Flughafen Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Usage
Germany's largest airport, about 12 km southwest of central Frankfurt, with its own long-distance ICE railway station
Flughafen München
Munich Airport (MUC)
Usage
Germany's second-busiest airport, officially Franz Josef Strauss Airport; about 45 minutes from the city on S-Bahn lines S1 and S8
Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Usage
Berlin's only airport, in the southeastern suburbs; the underground station links to Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes
Flughafen Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
Usage
Main airport of western Germany, about 8 km north of Düsseldorf, the city with Germany's largest Japanese community
Flughafen Hamburg
Hamburg Airport (HAM)
Usage
Airport in northern Hamburg, about 25 minutes from the main station on the S1; the platform sign reads "Hamburg Airport (Flughafen)"
Flughafen Köln/Bonn
Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN)
Usage
Airport between Cologne and Bonn, a major low-cost carrier base, about 15 minutes by train from Köln Hauptbahnhof
Flughafen Stuttgart
Stuttgart Airport (STR)
Usage
About 13 km south of central Stuttgart, next to the trade fair grounds; S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 run into the city
Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Berlin Central Station (Berlin Hbf)
Usage
Berlin's main railway hub on two levels, served by ICE, S-Bahn and U5; signs abbreviate it as "Berlin Hbf"
Berlin Ostbahnhof
Berlin Ostbahnhof (East Station)
Usage
Long-distance station in eastern Berlin, close to the East Side Gallery and the Mercedes-Platz arena district
Berlin Südkreuz
Usage
Interchange in southern Berlin where ICE trains meet the S-Bahn ring; the FEX airport express also stops here
Berlin Gesundbrunnen
Usage
Interchange in northern Berlin for long-distance trains and the S-Bahn ring, also served by the U8
München Hauptbahnhof
Munich Central Station (München Hbf)
Usage
Bavaria's largest station, hub for every S-Bahn line plus U1, U2, U4 and U5, with international trains toward Austria
München Ost
München Ost (Munich East Station)
Usage
Long-distance station in eastern Munich, still called "Ostbahnhof" locally, next to the Werksviertel nightlife quarter
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
Hamburg Central Station (Hamburg Hbf)
Usage
Germany's busiest railway station, at the eastern end of the Alster lakes, connecting S-Bahn and U1, U2, U3
Hamburg Dammtor
Usage
Central Hamburg station next to the congress centre, the Planten un Blomen park and the university
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof
Frankfurt Central Station (Frankfurt (Main) Hbf)
Usage
Huge terminus at the centre of the German rail network, with international ICE services and all city U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines
Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbahnhof
Frankfurt Airport long-distance station
Usage
ICE station attached to Frankfurt Airport Terminal 1 with direct trains to Cologne and Stuttgart; local trains use the separate Regionalbahnhof
Köln Hauptbahnhof
Cologne Central Station (Köln Hbf)
Usage
Station right beside Cologne Cathedral — the cathedral is directly outside the exit; paired with Köln Messe/Deutz across the Rhine
Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof
Düsseldorf Central Station (Düsseldorf Hbf)
Usage
Düsseldorf's rail hub; Immermannstraße, the city's Japanese quarter, starts right outside the station
Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
Stuttgart Central Station (Stuttgart Hbf)
Usage
Station known for the tower topped with the Mercedes-Benz star; the long-running "Stuttgart 21" rebuild is moving it underground
Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
Leipzig Central Station (Leipzig Hbf)
Usage
One of Europe's largest terminus stations, with over 100 shops inside, serving as the gateway to the city centre
Dresden Hauptbahnhof
Dresden Central Station (Dresden Hbf)
Usage
Dresden's main station, a few tram stops from the old town with the Frauenkirche and the Zwinger
Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof
Nuremberg Central Station (Nürnberg Hbf)
Usage
Station just outside the old town wall, about a 10-minute walk from the Christmas market square
Hannover Hauptbahnhof
Hanover Central Station (Hannover Hbf)
Usage
Major interchange in northern Germany; the trade fair grounds are about 15 minutes away by S-Bahn
Alexanderplatz
Usage
Central square of former East Berlin with the TV tower and the World Clock; a major interchange for S-Bahn, U2, U5, U8 and trams
Friedrichstraße
Usage
Central Berlin station that was a border checkpoint during the division; the "Palace of Tears" pavilion remains, and Brandenburg Gate is walkable
Zoologischer Garten
Zoologischer Garten (Berlin Zoo station)
Usage
Main station of former West Berlin, known as "Bahnhof Zoo", at the entrance to Berlin Zoo and the Kurfürstendamm shopping street
Potsdamer Platz
Usage
High-rise quarter rebuilt on the former death strip of the Berlin Wall, home of the Berlinale film festival, with Wall segments displayed outside
Hackescher Markt
Usage
S-Bahn station in Berlin's Mitte district, next to the Hackesche Höfe courtyards and a dense cafe and bar quarter
Warschauer Straße
Usage
S-Bahn and U1/U3 station at the heart of Friedrichshain nightlife, near the East Side Gallery and the Oberbaum Bridge
Ostkreuz
Usage
Eastern Berlin interchange where the S-Bahn ring crosses the east-west lines; the FEX airport express calls here
Kottbusser Tor
Usage
U1/U3/U8 station in Kreuzberg with a large Turkish community, street food and late-night bars; locals call it "Kotti"
Hermannplatz
Usage
U7/U8 interchange in Neukölln, the centre of a district full of Middle Eastern grocers and kebab shops
Nollendorfplatz
Usage
U1/U2/U3/U4 interchange in Schöneberg, known as the historic centre of Berlin's LGBTQ scene
Kurfürstendamm
Usage
Main shopping boulevard of former West Berlin with its own U1/U9 station; locally called "Ku'damm", lined with designer shops and department stores
Marienplatz
Usage
Central square of Munich's old town, famous for the New Town Hall glockenspiel; served by all S-Bahn lines and U3/U6
Karlsplatz (Stachus)
Usage
Western gateway to Munich's old town, called "Stachus" by locals, with a fountain and underground mall; served by S-Bahn and U4/U5
Odeonsplatz
Usage
Munich U3/U4/U5/U6 station beside the Residenz royal palace and the southern end of the English Garden
Sendlinger Tor
Usage
Square with a surviving medieval gate southwest of Munich's old town; interchange for U1, U2, U3, U6 and trams
Theresienwiese
Usage
Large event ground in central Munich where Oktoberfest is held, with its own U4/U5 station
Fröttmaning
Usage
U6 station in northern Munich, the stop for the Allianz Arena football stadium
Jungfernstieg
Usage
Hamburg's central promenade and the station named after it, facing the Inner Alster lake, where U1, U2, U4 and the S-Bahn meet
Landungsbrücken
Usage
Hamburg's floating landing stages where harbour ferries and sightseeing boats depart, served by the U3 and S-Bahn
Sternschanze
Usage
Station in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel, a young district of independent cafes, vintage shops and bars
Reeperbahn
Usage
Hamburg's St. Pauli entertainment strip and the S-Bahn station named after it, lined with theatres, clubs and red-light venues
Baumwall
Usage
Hamburg U3 station for the Elbphilharmonie and HafenCity; the platform sign carries "Elbphilharmonie" alongside the name
Berlin
Usage
Germany's capital and largest city, itself one of the federal states, entirely surrounded by the state of Brandenburg
München
Munich
Usage
Capital of Bavaria and Germany's third-largest city, base for beer culture and Alpine trips; note the German spelling differs from "Munich"
Hamburg
Usage
Germany's second-largest city and biggest port, on the Elbe river, and a federal state in its own right
Köln
Cologne
Usage
Germany's fourth-largest city on the Rhine, known for its cathedral, carnival and Kölsch beer; called Cologne in English
Frankfurt am Main
Usage
Financial city in Hesse and seat of the European Central Bank; "am Main" distinguishes it from Frankfurt (Oder) near the Polish border
Stuttgart
Usage
Capital of Baden-Württemberg, home of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, each with its own museum in the city
Düsseldorf
Usage
Capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, known for its Rhine-side old town and Altbier, and for one of Europe's largest Japanese communities
Leipzig
Usage
Largest city in Saxony, home to the Thomaskirche where Bach worked and the site of the 1989 Monday demonstrations
Dresden
Usage
Capital of Saxony, called the "Florence on the Elbe" for its baroque architecture along the river
Nürnberg
Nuremberg
Usage
Main city of the Franconia region in northern Bavaria, famous for its walled old town and Christmas market
Hannover
Hanover
Usage
Capital of Lower Saxony with one of the world's largest trade fair grounds, said to be where the most standard German is spoken
Bonn
Usage
City on the Rhine that served as West Germany's capital from 1949 to 1990; Beethoven's birthplace is here
Heidelberg
Usage
University town on the Neckar river with Germany's oldest university and a hilltop castle ruin, about an hour from Frankfurt
Freiburg im Breisgau
Usage
Gateway to the southwestern Black Forest, known for the Bächle water channels running through its old town and for its green policies
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Usage
Medieval town on the Romantic Road with fully intact walls and half-timbered houses; the long name distinguishes it from other Rothenburgs
Würzburg
Usage
Northern start of the Romantic Road, known for the UNESCO-listed Residenz palace and Franconian wine
Regensburg
Usage
Old Bavarian city on the Danube whose medieval centre survived the war intact and is UNESCO-listed
Trier
Usage
Germany's oldest city, on the Moselle near the Luxembourg border, with extensive Roman remains
Potsdam
Usage
Capital of Brandenburg just southwest of Berlin, with royal palaces and Cecilienhof where the Potsdam Conference was held; reachable on the S7
Bayern
Bavaria
Usage
Germany's largest state, in the southeast, capital Munich; contains the Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle and the Romantic Road
Baden-Württemberg
Usage
State in southwestern Germany, capital Stuttgart, containing the Black Forest, Heidelberg and Lake Constance
Nordrhein-Westfalen
North Rhine-Westphalia
Usage
Germany's most populous state, in the west, capital Düsseldorf, taking in Cologne, Bonn and the Ruhr industrial area
Sachsen
Saxony
Usage
Eastern German state bordering Czechia and Poland, capital Dresden, also home to Leipzig
Brandenburger Tor
Brandenburg Gate
Usage
18th-century triumphal gate that symbolises Berlin, at the western end of Unter den Linden, with its own S-Bahn and U-Bahn station
Reichstagsgebäude
Reichstag Building
Usage
Seat of the German parliament in Berlin; the glass dome can be visited free with advance registration, just north of the Brandenburg Gate
Berliner Fernsehturm
Berlin TV Tower
Usage
368 m tower on Alexanderplatz, the tallest structure in Germany, with an observation deck and revolving restaurant
Checkpoint Charlie
Usage
Site of the Cold War crossing point between East and West Berlin on Friedrichstraße; nearest station is U6 Kochstraße
East Side Gallery
Usage
Open-air gallery of murals on a 1.3 km surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall along the Spree, between Warschauer Straße and Ostbahnhof
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Usage
Church whose war-damaged tower was deliberately left in ruins, at the eastern end of the Ku'damm; locals shorten it to "Gedächtniskirche"
Schloss Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg Palace
Usage
Largest surviving Prussian palace in western Berlin, with a baroque garden, reached from the centre by U7 and bus
Gendarmenmarkt
Usage
Square in Berlin-Mitte framed by the concert hall and two cathedrals; hosts a Christmas market in winter
Englischer Garten
English Garden
Usage
Huge park in central Munich, known for the Chinese Tower beer garden and the Eisbach standing wave where surfers ride the river
Schloss Nymphenburg
Nymphenburg Palace
Usage
Bavarian royal summer palace in western Munich with extensive gardens and a carriage museum, reached by tram 17
Hofbräuhaus
Usage
Beer hall in Munich's old town founded in the 16th century, five minutes from Marienplatz; formally Hofbräuhaus am Platzl
Viktualienmarkt
Usage
Permanent food market just south of Marienplatz, running for over 200 years, with a beer garden at its centre
Deutsches Museum
Usage
One of the world's largest science and technology museums, on an island in Munich's Isar river, displaying real aircraft and a submarine
Residenz München
Munich Residenz
Usage
City palace of the Bavarian rulers, a large museum complex with a treasury and theatre, right by Odeonsplatz station
Elbphilharmonie
Usage
Wave-shaped concert hall in Hamburg's HafenCity; the 8th-floor Plaza viewing terrace is free to enter
Speicherstadt
Usage
UNESCO-listed district of red-brick warehouses along Hamburg's canals, just east of the Elbphilharmonie
Heidelberger Schloss
Heidelberg Castle
Usage
Red sandstone castle ruin overlooking Heidelberg's old town, reached by the Bergbahn funicular
Frauenkirche Dresden
Usage
Church in Dresden's old town destroyed in the 1945 bombing and rebuilt by 2005; the dome can be climbed
Zwinger
Zwinger Palace
Usage
Baroque complex in Dresden's old town housing the Old Masters gallery and porcelain collection; the courtyard is freely accessible
Porta Nigra
Usage
2nd-century Roman city gate in Trier, a UNESCO site standing at the northern entrance to the old town
Rhein
Rhine
Usage
Major river running from Switzerland to the Netherlands through Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz; its middle gorge is a UNESCO site
Elbe
Usage
River flowing from Czechia to the North Sea through Dresden and Hamburg, whose port lies near its mouth
Bodensee
Lake Constance
Usage
Lake shared by Germany, Switzerland and Austria; Konstanz and Lindau are the German bases, and ferries link all three countries
Sylt
Usage
Germany's northernmost North Sea resort island, linked to the mainland by a railway causeway on which cars are carried by train
Wien
Vienna
Usage
Capital of Austria on the Danube, city of classical music and imperial architecture; called Vienna in English
Wien Hauptbahnhof
Vienna Central Station (Wien Hbf)
Usage
Main station of Vienna, Austria, opened in 2014, with international trains toward Munich, Prague and Budapest
Flughafen Wien
Vienna Airport (VIE)
Usage
Austria's main airport, at Schwechat southeast of Vienna; the CAT train or S7 runs into the city
Salzburg
Usage
City in western Austria, Mozart's birthplace and the setting of "The Sound of Music", about 90 minutes by train from Munich
Innsbruck
Usage
Capital of Tyrol in Austria, ringed by the Alps and a ski base that has hosted the Winter Olympics twice
Stephansdom
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Usage
Gothic cathedral at the centre of Vienna's old town in Austria, directly above the U1/U3 Stephansplatz station
Schloss Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn Palace
Usage
Habsburg summer palace in western Vienna, Austria, a UNESCO site; the nearest station is Schönbrunn on the U4
Zürich
Zurich
Usage
Switzerland's largest city and financial centre, in the German-speaking part of the country at the north end of Lake Zurich
Zürich Hauptbahnhof
Zurich Central Station (Zürich HB)
Usage
Switzerland's largest station, abbreviated "Zürich HB" on signs, with trains across the country and toward Germany and Austria
Flughafen Zürich
Zurich Airport (ZRH)
Usage
Switzerland's largest airport, about 10 km north of the city; the railway station is signed "Zürich Flughafen", 10 minutes from the main station
Bern
Usage
Capital of Switzerland, in the German-speaking region; its old town inside a bend of the Aare river is UNESCO-listed
Luzern
Lucerne
Usage
Tourist city in German-speaking central Switzerland, known for Lake Lucerne and the wooden Chapel Bridge; Lucerne in English
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Neuschwanstein Castle
Usage
Ludwig II's 19th-century castle near Füssen in Bavaria; it can only be seen on a guided tour with a timed ticket booked in advance
Kölner Dom
Cologne Cathedral
Usage
Gothic cathedral right beside Köln Hauptbahnhof, a World Heritage Site; entry to the nave is free and the south tower is a 533-step climb
Museumsinsel
Museum Island
Usage
Cluster of five museums, including the Pergamonmuseum and the Neues Museum, on an island in the Spree in central Berlin; a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Schloss Sanssouci
Sanssouci Palace
Usage
Frederick the Great's summer palace in Potsdam, a rococo building above terraced vineyard gardens; the whole park is UNESCO-listed
Zugspitze
Usage
Germany's highest peak at 2,962 m on the Austrian border, reached from Garmisch-Partenkirchen by cog railway and cable car
Schwarzwald
Black Forest
Usage
Forested uplands in southwestern Baden-Württemberg, based on Freiburg and Baden-Baden and known for cuckoo clocks, smoked ham and Black Forest cake
Romantische Straße
Romantic Road
Usage
A roughly 350 km tourist route from Würzburg to Füssen linking medieval towns such as Rothenburg; most travellers drive or take the coach
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