Cities
German cities, connected by rail
Germany's ICE network ties its major cities together with frequent, fast trains, so most of the country is within a few hours of any Hauptbahnhof. Explore each city below, including how to reach it, what's nearby, and how local transport fits with the Deutschlandticket.
All cities
Berlin
Berlin
Germany's capital is a hub of history, art and nightlife spread across a huge, green city. It's also the country's busiest rail junction, with ICE lines fanning out in every direction from its multi-level main station.
Main station: Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Bavaria
Munich
Munich pairs Bavarian tradition with a wealthy, modern city centre and is the gateway to the Alps. Its Hauptbahnhof is a major ICE hub linking north Germany with Austria and Italy.
Main station: München Hauptbahnhof
Hamburg
Hamburg
Germany's great northern port city blends maritime history with modern architecture around its harbour. It's a key ICE junction for trains heading to Scandinavia and along the North Sea coast.
Main station: Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
North Rhine-Westphalia
Cologne
Cologne is dominated by its immense Gothic cathedral, standing right beside the main station on the Rhine. It's a dense rail hub with fast links across western Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Main station: Köln Hauptbahnhof
Hesse
Frankfurt
Frankfurt is Germany's financial capital, known for its skyline of skyscrapers alongside a reconstructed medieval old town. Its Hauptbahnhof and airport station together form the busiest rail interchange in the country.
Main station: Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof
Saxony
Dresden
Dresden's baroque old town on the Elbe was painstakingly rebuilt after wartime destruction and is often called the 'Florence of the Elbe'. It sits on the ICE line between Berlin and Prague.
Main station: Dresden Hauptbahnhof
Bavaria
Nuremberg
Nuremberg's walled medieval old town is famous for its castle, Christmas market and role in 20th-century history. It's a well-connected stop on the ICE line between Berlin/Frankfurt and Munich.
Main station: Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof
Saxony
Leipzig
Leipzig is a city of music and reunification history, home to the Bach and Mendelssohn traditions and the 1989 Monday demonstrations. Its Hauptbahnhof, one of Europe's largest by floor area, sits on major ICE routes.
Main station: Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
Baden-Württemberg
Stuttgart
Stuttgart sits in a valley surrounded by vineyards and is the home of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Its Hauptbahnhof is being rebuilt as part of the Stuttgart 21 project and remains a key ICE hub for the southwest.
Main station: Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
North Rhine-Westphalia
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf combines a fashion and business scene along the Rhine with a compact, lively old town. It's a dense rail hub in the Rhine-Ruhr region with frequent ICE and regional connections.
Main station: Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof
Baden-Württemberg
Heidelberg
Heidelberg is a romantic university town on the Neckar, overlooked by a red sandstone castle ruin. It's a popular and easy day trip from Frankfurt, Mannheim or Stuttgart.
Main station: Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof
Baden-Württemberg
Freiburg
Freiburg is a sunny university city at the edge of the Black Forest, known for its Gothic minster and Bächle water runnels through the old town. It's a good base for exploring the Black Forest by regional train.
Main station: Freiburg (Breisgau) Hauptbahnhof