Explore the Deutsche (German) Culture and Music

Did you know Germany is home to 82.2 million people, where over 95% of the countrymen speak in the native Deutsche tongue?

Yes, the country is rich in language, culture, arts, and music that go back hundreds or thousands of years.

Before COVID restrictions came around, the number of international visitors coming to Germany accounted for 87.7 million alone in 2018, but it fell to a mere 12 million tourists in 2020.

There are plenty of opportunities to dive deeper into German culture and music while traveling. From its impressive architecture to hear up and coming musicians at a festival, exploring Germany is an experience that engages all your senses.

Germany increased its appeal as a destination for the ninth time in a row. No wonder it is one of the most sought-after destinations in Europe.

Read on to explore more about Deutsche culture and music that you should look for in your next visit.

Culture and Music of Germany

Germany is renowned for its rich cultural history, festivals, celebrations, vibrant arts scene, and historical sites, but one thing it is also known for is its folk music and the contemporary music scene.

Discover cultural and music destinations in Germany that are full of culture, lively locals, and great music. Germany is home to many captivating destinations.

To help you plan your trip, here is a guide to Germany’s top places for cultural and musical experiences.

1. Hamburg
Hamburg is one of the most famous cultural and Germany’s second largest cities after Berlin. The city’s center lies next to two artificial lakes formed by the Alster.

Moreover, Hamburg has become one of Europe’s most important cultural and commercial centers and the most visited tourist’s destination in Germany.

According to Visit-Plus, each year, about 4 million tourists visit Hamburg.

It costs around $103 per day for a trip to Hamburg for budget-minded travelers to learn about the expenses.

The city offers everything from beautiful nature spots to bustling shopping and nightlife opportunities.

Cultural sites to explore in Hamburg

· Visit the Port of Hamburg, the second busiest port in Europe, with a volume of more than nine million containers per year. Walk through different port parts and the Elbtunnel, the world’s longest river tunnel.

· Exploring the city can give you the chance to witness the captivating architecture of buildings that stand on timber-pile foundations located in the port of Hamburg.

· Visit the Tierpark Hagenbeck zoo, one of the biggest elephant herds in Europe, where you can feed apples from the palm of your hand. It is home to over 1,850 animals.

· Explore the Hamburg Art Hall- one of Germany’s top art galleries. It has numerous altarpieces, works by local artists of the 14th century, and Dutch masters of the 16th and 17th centuries.

· Visit the most famous Hamburg’s church, St. Michael’s, built in the Baroque style between 1750 and 1762.

· Climb its 132-meter-high tower, known locally as “Michel,” by stairs or an elevator which offers excellent panoramic views over the city and port.

· Enjoy Hamburg’s many festivals each year that cater to locals and tourists. It celebrates the anniversary of the port each year around May 7th. It organizes one of the biggest traveling funfairs, Dom, three times a year and many more.

Aside from culture, art, history, and nature, Hamburg exploring is incomplete without music.

From classical music in a splendid new concert hall to club nights or world-famous musicals and rock gigs under the stars, Hamburg comes as the third largest location for music after New York and London.

City’s best live music venues

· Take a walk at Planten un Blomen park- translated as “Plants and Flowers.” An excellent place to relax and enjoy a picnic, to watch the famous water-light concerts or a musical performance.

· Located in the Bieberhaus at Heidi-Kabel-Platz 1, right by the central train station of Hamburg, Ohnsorg Theater is quite famous within Germany for performing a roster of musicals that showcase the richness and versatility of the Low German language.

· Reeperbahn, located at St. Pauli, is better known as the biggest Red Light District in Europe. It is familiar to most music lovers and a great place to catch excellent live music.

· Knust is a popular live music spot in Hamburg that invites well-known performers.

Concerts are held grand, with top-notch lighting and sound systems and an excellent seating plan that guarantees terrific sightlines from all vantage points.

· Schmidt’s Tivoli Theater offers raucous musical theatre accompanied by drinks and light fare before, during, and following performances.

· The elegant Deutsches Schauspielhaus was established in 1900 in central Hamburg, right near the main station. Enjoy culture in a classical atmosphere with its 1200 seats.

Hamburg can be visited year-round, but June to September is the best time to go based on the ideal climate conditions.

2. Leipzig
The city of Leipzig, known for its fairs and markets, lies in the Saxon Lowlands at the junction of the Weisse Elster and the Pleisse rivers.

Leipzig has become one of the most popular cultural and tourist destinations in eastern Germany and the most livable city in Europe.

Plan to spend around $147 per day, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Read on to explore the cultural things in Leipzig, Germany.

· Stroll through Leipzig Market Square, surrounded by a hodge-podge of traditional German architecture and glistening steel and glass buildings.

· Visit Leipzig’s beautiful St. Thomas Church, the 600-year-old gothic church where you can catch performances on Fridays and Saturdays.

· Spot wildlife at Leipzig Zoo spanning 27ha of land and home to over 850 species, including gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, etc.

· Sip wine in Auerbach’s Cellar is an excellent spot to enjoy a drink that has existed since 1438.

· Marvel at the Monument to the Battle of the Nations out to the city’s southeast. Built-in 1913, the monument commemorates the defeat of Napoleon during the 1813 Battle of Leipzig.

· Pop over the road from the church to the city’s Bach Museum, where you can learn about the legend.

· Old Town of Leipzig is a fascinating place to explore. As you wander, you are bound to see buildings from different eras, including those built before World War II and ones built in the days of East Germany.

Visiting Leipzig is like a pilgrimage for music lovers, especially western classical. It reverberates with music around every corner, in squares and streets, churches and concert halls, or squares and roads.

· Take in a performance by the famous Leipzig Opera, the third oldest opera house in Europe.

· Don’t miss visiting Gewandhaus Concert Hall. This beautiful concert hall is known for its ornate interior and excellent audibility.

· Spare your time to visit Jazz Club, which hosts live music in different genres six nights a week.

· Learn much more about the extraordinary talents of the famous Leipzig composers on a free music trial of the city, the Leipzig Notenspur.

The best time to visit Leipzig is during spring, both for its comfortable and generally drier weather.

It experiences rain during summers, and winters aren’t that great either, as it gets pretty cold after Christmas. Other times to consider are from June until September for its excellent weather.

3. Berlin
No trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to Berlin.

The Deutsche capital is rich in folklore, culture, and music. Berlin has old historical sites and newer areas with modern, cutting-edge architecture.

Fall in love with Berlin and pick out the best spots for your next visit.

· Visit the Brandenburg Gate, a neoclassical monument that has stood throughout the city’s history since the 18th century and is probably one of the most significant landmarks in the city.

· Have an art appreciation session on Museum Island, located in the middle of the Spree River.

· Witness the sunset on the top of the Berlin TV tower that gives Berlin’s best 360-degree view.

· Visit the Reichstag, a historical site where the Parliament sits. It has a glass dome, which represents the political transparency of the city. The entrance to Reichstag Berlin is free of charge, but make sure to book your visit in advance.

· Wander at the East Side Gallery, the world’s largest and longest open-air art gallery with more than 100 paintings.

· Freely walk around the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. It is an open space structure and a memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe.

· Rent a bike and make your way to the corners of Berlin. There are plenty of bike rental outlets all over the city that you can rent out for about $12 to $15 a day.

· Relax at Tiergarten Park, one of the biggest parks located right in the middle of the city. Take nature strolls, rent a boat, have a picnic, or enjoy a traditional beer garden with a cold German beer.

· While you are in Berlin, don’t miss visiting Sanssoucci Palace, the palace occupied by Prussian kings and queens of yore. It has plenty of grounds to walk around, making it an excellent place to spend time in the surrounding city.

· Visit Berlin Zoological Garden, one of the best and the oldest zoos in Germany with the most species in the entire world. Annually, it receives visitors of up to three million.

Berlin is the ideal city to explore classical music. If you are a classical music fan, don’t miss these places.

· Tempodrom is a unique modern-looking musical venue much like a big top made of concrete that hosts events from concerts to comedies.

· A visit to Berlin is incomplete without Berlin Philharmonie. It is undoubtedly the best orchestra in the world where the audiences sit in balcony terraces rising from a central orchestral platform.

· Konzerthaus Berlin is considered to be among the five best concert venues in the world acoustically. Enjoy an unforgettable classical concert experience.

The excellent time to visit Berlin is in summer, May through October, when the weather is ideal for park lazing, cafe sitting, clubbing, and strolling.

4. Rostock

Located on the Baltic Coast of Germany, the Hanseatic town of Rostock is worth visiting. Bombs hit the city in 1942, but it has been largely restored to its medieval glory.

If you are traveling to Rostock, $110 a day should be enough depending on your expectations. Otherwise, use this expenditure guide to find out more about costs.

To help you make the most of your day in Rostock, let’s look at the best things to do.

· Take the pulse of the Rostock in New Market Square. It has been the pumping heart of Rostock since the 13th century. It is a great place to start a tour of the pedestrian streets of the Old Town. You will also find a few bars and restaurants on Neuer Markt for a pause during your stroll.

· Have a relaxing and calm day at Warnemuende Beach in the Baltic beach. Long and wide and covered in soft sand, the beach is one of Germany’s best loved sailing destinations.

· Explore the Saint Mary’s Church, the largest church and one of the largest brickstone gothic buildings in the Baltic region. For more than 770 years, it has been a place of worship, civil and academic meetings, and a place of the arts in the center of Rostock. It displays a wide range of art facts, from toys, coins, ecclesial art, and handicrafts made from tin, silver, and ceramics to antiques, jewelry, and archaeological finds from all over Mecklenburg.

· Learn the ways of shipbuilding and seafaring in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Museum. It is one of Germany’s most significant floating museums that present the history of shipbuilding from the Slavic era.

· Explore the lush surroundings of Botanischer Garten Rostock with the 7.8-hectare garden that cultivates a wide variety of plants in numbers up to 10,000. It contains nearly 80,000 specimens representing about 20,000 families.

· Groove to the music, and stroll the streets bustling with tourists in Alter Strom.
Alter Strom is located just beyond the Warnemunde train station and is a cozy seaside village where you can relax and unwind.

Rostock offers musical activities to suit all tastes.

· The Stadthalle close to the railway station draws famous comedians, show stars, and live music artists from classical to rock.

· Rostock is also famous for its bars, restaurants, pubs, and cafés. The city’s top events include concerts of all music genres and regional festivals like the Hanse Sail, renowned far beyond the boundaries of the city and the state.

The best time to visit Rostock is from May to October, when the beaches are at their best. Learn more about its weather and Rostock travel in detail.

Conclusion

The culture and music of Germany are rich in terms of its history, architecture, food, clothing, festivals, dance, music, etc.

It has a lot to offer for those who want to be a part of the greater culture and music scene.

Plan a trip to Germany and see what a beautiful life the people live there with the rich culture, peace, and harmony that is needed in the world today but goes missing.

Get in touch with Rick Perdian, Music Travel Consultant in the USA.