With so many unique cities throughout Germany, there are endless routes you can take to see them all. On this particular trip, we decided to hit some of the former East Germany cities and end our trip in the capital city of Berlin. Full of history, autobahns, and brats, this tour of a trip was a great way to explore the beautiful German countryside as well as some major metropolitan areas!

Nuremberg

Our journey began in the greater Stuttgart area. Our first destination was Nuremberg, known for its walled inner city and Kaiserburg – imperial castle – in the center. You may also recognize this city’s name from the famous Nuremberg Trials, an event notable for the prosecutions made against prominent members of the Nazi party following World War II.

The Pegnitz river flows right through Nuremberg, dividing the city center into two. You’ll find many bridges to cross as you make your way around the center making it an exciting place to explore.

If you’re in town for lunch or even just an afternoon snack be sure to grab a brat or maybe some “spaghetti eis”. And don’t forget you are in fact in what’s known as the “mecca of gingerbread!” Yes Nuremberg is famous for its gingerbread, or lebkuchen, so be sure to grab some while you’re at it!

On our way out of town, we also went to visit the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, where Hitler gave several of his most notorious speeches before the breakout of the second World War. About a 15 minute drive from the center of Nuremberg, you’ll find the massive Congress Hall here, inspired by the Roman Colosseum, as well as other notable sights such as the Zeppelinfeld. An interesting stop if you have the time and appreciate the significance of historical sights such as this.

Leipzig

After our afternoon in Nuremberg, it was time to head over to Leipzig for the evening. We drove for about 3 hours until we arrived in Leipzig, the largest city in the state of Saxony. Strolling through the city we were able to see all the big sights and impressive architecture in a short amount of time (a ghost town due to corona). By the time we had seen all we sought out to explore, we grabbed a doner kebab for dinner and headed out for the evening.

Meissen

The following morning we were on the road to the capital city of Saxony, Dresden. Before we arrived here, we actually took an alternate route through the town of Miessen. This was one of those spur of the moment decisions that ended up being one of the highlights of our trip! Situated along the Elbe river, the focal point of Meissen is the Albrechtsburg. To get up to this castle you can either walk up to it through Meissen’s fairytale-like streets or take a little tram up on the steeper western side of the grounds. I’d highly recommend making a little detour to visit this beautiful place! 

Dresden

From Meissen, it’s only a forty minute drive to Dresden. Also located on the Elbe river, Dresden is the third largest city in the former East Germany, following Berlin and Leipzig. Before the city was bombed in 1945, Dresden’s impressive Baroque architecture made it a jewel of a city. After many restoration efforts following the war (that are still going on today), Dresden has been able to reclaim it’s “Florence of the Elbe” title. Over time, the architecture in Dresden’s city center has gotten darker, as sandstone turns dark as it ages. This gives the city a unique feel as you walk around some of its most notable buildings such as the Frauenkirche and Zwinger Palace. 

Sächsische Schweiz National Park

The next part of our Germany road trip may have been one of my favorites. Only an hour to the east of Dresden is the Sächsische Schweiz National Park. Here you can take a little hike up to the Bastei Bridge and enjoy the stunning views of surrounding rock formations, mountains, and the Elbe river way down below. The bridge is well worth the visit, and remains one of my favorite excursions we’ve taken in Germany to date.

Potsdam

As we came nearer and nearer to Berlin, we decided to take the day to explore the city of Potsdam. We visited the Schloss Cecilienhof, where the 1945 Potsdam Conference was held between the leaders of the United Kingdom, the US, and the former Soviet Union to discuss the fate of the post-WWII world. The surrounding gardens and park made for a nice walk as well. 

A visit to the Sanssouci palace is also a must when visiting Potsdam, former Frederick the Great’s summer palace, King of Prussia at the time. The grounds surrounding Sanssouci (French for “without worry” of “carefree”) will have you wandering for hours!

Berlin

And from here it was only about 30 minutes into Berlin! We spent several days exploring the city, both by walking and scootering around. It had been many years since I last visited Berlin, so many of the sites seemed brand new to me! To read all about our Berlin ventures, check out my guide to Germany’s capital!