Top Tourist Attractions in Southern Germany

The southern regions of Germany, with their wealth of natural beauty, historic sights and folk culture, are particularly attractive to tourists. This part of the country includes two Länder: Bavaria, famous for its Alps, beer and the fairytale castle of Ludwig II at Neuschwanstein, and Baden-Warttemberg, whose highlights include the Bodensee lake, Heidelberg and taking a trip on the scenic Schwarzwaldbahn railway line between Offenburg and Villingen.

Würzburg Residenz

Set in a magnificent park on the eastern outskirts of the town, this imposing bishop’s palace was built between 1720 and 1744, to a design by Balthasar Neumann.

The palace is constructed in a U-shape, with a central pavilion flanked by four two-storey courts.

Heidelberg Castle is one of Germany’s finest examples of a Gothic-Renaissance fortress. Its origins go back to the 13^th century, but new buildings sprang up around the inner courtyard during the 16th century as the castle gained importance as a royal residence.

Maulbronn Abbey, founded in the heart of the Stromberg region in 1147, is one of the best preserved abbeys in Europe. It was established by Cistercian monks with the bequest of a knight named Walter von Lomersheim and provides a graphic account of the austere life led by the monks.

Vierzehnheiligen Church, built in 1743–72 to a design by Balthasar Neumann, is one of the most famous examples of South German Rococo. The monumental “Altar of Mercy” (Gnadenaltar) includes statues of the Fourteen Saints of the

Intercession, to whom the church is dedicated.

Nördlingen Town Hall was built in the 14th century, but its present form dates from the early 17th century. Prisoners used to be held in a space beneath the external stone stairway. By the wooden entrance is a wall carving of a medieval fool bearing a German inscription that translates as “Now there are two of us.”

Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the three castles built for the Bavarian King

Ludwig II (1845–86), involving enormous effort and expenditure.

Standing on a high rock, overlooking a lake, the castle was the fulfilment of the King’s vision, which was greatly inspired by the operas of Wagner.

The Frauenkirche in Munich was completed in 1488 and features two 99-m (325-ft) high towers crowned with copper domes. The church is one of the largest in southern Germany.