Germany Isn’t What You Think 🇩🇪
Germany isn’t just Berlin, Munich, or Frankfurt. After living in Germany for 8 years, I’ve realized the country feels completely different than most visitors expect.
In this Germany travel video, I explore five very different regions — from Karlsruhe in the southwest to Leipzig in eastern Germany, winter landscapes in Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz), towns along the Rhine River near Mainz and Koblenz, and finally Rügen Island on the Baltic Sea.
Along the way, we visit lesser-known places in Germany, including the massive former Nazi resort at Prora — one of the longest buildings in the world — and explore how different regions of Germany feel beyond the major tourist cities. If you’re planning a trip to Germany or looking for places to visit beyond Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich, this is a side of the country many travelers never see.
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👀Watch next:
🇩🇪More videos from Germany → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlHFWceWhDiSvCYa7pDQqmccGGXqZUClw
🇪🇺More videos from Europe→ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlHFWceWhDiQYgYDT1y2EcPjoZqD1U4R4
🌎The best budget destinations 2026 → https://youtu.be/xtKHrwNJyGQ
🌏The cheapest cities for 2026 → https://youtu.be/o7wJ4dzwr2M
🌍Videos about other great places to visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlHFWceWhDiQY4ZAFy6Lc6nzYTG924cRZ
💸 Travel tips and hacks to save money → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlHFWceWhDiSyjUh9srpeM8Dz9kV59w14
00:00 Germany
01:36 Karlsruhe
04:50 Leipzig
06:00 Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz)
09:08 The Rhine Valley (Mainz, Bingen, & Koblenz)
11:01 Rügen
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43 Comments
After 8 years here, I still can’t summarize Germany in one sentence.
If you’ve been here — what surprised you most?
If you haven’t — which part of this video feels the least like what you expected?
Germany is like a better version of the mid-west. And thats why I feel so at home there when I visit.
Germany did not exist before 1870. So why do you think it should be monolithic?
Thank you for being interested in discovering Germany, not only the classic tourist places.
ICE train that works?? What a wonder🙏🙏 Germany is a failed state!! Nothing works, everything is broken: lazy arrogant administration, greedy business class, corrupt politicians, backward education system, not to mention east Germany😡😡😡 In the last 35 years, we from West Germany have spent about 2,0 trillion euros on reconstrucion of East Germany and what is the outcome? Up to 30-40 % of east Germans vote for the Nazi AfD😡🤮🤮!!! This is Germany too!!
Ultimately, the most important thing is whether you feel comfortable and settled in Germany. I suspect that after 8 years, that's probably the case… And btw… After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the easy opening of the borders for West Germans, Rügen was my very first destination. I've been there a total of four times. Greetings from the Rhine-Main area!
10:24 min. Ich weiiiss nicht was sooooll es bedeuuuuuten, dass ich sooooo trauuuurig biiiiiinn. Ein Märchen aus Uralten Zeiten, dass kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn… It's the famous Loreley.
2:19 Supreme Court btw
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I'm from Karlsruhe and I've never heard anyone talk about it on YouTube before, but it's great to see that you like our city. Great video, by the way! ❤❤❤
10:00 it's actually quite nice to take a boat on the Rhine and have a little river cruise. You can take them for day trips. You can enjoy Rheinromantik, vineyards, lots of castles (and old ruins) red cliffs, little towns along the river.
In Rüdesheim (careful, many tourists!) you can take a cable car to the top of the vineyards (open end of March until end of October and either have a nice walk back down or take the cable car again. The river cruises start here too. Or have a guided tour through a winery, a nice wine tasting and some food in romantic towns with half-timbered houses and nice cafés and wine bars.
You could also visit a castle and learn about medieval knights and robbers. Near the Lorelei, kids and adults can have fun on a summer toboggan, mini golf and a big playground.
Bring sunscreen in the hot days of the summer, there's not very much shade.
Vor wievielen Jahren wurde das gedreht? Damals gab es noch Deutsche in den Städten heute dank täglichen Einzelfällen nur noch bunte Ausländer. …. die Ausrottung der Deutschen schreitet planmäßig und zügig voran. Ich getraue mich schon seit Jahren nicht mehr Zug zu fahren oder die Innenstadt zu betreten …. nach mehreren Einkreisungen durch EinMann inkl. Drohungen mich umzubringen. Das ist übrigens erlaubt, mein Anblick beleidigt EinMann und berechtigt diesen mich straffrei zu vereinzelfallen.
Thank you very much for the insight into the "other" Germany. It depends very much on whether you are in an area that was formerly occupied by the Romans 2000 years ago. In addition to the topology, this has had a major impact on the development of our country.
Hat mir sehr gefallen.. thx 👍
Ok wie schaffst du es zwischen Leipzig und Sächsischer Schweiz Dresden zu ignorieren? Ihr musstet sogar durchfahren. 😮
Naw you skipped from Koblenz to the North sea 😂
I know it's not traditionally pretty but you could have made one stop in the second most populated region of Europe, the Ruhrgebiet. It's fine though, plenty of people know that it exists.
As a German: Thank you for this realistic, objective and non-stereotypical view on my country. Fantastic video 🙂
Smart video idea, beautiful shots, great narration.
One improvement idea: As the pacing and the switching between locations is pretty fast, the video might be hard to follow for people without prior knowledge.
A map of Germany in the corner that outlines the regions or cities you are talking about would have been useful for tourists making travel plans.
The good side of Germany is the left Rhine side 😉
Your summary is great, but it misses out on lots of “really beautiful places” that you might not see at first glance… For example: besides Sylt, there are lots of other extremely beautiful islands as Fehmahrn and Rügen (is also expensive), not islands: but also Wangerland and Horum-Schillig or Cuxhaven… less high society, but very beautiful beaches.
In the south, Tübingen, Heidelberg, Metzingen, and and Bad Urach with their castles and caves are great places.
Keep up the good work 🙂,
Love that you place Saxon Switzerland 'near' Leipzig 🙂 Both absolutely worth a visit. You should do Leipzig on the Whitsun weekend – Wave Gotik Meet, the biggest in Europe. Beautiful clothes, loads of friendly vibes.
I am from Oberfranken ( Upper Franconia). We have alot of excellent quality breweries and beautiful landscapes.
I miss that you didnt look behind the scenes enough. In compasion to 20 years ago many things are disfunctional. In my opinion the city of Berlin is failed state. It turned into a shithole.
Lived here over 40 years. Once fantastic, it is turning into a socialist shithole.
9:33 totally reshaped europe?! You idiot!
Unfortunatly Germany is destreoyed by the established poltical parties – so only about 5-10 years to see what it was in some places.
Showing leipzig, then saxon switzerland, but not Dresden must be a crime😂!
Pigs don´t get cold , Pudge . .
You´re trying to sell something and in Germany . Do you know what happened to the J3Ws ??? Merchandise ?? Aren´t they the krauts no one wanted ? East Germany !
Thank you for showing other parts of Germany then Bavaria or Berlin. There is so much more here.👍🏼
0:48 Thats what i as a german are sick abourt….. Only tourists visiting Brelin, Hamburg, Köln, Munich and maby Leipzig….. Germany have so much more like Black Forest, Lake Constance, the City of Freiburg, Football teams that arent Bayern and Dortmind but Teams like Stuttgarter Kickers, SC Freiburg, Offenbach and so many more that worth a Visit. We also have so many Castles. So Please tell me why? Why are tourists always visit the places eaven People who live 3 Years here are sick of? Why cant you use google and search for places yourself ore did you realy beleve every traveling agency and they all say: Go to Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and all the places i sayed earlier? Whats with all that Bullshit?
2:42 You dont have to but before you throw your Old Books away bring it to a Place like that and some others have a happy time with it
So Saxon Switzerland is supposed to be near Leipzig. That's laughable.
I think what nearly every visitor or non-German forgets is how badly fractured "Germany" was over the centuries. Heck, "Deutschland" didn't even exited for a long time. That leaves a strong mark and that's why we are so spread out and decentralized.
I am from East Germany and I would not voluntarily set foot in Saxon Switzerland, and anyone who has spent even a few months in Germany knows why you shouldn't.
Thanks for showing other sides of Germany too. Most "American in Germany"-influencers stick to the nice university cities of western and southern Germany and tell the cliche of "structured and clean cities, many public transport options…" and don't even realize, that life in central, eastern and northern Germany is different. And if you stray away from the cities into the rural areas, you'll find even more differences.
It feels more Scandinavian than southern Germany???
Love and prayers from Bavaria
Germany is one thing though: Its Germany. You stayed long enough to notice the nuances and differences, but not long enough to experience what unites us.
Whaaaaaaaat ? Germany is Not only beer, sausages and Lederhosen? I‘m shocked
OMG–Bingen is not Hessen!! If mention that in Bingen you might end in the river. Ther Region is called Rheinhessen, but the Bundesland is Rheinland-Pfalz
Aw man….i live in Karlsruhe and I used to talk trash about it. "It's nice but unremarkable – no one would ever make an effort to visit it." Now i can't anymore
When I travel by train I always book a seat, even if it costs a fee, I rather know I have a seat guaranteed. And I do not have to squeeze through the train until you find an unreserved seat. And I can choose where I like to sit when i reserve. Is this just an example of German efficiency? Why would you not reserve? unless you travel last minute.
Please visit one day the north western part of Germany. The Wadden Sea is amazing but please get a guide! Never walk alone through the ocean. Also visit some of the East Frisian Island – Juist is my favourite and in summer it's wonderful! I love to swim in the North Sea when I'm there in summer. Lüneburg and Lüneburger Heide, Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck and so on are also amazing places.