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When it comes to Europe’s great honeymoon destinations, places like France, Spain, Italy, and Greece might be the first that spring to mind. But Germany, with its romantic castles, quaint small towns, beautiful vineyards, and dynamic cities is an option that shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are three great reasons to honeymoon in Germany.
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Beautiful historic cities and towns
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne… You know the names of Germany’s biggest cities from the history books but each one is still worth visiting today and has its own distinctive culture, and personality. Drink in the traditional Bavarian charm of Munich, cruise the canals of Hamburg or trace the early history of the Beatles in the city’s St. Pauli district (where the band lived and played in the early 60s).
Visit the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart to see Germany’s contribution to the automative industry, marvel at the grand Cologne cathedral, and explore the enigma that is Berlin — a spirited city where history surrounds modern life, from the decommissioned airport that’s now a public park to the section of the Berlin wall that’s now an open-air art gallery.
Add in charming small towns like Baiersbronn in the Black Forest, Rudesheim along the Rhine, and gorgeous Heidelberg with its castle ruins, and you have an impossibly long list of places to see and explore.
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Romantic roads and rivers
One of the most popular driving routes in Germany is the Romantic Road, an aptly named route for a honeymoon road trip. The road runs for 350 kilometers (220 miles) between Würzburg and Füssen in southern Germany, linking some of the country’s most beautiful castles and picturesque towns, such as quintessential Bavarian town, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and Germany’s most photographed castle, the iconic mountain-top Neuschwanstein castle, the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty‘s castle.
If you’d rather not drive, hop aboard a river cruise along the beautiful Rhine or Moselle rivers, which bypass dozens of castles and glide past miles of vineyards along the river banks. With stops in places like Heidelberg, Cologne, and Mainz, river cruises offer a great combo of big cities and small towns, culture and outdoors, with a dash of luxury on board the ship.
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Delicious food and wine
German food may not get as much acclaim as its French or Italian counterparts, but German cuisine is hearty, delicious, and worthy of room on any traveler’s plate.
Indulge in pretzels and beer in Bavaria, check out Michelin-starred restaurants in the Black Forest (which boasts one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars, per capita, in the world), try currywurst or Turkish food in Berlin (home to the highest number of Turkish people outside of Turkey), drink apfelwein (applewine) with strudel in Frankfurt, sip wine from one of Germany’s 13 wine regions, or try a beer from one of the country’s 1,300 breweries.
Germany is a delight for foodies and if you want to eat well on your honeymoon, the country offers delicious opportunities at every turn.