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Five lesser known German summer destinations to visit this year

Want to avoid the crowds this summer? Here are five of the most underrated holiday destinations in Germany.

Five lesser known German summer destinations to visit this year
Meerberg's picturesque old town in May. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Felix Kästle

Counties around Germany are starting to welcome tourists again. 

But avoiding big crowds is still a good idea this summer. Though the German government has downgraded the country’s risk status, they warn people to proceed with caution. We’re not out of the woods yet. 

READ ALSO: State by state: What are the new rules for tourism around Germany?

Luckily, Germany has loads of fantastic holiday destinations that are off the beaten track (and some are literally in the woods). These are usually overlooked for more popular destinations like Berlin and Munich and perfect for a safe summer getaway. 

Here are some of our top picks for the most beautiful lesser known holiday destinations in Germany. 

Heligoland, Schleswig-Holstein 

 
 
 
 
 
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Heligoland sounds like the name of a Dutch amusement park, but it’s actually a remarkable little island in the North Sea. It’s Germany’s only high-seas island and is reachable by ferry from Cuxhaven or Büsum. 

This compact little island (only 1.7 square kilometres!) packs a lot in. As well as a beautiful sand beach, which you might need to share with some fluffy seals, it has a museum, cinema and a mini-golf course, as well as other land and sea sports on offer. 

Heligoland is the perfect destination for those looking for a relaxing beach weekend and for wildlife lovers. The island is an oasis for sea and song birds. 

It’s also a popular destination for day tourists who take advantage of the tax-free shopping. 

Dahner Felsenland, Rheinland-Palatinate

 
 
 
 
 
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Rhineland-Palatinate is often underappreciated when it comes to German tourism. This means that as well as its stunning and unspoiled natural beauty, it’s also irresistibly affordable. 

One of the highlights of the region is the Dahner Felsenland in the Palatine Forest. It’s most famous for its colourful sandstone cliffs and caves, which crown the hills and valleys along the French border. 

As well as an attractive hiking and rock-climbing destination, it’s also home to a lot of culture. It’s home to thirteen different castles and ruins, with mysterious atmospheres and famous folktales.

If you’re looking for a more laid-back retreat, the area has you covered too: there’s an 8,000 square metre sauna nestled into the birch forest. 

Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt 

 
 
 
 
 
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This Instagram-worthy UNESCO world heritage town is just north of the Harz mountains. Twee alleys of 1,100 year-old half-timbered houses lead up to the collegiate church at the center of the town. 

But there’s more to do in Quedlinburg than glowing up your Insta feed. The town is filled to the brim with little independent galleries, history museums and cosy cafes and restaurants offering everything from local delicacies to fine dining. 

Happy shoppers will find it hard to resist the unique stores and boutiques in Quedlinburg’s historic houses. 

And for travellers with itchy feet, the nearby mountains offer an exciting escape. There are biking and hiking tours in the Harz a-plenty, each as charming as the next. 

Schrecksee, Bavaria

 
 
 
 
 
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You’ll have to pinch yourself a few times when you get to Schrecksee: the views are unreal. 

This picturesque alpine lake on the Austrian border isn’t the easiest to get to. It takes a seven hour trek on foot to get to, and so is one for the hikers, wanderers and wild campers among us. 

However, the walk over the Allgäu is breath-taking – in all senses, as the Schrecksee is at an altitude of 5,949 feet. Once you’ve reached the top, you can bathe in the refreshing water and the mysterious atmosphere of the lake. 

You can stay in the nearby Bad Hindelang, where there are plenty of luxurious hotels (but also Airbnbs and hostels!), which is famous as a spa and health resort. 

Meersburg am Bodensee, Baden-Württemberg 

 
 
 
 
 
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For those who are looking for stunning views without having to sweat for it, Meersburg is the place to be. 

Here culture reigns supreme with a whole tick-list of sights to see, including a medieval castle, a baroque palace, museums galore and lots of historical spots around the town. 

What makes Meersburg particularly special, is that on top of all this, it has a fantastic location. Nestled into a vineyard-landscape on a hill overlooking the sea, it has endless romantic viewpoints hidden along the roads and paths. 

Add to this the fresh fish, local wine and the local delicacies of sea-vegetables, and you’re sure to have a memorable and indulgent holiday here. 

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TRAVEL NEWS

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Almost 800,000 fewer UK holidaymakers have visited Spain in 2023 when compared to 2019. What’s behind this big drop?

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Spain welcomed 12.2 million UK tourists between January and July 2023, 6 percent less when compared to the same period in 2019, according to data released on Monday by Spanish tourism association Turespaña.

This represents a decrease of 793,260 British holidaymakers for Spain so far this year.

Conversely, the number of Italian (+8 percent), Irish (+15.3 percent), Portuguese (+24.8 percent), Dutch (+4 percent) and French tourists (+5 percent) visiting España in 2023 are all above the rates in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. 

German holidaymakers are together with their British counterparts the two main nationalities showing less interest in coming to Spanish shores.

Britons still represent the biggest tourist group that comes to Spain, but it’s undergoing a slump, with another recent study by Caixabank Research suggesting numbers fell particularly in June 2023 (-12.5 percent of the usual rate). 

READ ALSO: Spain fully booked for summer despite most expensive holiday prices ever

So are some Britons falling out of love with Spain? Are there clear reasons why a holiday on the Spanish coast is on fewer British holiday itineraries?

According to Caixabank Research’s report, the main reasons are “the poor macroeconomic performance of the United Kingdom, the sharp rise in rates and the weakness of the pound”.

This is evidenced in the results of a survey by British market research company Savanta, which found that one in six Britons are not going on a summer holiday this year due to the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

Practically everything, everywhere has become more expensive, and that includes holidays in Spain: hotel stays are up 44 percent, eating out is 13 percent pricier, and flights are 40 percent more on average. 

READ ALSO: How much more expensive is it to holiday in Spain this summer?

Caixabank stressed that another reason for the drop in British holidaymakers heading to Spain is that those who can afford a holiday abroad are choosing “more competitive markets” such as Turkey, Greece and Portugal. 

And there’s no doubt that the insufferably hot summer that Spain is having, with four heatwaves so far, has also dissuaded many holidaymakers from Blighty from overcooking in the Spanish sun. 

With headlines such as “This area of Spain could become too hot for tourists” or “tourists say it’s too hot to see any sights” featuring in the UK press, budding British holidaymakers are all too aware of the suffocating weather conditions Spain and other Mediterranean countries are enduring. 

Other UK outlets have urged travellers to try out the cooler Spanish north rather than the usual piping hot Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol destinations.

Another UK poll by InsureandGo found that 71 percent of the 2,000+ British respondents thought that parts of Europe such as Spain, Greece and Turkey will be too hot to visit over summer by 2027.

There’s further concern that the introduction in 2024 of the new (and delayed) ETIAS visa for non-EU visitors, which of course now also applies to UK nationals, could further compel British tourists to choose countries to holiday in rather than Spain.

READ MORE: Will British tourists need to pay for a visa waiver to enter Spain?

However, a drop in the number of British holidaymakers may not be all that bad for Spain, even though they did spend over €17 billion on their Spanish vacations in 2022. 

Towns, cities and islands across the country have been grappling with the problem of overtourism and the consequences it has on everything from quality of life for locals to rent prices. 

READ ALSO: ‘Beach closed’ – Fake signs put up in Spain’s Mallorca to dissuade tourists

The overcrowded nature of Spain’s beaches and most beautiful holiday hotspots appears to be one of the reasons why Germans are visiting Spain in far fewer numbers. A recent report in the country’s most read magazine Stern asked “if the dream is over” in their beloved Mallorca.

Spanish authorities are also seeking to overhaul the cheaper holiday package-driven model that dominates many resorts, which includes moving away from the boozy antics of young British and other European revellers.

Fewer tourists who spend more are what Spain is theoretically now looking for, and the rise in American, Japanese and European tourists other than Brits signify less of a dependence on the British market, one which tends to maintain the country’s tourism status quo for better or for worse.

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