Germany is a world renowned destination for its history and culture. But did you know that Germany is home to an ever-increasing number of hip and up-and-coming places? In fact, the list of hip places to visit in Germany is quite extensive.
Below is a list of five of the hippest places to visit in Germany.
Kunsthofpassage (Singing Drain Pipes) (Dresden)
Arguably one of the best kept secrets in Germany. Kunsthofpassage is located in Dresden Neustadt (New Town Dresden), an area known as the “student district.”
Ironically, Dresden Neustadt is actually quite old. A terrible fire destroyed the original quarter in 1685 and it was later renovated and renamed. Today, Dresden is home to a number of exquisite buildings, trendy shops and boutiques and small unique bars – perfect for a night out.
The Kunsthofpassage is a series of five small residential courtyards, that were turned into an art installation. The Courtyard of the Elements is perhaps the most interesting of all the courtyards. It’s an amazing design of funnels and gutters that cover the whole facade of a brilliant blue building. The pipes and gutters zigzag around the windows and balconies of the building.
The truly amazing part of its design is evident once it starts to rain. The intricate gutter system suddenly becomes a musical instrument. An amazing sight and sound to behold - it’s probably very noisy for the residents who live in the building!
Via Pixabay – The Courtyard of Elements.
The other courtyards include:
| The Courtyard of the Animals | a green facade that displays wild monkeys swinging from window to window and a giraffe trying to pull the facade down. |
| The Courtyard of the Light | a bright yellow building with usually shaped mirrors that reflect the sunlight into different directions. |
| The Courtyard of the Mythical Creatures | a unique design that is symbolic of the flow of life. |
| The Courtyard of the Metamorphoses | which includes two 15 meter high pillars and optical fibres that light up at night. |
Via Pixabay – The Courtyard of the Light
Haus Schwarzenberg Street Art Alley (Berlin)
Berlin is arguably one of the hippest cities in the world. It’s an old and historical city that has been made new again since the fall of the Berlin wall and the arrival of trendy, artistic people from around the world.
Today, Berlin continues to attract a large number of people, who want to experience its unique hipster vibe.
Located nearby to the famous Hackescher Markt and the Hackesche Höfe, the Haus Schwarzenberg Street Art Alley with its humble and nondescript entryway, is easy to miss. But find it and you’ll be rewarded with one of Berlin’s best street art hotspots.
| The artwork here changes on a weekly basis | unsurprising given that street art is within itself mercurial. You never quite know which pieces will remain, which have been painted over, added to or repurposed. One of the most famous paintings that remains untouched to this day is of Anne Frank by Jimmy C. |
| More artwork can be found in surrounding alleys, stairwells and shops | so make sure to have a good look around, you never know what hidden gems you might find. |
Via Pixabay
The East Side Gallery (Berlin)
This open-air gallery is a series of murals that have been painted onto a 1,316 meter long remnant of the Berlin Wall. A visit to The East Side Gallery combines both the history of Berlin, with the hip graffiti-street art culture of the city.
Some of the pieces on the wall are world famous, particularly Dimitri Vrubel’s Fraternal Kiss and Birgitta Kinder’s Trabant breaking through the Wall.
Via Pixabay – Fraternal Kiss
Via Pixabay – Trabant breaking through the Wall
This is a very popular destination for history and culture buffs, as well as those looking for that perfect insta shot.
The East Side Gallery is located on the Spree – at the former border separating the American and Soviet sectors of Berlin. It’s also located next to the Oberbaumbrücke (Oberbaum bridge), another historically important landmark in Berlin. There’s a lot see, so make sure to take a look around the area.
Heidelberg’s Street Art Scene (Metropolink Festival for Urban Art)
When people think of Heidelberg, they tend to think of the beautiful riverside, the old town in its beautiful baroque style and the Heidelberg Schloss (Heidelberg Castle), that towers over the town centre.
It may come as a surprise to some that such a traditional city would have a modern side as well, but this student city has a hip and modern atmosphere.
The street art found in Heidelberg, which is now fairly widespread is part of the Metropolink Art Festival. The festival is held each summer and turns the city into a large open-air public art gallery.
The graffiti art here has far surpassed ‘tags-on-the-wall’ art and has progressed to cutting edge murals by a number of renowned artists. The artists transform house and building facades, random city walls and former military buildings, into works of art.
The festival runs in the summer and the murals generally remain in place for a period of time. For more information about the Metropolink Art Festival check out the website.
Via Pixabay
Plagwitz (Leipzig)
Just a short train ride from Berlin, the city of Leipzig is booming. In fact it’s often referred to as the new Berlin.
Leipzig has everything, from edgy art installations, gritty and unique bars, historical landmarks, wonderful architecture and beautiful green spaces – there’s truly something for everyone.
There are a number of hip neighbourhoods to be found in Leipzig, but by far and away the hippest one is Plagwitz. Located in the west of the city, it was once the old industrial quarter. But recently a number of artists, musicians and other creative hipsters have been drawn to the area.
The once decaying factories synonymous with Plagwitz have been transformed into cutting-edge art galleries and night clubs.
A number of new street art installations, artisan coffee shops and vegan restaurants continue to appear in the city, adding to the ever increasing hipster vibe now found around the city.
Via Pixabay
While Germany is well-known for its history and culture, hip and unique places continue to grow around the country. So make sure to check out some of these more hip and artistic places – you just never quite know what you’ll stumble across.
What about you? Have you visited these places? What is the hippest place you’ve visited in Germany? Please leave your recommendations in the comments below.