm Hauff and was built in 1840–1842. The ruins of the medieval castle that inspired the novel are a few hundred meters away. The castle is located on an escarpment that marks the northwestern edge of the Swabian Alps.

Museum Village Düppel (Museumsdorf Düppel) is an open air museum presenting a reconstruction of an 800 year old village. The site of the formal settlement where the museum stands is now reconstructed with residences, storehouses, workshops, wells, fields and gardens. Uncoverd in 1967, it is estimated that the former settlement dates back to 1200 and was in use for 30 years.

The New Garden is a park in Potsdam with 102.5 hectares located south-west Berlin, Germany. Starting in 1787, Frederick William II arranged to have a new garden in this location and later, and it came to be known by this rather prosaic name. The New Garden is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. Cecilienhof Palace is located in the northern part of the New Garden.

The Olympics Dorf was built to house all participating athletes, officials, trainers, and other workers in the 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympiad Games. It was held in Berlin, about 4000 people from 50 nationalities lived in this Olympic Village during the games.