German coast and islands off the beaten path.
Less-touristed coastal towns and islands in Germany, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Schönau am Königssee
This photogenic tiny town in the Bavarian Alps at the northern end of the Königssee, a fjord-like lake reaching depths of up to 190 metres and home to the ch…
Wasserburg am Inn
This modest Bavarian town whose historic centre occupies a peninsula formed by a loop of the river Inn, Wasserburg am Inn has a strong café and restaurant sc…
Borkum
Germany's largest East Frisian Island by area, Borkum sits in the Wadden Sea off Lower Saxony and has built its economy almost entirely around tourism since…
Langeoog
One of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands in Germany's Lower Saxon Wadden Sea, Langeoog is a dune island with a long sandy beach, cycle paths, and a na…
Husum
Birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who called it "the grey town by the sea," Husum is a walkable North Sea town in Schleswig-Holstein with a café-fill…
Ratzeburg
Surrounded by four lakes and connected to the mainland only by three causeways, Ratzeburg is a small island-town in Schleswig-Holstein whose old town sits en…
Leer
This waterfront town on the rivers Ems and Leda in East Frisia, northwestern Germany, Leer has a well-preserved old town that locals call the most historical…
Baltrum
The smallest of the inhabited East Frisian Islands, this tiny North Sea barrier island off the coast of Lower Saxony offers dune landscapes, beaches, and sce…
Reit im Winkl
This Bavarian village on the German-Austrian border known for reliable snowfall and a ski resort that earned Germany's first-ever Premium Winter Trails Certi…
Wolgast
Wolgast is a small town in northeastern Germany on the Peenestrom, facing the island of Usedom, which it serves as a gateway.
Putbus
Founded in 1810 by Prince Wilhelm Malte zu Putbus as a planned Classicist residence town, Putbus is the oldest seaside resort on the Baltic island of Rügen,…
Havelberg
A pocket-sized town in Saxony-Anhalt where part of the centre is built on an island in the Havel river, Havelberg sits directly on the water with cafés and r…
Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg is known as the "City of Four Gates" for its four medieval city gates, and holds what is described as the world's best-preserved defensive wal…
Greetsiel
This pocket-sized fishing port on the Leybucht bight in western East Frisia, Greetsiel draws a notably dense café and restaurant scene for its size, with the…
Spiekeroog
A car-free East Frisian Island in the North Sea off Lower Saxony, Spiekeroog sits within the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Lower Saxon Wadden…
Hemer
A town in the northern Sauerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hemer takes its nickname — Felsenmeerstadt, or "Sea of Rocks City" — from the Felsenmeer,…