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Travel: Five of the best day trips by bus from Berlin

As tourism slowly reopens around Germany, we’ve put together a selection of the most worthwhile trips you can take within easy reach of the capital. 

Published: 30 May 2021 09:33 CEST
Travel: Five of the best day trips by bus from Berlin
Visitors to the Klosters Unserer Lieben Frauen in Magdeburg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Peter Gercke

With Flixbus and other long distance bus services running again across the country, many towns and cities can be reached for a fraction of the price of train travel. Here are five of our top picks.

Magdeburg

Magdeburg is the state capital and second-largest city in Saxony-Anhalt. It is about a two hour bus trip from Berlin, meaning you can definitely fit a visit to the twelve hundred year old city into one day.

Magdeburg sits on the river Elbe and is characterised by its gothic medieval architecture, as well as some modern additions that were built in the aftermath of world war two bombings. One of the most eye-catching of these is the Grüne Zitadelle (Green Citadel), which was one of the last architectural designs by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

 
 
 
 
 
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Dresden

About two and a half hours south of Berlin, you will find the historic city of Dresden. One of Europe’s greatest Baroque cities, let yourself be dazzled by the beautiful architecture and elegant riverside location of the eastern city. 

Top attractions include the impressive Frauenkirche cathedral, which was painstakingly restored after it was destroyed in the second world war, the Zwinger Palace and the Semper opera house. 

READ ALSO: Travel in Germany: Here’s why you should visit Dresden

Rostock

Believe it or not, you can reach the Baltic Sea from Berlin in around two and a half hours by bus. The harbourside city of Rostock is the largest city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and was once the most important port in East Germany. 

This is the perfect city to explore the harbour by foot or boat, and if the weather is nice you can even spend a few hours lounging on the white sandy beaches. Just a short hop from the city centre, you will find yourself at Warnemünde Beach, the city’s very own seaside resort, which is known for being one of the safest and cleanest in the country. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Leipzig

Despite not being one of the most well known German cities, Leipzig has developed a reputation in recent years for being Berlin’s cool younger brother. 

Though the city is only around a two hour bus ride south of Berlin, it is a much cheaper city to live in, meaning it has become home to a lot of young people. The culture of the eastern city is youthful and vibrant, and it is home to a lot of young artists and designers.

If you visit Leipzig for the day, make sure to take a walk through the Altstadt before taking in the impressive Paulinerkirche, as well as the lively Zentrum-Süd and Südvorstadt districts. 

READ ALSO: Weekend Wanderlust: A love letter to the eastern German city of Leipzig

 
 
 
 
 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Irina Espinoza (@irinae)

Hamburg

The bus journey to Hamburg will take slightly longer, around three hours each way, but a day-trip from the capital to Germany’s second largest city is definitely still doable. 

Hamburg is one of Germany’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities, but it is also the country’s main port and sits right on the river Elbe. If you only have one day to try and see as much of the city as possible, take a stroll through the Speicherstadt, perhaps take a boat on the river, and end your day exploring the city’s St. Pauli area. 

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TRAVEL

Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts

Catch the very tail-end of the wine season and autumn foliage in one of the lesser-explored corners of the Austrian capital: Mauer.

Published: 12 November 2021 17:03 CET
Updated: 24 September 2023 08:20 CEST
Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts
Beautiful views and cosy taverns await you on the edge of Vienna. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Wine-hiking is an autumn must-do in Austria. There’s the official Wine Hiking Day (Weinwandertag) that usually draws in big crowds, but it’s also possible to follow the routes through beautiful scenery and wine taverns on your own.

Mauer in the southwest of Vienna is one of the routes that is mostly frequented by locals.


The footpath takes you through scenic vineyards. Photo: Catherine Edwards

You can reach this part of the 23rd district using Vienna’s public transport, and you have a few options. From the Hietzing station on the U4 line, you can take the tramline 60 or bus 56A. The former will take you either to Mauer’s central square or you can get off earlier at Franz-Asenbauer-Gasse to start the hike. If it’s too early in the day for wine just yet, you could start your day at the small and charming Designo cafe (Geßlgasse 6).

Otherwise, the residential area itself doesn’t have much to see, but keep an eye out as you wander between the taverns later — there are some beautiful buildings.

To start the hike, head west along Franz-Asenbauer Gasse, which will take you up into the vineyards, growing some red wine and Vienna’s specialty Gemischter Satz or ‘field blend’, which as the name suggests is a mixture of different types of grapes.

Photo: Catherine Edwards

The paved road takes a left turn, but the hiking route follows a smaller path further upwards. Here you’ll have magnificent views over the whole of Vienna.

If you stick to the official hiking route (see a map from Weinwandern here) you can keep the whole route under 5 kilometres. But more adventurous types don’t need to feel limited.

You can also follow the Stadtwanderweg 6 route (see a map here) either in full, which will add on a hefty 13 kilometres, or just in part, and venture further into the Mauerwald. If you do this, one spot to aim for is the Schießstätte, a former hunting lodge offering hearty Austrian meals.

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In any case, you should definitely take a small detour to see the Wotrubakirche, an example of brutalist architecture from the mid-1970s built on a site that was used as a barracks during the Second World War.

Not far from the church is the Pappelteich, a small pond that is not only an important habitat for local flora and fauna, but a popular picnic spot for hikers. Its only water supply is from the rain, and due to climate change the pond has almost dried out in recent years, prompting the city to take action to boost its water supply by adding a permanent pipe.


The church is made up of over 150 concrete blocks. Photo: Catherine Edwards

What you really come to Mauer for, though, are the Heuriger or Viennese wine taverns. 

The most well-known is Edlmoser (Maurer Lange Gasse 123) which has previously been named as the best in Vienna. Note that it’s not open all year so check the website, but in 2021 it should be open between November 5th and 21st, and is also serving the goose that is a popular feature on Viennese menus this time of year.

Tip for translating Heuriger opening times: look for the word ausg’steckt, which is used by those taverns which aren’t open year round. They will also often show that they’re open by attaching a bunch of green twigs to the sign or front door.


Buschenschank Grausenburger. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Also worth visiting are cosy Buschenschank Grausenburger (Maurer Lange Gasse 101a), Heuriger Wiltschko (Wittgensteinstrasse 143 — located near the start of the hiking route, this is a good place to begin your tour) and Heuriger Fuchs-Steinklammer (Jesuitensteig 28).

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