Its almost 160-meter-high (525 ft.) spires rise majestically into the sky: Cologne Cathedral is the landmark of the city of Cologne. It is one of the largest Gothic-style cathedrals and appropriately impressive. Around 6 million people visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site every year.

This landmark of the city on the Neckar River is possibly the most famous ruin in Germany. The castle was first mentioned in the 13th century. During the reign of Louis XIV, the Palatinate Electors resided here.

Bavarian King Ludwig II had a fairy-tale castle built near Füssen because he wanted to withdraw from public life. Just a few weeks after his death in 1886 it was opened to the public. Meanwhile the castle has become one of the most visited in Europe.

Berlin is Germany's biggest tourist magnet. In 2018 the city counted almost 33 million overnight stays. The Brandenburg Gate, a national landmark and symbol of German reunification, is one of the most popular places to visit.

Another Berlin attraction is located on an island in the middle of the Spree river. Five leading museums present exhibitions from prehistory to antiquity and 19th century art. One highlight is the world-famous bust of Egyptian queen Nefertiti.

The summer residence of Frederick II of Prussia can be found in Potsdam. The name "Sanssouci", translated means "without worry", reveals the king's desire for a place of refuge. The palace and park are often referred to as Prussian Versailles, and since 1990 they have been part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

Many people still remember the Dresden Frauenkirche as a ruin and a memorial against war. Since its reconstruction and consecration in 2005, it has been one of the most popular destinations for German and foreign visitors.

In Thuringia, the Wartburg Castle towers above the city of Eisenach. It was here that Martin Luther translated the New Testament in the early 16th century. In 1817, the Wartburg Festival was the first official democratic assembly in Germany which took place at the castle.

The "Black Gate" in Trier is one of the best preserved gates of the ancient world. The former Roman city gate was used as a church for almost a thousand years before Napoleon in 1802 ordered its restoration to its original form.

The core building is considered one of the best preserved architectural structures of the Carolingian period and in 1978 it became the first German UNESCO World Heritage Site. Emperor Charlemagne was buried in Aachen Cathedral and almost all German kings up to 1531 were crowned in the chapel.

The Holsten Gate, which once formed the western boundary of Lübeck, is now considered the city's landmark. It is part of the historic city center, which is situated on an island surrounded by watercourses and the remains of the ramparts. Many of the houses in the old brick Gothic style are listed historical monuments.

The Marienplatz square with its lively pedestrian area is located in the heart of Munich. Several times a day visitors can admire the Glockenspiel at the adjoining New City Hall. To the music, small figures rotate at lofty heights, playing scenes inspired by the city's history.

Quedlinburg, just north of the Harz Mountains, is Germany's largest half-timbered town, with more than 1,300 timber frame houses. Here, rows of these colorful buildings stand closely side by side as a testimony to civic pride and prosperity in times gone by. In 1994, Quedlinburg's old town center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Celle in Lower Saxony, rows of timber frame houses line the streets like pearls on a necklace. Celle boasts more than 500 elaborately restored and historically listed buildings. Some of these old houses still have passages to their courtyards, through which the town's farmers could bring their harvest. The most splendid, decorated with mythical creatures, is the Hoppener House, built in 1532.

Fritzlar's appearance hasn't changed much in the last centuries. There are still timber frame houses, narrow lanes and intricate details everywhere. Between them, small restaurants, ice cream parlors and cafes create a tranquil atmosphere. The jewel in this Hessian town's crown is the old market square with its glorious ensemble of individually configured timber frame houses.

Monschau is called the "Pearl of the Eifel" thanks to its rich cultural treasures. In the old town center, quaint timber frame houses alternate with magnificent dwellings. Here, there are some 300 historically listed buildings. The facades along the narrow cobblestone lanes hide small art galleries and boutiques.

Bernkastel lies nestled between the Moselle and vineyards. It was united with Kues on the opposite river bank in 1905. Narrow, densely built-up lanes lead to the market square, which is surrounded by magnificent timber frame buildings. The pointed roofs here are striking. Due to the lack of space, the houses were built as tall as possible.

Esslingen lies in the Neckar valley and is surrounded by vineyards. It boasts more than 200 timber frame houses, which date from the 13th to the 16th centuries. It also has the oldest connected row of half-timbered houses in Germany. The Pleghöfe, former monastic administrative buildings where the cloisters stored their wine, are typical of the town.

Medieval half-timbered houses in all shapes and colors, authentically preserved streets and narrow lanes make Tübingen, at the edge of the Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany, a popular tourist destination. It's a hilly climb from the Neckar River up to Hohentübingen Castle. In contrast to its buildings, Tübingen's residents are young: About a third of them are university students.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber epitomizes German romanticism. It is arguably the best-known half-timbered town in Germany and, with two million visitors annually, is one of Bavaria's most popular sights. In addition to historical monuments, convoluted alleyways and timber frame houses, the medieval town wall with its 42 gates and towers has been preserved in its entirety.

There are a whopping 2,400 listed buildings in Bamberg. Its medieval center is the largest in Germany to have survived intact, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Bamberg's town hall is a popular photographic subject. It was built on an artificial island in the middle of the Regnitz River. Behind it are rows of small timber frame houses in which fishermen once lived.

Not far from Hamburg lies the half-timbered town of Stade. Like 100 other towns, it is located on the German Timber Frame Route. If you want to view more than one of them, just travel part of this route. It covers a total of 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles) and runs from the Elbe River in the north to Lake Constance in the south.

Weathered battlements, old masonry — no castle ruins along the Rhine could be more typical. The castle on a hill above the river was built in the 13th century. Its preservation as a ruin makes it especially appealing. Visitors can end the day with a glass of wine on the castle terrace. On Open Heritage Day guided tours and a regional wine tasting are planned.

In the far south of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Bingen's Mouse Tower marks the narrow entrance to the romantic Rhine.This watchtower in the middle of the river, facing Ehrenfels Castle, served as a customs collection tower during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, Dutch painters discovered the abandoned tower as a subject and turned the Mouse Tower into a symbol of Rhine romanticism.

Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig of Prussia had this 14th century fortress rebuilt as a knight's castle in the 19th century. The sumptuous stained glass windows, wall paintings and fine historical furniture still bear witness to the pomp and luxury the prince cultivated in his private chivalric idyll. Now Rheinstein Castle is a museum, hotel and gourmet restaurant.

Although partly overgrown with roses like Sleeping Beauty's castle, Sooneck was no fairy-tale palace in the past, but a true knight's fortress. In the 11th century, its overlords celebrated their raids here. They also pocketed the tolls and taxes they collected instead handing them over to the monastery to which the castle belonged at the time. A tip: stop in at the old castle tavern.

Pfalzgrafenstein lies on a rocky reef in the middle of the Rhine. Twenty to 30 men used to serve in this 700-year-old toll station. Pfalzgrafenstein was only one of a total of twelve customs facilities where vessels carrying wine were forced to stop between Mainz and Cologne. Traders even complained to the Pope. Now only the ferries taking tourists to the castle dock here.

Katz Castle (picture), now in private Japanese ownership, is one of the best-known Rhine castles. It has a view of the Lorelei, where legend says a siren lured boatmen to their deaths on the cliffs with her singing. The count of Katzenelnbogen had the fortress built in the 14th century as a counterpart to nearby Peterseck Castle. They became commonly known as cat (Katz) and mouse (Maus) castles.

Just opposite Katz Castle lies Rheinfels Castle, the first castle built by the Count of Katzenelnbogen. Erected in the Middle Ages as the largest fortress on the Rhine, the castle was long cosidered impregnable. Recently, the great nephew of the last German Kaiser unsuccessfully demanded its return from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. St. Goar's mighty landmark remains open to tourists.

Many castle ruins on the Rhine were rebuilt in historical medieval styles during the 19th century. Marksburg Castle was spared that fate because it was never destroyed. Whether in the women's chambers and chapel, knights' hall and armory, or wine cellar and battlements — in this hilltop castle, time stopped in the 13th century here. Welcome to the Middle Ages!

Behind the thick walls of this old toll castle, the archbishops of Mainz once held sway. The castle garden is open to the public. Some rooms house the town of Lahnstein's carnival museum. If you visit the castle on Open Heritage Day, you can view the Gothic hall, usually not open to the public, on a guided tour.

Graceful, not mighty: Friedrich Wilhelm IV, the romanticist on the Prussian throne, wanted an idealized, elegant castle on the Rhine. He engaged the star architect of his era: in 1823 Karl Friedrich Schinkel began to turn the ruined fortress into a Gothic Revival palace and Prussian summer residence. More than any other Rhine castle, Stolzenfels now symbolizes Rhine romanticism.