German mountain villages off the beaten path.
Less-touristed mountain villages in Germany, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Eibenstock
A compact Saxon town in the forested Ore Mountains, Eibenstock pairs a Gothic church spire and ornate 19th-century civic buildings with a broad reservoir bac…
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…
Schmalkalden
Town on the Schmalkalde river at the southern edge of the Thuringian Forest, Schmalkalden sits in mountain terrain with scenic viewpoints across the surround…
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…
Rochlitz
Since June 2024, Rochlitz in Saxony has carried the official designation "Town of Red Porphyry," a nod to the distinctive volcanic stone that defines the area.
Stadt Wehlen
This small village on the right bank of the Elbe in Saxon Switzerland, Stadt Wehlen sits in the sandstone mountain terrain of the Elbsandsteingebirge and ser…
Frauenstein
A pocket-sized town in the eastern Ore Mountains of Saxony, Frauenstein sits in mountain terrain with scenic viewpoints and a castle northeast of the town ce…
Fischen
This Bavarian mountain village in the Allgäu region holds recognized status as a health-climate spa resort (heilklimatischer Kurort), set in alpine terrain w…
Baiersbronn
Baiersbronn, a town in Germany's Black Forest, holds an outsized reputation for haute cuisine — accumulating eight Michelin stars across its restaurants, a c…
Krippen
A little fishing hamlet on the Elbe in Saxony's Saxon Switzerland region, Krippen holds official spa-resort status as a Kneipp health resort and sits in moun…
Mittenwald
Violin-making has defined Mittenwald for centuries, and this small Bavarian Alpine town near the Austrian border carries that tradition alongside dramatic mo…
Neustadt an der Weinstraße
One of Germany's central wine towns, Neustadt an der Weinstraße sits along the Deutsche Weinstraße in Rhineland-Palatinate and hosts the annual Deutsche Wein…
Seiffen
Seiffen, a small village in Saxony's Ore Mountains, is Germany's centre of wooden toy and Christmas decoration making — a tradition that grew from the region…
Stolberg
This tiny historic town in the southern Harz mountains of Saxony-Anhalt, Stolberg holds several churches and a handful of cafés and restaurants for a settlem…
Zschopau
Motorcycle production has defined Zschopau since 1922, when the Zschopauer Motorenwerke began building bikes under the DKW brand — the world's first motorcyc…
Andechs
Andechs Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that has brewed beer since 1455, is the main draw to this small Bavarian town in the Starnberg district.
Geisa
This small town in the Rhön Mountains of Thuringia, Geisa sits at what was once the inner German border between East and West — the westernmost municipality…
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…
Patersberg
A tiny hamlet in the Loreley district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Patersberg sits in the Rhine wine country with scenic mountain views and is officially recogni…
Tirschenreuth
This pocket-sized Bavarian town near the Czech border, first documented in 1134, Tirschenreuth sits among a landscape of fish ponds — the Tirschenreuther Tei…
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…
Rittersgrün
This village in the Erzgebirge mountains of Saxony, Rittersgrün is known today as a winter sports and hiking destination, with a well-developed trail network…
Bad Hindelang
This Bavarian health resort in the Allgäu Alps near the Austrian border, Bad Hindelang has built its identity around a sulphur spring used for cures since th…
Gernrode
Gernrode is a little town on the northeastern edge of the Harz mountains in Saxony-Anhalt, best known for the Ottonian church of Saint Cyriakus — a collegiat…
Johanngeorgenstadt
Uranium was first isolated in 1789 from pitchblende samples taken from this modest Saxon mining town in the Ore Mountains, on the border with the Czech Repub…
Kamenz
Kamenz, a town in Saxony northeast of Dresden, is known as the birthplace of the philosopher and poet Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Neuhausen
Home to the first nutcracker museum in Europe — with a collection of more than 5,000 examples — this modest Ore Mountains town in Saxony's Mittelsachsen dist…
Kurort Oberwiesenthal
Germany's highest town sits in the Ore Mountains on the Czech border, making Kurort Oberwiesenthal a natural base for skiing and mountain recreation.
Schwarzenberg
Founded in the 12th century to protect a trade road, Schwarzenberg is a mountain town in Saxony's Ore Mountains, close to the German–Czech border, with a com…
Joehstadt
A compact Ore Mountains village in Saxony, where forested upland slopes, a church-crowned skyline, and proximity to the Czech border make it a rewarding base…
Dohna
Sitting in the Müglitz valley at the foot of the Eastern Ore Mountains, Dohna is a pocket-sized Saxon town that claims to be the second-oldest town in the Fr…
Sosa
Compact health resort village in the western Ore Mountains of Saxony, Sosa sits beside a reservoir in mountain terrain with several scenic viewpoints in the…
Bleicherode
This pocket-sized town on the river Wipper in the southern Harz Mountains of Thuringia, Bleicherode sits in mountain terrain with scenic viewpoints in the su…
Weidenberg
A pocket-sized market town in Bavaria's Bayreuth district, Weidenberg sits in mountain terrain where the Ölschnitz river meets the Red Main.
Ballenstedt
A modest town in the Harz mountains of Saxony-Anhalt, Ballenstedt has a central café and restaurant scene and sits close to scenic viewpoints in the surround…
Ebersberg
This tiny Bavarian town southeast of Munich sits at the edge of the Ebersberger Forst, one of Germany's largest continuous woodlands, offering walking and sc…
Planegg
Small Bavarian town on the river Würm, just west of Munich, with a café and restaurant scene and a number of historic churches that punch above its size.