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IN PICS: The top 10 best places to live in Germany

Districts and cities in Bavaria dominate the list of top ten places to live in Deutschland, a study published by public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday has found.

Published: 18 May 2018 14:28 CEST
IN PICS: The top 10 best places to live in Germany
Paragliders overlooking Tegernsee. Photo: DPA

In ZDF’s study which ranked a total of 401 places nationwide according to work and living conditions, free time and nature, as well as health and security, Munich came out on top.

What with the Bavarian capital’s abundance of museums, parks like the English Garden, cultural events on offer like Oktoberfest and proximity to the mountains, it outranked all the other districts and cities with a score of 207 points.

1st place: Munich. Photo: DPA

Munich also leads the way in terms of annual hours of sunshine. Moreover, it is one of the best cities in Germany with regards to quality of life for women. The study also found that Munich has the lowest crime rates and poverty rates nationwide.

But the city isn’t exempt from challenges; ZDF notes that it has poor air quality, too few spots for children entering daycare and a high cost of living.

SEE ALSO: These are the German cities where rents have been going up the most

In second and third place are some more southern German cities: Heidelberg and Starnberg, respectively.

2nd place: Heidelberg. Photo: DPA

Home to Germany’s oldest university, Heidelberg is beloved for its castle ruins and well-preserved medieval city centre. In the ZDF study it scored especially well in the nature and free time category due to its green spaces and many cultural offerings.

Lying on a lake just a half hour train ride from Munich is Starnberg – the wealthiest town per capita in Germany. Starnberg scored first in purchasing power and quality of life. And in September’s federal election the town had the most voter participation across the country.

3rd place: Starnberg. Photo: DPA

In fourth place is the only city in the top ten that isn't in the deep south of Germany: the UNESCO World Heritage town of Potsdam.

A hop, skip and a jump from Berlin on the train, the town won points for its parks and palaces. It also scored big in the free time and nature category for its libraries, tourism infrastructure, cultural events and sunshine.

4th place: Potsdam. Photo: DPA

Following Potsdam in fifth, sixth and seventh place are spots which are all located in Bavaria: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the district of Munich, and the district of Miesbach.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen boasts being home to Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze, which attracts tourists from all over the world each year. On a clear day from the peak of Zugspitze visitors can see the 400 Alpine peaks of neighbouring Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

5th place: Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Photo: DPA

The district of Munich is the most populated borough in Bavaria. Besides its abundance of palaces and monasteries, its Mühltal power station – where you can ride down the Isar river in a raft – is also popular among visitors.

6th place: district of Munich. Photo: DPA

A popular destination in the Miesbach region is the resort town of Tegernsee. Here the water quality of 20,000-year-old Tegern lake is so good, a large portion of the residents in neighbouring districts drink it as tap water.

7th place: Miesbach. Photo: DPA

The district of Oberallgäu and the Bad Tölz-Wolfsratshausen district respectively take eighth and ninth place in ZDF’s study.

8th place: Oberallgäu. Photo: DPA

In the Oberallgäu district of Bavaria, which is known among other things for its sport activities in winter, visitors can enter the deepest rock gorge in central Europe: the Breitachklamm.

9th place: Bad Tölz-Wolfsratshausen. Photo: DPA

Last but not least on the top ten list is the Baden-Württemberg city of Ulm. The university town boasts having the highest church tower in the world with a steeple measuring about 162 metres. Ulm is also known for being the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

10th place: Ulm. Photo: DPA

Further cities which ranked well in the study are Regensburg, districts in the country’s southern wine route as well as rural districts in the foothills of the Alps.

Meanwhile in last place on the list were three North Rhine-Westphalian cities: Duisburg (399th), Herne (400th) and Gelsenkirchen (401st).

Though Gelsenkirchen came in last place of all the 401 German cities and districts analyzed, it still scored a total of 109 points because it fares well for its cultural activities and living space, according to ZDF.

READ ALSO: 10 simple reasons why living in Germany is truly awesome

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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the ‘die’ and carnival lingo

From the push to reform long-term unemployment benefits to the lingo you need to know as Carnival season kicks off, we look at the highlights of life in Germany.

Published: 14 November 2022 09:54 CET
Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the 'die' and carnival lingo

Deadlock looms as debates over Bürgergeld heat up 

Following a vote in the Bundestag on Thursday, the government’s planned reforms to long-term unemployment benefits are one step closer to becoming reality. Replacing the controversial Hartz IV system, Bürgergeld (or Citizens’ Allowance) is intended to be a fair bit easier on claimants.

Not only will the monthly payment be raised from €449 to €502, but jobseekers will also be given a grace period of two years before checks are carried out on the size of their apartment or savings of up to €60,000. The system will also move away from sanctions with a so-called “trust period” of six months, during which benefits won’t be docked at all – except in very extreme circumstances. 

Speaking in parliament, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) said the spirit of the new system was “solidarity, trust and encouragement” and praised the fact that Bürgergeld would help people get back into the job market with funding for training and education. But not everyone is happy about the changes. In particular, politicians from the opposition CDU/CSU parties have responded with outrage at the move away from sanctions.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz has even branded the system a step towards “unconditional Basic Income” and argued that nobody will be incentivised to return to work. 

The CDU and CSU are now threatening to block the Bürgergeld legislation when it’s put to a vote in the Bundesrat on Monday. With the conservatives controlling most of the federal states – and thus most of the seats in the upper house – things could get interesting. Be sure to keep an eye out for our coverage in the coming weeks to see how the saga unfolds. 

Tweet of the week

When you first start learning German, picking the right article to use can truly be a roll of the “die” – so we’re entirely on board with this slightly unconventional way to decide whether you’re in a “der”, “die”, or “das” situation. (Warning: this may not improve your German.) 

Where is this?

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Boris Roessler

Residents of Frankfurt am Main and the surrounding area will no doubt recognise this as the charming town of Kronberg, which is nestled at the foot of the Taunus mountains.

This atmospheric scene was snapped on Friday morning, when a drop in temperatures saw Kronberg and surrounding forests shrouded in autumnal fog.

After a decidedly warm start to November, the mercury is expected to drop into single digits over the weekend. 

Did you know?

November 11th marked the start of carnival season in Germany. But did you know that there’s a whole set of lingo to go along with the tradition? And it all depends on where you are. First of all, the celebration isn’t called the same thing everywhere. In the Rhineland, it’s usually called Karneval, while people in Bavaria or Saxony tend to call it Fasching. Those in Hesse and Saarland usually call it Fastnacht. 

And depending on where you are, there are different things to shout. The ‘fools call’ you’ll hear in Cologne is “Alaaf!” If you move away from Cologne, you’ll hear “Helau!” This is the traditional cry in the carnival strongholds of Düsseldorf and Mainz, as well as in some other German cities.

In the Swabian-Alemannic language region in the southwest of the country, people yell “Narri-Narro”, which means “I’m a fool, you’re a fool”. In Saarland at the French border, they shout “Alleh hopp!”, which is said to originate from the French language. 

Lastly, if someone offers you a Fastnachtskrapfe, say yes because it’s a jelly-filled carnival donut. And if you’re offered a Bützchen? It’s your call, but know that it’s a little kiss given to strangers!

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