With the Easter four-day long weekend in Europe, we decided to take a few extra days off and go on a roadtrip through eastern Germany.
The Easter long weekend is always a perfect time to head out on a trip, what with shoulder season in full swing, the spring weather looking better and prices still reasonable. In previous years, I've spent my Easters in Northern Ireland, Ibiza (Spain), New Zealand, Calgary (Canada) and hiking in Vancouver (Canada), among other trips.
I have a German mother, so I have visited many parts of Germany many, many times as a child. I currently live in Salzburg in Austria and so this Easter was the perfect excuse to re-explore Germany and many of the places of my childhood - plus a few other stops along the way.
Throughout the itinerary, I've included extra stops in case you have more than a week and would like to explore more! We also spent just a night in each place; you can absolutely stay longer or skip stops as you please.
Our Easter roadtrip started and ended in Munich where my partner lives, but you can start this roadtrip anywhere that makes sense for you and complete the loop.
Throughout the itinerary, I've included extra stops in case you have more than a week and would like to explore more! We also spent just a night in each place; you can absolutely stay longer or skip stops as you please.
Our Easter roadtrip started and ended in Munich where my partner lives, but you can start this roadtrip anywhere that makes sense for you and complete the loop:
- Munich
- Regensburg (we didn't go on this trip, but I recommend a stop here)
- Karlovy Vary, Czechia
- Dresden
- Basteibrücke
- Devil's Bridge
- Ścieżka geoturystyczna, Poland
- Berlin
- Magdeburg
- Schwerin
- Hamburg
- Lüneburg
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber (we didn't go on this trip, but I recommend a stop here)
- Bamberg (we didn't go on this trip, but I recommend a stop here)
I still have a few places to visit in Germany that could also make sense to add onto this roadtrip, but I can't (yet) give any personal recommendations:
- more of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, north of Schwerin
- Bremen, after Lüneburg
- Würzburg, before Rothenburg ob der Tauber
- Stuttgart, before Munich
- and so much more...!
Our roadtrip started and ended in Munich, where my partner currently lives. Because he lives there and we spend a lot of time there together, we naturally didn't include it as part of this roadtrip.
But, if you're visiting the city, I've got a whole blog post full of useful tips on where to stay, where to eat and lots of things to do in Munich. It's the perfect place to start this roadtrip. Bavaria is arguably one of the most beautiful states in Germany, filled with mountains and lakes and laid back people.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Munich!
If you've got more time to base yourself in Munich, be sure to check out my suggestions for day trips through Bavaria and Austria at the end of that Munich blog post.
Get here from Munich: an hour and half by either car or with a direct train
This is another stop we didn't actually do on this roadtrip. We visited Regensburg last autumn and spent the most gorgeous day exploring the idyllic city. With a history stretching over more than 2000 years, Regensburg has a UNESCO-listed old town and plenty of little hidden treasures to explore and I can highly recommend a stop here.
Get here from Regensburg: two hours by car or five hours by train via Nuremburg and Cheb
Karlovy Vary was actually the first proper stop of our Easter roadtrip.
Karlovy Vary is most famous for being one of the iconic spa towns of Europe. Karlsbad, as it is also known in German, sits above many natural thermal springs. Spa-goers have been visiting Karlovy Vary since the 19th century. The best thing to do while you visit the city is go to a natural spa, but there are plenty of other pretty things to entice you here.
→ Check out my guide on how to spend a weekend in Karlovy Vary!
Get here from Karlovy Vary: two and a half hours by car or three and a half hours by train with a transfer in Ústí nad Labem
From Karlovy Vary, we crossed back into Germany to kick off the main part of our roadtrip. It unfortunately rained most of the time we were there but we still managed to make the most of our 24 hours in the city and are already looking forward to coming back and exploring it again in better weather!
Get here from Dresden: just 45 minutes by car or three and take the S-Bahn to Pirna then take bus 254 to the Basteibrücke
The Basteibrücke is a mysterious rock formation with a wooden bridge built across part of it in eastern Germany. There are plenty of hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties surrounding the Basteibrücke throughout the Sächsische Schweiz National Park or you can simply opt to visit some of the key viewpoints within the Bastei.
Get here from the Basteibrücke: an hour and a half by car
I remember seeing a photo of the perfectly round Devil's Bridge on Tumblr more than a decade ago and it stayed lodged in my memory ever since as a place I just knew I wanted to see in real life one day.
There is one main viewpoint from where you'll get the iconic shot but you can also choose to complete the whole walk around the lake, which is about 1km, and see the bridge from all angles.
→ Check out my guide on how to visit the Devil's Bridge!
Since the bridge is just a ten-minute drive from the Polish border, we thought that it'd be fun to cross over and step foot in another country. And so, we spent a short afternoon walk visiting the gorgeous blue lakes at Ścieżka geoturystyczna.
Ścieżka geoturystyczna
Get here from the Devil's Bridge: two hours by car
I visited Berlin back in 2012 and it was such fun to revisit the city 13 years later and see what had changed... but also what was just the same.
Berlin is quite a large, spread-out city and many of the best tourist highlights aren't that close together. My partner and I decided to rent Bolt scooters for the day (it was my first time ever riding one) and I can wholeheartedly say it was the BEST way to get around the city.
Berlin is one of the most historically-important cities in Europe and is a very popular city to include in most travelers' itineraries to Germany or to their whistlestop tours across the continent. Being the focal point of many key moments in history, particularly in most recent times surrounding the Second World War, there is plenty to keep you occupied during your visit.
→ Check out my guide to visiting Berlin, including comparing my visit from 2012 to 2025!
Get here from Berlin: two hours by car or with the Flixbus
We first heard of a place called Magdeburg when the horrible attack occurred last December with a car plowing down people celebrating the holidays at a Christmas Market.
A terrible way to learn of a place but when we were next in northern Germany we decided to make a stop and discover this place for ourselves. In doing so, we found one of our new favourite cities in the country, a peaceful and gentle city, with green spaces abound and wide airy streets. A gorgeous art gallery, the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany (which we visited on the day Pope Francis passed), one of the most famous magnolia streets in the country and countless 4.5+ star restaurants to choose from? What a joy to discover the beauty of a place we'd only heard sad things about.
Get here from Magdeburg: just under three hours by car or two hours with a direct train
The main reason people visit Schwerin is to explore the iconic castle. Schloss Schwerin was outstanding - and we had come with zero expectations or knowledge. It stands on a small island jutting off the city of Schwerin.
The castle was built starting in 1560 by Duke Johann Albrecht I and has been the main residence of the dukes grand-dukes of Schwerin throughout history. Various changes were made during these residencies up until 1857 by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II. It was only recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in July 2024. It is still the seat of state parliament to this day.
Get here from Schwerin: an hour and a half by car or by direct train
My mum spent a lot of her youth living in Hamburg, Germany, and brought me back to visit many times as a child. It's where her best friend lives, and many other of her close friends, so all in all, it's a pretty special place to our family. I've been back three times to visit already since moving back to Europe!
Get here from Hamburg: less than an hour by car or just half an hour by train
Our first visit to the beautiful Lüneburg was at the end of 2024. I had never heard of Lüneburg before but it is safe to say that it now sits firmly on my list of favourite European cities! We loved the vibes, the food, the people and the architecture and couldn't wait to come back.
And so, when our Easter roadtrip through Germany rolled around just a few months later, we made sure to add a spring stop to Lüneburg and revisit this delightful city in the new season.
Get here from Lüneburg: six hours by car or just four hours by train with a transfer in Würzburg (another place we have yet to visit)!
You could also finish your roadtrip in Hamburg, having completed it as a one-way route from Munich northward. We had to get back home though so would definitely recommend adding the next two stops if you're heading back south, too!
Bamberg is in northern Bavaria, a bit north of Nürnberg, and, while it rained for our visit, this place is straight out of a German postcard with idyllic buildings and cute markets to explore. The old town is UNESCO-listed with plenty of little hidden treasures to explore.
Get here from Bamberg: an hour and 20 minutes by car
I actually visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber way back in 2021 as a stopover on my way from moving from Belgium to Austria, which my dad had flown over to help me with.
It is arguably one of Germany's most picturesque towns. Quaint views awaited us as we wandered the cobblestoned streets. It was such a wonderful treat in the midst of a hard time in my life...
→ Check out my guide to spending a day in Rothenburg ob der Tauber!
Then, it's just two and a half hours back to Munich by car or a direct two hour train. Hope you had a fun trip!
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN GERMANY!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
