Cultural highlights to discover across Germany for travel enthusiasts

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Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin

Museum Island is a small island on the Spree, a tributary of the Elbe that flows through Berlin. This small but mighty cultural hub is home to five major museums showcasing the best of German and international art: the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Neues Museum (New Museum), the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, and the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery).

You can pay for entry to each museum separately or opt for the Berlin WelcomeCard Museum Island, which includes a three-day pass to all the museums on the island. This is the perfect option for culture lovers who want to take their time discovering all the cultural riches of this island. Museum Island is also home to the Baroque-style Berlin Cathedral and a variety of spacious, well-designed gardens, all ideal for a picnic or a stroll.

Friedrichstadt Palace, Berlin

This legendary theatre is a must for culture lovers looking to enjoy breathtaking performances in a magnificent setting. This Berlin venue owes its international fame to three exceptional artists who helped found it in 1919: Max Reinhardt, Hans Poelzig and Erik Charell. Now a listed building, the Palast incorporates spectacular stage technology into its performances while honouring its historical legacy.

The Palast's current exhibition, an abstract performance titled “Falling | In Love” – featuring 100 million Swarovski crystals – is described as “a flourishing fantasy and explosion of colour”, curated by the renowned French designer Jean Paul Gaultier.

Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie is a magnificent concert and performance hall with its undulating roof and glass façade that often reminds visitors of the Sydney Opera House. When the Elbphilharmonie opened its doors to the public in 2016, it quickly became one of Hamburg’s most distinctive architectural wonders. The hall frequently hosts some of the world’s most renowned musicians. In November, guitarist Ana Vidovic and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra are among the artists set to perform at the Elbphilharmonie. A full list of upcoming concerts and events can be found on the Elbphilharmonie website.

If you don’t have a ticket for a show, you can still access the public viewing platform of the Elbphilharmonie. This viewing platform is very popular with newcomers to the city, as it offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of Hamburg and its harbor. It is recommended to book in advance. If you want to admire the building from a different perspective, a harbor cruise is the perfect way to do so.

Ludwig Museum, Cologne

This impressive museum is home to the largest collection of Pop Art in the world outside of the United States, and includes works by Andy Warhol, Rory Fox Lichtenstein, Piet Mondrian, Man Ray, and Salvador Dalí, to name a few. Museum Ludwig also houses the world’s third largest Picasso collection, masterpieces of Expressionism and New Objectivity, photographs from the beginnings of photography as an art form to the present day, and contemporary art by some of the most promising names in the European and international art scene. For art lovers planning a trip to Cologne, Museum Ludwig is a must-see.

Passagen Design Festival, Cologne

Attention interior design fans: The Passagen Design Festival in Cologne is an annual celebration of the home. The next edition will take place from 10 to 16 January 2025 at various locations in Cologne's Deutz and Ehrenfeld districts. The festival showcases the most exciting current design trends, with exhibitors including manufacturers, furniture stores, galleries, showrooms, design offices, institutes and universities.

Presentations on craftsmanship, architecture and the evolution of urban spaces – as well as numerous other festival events held throughout the city, such as concerts and exhibitions – ensure that design enthusiasts have plenty to think about.

Altstadt (old town), Munich

Munich's Old Town offers visitors an authentic glimpse into German history. Officially founded in 1158 by Bavarian Duke Henry the Lion, the city has seen centuries of change and was reduced to near ruins during World War II, before being completely rebuilt ahead of the 1972 Munich Olympics. Highlights of Munich's Old Town include the beautiful Marienplatz square, the imposing Frauenkirche and the Neues Rathaus (New Town Square), famous for its popular Glockenspiel songs, played at 11am and noon each day.

The Munich Residence is another must-see when visiting Munich's Old Town. The seat of government and residence of the royal family from 1508 to 1918, the Munich Residence includes the Antiquarium, a 66-meter-long Renaissance banquet hall with magnificent ceiling frescoes and antique sculptures along the walls, as well as the Green Gallery, a picture gallery that displays 70 unique works of art.

Munich Opera Festival

The next Munich Opera Festival, which dates back to 1875, will be held from 27 June to 31 July 2025. One of the central themes of the 2025 edition will be the notion of myth and its evolution over the centuries. The two opera premieres scheduled are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni and Gabriel Fauré's Penelope. The programme also includes Richard Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae, all of whose characters are inspired by Greek gods and legendary figures.

In Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, the legendary mythological creature will be revisited in the East Slavic tradition, while German and Nordic myths will be in the spotlight in Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin and Das Rheingold. Numerous chamber music concerts, recitals and Baroque performances are also on the programme, ensuring an enriching experience for opera lovers.

Leipzig Art Center

Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig is Germany’s first museum specifically designed for digital and multimedia art. The venue hosts a wide variety of immersive exhibitions, digital installations, and special events, all presented using innovative technologies and media. Its current exhibition, Dalí Cybernetics, offers visitors an extended reality experience in which Salvador Dalí’s surrealist artworks come to life through interactive and digital media.

Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig was once a thermal power station and its many multimedia installations pay homage to this history, immersing visitors in the industrial culture of the city of Leipzig.

B3 Festival of Moving Images, Frankfurt

Since its inception in 2012, the Frankfurt B3 Festival of Moving Images has aimed to spark discussions about changing trends in film, art, and virtual and augmented reality. As part of the festival, artists and media professionals from Germany and beyond share their unique visions of the future of storytelling. The next B3 Festival will explore the theme of democracy in the digital age and will take place from October 13 to 20, 2024. This year’s festival aims to explore how democracy has reached a turning point in the face of ever-changing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and how modern citizens can respond to this challenge.

These must-see locations, festivals and events give you a glimpse into the many cultural experiences Germany has to offer.

Feeling inspired? Find out more about German art and culture and visit the official website: https://www.germany.travel/en/campaign/cultureland-germany/home.html