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TRAVEL

10 unforgettable places to stay in Germany

Whether you want to catnap in a castle, sleep in a sportscar or bunk in a brewery, it is all possible on a holiday in Germany.

Published: 5 March 2024 09:17 CET
Updated: 18 March 2024 15:22 CET
10 unforgettable places to stay in Germany
Burg Stolpen was once the gilded prison of Ana Constantia, Countess of Cosel, disgraced mistress of the Duke of Saxony. Now, it's a luxury hotel. Photo: Maxmann / Pixabay

In fact, the country has such a wealth of unique and fascinating hotels, hostels and other accommodations that any series listing them could easily extend over several instalments. 

However, for those seeking an introduction to how unique German hospitality can be, here are ten unforgettable places to stay across the sixteen federal states.

Zum Roten Bären
Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg

Let’s start at the beginning. No, really.

Zum Roten Bären, located in the heart of the university city of Freiburg am Briesgau, is Germany’s oldest continuously operating hotel. To be precise, 51 landlords have been welcoming guests since 1120. In fact, archaeological excavations have revealed that the building predates the city surrounding it!

Don’t think the age of the place means spartan conditions – Zum Roten Bären hosts a restaurant renowned in the region, and the rooms boast modern comforts while tastefully honouring the heritage of the beloved inn. 

V8 Motorworld Hotels
Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg

The Stuttgart region gave the world the motor car, and this contribution is honoured at the V8 Motorworld Hotels – the Superior and Classic. 

Both are part of the enormous Motorworld complex developed on the site of the old Böblingen Airport, where revheads come for tradeshows, swap meets and other automotive-themed events.

Each room in the two hotels is outfitted with beds made from original cars and features art themed around motorsports. 

Each hotel also has a restaurant revered throughout the region by local American populations for its offerings, from Tex-Mex to barbecue. 

Baumhaus Dörfle
Seelbach, Baden-Württemberg

This one is ideal for those on a Black Forest break. The three treehouses that constitute the Baumhaus Dorfle, part of the Ferienparadies Schwarzwälder Hof holiday park, are warm and cosy, each with a balcony offering a beautiful view of the surrounding forest. 

Close to the historic city of Lahr and surrounded by some of Germany’s most outstanding hiking trails, there’s everything required for a relaxation vacation, far from the noise and movement of city life.

Hotel Wasserturm 
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia

Sure, this hotel is built within one of the water towers that used to supply Cologne. Still, Hotel Wasserturm prides itself on offering boutique accommodation and unparalleled views of one of Germany’s oldest cities. 

Once you’ve fortified yourself with a cocktail from Bar Botanik, many of the city’s most fantastic attractions, such as the cathedral, are less than a 10-minute walk away. 

Hotel Adlon
Berlin, Berlin

Infamous as the hotel from which Michael Jackson dangled baby ‘Blanket’, this Berlin icon is so, so much more than that brief event. 

The original Hotel Adlon was opened by hotelier Lorenz Adlon in 1907 and became famous across Europe for its luxury furnishings and impeccable hospitality. 

The Hotel Adlon was a celebrity watering hole throughout the twenties and early thirties – Marlene Dietrich and Josephine Baker were regular guests. Even the arrival of the Nazis couldn’t dim its light, with many party luminaries spending their evenings there. 

Largely destroyed in the dying days of World War II, the hotel managed to operate in part until 1984, even behind the Iron Curtain (only metres away, as the Brandenburg Gate divided the two Berlins). 

In 1997 the entire complex was rebuilt and reopened by the Kampinski group and has only thrived since as Berlin booms.  

Hotel Gotisches Haus
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria

Starting as a food storage house for nearby monks, this unassuming building was rapidly spotlighted in the 15th century.  

Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III and his son, the future Emperor Maximilian I, came to stay for two weeks in 1474 – Friedrich published edicts. He received visitors in the Gotisches Haus while Maximilian partied and enjoyed the local nightlife.

This gave the place a bit of a profile boost, and the building served as the home of several wealthy figures throughout the centuries.

In 1969, as tourism began to take off in the storybook-perfect town, it was purchased and renovated as a boutique hotel. 

Now, each of the eleven rooms echoes the grandeur of the 15th-century Holy Roman Empire, albeit with subtle differences in design. 

Hüttenpalast
Berlin, Berlin

If the extravagant surroundings of Hotel Adlon aren’t to your liking, but you still want to spend a night in comfort, head to the hipster hotspot of Neukölln, where Hüttenpalast offers caravan stays in a renovated factory.

Each caravan across two halls has been renovated and brought up to provide a comfortable and unique experience for visitors – although they don’t have their own toilets and showers, they’re provided communally. 

Still, being a short walk away from trendy Kreuzberg and fifteen minutes away from the action in Alexanderplatz, this quirky hostel offers a typical Berlin experience. 

Burg Hotel Stolpen
Stolpen, Saxony

Part of the Burg Stolpen complex, Burghotel Stolpen sits on the same basalt protrusion on which the ruined 15th-century castle is situated. 

Originally a castle protecting the lands of the Bishops of Meissen, the castle came into the hands of the Dukes of Saxony, where it enters popular myth and legend.

Burg Stolpen was, for over forty years, the prison in which Anna Constantia, Countess of Cosel, was imprisoned by Duke August the Strong between 1716 and her death in 1765. 

An intelligent, quick-witted woman, albeit conceited, the Duke’s mistress had ruffled one too many feathers and had tried to interfere in strategic pairings. 

Hotel guests can explore the tower in which Ana Constantia was held and learn more about her scandalous life in a small museum. 

Luckily, they also have a much wider choice of rooms – and a stunning restaurant in which to dine.

Still, the place can’t have been all that bad. Many legends in the region speak of Ana Constantia never really leaving the castle – she’s been spotted wandering around her former digs, albeit in a less-than-corporeal state. 

Kloster Hornbach
Hornbach, Rhineland-Palatinate

Kloster Hornbach – or Hornbach Abbey – is old. First founded in 741, it was one of the region’s most potent monastic foundations and was a pilgrimage site, for it was where the remains of Saint Pirmin, a Merovingian missionary, were kept. It drew the faithful from hundreds of kilometres around for hundreds of years.

Unfortunately, as with most large institutions so close to the French border, Kloster Hornbach was either raided, burned or used as target practice by the French at several intervals over the centuries, despite efforts to maintain a school on the grounds after the monastery closed in the 16th century.

In the early 21st century, the abbey buildings were turned into a hotel, Hotel Kloster Hornbach, meant to evoke the peace and tranquillity of the monastic lifestyle – albeit with everything you’d want from a modern boutique hotel. 

After touring the local vineyards, playing golf, and perhaps straying across the border into France, visit the Abbey Museum. There, you can learn about several locals, including Hieronymous Bock, who has been called ‘the Father of Botany’. 

Brauerei Fassla
Bamberg, Bavaria

You didn’t think we’d get through this list without a beer-themed hotel, did you?

With a UNESCO-protected Old Town unsurpassed in its preserved state, Bamberg was also once home to more breweries than almost anywhere else in the former Holy Roman Empire. 

It’s mainly well known for Rauchbier – smoked beer. It’s an acquired taste but quickly addictive.

Here’s one thing they need to tell you about many of Bamberg’s breweries: they offer room for travellers. 

While less luxurious than many hotels, they’re very comfortable, clean, and great value. Best of all, you’re close to the action.

Brauerei Fassla offers rooms and is close to all the city’s attractions. Of course, it also has a brewpub and a restaurant where you can recharge after a long day of sightseeing. You can rest assured of the quality too – these guys have been doing their thing since 1649!

Do you have any recommendations for unforgettable stays in Germany? Let us know in the comments! 

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COLOGNE

What to do, see and eat on a budget-friendly break in Cologne

Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany, with a history stretching back just over 2,000 years. It’s a past full of old Roman bones, Gothic architecture and world-famous fine fragrances. But it's possible to explore without breaking the bank.

Published: 5 April 2024 14:40 CEST
What to do, see and eat on a budget-friendly break in Cologne

You could spend months exploring Cologne, but most of us don’t have the time or resources.

Therefore, here’s what to do, see and eat during a weekend in one of Europe’s cultural capitals. 

DO

Cologne is a very walkable city, and it’s easy to get between the main sights, such as the iconic Hohenzollern Bridge and the historic Altstadt or old town. That said, it’s also well-served by an excellent public transport network. 

The most up-to-date schedules and journey planners are available through the KVB or Deutsche Bahn apps. 

READ ALSO: 10 facts you probably didn’t know about Cologne (even if you live there)

To get around, the KölnCard is your best option. Not only will it get you everywhere you want to be within the areas visited by tourists, but it can give you up to a 50 percent discount on selected attractions.

The KölnCard can be purchased at the tourist information centre, or KVB ticket machines at public transport stops. 

SEE

The first thing you’ll likely see upon arriving in Cologne is the Kölner Dom or Cologne Cathedral. (Domkloster 4, 50667). 

While there’s been some sort of church on the site since the 17th century, the current Gothic masterpiece began construction in 1248 and, due to war, plague and economic turmoils, was not completed until 1880. Indeed, a crane sat atop one of the incomplete towers for centuries. 

The cathedral is one of the holiest pilgrimage sights in Christianity, as tradition holds that the relics of the Three Wise Men are housed there in a reliquary.

Cologne cathedral

Cologne’s cathedral is one of the world’s most important Gothic masterpieces – it took over 600 years to build! Photo: Bea61 / Pixabay

READ ALSO: Eight things you probably didn’t know about Cologne Cathedral

You can spend hours drinking in the gorgeous medieval paintings and carvings, flooded with golden light streaming through the windows. 

With a €10 ticket per adult, you can enter the cathedral and the treasury, which holds even more stunning treasures. 

However, Cologne was occupied way further back than the Middle Ages. Cologne, or Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium as it was known, was an important Roman city founded in the first decades of the first century. 

While Roman remains can be found everywhere in Cologne – in the crypts of many churches, for example – many of the best-preserved artefacts and evidence of everyday Roman life are kept in the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, or Romano-German Museum (Cäcilienstraße 46, 50667). 

Everything you might expect from a bustling Roman provincial capital, from tiny, intricate jewellery pieces to monumental arches that led into the city, can be found here. Tickets for adults are €6. 

Another quite peculiar legacy of the Romans can be found in the Basilica of St. Ursula (Ursulaplatz 24, 50668). Locals uncovered a Roman cemetery in the early Middle Ages, which contained hundreds of burials and thousands of bones. 

Somehow, these were conflated with the legend of St Ursula, an English princess whom the Huns martyred along with eleven other virgins (and who eventually grew to 11,000). 

These bones now adorn the basilica’s Goldene Kammer or ‘Golden Chamber’, arranged in fantastic designs such as letters, numbers and geometric patterns. 

It’s something you’re rarely likely to have seen before. Best of all, photography is permitted, and entrance is free. 

The incredible interior of the Goldene Kammer, or ‘Golden Chamber’ in the Basilica of St Ursula. Photo: Mike Stuchbery / The Local

For something completely different, head over to the Farina Duftmuseum, or Farina Fragrance Museum. 

Cologne is world-renowned for its contribution to perfumery. Indeed, the city gave its name to the fragrances worn by men. 

This is mainly due to the work of Johann Maria Farina, who, together with his brother, established a perfumery in the eighteenth century that became spectacularly successful across Europe with their ‘Eau de Cologne’. 

The Farina Fragrance Museum not only tells the story of the family firm but also explains the production process in detail and demonstrates how the scent is manufactured. 

Tickets cost €8 per adult, and yes, there’s a gift shop with bottles of all shapes and sizes to take home. 

EAT AND DRINK

In Cologne—and especially when staying there on a budget—there’s no other place for snacks and quick meals like a Büdchen or Kiosk. 

Like the legendary Berlin Späti, these are places open all hours of the day for anything you may need and serving simple but good food. 

Pico Coffee (Neusserplatz, 50670) is one of the city’s most beloved Büdchen. Don’t let the name fool you—they also serve breakfast, sandwiches, crepes and other snacks, in addition to takeaway essentials and fantastic coffee. 

Carnival start

A woman holding a greeting sign of ‘Alaaf’ to mark the start of Cologne’s Carnival season on November 11th, 2022. picture alliance/dpa | Rolf Vennenbernd

Another cult Cologne Büdchen is Kölnkiosk (Brüsselerstraße 39 – 41, 50674), a very popular neighbourhood venue that serves a constantly changing menu of small bites to larger meals. You’ll recognise it with a riot of bright pink!

Locals also swear by Weinhaus Vogel (Eigelstein 74, 50668) a neighbourhood institution with cheap, filling regional fare that’s been keeping customers happy since 1898. 

Finally, get a taste of real local flavour at Knippschild Werk 2 (An der Kemperwiese, 451069), where you can enjoy a cold Kölsch beer alongside a selection of hearty, good-value German dishes. 

Have any recommendations for things to do, see or eat in Cologne? Let us know in the comments.

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