Germany
Last updated: 23 October 2025
written by Nico Trinkhaus
From Berlin’s buzzing cityscapes to Bavaria’s fairytale nature, Germany unfolds as a country of history and renewal perfect for travel photography. For me, the country embodies the essence of Europe.
Germany is both somewhat unified and extremely diverse. I often had to explain to Daria how I have trouble calling Germany ‘one nation’—not because of the east-west divide, as you may think. No, there are also significant differences between the north and the south.
The Brandenburg Gate is the most iconic landmark of Germany. To capture it, I decided to wake up before dawn and head to the city center. Berlin gets a bit quieter than usual around the Christmas days.
I decided to include trails of passing cars in my image. It works as a continuation of the warm illumination of the Brandeburg Gate itself and thus acts as a framing element.
Whether it’s the Brandenburg Gate glowing at sunrise or the quiet charm of Alpine villages, this collection captures Germany as I’ve experienced it through years of travel, discovery, and countless returns. This article will continue to grow with each new journey, one photo, one place at a time.
Table of Contents
Fine Art Travel Photographer
Nico Trinkhaus is known for his vivid images, which have won more than 100 international awards since 2011. His works have been exhibited all over Europe.
Berlin The City that shaped me
I was born in Berlin-Tegel and spent the first thirty years of my life there, long before I moved to Lisbon. For most of that time, I saw myself simply as a Berliner, not a German. The city’s character is its own — a blend of grit, creativity, and constant reinvention. Berlin has a way of rebuilding itself over and over again, and maybe that’s why I feel such a deep connection to it.
When shooting the sunset, an unpredicted storm started to build up. Standing up on a covered balcony, I decided to continue shooting in intervals.
Suddenly lightning struck the TV Tower in Berlin’s Alexanderplatz. The thunder was deafening. I checked the screen of my camera and couldn’t believe my luck. I caught the exact moment of it.
Berlin is also where my photographic career started. Ever since I captured ‘Thunderstorm at Alexanderplatz’ in 2013, my life as a photographer has been changed forever. This lucky moment got me the first press deal, an initial gallery representation, and a pathway that turned my passion into a profession.
That artwork is, in my opinion, also so representative of Berlin, as you can just imagine being part of the electric nightlife scene that the city has become famous for.
The Government District of Germany
Berlin is more than just nightlife. A few steps from the Brandenburg Gate lies the Government District, where glass façades mirror the Spree River. Here, the architecture itself speaks of transparency — modern structures built beside monuments that witnessed transformation.
The Reichstag and Paul-Löbe-Haus are especially striking at twilight, when the fading light turns the river into a mirror of Germany’s democracy.
Berlin is a City of Contrasts
“Poor but sexy” was the slogan that Berlin’s mayor used to describe the city when I grew up. Back then I found it fitting. Since travelling and photographing the world and having lived in four countries, I have had a difficult time agreeing that Berlin is “poor.” But it is a city of contrasts. Many people don’t know this, but it is also a very green city, full of lakes and forests.
Growing up in the northwestern part of the city, I had access to such peaceful landscapes that you wouldn’t expect to observe in Germany’s capital. I highly recommend a visit, something that most tourists would miss.
Munich and Bavaria Tradition without Cliché
Having grown up in Berlin, Munich felt like an entirely different world to me during my first visit. Everything is so slow. So tidy. No chaos. Where is the life? I didn’t like it.
Then, as I revisited a few years later, Munich and Bavaria as a whole started to grow on me. People were friendlier and more social. Sitting at a table in the beer garden with strangers is a common occurrence. I find the people are more open than what I was used to in Berlin – yet very closed when it comes to their traditions and heritage.
I always try to discover a way to tell the whole story of a place. In Munich, this meant I needed to get up in the sky.
Going up the St. Peter Church is quite a climb. But arriving at the top, the city feels transformed. You get to witness the architecture of Munich in all its glory. The gothic town hall is particularly striking. Then there’s the distinctive shape of the Bavarian church towers. It all fits together from up here.
I decided to take the photo on a warm summer day to have the whole scene fully filled with light.
When finally coming with my camera to the city, I fell in love. The architecture of the town hall, the churches and even the court of justice captivated me. Photographing Marienplatz, surrounded by the rhythm of bells and late-afternoon sunlight, I felt that this square captures the essence of Munich: orderly, yet alive. The New Town Hall dominates the scene, its neo-Gothic details catching the glow just before sunset.
Beyond Marienplatz, the Justizpalast and Bavarian State Opera reveal another side of the city — one of refinement and grandeur. The evening light across the Justizpalast’s façade makes it feel almost cinematic, while the Opera seems to invite a kind of stillness before each performance.
Photographing these places is like chasing the intersection between architecture and emotion.
Into the Bavarian Countryside
Leaving the capital behind, Bavaria opens up into pure fairytale landscapes. The Neuschwanstein Castle, with its towers rising above the valleys, feels almost unreal.
Not far from it stands St Coloman Church, quiet and graceful against the backdrop of the Alps. I still remember arriving at the scene, the sound of cowbells echoing in the distance while the soft light touched the steeple.
Further east, Passau lies where three rivers meet—the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. The water beautifully reflects its pastel-coloured old town, especially in the soft light at dusk. There is something serene about this city; it feels gentle after the magnificence of Munich.
saxony - a journey into the past?
If Berlin was my beginning and Bavaria a rediscovery, then Saxony feels like a conversation with time itself. Having observed how Dresden was still rebuilt during my lifetime and having explored Leipzig when Germany was in ‘blackout season’ always made me feel like I was spending time a few centuries in the past, rather than in the present.
dresden - Baroque reborn
As a child, I saw the Frauenkirche being rebuilt. As an adult, I got the chance to photograph it. It was an eerie experience seeing the building almost come alive with golden light on a hazy winter evening.
The photo was almost an afterthought for me.
Few cities in Germany embody baroque architecture in the way that Dresden does it. If you walk its streets today, it’s difficult to imagine the total devastation that once silenced the city.
The Frauenkirche, meticulously reconstructed from its own rubble, now stands as a beacon of resilience. I remember having been here as a child when it was still being renovated. Then, seeing it in its old/new glory, being able to photograph its warm evening glow – the moment felt both sacred and fragile.
Just nearby, the Semperoper carries the same quiet dignity, an architectural symphony that celebrates Dresden’s enduring artistry.
Dresden is also known as “German Florence” or, nowadays, “Florence on the Elbe”, and you can definitely get that feeling when you take a walk through the golden alleys.
Leipzig - a night on goethe's heels
Visiting Leipzig came at a special time for me. We’ve just closed the door to our Berlin apartment, never to return again, and driven south. In the midst of winter, the days were short, and I wanted to spend a night to explore this nearby city before moving out of Berlin for good.
Wandering the empty streets early in the morning in Leipzig, I immediately had to stop when I arrived at the town square in front of the New Town Hall. The architecture and the light were just perfect.
I quickly set up my tripod and camera. I knew I’d only have minutes, if not seconds, to get the shot. Using my tilt-shift lens, I was able to take in the entirety of the building as it glowed in the morning light.
And indeed, almost immediately after my photo was secured on camera, they turned off the lights, and a new day started.
Russia just invaded Ukraine in the prior spring, and Germany was preparing for the worst this winter. Unnecessary illuminations were cut to reduce dependence on Russian gas for electricity usage. While the darkness isn’t the best scenario for photography, it was a unique experience feeling set back in time a few centuries, to an age where artificial light didn’t exist.
And what a place for it! That evening we dined in the Auerbachs Keller – a restaurant that was frequented already by Goethe and Martin Luther.
The New Town Hall, with its towering spire, feels like a guardian over Leipzig’s creative energy. From above, the night skyline reveals a city alive with colour—old facades and new ideas illuminated side by side. And thankfully, the blackout wasn’t as severe as it could have been.
Germany in motion
Despite having visited every Bundesland of Germany, a significant portion of my travels occurred prior to my foray into fine art photography. Now that I live on the western edge of Europe, I wish I would have taken more time to capture other parts of the country.
There is still so much to explore. This article will be updated as I continue my future travels. For now, I’ll just close with a few highlights from individual trips.
If Berlin is government and Munich is tradition, then Frankfurt is momentum. My photo “Explode” captures a sunset bursting over the skyline of the country’s financial capital — a symbol of modern Germany’s drive and ambition.
A few hours northwest, Cologne rises from the Rhine as the spiritual answer. The cathedral dominates everything around it, its spires so tall they seem to pierce the clouds.
a country in constant renewal
From Berlin’s electric skies to the calm rivers of Bavaria, from Saxony’s heritage to Frankfurt’s modern glow. Germany is a country full of diversity and opposites. Germany embodies a blend of heritage and innovation, as well as a blend of nostalgia and reinvention. Each photograph here is a fragment of that story. And that story isn’t finished. Stay in touch for future updates to this article.
P.S. Every now and then, one subscriber wins a signed fine art print — a small thank you for being part of this journey.
frequently asked questions
If you’re looking for landscape photography, I would head to the southwest of the country. Bavaria will give you everything you’re looking for, and I would say the Rhine area is a close second.
For cultural and cityscape photography, definitely visit Berlin. But also if you fly through Frankfurt or Munich, make sure to extend your stopover for some photos.
For cities like Berlin, the best time of year is definitely May or June. You’ll have the best conditions by far. For landscapes in the south, autumn can be a fantastic season.
As a Berliner, my choice of Berlin doesn’t surprise anyone, does it? I would say Dresden comes second, ahead of Frankfurt. It depends on what you’re looking for.
It is the symbol of Germany’s reunification and one of the most photographed landmarks in the whole country. It will get very busy at all times.
Go early and take several brackets to blend exposures and remove people from the scene. I prefer photographing it from the western side, as seen in the photo above – this gives you options to play with the trails of the passing cars
Yes, Germany has its major sights well illuminated, making it a perfect playground for nighttime cityscape photography. As for astrophotography, bear in mind that the country is densely populated, so you’ll have a lot of light pollution. In the northeast, however, you will find some dark sky areas.
Hidden is relative – but I recommend visiting Franconia, north of Bavaria (and technically part of the Bundesland Bayern). It has its own microculture that definitely deserves more global recognition.
Absolutely, I’m not done yet with Germany. There is so much more to explore: I am particularly interested in exploring the cities of the Hanse on the northern coast and I have yet to explore the area along the Rhine. No, I’m far from done.
