German market towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed market towns in Germany, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Annaberg-Buchholz
A mountain town in Saxony's Ore Mountains whose historic old town has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2019, alongside the surrounding histori…
Bad Neustadt an der Saale
This walkable Bavarian spa town where the Franconian Saale and Brend rivers meet, Bad Neustadt an der Saale has a centre with several historic churches, café…
Perleberg
A compact Brandenburg town with a walkable central core of cafés and restaurants, Perleberg has held city rights since 1239 and serves as the district capita…
Herzberg
A cobblestone market square anchors this small Brandenburg town, where a grand red-brick Gothic church and a stepped-gable Renaissance town hall face each ot…
Oschatz
A Saxon town between Leipzig and Dresden, Oschatz centres on a broad cobbled market square framed by a Renaissance town hall with stepped gables, an ornate f…
Mittweida
This compact Saxon market town with a cobbled central square, ornate stepped-gable facades, and a decorated stone obelisk, sitting close to the water and upl…
Eschwege
Walkable town in northeastern Hesse on the Werra river, Eschwege sits in hilly terrain with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding countryside and a centre wit…
Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz
This Bavarian town in the Upper Palatinate with a walkable old town whose skyline is defined by the towers of its historic churches, Neumarkt in der Oberpfal…
Unna
A broad market square lined with half-timbered buildings, ornate gabled facades, and open-air café seating gives this North Rhine-Westphalian town a walkable…
Buttenheim
Buttenheim, a little market town in Upper Franconia between Bamberg and Nuremberg, is the birthplace of Levi Strauss, who emigrated to the United States in 1…
Detmold
Detmold, in the Teutoburg Forest region of North Rhine-Westphalia, is home to the Hermannsdenkmal — the tallest statue in Germany — and to Germany's largest…
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg's medieval old town, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994, holds more than 2,100 timber-framed houses spanning eight centuries, making…
Hildburghausen
Hildburghausen, a small town in the southern, Franconian-influenced part of Thuringia, served as the residence capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen fr…
Neunkirchen am Brand
This compact Bavarian market town where half-timbered facades and a sandstone civic building frame a cobbled square with outdoor café seating, set in the upl…
Rheine
Compact market square anchored by a tall medieval stone church tower with a green copper spire sets the tone for this Westphalian city on the River Ems, wher…
Gifhorn
Walkable town in Lower Saxony's Lüneburg Heath, Gifhorn sits on the water with a centre that offers a range of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches.
Balingen
A walkable town in southern Baden-Württemberg with a centre full of cafés and restaurants, Balingen sits on the water near the Swabian Jura uplands, with sce…
Brand-Erbisdorf
Compact Saxon upland town with a handsome market square — featuring a stone fountain, a turreted Jugendstil building, and a Rathaus — sitting close to Freibe…
Aschersleben
Claimed to be the oldest documented town in Saxony-Anhalt, Aschersleben sits at the northeastern edge of the Harz mountains in the valley of the Eine river,…
Vacha
A compact Thuringian town on the river Werra, Vacha draws visitors with its ornate half-timbered town hall fronting a market square fountain, upland surround…
Steinfurt
A compact waterside town in North Rhine-Westphalia with cafés and restaurants concentrated in its centre, Steinfurt has served as a district capital since th…
Borna
A small Saxon town south of Leipzig with a walkable centre and cafés along the waterfront, Borna serves as the administrative seat of the Leipzig district an…
Volkach
Modest wine town on the river Main in Bavaria's Franconian wine-growing region, Volkach has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Elsterwerda
Tiny town in southwestern Brandenburg on the Black Elster river, Elsterwerda sits on the southern edge of the Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft nature park.
Beeskow
This pocket-sized town on the River Spree in Brandenburg, eastern Germany, Beeskow has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Heilbad Heiligenstadt
A spa town in the mountains of Thuringia, Heilbad Heiligenstadt has a walkable centre with a concentration of historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, and…
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn is a medieval town on the Lahn river in Hesse, Germany, known for its well-preserved old quarter of timber-framed houses and the late-Rom…
Meiningen
A former ducal capital on the River Werra in southern Thuringia, Meiningen served as the seat of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen from 1680 to 1918 and retains a…
Merzig
A walkable town on the river Saar in Saarland, Merzig has a centre with a real café and restaurant scene and vineyards in the surrounding hills.
Pfarrkirchen
This little Bavarian town on the River Rott with a café and restaurant scene and a concentration of historic churches that outpaces its size, Pfarrkirchen se…
Bischofswerda
This compact Saxon market town in eastern Germany's Upper Lusatia, with a handsome cobbled square fronted by a clock-towered town hall, colourful historic fa…
Grefrath
A compact Lower Rhine town in western Germany, with a tree-lined market square decorated with heraldic shields, a weekly market, and easy access to the Dutch…