Travel blog - Tips to explore the world on a budget
What to See in Bonn: Highlights & Tours
Jürgen Müller
08
January,
2026
Bonn, once the capital of West Germany, sits along the Rhine and combines impressive cultural sites with the charm of a smaller city. With 330,000 residents, it was Germany’s political center from 1949 to 1990, until reunification moved the government to Berlin. Even today, Bonn remains important: 20 federal ministries and many international organizations, including UN agencies, are still based here. The Museum Mile draws over a million visitors each year to its museums about postwar German history. Bonn is also famous as the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, and his influence can be felt throughout the old town, where his 1770 birth house is carefully preserved. Free walking tours show how this quiet city became a global capital, played a key role during the Cold War, and later became Germany’s “second capital” and a UNESCO City of Sustainability.
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What to See in Dusseldorf: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Jürgen Müller
07
January,
2026
Düsseldorf sits on the Rhine River and is known as Germany's fashion and media capital. The city blends luxury shopping, modern architecture, and a long-standing beer tradition, all within a walkable area. With 620,000 residents, Düsseldorf has grown from a medieval fishing village into a hub for fashion, advertising, and Japanese businesses. The Altstadt, or Old Town, is famous for its 260 bars packed into narrow streets, which locals call "the world's longest bar." MedienHafen features Frank Gehry's unique postmodern buildings. Free walking tours show how WWII bombing destroyed most of the city, but careful rebuilding kept its character and added new designs.
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What to See in Bremen: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Ava Sterling
07
January,
2026
Bremen is a 1,200-year-old Hanseatic city on the Weser River, known for its well-preserved medieval center. Highlights include the UNESCO-listed Marktplatz and the winding Schnoorviertel district. In the historic center, you’ll find the Gothic-Renaissance Town Hall (built between 1405 and 1410), the 12-meter Roland statue that stands for civic freedom, and the bronze Town Musicians sculpture from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The Schnoor area has 111 half-timbered houses from the 15th and 16th centuries, now home to artisan shops, galleries, and cozy cafes. St. Petri Cathedral, with its twin spires, stands out on the skyline, and Böttcherstraße is famous for its 1920s Expressionist buildings. The Schlachte promenade has turned the old harbor into a 2-kilometer stretch of restaurants, beer gardens, and boat tours along the river. Bremen’s walkable size, fairy-tale feel, and free walking tours make it a must-see cultural spot in northern Germany.
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What to See in Frankfurt: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Antoine Dubois
06
January,
2026
Frankfurt am Main is Germany’s fifth-largest city, known for its dense cluster of skyscrapers called “Mainhattan” and its rebuilt medieval old town. With over 1,200 years of history, it was once the coronation city of the Holy Roman Empire and is the birthplace of Goethe. After WWII bombings destroyed much of the city, Frankfurt carefully restored the half-timbered buildings in Römerberg. Today, it is a major financial center with 760,000 residents (2.5 million in the metro area), home to the European Central Bank, major banks, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The city’s heritage lives on in the reconstructed guild houses at Römerberg, the Gothic St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral, the Goethe House museum, traditional Apfelwein taverns in Sachsenhausen, and the Museumsufer galleries along the Main River. Free walking tours show how Frankfurt grew from Charlemagne’s settlement in 794 and an imperial election site to a modern financial hub, balancing its history with contemporary life.
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What to See in Freiburg: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Liam O'Connell
06
January,
2026
Freiburg im Breisgau is a vibrant city in Baden-Württemberg, located 15km from the Rhine River and 278 meters above sea level. With 900 years of history and a focus on sustainability, it is known as Europe's solar capital. Key sights include the Gothic Freiburg Münster cathedral, which Jacob Burckhardt called "the most beautiful tower on earth" in 1869, cobblestone streets lined with Bächle water channels from 1200 AD, and half-timbered houses around the market squares. Founded in 1120 by Duke Bertold III of Zähringen as a free market town, Freiburg later grew under Habsburg rule, saw the founding of Albert-Ludwigs-Universität in 1457, and overcame many challenges, including the 1944 RAF bombing that destroyed much of the old town. Careful rebuilding brought back its medieval charm. Today, about 230,000 people, including over 30,000 students, live in Germany's sunniest city, where green innovation is a way of life. The Vauban district is a car-free, solar-powered neighborhood that generates more energy than it consumes.
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