Castle Neuschwanstein voted best destination before Europa-park or the Cologne Cathedral
Foreign tourists have voted Neuschwanstein Castle the best place to visit in Germany. Number two on the list is Europa-Park, followed at number three by Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) carried out the poll – the second of its kind – to find out which of Germany’s many sights and places of interest were the most popular among foreign tourists.
Between 1 July 2012 and the end of March 2013, visitors were able to vote for their ‘top sights’ at www.germany.travel/top100. This produced a list of 700 tourist highlights, which were then ranked according to popularity. The survey, which was available in 26 languages, registered more than 46,000 clicks.
The results are now being incorporated into the update for the GNTB’s ‘Germany’s Top 100’ app which gives people planning to visit Germany access to a wealth of information before their trip, including ideas for possible excursions and places to visit. It provides a brief description of each attraction, along with photos and information on opening times, admission prices and travel directions.
Top 10 attractions in Germany:
1. Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau/Füssen, Bavaria
2. Europa-Park, Rust, Baden-Württemberg
3. Cologne Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage), North Rhine-Westphalia
4. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
5. The Berlin Wall (East Side Gallery, Berlin Wall Park, Berlin Wall Trail, etc.) 6. Loreley rock in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley (UNESCO World Heritage)
7. Nature reserves in the Black Forest
8. Heidelberg Castle
9. Lake Constance with Mainau Island, Monastic Island of Reichenau (UNESCO World Heritage), Lindau, prehistoric pile dwellings, Meersburg Castle
10. Berlin Museum Island (UNESCO World Heritage)
The wide geographical spread of the 100 selected tourist highlights confirms that all of Germany’s federal states have attractive places to visit from the perspective of international travelers. The UNESCO World Heritage sites are particularly popular, with 19 of the country’s 37 sites featuring on the Top 100 list.
