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Travel

10 natural wonders in Germany

There are natural landscapes that you wouldn't necessarily expect in Germany: bizarre rock formations, turquoise waters and fairy tale grottoes. Here is a little insight into Germany's most beautiful natural phenomena.

  • Stone bridge leading across rock formations in Saxon Switzerland, Germany

    Saxon Switzerland

    The spectacular rocks of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains not far from Dresden are a popular spot for hikers and climbers. The landscape with its rock formations, gorges and caves is also called Saxon Switzerland because it is reminiscent of the Alps. The mountains originated in the Cretaceous period 140 to 66 million years ago, when the sand masses of a sea located here solidified into stone.

  • Blautopf lake with timber-framed water mill in Blaubeuren, Baden-Württemberg

    Blautopf Lake

    Many myths and legends surround this blue-green lake in Blaubeuren on the Swabian Alb. The lake is located in a rocky mountain range with a widely diverging cave system. Here calcareous water collects, which pushes to the surface at the Blautopf and reflects the sunlight. This creates the special coloring of the lake.

  • People walking along a path surrounded by purple blooms on Lüneburg Heath

    Lüneburg Heath

    The Lüneburg Heath between Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen offers a purple natural spectacle when the heath blooms from August to September. Then millions of flowers cover the landscape. To keep it that way in the future, the area is protected and cars are banned. The best way to explore the Lüneburg Heath is by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or on foot.

  • Chalk cliffs near Sassnitz rising out of the sea

    Chalk cliffs on Rügen

    The huge chalk cliffs on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen rise up to 120 meters (393 ft) out of the water. They were formed some 70 million years ago from petrified skeletons and shells of small marine animals. This natural wonder inspired many painters, including Caspar David Friedrich, who famously captured the chalk cliffs on canvas in 1818 and thus created one of his best-known paintings.

  • Lange Anna sea stack with protective barrier on the island of Helgoland

    Lange Anna on Helgoland

    Until 1860 the 47-meter-high (154 ft) sea stack "Lange Anna" (Tall Anna) was still linked to the main island by a natural rock bridge, when the connection collapsed. In order to protect the rock from further destruction, a protective barrier was built into the water. To this day, an approximately 25,000-tonne rock needle remains, which is a landmark of Helgoland and a popular tourist destination.

  • Triberg Waterfalls in the Black Forrest

    Triberg Waterfalls

    The water of the Gutach river in Triberg plunges 163 meters (535 ft) over seven steps into the depths. This makes Triberg waterfall the highest in Germany. The natural spectacle is particularly impressive during the melt-water season or after heavy rainfall. In winter, the waterfall turns into a fascinating ice landscape.

  • Neuwerk Island surrounded by Wadden Sea at low tide

    The Wadden Sea

    The Wadden Sea is a true natural wonder. UNESCO also acknowledged this and declared it a World Heritage Site in 2009. The tides are particularly pronounced here, so that several kilometers of seabed dry out at low tide – a breeding ground for more than 10,000 animal and plant species.

  • Water shooting up into the air from a geyser in Andernach

    Cold water geyser in Andernach

    When it comes to geysers – water fountains shooting out of the ground – many people initially think of the volcanic island of Iceland. But there is also a geyser in Germany, in Andernach in the Middle Rhine Valley. About every two hours, a water fountain rises up to 60 meters (197 ft) into the sky, driven by volcanic carbon dioxide.

  • Stalactite cave ceiling reflected in water in the Saalfelder Fairy Grottoes, Saalfeld, Thuringia (picture-alliance/imagebroker)

    Enchanted Fairy Grottoes

    The Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes emanate a mystical aura. They were created hundreds of years ago by mining work in the Thuringian slate mountains. Over time, the underground chambers were transformed into stalactite caves, which have been listed in the Guinness Book of Records since 1993 as "the most colorful cave grottoes in the world".

  • Saar loop near Orscholz

    Saar loop at Mettlach

    The Saar loop is THE postcard theme of the Saarland. At Mettlach, the Saar makes a U-turn. You can get a great view of this natural wonder from the Cloef vantage point in the small village of Orscholz or from the Saar loop treetop trail. An unforgettable nature experience.


  • Stone bridge leading across rock formations in Saxon Switzerland, Germany

    Saxon Switzerland

    The spectacular rocks of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains not far from Dresden are a popular spot for hikers and climbers. The landscape with its rock formations, gorges and caves is also called Saxon Switzerland because it is reminiscent of the Alps. The mountains originated in the Cretaceous period 140 to 66 million years ago, when the sand masses of a sea located here solidified into stone.

  • Blautopf lake with timber-framed water mill in Blaubeuren, Baden-Württemberg

    Blautopf Lake

    Many myths and legends surround this blue-green lake in Blaubeuren on the Swabian Alb. The lake is located in a rocky mountain range with a widely diverging cave system. Here calcareous water collects, which pushes to the surface at the Blautopf and reflects the sunlight. This creates the special coloring of the lake.

  • People walking along a path surrounded by purple blooms on Lüneburg Heath

    Lüneburg Heath

    The Lüneburg Heath between Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen offers a purple natural spectacle when the heath blooms from August to September. Then millions of flowers cover the landscape. To keep it that way in the future, the area is protected and cars are banned. The best way to explore the Lüneburg Heath is by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or on foot.

  • Chalk cliffs near Sassnitz rising out of the sea

    Chalk cliffs on Rügen

    The huge chalk cliffs on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen rise up to 120 meters (393 ft) out of the water. They were formed some 70 million years ago from petrified skeletons and shells of small marine animals. This natural wonder inspired many painters, including Caspar David Friedrich, who famously captured the chalk cliffs on canvas in 1818 and thus created one of his best-known paintings.

  • Lange Anna sea stack with protective barrier on the island of Helgoland

    Lange Anna on Helgoland

    Until 1860 the 47-meter-high (154 ft) sea stack "Lange Anna" (Tall Anna) was still linked to the main island by a natural rock bridge, when the connection collapsed. In order to protect the rock from further destruction, a protective barrier was built into the water. To this day, an approximately 25,000-tonne rock needle remains, which is a landmark of Helgoland and a popular tourist destination.

  • Triberg Waterfalls in the Black Forrest

    Triberg Waterfalls

    The water of the Gutach river in Triberg plunges 163 meters (535 ft) over seven steps into the depths. This makes Triberg waterfall the highest in Germany. The natural spectacle is particularly impressive during the melt-water season or after heavy rainfall. In winter, the waterfall turns into a fascinating ice landscape.

  • Neuwerk Island surrounded by Wadden Sea at low tide

    The Wadden Sea

    The Wadden Sea is a true natural wonder. UNESCO also acknowledged this and declared it a World Heritage Site in 2009. The tides are particularly pronounced here, so that several kilometers of seabed dry out at low tide – a breeding ground for more than 10,000 animal and plant species.

  • Water shooting up into the air from a geyser in Andernach

    Cold water geyser in Andernach

    When it comes to geysers – water fountains shooting out of the ground – many people initially think of the volcanic island of Iceland. But there is also a geyser in Germany, in Andernach in the Middle Rhine Valley. About every two hours, a water fountain rises up to 60 meters (197 ft) into the sky, driven by volcanic carbon dioxide.

  • Stalactite cave ceiling reflected in water in the Saalfelder Fairy Grottoes, Saalfeld, Thuringia (picture-alliance/imagebroker)

    Enchanted Fairy Grottoes

    The Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes emanate a mystical aura. They were created hundreds of years ago by mining work in the Thuringian slate mountains. Over time, the underground chambers were transformed into stalactite caves, which have been listed in the Guinness Book of Records since 1993 as "the most colorful cave grottoes in the world".

  • Saar loop near Orscholz

    Saar loop at Mettlach

    The Saar loop is THE postcard theme of the Saarland. At Mettlach, the Saar makes a U-turn. You can get a great view of this natural wonder from the Cloef vantage point in the small village of Orscholz or from the Saar loop treetop trail. An unforgettable nature experience.


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