Excursions in Germany: 10 exciting ideas for the weekend
You don't have to travel the world to discover spectacular and breathtaking places. Germany, in particular, boasts many spots, including abandoned ruins, that will amaze you.
Some sights are even ideal for a spontaneous day trip. We'll show you ten of our favorites.
An hour's drive south of Berlin near Zossen lies the district of Wünsdorf – a spookily fascinating lost place. Remains of a theater, a bell tower, an impressive swimming pool, and, above all, blown-up bunkers and ruins are scattered throughout the surrounding forest and the town.
Since 1872, Wünsdorf has been used for various military purposes. It was a Prussian firing range and testing ground, a military training area for the German Empire with a military school. Later, there was a camp for Muslim prisoners of war, as Wünsdorf was the first place in Germany to have a mosque. It existed from 1915 to 1930. During World War II, Wünsdorf became the headquarters of the German Army High Command and was therefore considered the "nervous system of the Wehrmacht."
Abandoned yet often visited: empty buildings and destroyed military installations in the “forbidden city” of Wünstdorf.
Source: imago images/Steinach
After the war, the Soviet armed forces took over the town and transformed it into an independent Soviet city, complete with a hospital, school, recreational facilities, shops, and even a railway line leading to Moscow. Anyone not employed there was forbidden to enter this area—hence Wünsdorf's nickname, the "Forbidden City."
After the withdrawal of Russian forces in 1994, the town once again boasts a population of just under 6,200. Fans of lost places are particularly drawn to the ruins. Spooky moments are guaranteed. However, you're better off exploring the Forbidden City on an official guided tour.
It's not just this shower room in the Forbidden City that's scary.
Source: IMAGO/Zoonar
The Eiffel Tower in Paris served as the model for the Ziemestal Bridge, a 115-meter-long and 32-meter-high viaduct built from riveted steel between 1893 and 1895. It stands in the heart of the Thuringian Slate Mountains. Currently closed, it is a listed monument and in good condition, so you can walk on the bridge with the usual caution.
The model for the Ziemestal Bridge near Remptendorf in the Thuringian Forest was the Eiffel Tower.
Source: imago images/CHROMORANGE
Photographers and adventure enthusiasts in particular come here. This may be due to the lack of a good hiking trail to the remote bridge. The shortest route leads through several dark tunnels directly over the disused railway tracks. Arriving at the viaduct, you're rewarded with a stunning view over the valley.
Südheide, Isenbüttel Municipality, Tankumsee: A destination for adrenaline junkies. Created during the construction of the Elbe Lateral Canal in 1972, this lake features a 1,000-meter-long, white sandy beach with sunbathing lawns, a holiday home area, a campsite, and idyllic pine forests, as well as an adventure world with numerous activities.
Below is a tower 25 meters high and 12 meters wide. From its 180-square-meter viewing platform, you have a view of Lake Tankum and the entire local recreation area. Its three levels feature 36 climbing stations of varying difficulty. And there's the Skyfly, the giant swing that swings eight meters above the ground. The seat is reminiscent of a swing carousel. With your back facing down, you have to unhook yourself – and then you get that XXL-class belly-tingling feeling.
The ruins of Villa Fühlingen stand majestically and defiantly in Cologne – and send goosebumps down your spine. Whether you like it or not, something about it magically draws your gaze. Some even dare to venture inside the eerie building with its windowless eyes. Graffiti testifies to this.
Numerous horror stories surround the remains of the villa. For example, the Limburg Succession Dispute is said to have ended in a bloody knightly battle on the site in 1288. More than 1,000 people are said to have lost their lives, many of them trampled to death by horses and disfigured beyond recognition.
Despite the gruesome history, Baron Eduard von Oppenheim bought the property a good 600 years later and had the villa built, complete with a racecourse. He abandoned everything in 1907.
The haunted Oppenheim Villa and its grounds are not only surrounded by plants, but above all by horror stories.
Source: imago images/Eibner
The Nazis then used the building as a dormitory for forced laborers. One of the inmates, a 19-year-old Pole, is said to have been unjustly killed there. Since then, the ghost has reportedly haunted the property. Two more suicides have been reported in the house—perfect stories for ghost hunters, who also like to visit the ruins. And some claim to have actually seen ghosts and even been haunted by them.
Since 2008, there have been repeated proposals to renovate the villa and create luxury apartments. The signs for the most recently advertised real estate project disappeared again in spring 2020. Could there be a spooky reason for this? Well, if you're a thrill seeker, you can see it for yourself in Cologne.
Address: Neusser Landstraße 5a, 50769 Cologne
Here, at the Straußberg Monkey Forest near Sondershausen in Thuringia, you could actually be a monkey. The park's four-hectare outdoor enclosure is home to Barbary macaques, ring-tailed lemurs, lemurs, and black-and-white ruffed lemurs, as well as Bennett's wallabies.
Winding paths lead through the park, and many of the animals enjoy human contact, sometimes even being quite cheeky. And with food in your hand, you're sure to encounter some monkeys. A fun and adventurous experience for the whole family. Getting around the grounds can be difficult with just a stroller or wheelchair.
With monkeys at eye and cuddle level in the Straußberg Monkey Forest.
Source: imago images / Steve Bauerschmidt
The neighboring summer toboggan run provides even more cheers: 44 meters in altitude, 760 meters in length and five banked curves, you can overcome at lightning speed.
Season: from 1 April to 31 October
Address: Unterer Straußberg 6, 99706 Sondershausen
Immerse yourself in untouched nature, follow the steady strokes of the paddles, and glide through the water – this is an active yet relaxing experience. This is possible along the approximately 100-kilometer-long Peene River, which meanders through Western Pomerania toward the Baltic Sea.
The river landscape is considered an outstanding European destination for sustainable water tourism and is particularly pristine and biodiverse. The comparison with the Amazon is perhaps somewhat exaggerated, but it's not entirely unfounded, because in addition to its protected natural environment, the Peene River, like its South American counterpart, flows into the sea in a delta.
Space, peace and nature: A canoe trip on the Peene is a relaxing adventure.
Source: IMAGO IMAGES/blickwinkel
Along the river, you can rent suitable floating equipment: SUPs, canoes, kayaks, and even quiet solar-powered boats. These will take you along banks where beavers rustle, birds chirp, eagles circle overhead, and rare animal and plant species call it home.
Once you've had enough of nature, it's worth stopping in the towns you pass through, such as the Hanseatic cities of Demmin and Anklam.
At low tide they become visible piece by piece: the two shipwrecks that make the Falkensteiner Ufer of Blankenese a very special place.
They rise bizarrely from the water, a symbol of Hamburg's trade and prosperity, and at the same time a symbol of transience. They have not only become, alongside the Michel and Elphi, a landmark of the Hanseatic city. They are even useful, serving as breakwaters and thus protecting the shore. Curiously, the remains of the ships lie today in places where they never sank.
The two shipwrecks on the Falkensteiner Ufer elicit open-mouthed wonder and astonished looks from children of all ages. Here, the stern of the freighter Uwe, which sank in the Elbe on December 19, 1975.
Source: imago images / imagebroker
The "Polarstern" is the older shipwreck. The Finnish schooner was loaded with lumber when it set off for England in 1926 and caught fire on what is now the Kiel Canal. A Blankenese salvage company later towed the remains to the Falkenstein shore.
The stern of the "Uwe" stretches out towards your view. The wreck lies very close to the shore. On December 19, 1975, thick fog prevailed as the ship traveled down the Elbe. It was overtaken by the cargo ship "Wiedau." A short time later, the cargo ship collided with another freighter, which spun under the impact, slammed into the "Uwe," and split the ship in half. Two crew members were killed. The remains of the "Uwe" were towed to the Falkenstein shore.
The best way to see the wrecks is to walk along the beach path towards Falkensteiner Ufer directly along the Elbe at low tide.
If you're hiking in the Hoher Vogelsberg Nature Park in Hesse and approaching the 720-meter-high Geiselstein, your compass might go haywire—if you have one with you. And that's in an area where bizarre basalt rocks stand in the forest and have names like Teufelstisch (Devil's Table) or Teufelskanzel (Devil's Pulpit). Very strange.
The reason, however, isn't some supernatural spell hanging over the area, but rather the magic of magnetism. The rocks of the Geiselstein are magnetic and therefore deflect the compass needle. Instead of pointing north as usual, it points up toward the summit. This has earned it the nickname "North Pole of the Vogelsberg." It's so special that it's even marked on airplane maps.
The summit of the Geiselstein is only 20 meters higher than the surrounding area and located in the middle of the forest, so you won't be able to enjoy a panoramic view from here. However, there are some exciting climbing sections to reach the summit. You can easily reach the Geiselstein on foot via the nature park's high-altitude circular trail. You can park at the Heide and Niddaquelle hiking car parks.
Frankenstein? Isn't that the monster from Mary Shelley's novel of the same name? Yes. And there really is a legendary castle ruin called Frankenstein south of Darmstadt that you can visit.
First documented in 1252, the castle belonged to the Lords of Frankenstein. Since then, it has largely fallen into ruin; only the castle chapel, built in 1450 and containing the tombs of the castle's lords' family, remains very well preserved.
Frankenstein Castle ruins near Darmstadt – a popular place for Halloween fans.
Source: imago images/allOver
Frankenstein Castle became famous thanks to the alchemist and theologian Johan Konrad Dippel (1673–1734), who once lived there. Dippel was considered a sorcerer by the locals. Whether or not this is true is merely speculation today. But Dippel may well have inspired Shelley's novel.
You can explore the castle ruins year-round and enjoy a break in the restaurant with its panoramic terrace. Most visitors looking for a scare probably come around Halloween, as horror parties inspired by the Frankenstein novels have been held here since 1977. Actors dressed as witches, vampires, and ghosts treat guests to a spooky show with their performances.
The Frauenwald Bunker Museum, located next to the Waldhotel Rennsteighöh, offers a 16-hour program called "Reality Experience – Spending the Night in the Museum." One night catapults you back to 1989, the former GDR, complete with all the military trappings. This includes preparing dinner together in the style of the East German army, a changing of the guard, and introduction to night care, sleeping in a three-story barracks bed, as well as wake-up calls and early morning exercise.
You can't travel back in time more faithfully than this, because everything here has been preserved as it was used before the fall of the Berlin Wall. This means that in the 3,600 square meter bunker complex of the former Ministry for State Security, you first have to find your way through the labyrinth of corridors. There are assembly rooms, airlocks, a communications center, dormitories, and much more to see – with original artifacts from that time.
Spending the night in the GDR bunker, originally furnished as it was last used in 1989 – a very special adventure.
Source: imago images/Karina Hessland
This is a truly adventure-packed trip for children ages 14 and up, accompanied by an adult. Since the bunker can be very cramped and dark, it's best not to visit if you suffer from epilepsy or claustrophobia.
Looking for more inspiration? You can find tips for all the top travel destinations at reisereporter, and the best travel deals on our deals page .
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