Party enthusiasts eagerly await the time when they can celebrate the New Year in Germany at one of these fantastic places. Tips and useful information on where best to meet the holiday.
1. New Year in Germany in Cologne
The Phantasialand theme park in Brühl, near Cologne, hosts a grand New Year's gala concert and offers a menu featuring dishes from various national cuisines.
The fireworks are best observed from the banks of the Rhine in the old town and from Rhine bridges like Severinsbrücke.
2. Hamburg Fireworks over the Water
Package deals, tickets to musicals, shows, dance parties, and gala dinners with views of the city and harbor can also be booked on the Elbe River in Hamburg.
Alternatively, you can celebrate in typical Hamburg style on board a traditional boat during a two-hour cruise through the harbor.
You can enjoy a large New Year's fireworks display from a specially designated spot on the water. For those who prefer solid ground under their feet, the pier offers a variety of festive food in snack bars and kiosks.
3. New Year in the Bavarian Forest
Many people would prefer to spend New Year's Eve without the hustle and bustle of crowds. For those who appreciate nature, health, and sports, the Bavarian Forest is an ideal destination.
Resorts and their hosts offer a wide range of entertainment. The winter forest landscape can be particularly intensively experienced through snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
The choice of activities and events in the Bavarian Forest varies from snowshoe walks or sleigh rides from Großer Arber to Bodenmais with a cabin party, to a hike along the treetop trail in Neuschönau. It's also worth seeing the New Year's concert in the monastery church of Maria Hilf in Passau, which has become a long-standing tradition.
4. New Year's Run: Sporting End to the Year
Numerous New Year's runs in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland allow you to finish the year on a sporty note.
These events are held not only in megacities like Munich, Berlin, and Vienna but also in cities like:
- Bautzen;
- Saarbrücken;
- Bad Staffelstein.
Since multiple distances are often offered, even beginners can participate. On the last day of the year, about 100 New Year's runs with a total of around 100,000 participants will take place throughout Germany – more than on any other day.
5. New Year's Swim in the North Sea
On the island of Föhr in the North Sea, a traditional New Year's run also starts in the town of Wyk. It's not so much about speed as it is about funny costumes.
Beforehand, real chimney sweeps distribute soot and little talismans on the festival mile Sandwall, where a big party takes place in the evening.
In the New Year's swim in Füssen, Bavaria, at dusk on January 1st, brave members of the Osthallgau rescue teams plunge into the cold wild Lech River.
They then swim with torches past the old town of Füssen and down the river to wish several thousand spectators a happy New Year.
Related topics:
In Phantasialand, they have a New Year's gala concert with dishes from various national cuisines, making it a great option for celebrating New Year in Cologne.
In Hamburg, you can celebrate New Year on board a traditional boat during a two-hour cruise through the harbor, offering a unique and typical Hamburg style experience.
