Looking for Mountains in N. Germany

There are no mountains in northern Germany or Denmark. "Big" mountains would mean the Alps, in Bavaria. There are the Hartz Mtns in central Germany, but they are by no means big- the tallest is less than 3800 ft ASL. More of a big hill really.

The Hartz Mountains are about it. Instead of taking a round about flights from Munich to Copenhagen, take a train to Quedlinburg. Classic German architecture and steam train into the mountains. Half way between Munich and Copenhagen.

The Harz mountains look like they have something for everyone! Personally, I wouldn't waste all that travel time to go down to southern Germany.

https://en.harzinfo.de/things-to-see-do/10-reasons-to-visit-the-harz.html

Berlin has lots of cool architecture. The more cutting edge architects seem to working here rather than in other cities in Germany.

Over by Dresden, you have mountains on the Czech border. Dresden is easily reached by train from Berlin.

There are no high mountains in this part of Europe. As mentioned, the highest mountains of Northern Germany are the Harz mountains, but they are neither high nor spectacular. What makes the Harz region interesting are all the beautiful preserved towns with literally thousands of half-timbered houses, and the steam train network, with one route up to the Brocken, the highest peak of the mountains.

The most spectacular mountains close to Berlin are the Elbe Sandstone Mountains/Saxon Switzerland. Here are a few impressions:
Bastei Bridge (another view), Schrammsteine, Königstein Fortress, Wehlgrund

And like Ms Jo I would't waste my precious time by traveling to Southern Germany. There is more than enough to see in the north. They even have their own fairytale castle...

North Germany is the area of the North German Plain, certainly no high mountains. Still, this area is very interesting in landscape unless you are fascinated by mountains.

The Brocken is only 3800 ft, but the town of Wernigerode, which you can see from the Brocken, is less than 800 ft, so you have an elevation difference of over 3000 ft. Quedlinburg's elevation is only 404 ft.

Quedlinburg is beyond stunning. It has a castle and an impressive church treasure with a very interesting American connection.

Thanks so much for all of the replies!

Thank you to those who've replied to this "odd" question. I knew little of the Harz Mountain region, but after reading the replies here and doing a bit of Googling, it's definitely an area I'd put on any future trips to Germany! Looks great.

Isn't the Harz Mountains where you find parakeets?

I knew little of the Harz Mountain region, but after reading the
replies here and doing a bit of Googling, it's definitely an area I'd
put on any future trips to Germany! Looks great.

BTW: this is a site with 170.000+ pics of the Harz, but also some of the regions nearby, like the area of th Weser Renaissance:
http://www.raymond-faure.com/index_harz_english.htm

If you scroll down in the right frame you see a section called "The most beautiful cities with half-timbered houses", which lists the most beautiful towns of this region.

You were smart to buy open-jaw tickets. But since neither area has mountains, what are that son's other interests? Germany is a tremendously varied country, filled with art and history. For one small example, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin is unlike any in the U.S. and should appeal to kids who don't care for paintings on the wall. I don't think $200 for the plane fare is a ripoff, by the way, especially if it includes seat reservations and baggage fees.

I suggest that you take the train to Lubeck, spend a night, and take the train (it goes onto a ferry, while you dine and shop, and enjoy the viewing decks) to Copenhagen from there. I think Lubeck is more interesting for kids than Hamburg, for example. Just getting off and on the train on the completely enclosed rail deck, with trucks and cars above you, is pretty interesting.

yeah, nix the journey to the south probably - inefficient use of time on a short trip. Maybe get a nature fix on a beach on the North Sea somewhere in transit between Berlin and Copenhagen. Rent a surfboard for you boys to play in the little waves - while you eat herring and drink beer on a (just maybe) sunny beach Sounds like a good time.

Great suggestions - thanks to all of you! I think we're going to take the train to Lubeck, spend a night, and then head to Copenhagen via the train/ferry

I will add that when we were in Lubeck last August we stayed in the most slickly modern hotel there, Radisson Senator (1/3 mile walk to rail station!) or something like that, for the old city view and icy American air conditioning. Lubeck is famous for Marzipan, but the recipe is less sweet than other places, more almond-y. I will add a link here tomorrow to my trip report which includes a section on Lubeck.

Edit: I see that I didn't write that much about Lübeck, but it's the first section of the link below, labelled The Baltic Coast. You didn't give your sons' ages, which would help with advice. Our trip was adults, but I remember seeing some outdoor playgrounds when we walked back to the Radisson from the flammkuchen restaurant mentioned in my last paragraph of that section. My casual mention of keeping your eyes open for Gänge is important. I think the locals try to soft-pedal them, because tourist visits are almost like having a public front yard - the most visited Gänge have signs asking for quiet, and respect for the residents' privacy. Your kids will enjoy bending over to pass through arches and into the "secret" landscaped alleys.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/baltic-germany-fachwerke-landesgartenschau

Although it's not a personal interest of mine, the Lübeck "Puppet Museum" is actually much more than that. The word "Theaterfiguren" is a much better description, since the collection includes things like Balinese shadow puppets and Bunraku puppets, both of which were very important to the development of the Broadway musical "The Lion King."

Despite its relatively remote location, Lübeck is a popular, bustling city with more than you can do in your one-night visit.

Well, let somebody who grew up in Northern Germany tell you that there are indeed mountains in her backyard! I spent my childhood at the foot of the "Baumberge", literally translated into "forest mountains". Riding my bike to school meant getting over the "Berg" (the German word for mountain) - which was the main reason I preferred taking the school bus even though it made for a longer commute to school.

These are quite famous mountains for the sandstone mined there that has been shipped across Europe since in the middle ages and contributed to wealth and fame for the Hanse city of Münster, located at the foot of these mountains with its famous city hall (famed for the peace treaty that ended the 30 year war in 1648) and cathedral built of this sandstone.

That being said, the highest elevation of the Baumberge is just over 600 feet. Almost 50% higher than the highest point in Denmark with its measly 482 feet! There you have it.

The Harz is an island of pine covered (Harz means "resin" in German) mountains sticking up from the otherwise flat plane of Northern Germany. I don't know about parakeets, but there are a lot of mines in the area, and miners took canaries into the mines to warn them of poisonous gases. I always figured the Harz Mountains bird seeds got got its name from canaries.

Part of the Harz is a national park. Surrounding it are a collection of pretty little forest towns. I spent five nights in Braunlage, in the Harz, ten years ago and enjoyed it very much. On one day, I took buses around the park and visited some of the towns. One day I took the steam train up the Brocken. On another I went to down Wernigerode and toured the "castle" there.

It's a popular vacation venue for Germans, but literally unknown to Americans (take your phrase book).

I'm sure that the Hartz park is gorgeous. Because I'm not a big hiker, I would go to that area for Leipzig, Weimar, Erfurt, Kassel, Eisenach, and Gotha, as well as the previously mentioned Quedlinburg.

I didn't go there to hike, I went there to see scenery you won't find in cities.

I'm sure that the Hartz park is gorgeous. Because I'm not a big hiker,
I would go to that area for Leipzig, Weimar, Erfurt, Kassel, Eisenach,
and Gotha, as well as the previously mentioned Quedlinburg.

Kassel? That's one of Germanys most ugliest postwar cities.... with a gorgeous park however.
But the area is full of beautiful small towns. Quedlinburg (the best!), Wernigerode, Goslar, Stolberg, Duderstadt, Mühlhausen (one of my favorites), Bad Langensalza, Naumburg, Erfurt, Weimar, Gotha, Arnstadt, Rudolstadt, Schmalkalden.... sadly all completely off the radar for most forumers here...

I have been to Kassel twice, in 1987 and 2007...and would not recommend it either , unless you're there to see Schloß Wilhelmshöhe for it historical connection. If one of the ugliest (I wouldn't exactly go so far), then Kassel has a number of strong competitors , such as Gelsenkirchen, Duisburg, Hamm, Essen, Dortmund, parts of Hannover.

@ Jennifer....If you happen to be in the area of Kassel, head towards Göttingen, much nicer, culturally important, etc. I liked Göttingen much better than Kassel but I went in 1987 mainly to see the Schloss.

The park in Kassel is a UNESCO WHS, and the schloss includes an incredibly good art museum. The extensive outdoor waterworks, or course of fountains only run once or twice a week. I went for the Documenta 14 art festival last year. Some outdoor works from previous years, like The Vertical Earth Kilometer by Walter de Maria and 5000 Oaks by Joseph Beueys are permanent. But not for every taste.