57 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Germany

Checkout places to visit in Germany

Germany

Country with the largest population in Europe. Stretches from the North and the Baltic Sea in the north to the Alps in the south. It is traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Germany

Gottorf Castle

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.

Hanstein Castle

Ruins of Hanstein Castle Ruins of Hanstein Castle The castle ruin Hanstein is one of the most famous and interesting castle complexes in central Germany. In its present extent it was constructed in 1308 following a building period of 200 years. From the accessible north tower you can enjoy a beautiful view over the surroundings, and on a clear day you can see for instance the Brocken mountain in the Harz mountains. On offer are events, concerts, fairytales, exhibitions of cribs and Hanstein fest

Haus am Horn

The model house Am Horn is an experimental house of the Bauhaus in Weimar. The reason for building this single house based on a design by Georg Muche was the first Bauhaus exhibition in 1923. It served as an object to show how the Bauhaus imagined future communal living and working. It should offer a practicable answer to the housing shortage, with modular, cost-effective construction, use-oriented floor plan and living comfort through modern technology.

Heiligen-Geist-Hospital

The Heiligen-Geist-Hospital am Koberg in Lübeck, completed in 1286, is one of the oldest existing social institutions in the world and one of the most important buildings in the city. It is in the tradition of the Holy Spirit hospitals based on the model of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome. The hospitals were looked after by the brothers from the Order of the Holy Spirit.

Heimatmuseum Schloss Schonebeck

Schönebeck Castle is a moated castle in Bremen- Vegesack, district of Schönebeck, built-in north German half-timbering. It is located in the valley of the Schönebecker Aue, a Geestbach flowing into the Weser over the Vegesack harbor, which was dammed into a pond in the area of ​​the castle. Today the castle is the seat of the Schönebeck Castle Local History Museum.

Hummerbuden

The Hummerbuden are former sheds and workshops of the fishermen on the North Sea island of Helgoland. After the destruction of World War II and the resettlement of Heligoland in 1952, the lobster booths were designed by the Hamburg architect Georg Wellhausen. The color scheme came from Johannes Ufer. Gable profiles and wooden cladding are typical of his lobster booths. Before the Second World War, lobster scales were inconsistent scales in different places.

Hundertwasser's Green Citadel of Magdeburg

The Green Citadel is a building in Magdeburg designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser . It was completed in 2005. It is the last project Hundertwasser worked on before his death. With the Hundertwasserschule in Lutherstadt Wittenberg , he artistically designed another building in Saxony-Anhalt. The house is located in the city center in the immediate vicinity of the Domplatz and the Landtag.

Jahrtausendturm

The millennium tower in the Elbauenpark is a unique structure that was built for the 1999 Federal Horticultural Show. It includes a technology exhibition showing the achievements of the past 6,000 years. The exhibition on the development of sciences, which is supported by many descriptive experiments with which the visitor can interact. One notable example is a powerful telescope through which visitors can observe the distant clock-face on the Magdeburger cathedral.

JenTower

The Jentower is a high-rise in Jena. With a height of 144.5 m. it is the tallest office building in the new federal states according to the official height. It has 31 floors, including 2 basement floors and 29 upper floors. The tower is built using a sliding formwork method on a 3.20 m thick reinforced concrete base plate. The Jentower is currently owned by Saller Gewerbebau.

Kleinstes Haus

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.

Krämerbrücke

The Krämerbrücke is the oldest secular building in Erfurt and is one of the most famous landmarks of the city with a double-sided, closed bridge construction with half-timbered houses. It is the longest continuously built bridge in Europe. The pedestrian bridge spans the Gera, known here as Breitstrom, and connects Benediktsplatz in the old town center with Wenigemarkt in the eastern extension of the old town.

Leuchtenburg castle

Leuchtenburg Castle towers 400 meters high above the valley, visible from far afield. This castle complex is almost 1000 years old and here you can feel the breath of history and discover internationally renowned architecture. it currently houses the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance. It was once home to the Leuchtenberg Gallery on the first floor.

Lutherhaus Eisenach

The Lutherhaus in Eisenach is one of the oldest preserved half-timbered houses in Thuringia. According to tradition, Martin Luther lived here with the Cotta family during his school days from 1498 to 1501. It has been one of the most important historic Reformation sites since the 19th century and, as such, was designated a "European cultural heritage site" in 2011. The Lutherhaus has been run as a cultural history museum since 1956.

Multimar Wattforum

The Multimar Wattforum in Tönning is the largest information center for the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. It was opened in 1999 and expanded for the first time in January 2003. Its purpose is to inform the visitors of the national park about life in the Wadden Sea in different areas. In addition, the aquariums of the Wattforum - 11 large and 17 special aquariums with a total volume of 150 m³ - serve as a breeding site for threatened creatures.

Museum Burg Mylau

The Mylau Castle is a fortification on a rock spur in Mylau in the Saxon Vogtland. It is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Saxony and has been a listed building since 1980. "Not just a castle" - under this motto, evidence from the early industrial history of Saxony is also presented at Mylau Castle.

Museum Burg Posterstein

Museum Burg Posterstein is a hilltop castle on a rocky outcrop on the right bank of sprat in Posterstein in Altenburger Land in Thuringia. The hilltop castle emerged from a small ministerial castle from the late 12th century that was built over in the Renaissance period. It now houses a history museum with changing exhibitions & events.

Museum Holstentor

The Museum Holstentor is a metropolis gate marking off the western boundary of the old center of the Hanseatic town of Lübeck. It was built in 1464, the Brick Gothic construction is one of the relics of Lubeck's medieval city fortifications and considered one of final city gates, the opposite being the Citadel Gate. Known for its -spherical towers and arched front, it's far regarded today as a image of the city.

Otto-Dix-Haus

The Otto-Dix-Haus in Gera is the birth house of the painter Otto Dix , it is at Mohrenplatz 4. The listed building became an art museum in 1991, for the 100th birthday of Otto Dix, which exhibits on two floors. Its permanent exhibition includes drawings, oil paintings and printed graphics from its own holdings.

Petersberg Citadel

The Petersberg Citadel is a unique ensemble illustrating European fortress architecture in the 17th to 19th century. It has a Baroque core. From 1815, there was neo-Prussian modernization work, of which the defense barracks and artillery wagon houses have survived. The citadel was built on the site of a medieval Benedictine Monastery and the earliest parts of the complex date from the 12th century. It is now the home of the German Horticulture Museum.

Plön Castle

Plön Castle is one of the largest castles in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein and the only one located on a hill. It was once a military academy and a boarding school, now it is home to an opticians training centre. Visitors can explore the huge grounds surrounding the castle, admire the many lakes of the region, explore the nearby city, or even take a castle tour and find out about its use today and its historical role.

Map of Iconic Buildings to explore in Germany