Travelling in Eastern and Northern Germany

The most immediately noticable difference between the former east and the rest of the country is the much lower population density, particularly in the federal states of Brandenburg, Sachsen-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Towns outside of the cities also tend to be much smaller and farther in between. Saxony is the exception, as it's the most densely populated and prosperous region of the former DDR.

Which cities to visit? Top of the list for the east (assuming you've already seen Berlin and Pottsdam) would be Leipzig, Erfurt, Eisenach, Dresden, Schwerin, Magdeburg, Wittenberg, Halle and Stralsund. Although Dessau is pretty charmless, the gardens at nearby Wörlitz are worth a visit.

Hamburg is my favorite city in all of Germany, but it has a very different vibe from the more familiar south. It almost feels more Scandinavian.

Sorry... my dog won't let me finish typing this...

I enjoyed bike touring in Northeastern Germany - Mecklenburg, Rügen, Stralsund, Barth. We also skied in Oberwiesenthal in Saxony just over the Czech boarder.

I enjoyed both areas but found the number of English speakers limited compared to West Germany and I am basically illiterate in German. I also found out that the RS German phrase book's food and dining didn't work very well in the northeast. That said the Germans I met were friendly and we had a great time.

We visited about half of the places Tom mentioned - all by train. We also loved Lubeck and a smaller town (but not too small!), Naumburg.

The most scenic rural areas of the former East Germany are the Hartz Mountains (which straddle the old border) and the so-called "Saxon Switzerland". Parts of the latter are close enough to Dresden to do as day trips.

As mentioned above, English is still less widely spoken in the former East Germany, especially among older people who were educated in the communist era, where the main foreign language in schools was Russian.

Hi,

The immediate difference that strikes you is that even if you look like a tourist the locals will not address you in English. Such was the case in western Germany 30-40 yrs. ago. When I'm visiting places in the east, sometimes more than others, I have tourist written all over me and still the locals use German right away with the assumption that one speaks the language. That's refreshing, such as you won't be asked if you prefer an English language menu, that is, assuming one is even available, which I would bet would not be.

I agree with the cities suggested above, have been to a number of them (all depends on what you want to track down in seeing)...Dresden, Magdeburg, Leipzig (very superficially), Now, even you said prefer cities over towns, some towns are absolutely worth your time and effort, ie. Weimar, Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Neuruppin ( a very handy and nice day trip from Berlin), Meißen (cradle of Saxony), but Potsdam is one of my top favourite small towns in Germany...a place to stroll and relax.

Whether the eastern part of Germany deserves your attention, time, travel money, etc , absolutely. In numerous ways it's different: geographically, culturally, (even if you don't count the 40 years of DDR-Zeit)...I mean traditional culture, linguistically, historically.

Hi,

Any specific interests you intend to pursue in the eastern of Germany, be it in culture (churches, literarture, etc) or history? Dresden's attraction is the Altstadt, but across the Elbe in Dresden-Neustadt is a war museum located in an area untouched by the bombing, a military history museum the largest in Germany. the MHM museum. For literature focus on going to Weimar, Naumburg an der Saale, Neuruppin, Leipzig for the music too.

We visit the South-East of Germany's East every year after Christmas. It's the region where the famous "Herrnhuter Star" is from - you'll see it as Christmas decoration at every house there. The key towns and cities to visit are Bautzen, Dresden, Görlitz but we also like Zittau for daytrips into the Zittau Mountains (steam train). But you'd actually need a car to really see the area...

The strip along the Neiße river from Görlitz to Zittau is now part of the state of Saxony but until 1945 was part of Lower Silesia (which became Polish). People there do not share the same dialect nor the same traditional foods and other customs with the Saxonians. Also there is a Sorbian (Slavian) minority around Bautzen which cause all official signs there to be posted in German and Sorbian. "Wjelbik", which is Sorbian for "cellar" is the best Sorbian restaurant and IMO a must-visit in Bautzen.

In Zittau there are many Czech day tourists, which is why many signs there are posted in German and Czech. Younger people speak English there though as well.

With almost a month to travel, it will certainly be worthwhile to include the eastern parts of Germany in your itinerary. My goal would be to include as much variety as possible, as well as any site that particularly attracts you. 20 years ago, some historic eastern towns were waiting for a new coat of paint or other refurbishment, but that's been widely completed, now.

Train service is extensive, allowing you to reach many small towns. A German Rail Pass can be a good value to cover your 10 longest travel days within a month for $465 (or cheaper if you're traveling this winter, or are under 26 or traveling with a partner). That same link has some tips on local tickets that may be a good option if you need more than 10 train travel days.