Living in Germany: an overview of popular districts in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Co.
Living in Germany – Buying real estate in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt & Co. – Finding a flat in German cities and living in Germany is not that easy. Especially the search for the right residential area can be hard work and afterwards there is also the process of buying your property. For this reason, we would like to provide you with a small guide, with instructions, tips and above all an overview of the best residential areas in Germany’s most popular cities. Back to the overview: Real Estate Germany.
Living in Germany: Ultimate city guide
Real estate prices in Germany continue to rise, which means that more and more people are considering a house or an apartment as an investment. However, real estate as an investment in Germany is not as popular as it is in the US, even though it is a safer option to invest money than areas such as the stock market, especially in times of financial market crises.
Real estate as an investment: Hamburg, Berlin, Munich & Co.
If you want to dive deeper into a city directly, these posts will help you out:
- Living in Berlin
- Living in Hamburg
- Living in Munich
- Living in Frankfurt
- Living in Düsseldorf
- Living in Cologne
Where is the best place to invest in Germany?
If you are concerned about putting your money into real estate for the reasons mentioned above, it makes sense to think about which city and especially which neighborhoods have potential growth ahead of them. On the other hand, you can also play it safe and go back to tried and true neighborhoods. As an investor, it definitely pays to focus on safe neighborhoods, while investors look more to outlying areas and a city’s suburbs. We have more information on real estate as an investment for you here:
Berlin: Real estate in the trendy Kreuzberg district and the Dahlem villa area
As the German capital, thousands of people are drawn to the metropolis on the Spree every day to work, study and go out. For this reason, an apartment here is particularly worthwhile. Living in the metropolis is also something very special. Because Berlin radiates an atmosphere that no other German city has. The public is international and the size of the city ensures that each neighborhood brings its own atmosphere. You can feel the city’s deep-seated history and the diversity of its inhabitants in every corner.
- Population: 3,669,491 inhabitants
- Area: 891,68 km²
Purchase prices houses: 4.000 €/m²
Purchase prices apartments: 4,500 €/m²
Cultural wealth spread across 12 Berlin neighborhoods
While Kurfürstendamm is home to exclusive luxury shops, Hackesche Märkte offers boutiques of individual, local designers. Wedding, on the other hand, is filled with second-hand shops where you can find real treasures. But of course, the diversity is not only expressed through shopping opportunities.
Berlin’s job market is also diverse and offers everything you can imagine, from start-ups to corporate jobs. Berlin is also home to Germany’s largest university and boasts a total of 39 universities and colleges where you can study everything from architecture to art to economics.
Berlin is especially known for its many sights, such as the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery with parts of the Berlin Wall, the Cathedral and Potsdamer Platz. Berlin is also a hive of activity at night, with world-renowned clubs such as Berghain and many other bars and discos dotted around the city. Also the Bundestag, the center of German politics is worth a visit.
Just take a look around the neighborhoods of Berlin and convince yourself of the extraordinary possibilities. Let yourself be convinced by the city attractions that are popular with tourists and Berliners alike:
Most expensive residential area and best cafés in Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg and Co.
Many different aspects play a role in the search for the perfect residential area. On the one hand, the apartment prices, on the other hand, the environment itself. That’s why we would like to give you a brief overview of what to expect in each neighbourhood. You can find everything else on our overview page:
But as promised, we don’t want to withhold the special features of different neighborhoods either. That’s what makes the neighborhoods:
- Friedrichshain: Home of Berlin’s best cafés
- Mitte: Home to the most expensive residential locations, such as Pariser Platz
- Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf: Home of the most beautiful old buildings
- Kreuzberg: home to the most historical monuments
- Dahlem: Home of most luxury villas
Hamburg: Luxury apartments in HafenCity, Winterhude and villas in Blankenese
Hamburg my pearl – luxury is written large in the Hanseatic city. Accordingly, the real estate prices are high, which have risen constantly in recent years. For this reason, the megacity is very well suited as a place for a real estate investment. Builders of large residential projects have also discovered the Hanseatic city for themselves and so in recent years, luxurious housing projects such as the area HafenCity. The luxury apartments on the Elbe are incomparable and come close to no project that German cities have seen in recent years.
- Population: 1,899,160 inhabitants
- Area: 755.22 km²
Purchase prices apartments: 4,500 €/m²
Small districts with great potential in Hamburg
Unlike Berlin, for example, Hamburg is divided into many small districts, each of which has its own personal charm. Due to the Elbe and Alster rivers, the city is repeatedly interrupted by the river, which leads to incredibly popular residential locations directly on the water, which mostly also guarantee a beautiful view.
In Hamburg, it seems, there is a greater distinction between living, working and going out than in other cities, whether this is also due to the fact that the city is divided into a total of 104 districts, although the area itself is smaller than Berlin, remains open. But it is certain that the city is not behind the capital, neither in real estate prices, nor in Ausgehmöglichkeiten.
Hamburg’s city centre and St. Pauli are the parts of the city that never sleep. During the day you can shop here, buy groceries or, especially in St. Pauli, simply explore the lively district in peace.
However, if you want to know where the best places to live are and what makes each district special, then we have the perfect article for you. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about the districts that are best for real estate investment:
The 5 most popular spots in Hamburg: HafenCity, Harvestehude and Co.
HafenCity, downtown, Harvestehude and more definitely have a few well-known and also lesser-known places to explore. If you want to go further out of the city, you can of course also check out the famous Treppenviertel in Blankenese. While you’re there, take a look around the luxurious villas and see who wouldn’t want to spend the rest of their lives here.
- Landing Bridges
- Speicherstadt
- City Hall
- Sternschanze
- Alsterpark
Munich: luxury apartments in Germany’s most expensive city
Those who long for luxury will not have to look far in Munich, because only the elite congregate here. Purchase prices for real estate are correspondingly high. It is therefore not surprising that the Bavarian capital is home to the most expensive German residential area, the Glockenviertel. Munich is interesting for all those who want to invest their money in real estate, especially because the residents of the city repeatedly demonstrate a high willingness to pay for rental apartments.
- Population: 1,484,266 inhabitants
- Area: 310.7 km²
Purchase prices apartments: 7,950 €/m²
Best residential locations around Munich city centre
When looking at property prices in Munich, it quickly becomes clear that the most popular locations are clearly around the city centre. Especially when it comes to residential solutions such as loft apartments or penthouse apartments. In the districts around the city centre, Munich residents are prepared to spend huge sums on the perfect apartment. The student districts of Maxvorstadt and Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt are particularly popular with wealthy citizens.
If you are looking for the ultimate in luxury, you won’t have to go far out of town in Munich either. While in Hamburg the villas can be found in the Elbe suburbs, in Munich you can find them in the villa colonies around the Nymphenburg Palace. Properties in this area are mainly found off-market. Therefore, working with an estate agent is particularly worthwhile here.
Want to learn more about the real estate market, life and the most popular neighborhoods in Munich? Then take a look here:
Theresienhöhe, Maxvorstadt and Co.: Munich districts during Oktoberfest
The Oktoberfest in September every year always attracts thousands of party animals. The Bavarian capital goes into a state of emergency and those Munich residents who do not join in the celebrations prefer to leave the city for the duration of the festival. The beer flows in masses and again and again one hears of confrontations between guests and the police. While these sound like absolute horror stories, of course not the entire city is affected.
Of course, tourism is much higher than normal during this time, which brings many visitors to the city centre. This increase in population is noticeable around the city centre and bars and pubs are more crowded than usual, but in most residential areas you don’t have to worry too much.
Especially Nymphenburg and Ludwigvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, as well as Schwabing-West are hardly affected by the festivities and remain quiet as usual. Of course, the Oktoberfest also opens up opportunities for short-term rentals of your property, so it’s definitely not all bad. You can catch a closer look at the area around Theresienwiese here:
Frankfurt: Loft apartments and high-rise buildings
The banking city on the Main offers some beautiful areas and great luxury apartments. Frankfurt is part of the Rhine-Main region, a picturesque area just minutes from the big city. Especially the proximity to the Taunus and the wealthy Bad Homburg make the city additionally attractive. Frankfurt also features a fascinating skyline and a jaunty mix of new construction projects and old buildings. The new luxury apartments being built here are particularly sought after.
Living in the Main metropolis: modern real estate with a view
Only recently has the city been discovered by developers, resulting in many newly developed districts with incomparable luxury apartments. If you are thinking about investing in real estate, the city on the Main is the place to be. More about Frankfurt and its most exclusive districts here:
Purchase prices apartments: 5,800 €/m²
One example of a popular district in Frankfurt is Westend-Süd, where commercial and residential buildings steal each other’s thunder.
Westend-Süd: Luxury apartments right on the pulse of the city
Together with the city centre, the Westend is the district where life happens in Frankfurt. Banks, consulting firms and a host of other employers are located here, attracting thousands of commuters to the city every day. For this reason, the demand for housing is particularly high here. This is reflected in the many new construction projects that the district has seen in recent years.
If you are looking for proximity to the city centre and a business atmosphere, you will find it in the Westend, see for yourself:
Düsseldorf: Luxury living solutions in Oberkassel and more
The art capital of Germany is probably Düsseldorf. This is also reflected in the cityscape, as impressive old buildings and pompous city villas characterise the real estate market of the medium-sized city. Especially in recent years, Düsseldorf has been able to gain in popularity and convinces investors and people looking for a property as an investment with affordable housing prices compared to previous cities and a beautiful living environment.
How to live in Düsseldorf – going out, shopping and more
If you want to know more about Düsseldorf as a city and especially everything about the most popular residential areas and where it is worth investing in real estate, then take a look here, where we tell you where you can find the best cafés, visit the most beautiful museums and everything you need to know about the city:
Purchase prices apartments: 3,900 €/m²
The most exclusive residential area in Düsseldorf is undoubtedly Oberkassel, which we do not want to deprive you of.
Oberkassel: exclusive city villas with river view
The popular Düsseldorf district of Oberkasel is separated from Düsseldorf’s old town by the Rhine. This circumstance leads to impressive residential locations with views over the beautiful city in the Rhineland. Anyone who thinks highly of themselves buys a property in Düsseldorf. The willingness of residents to pay is correspondingly high. If you want to buy a property that holds its value, then take a look around Oberkassel:
Cologne: Luxury villas in Hahnwald and real estate in Südstadt
The carnival stronghold on the Rhine is not only worth a visit during the festive season, but also attracts thousands every year with its rich educational offerings and diverse job market. Cologne is also notorious as a media city and is the home of film, television and modern media solutions.
Housing options around two green belts
The compressed city core offers a lot of housing options, but the really exclusive locations are to be found a bit further out of the city. That’s why we’ve put together a little guide to the best places to live and where your money is best spent:
Purchase prices apartments: 4,000 €/m²
If you want to experience Cologne in its full splendour, head for the Südstadt, more on that straight away!
Südstadt: urban quarter with luxury apartments
Cologne’s Südstadt not only showcases the true core of Cologne, but the area is also popular with young and old to live in. The reason for this is the inviting streets, which are filled with life all year round. During semester times, students from the Technical University can be found here, attracted by the cool street cafés and the pleasant flair of Südstadt.
Take a virtual walk through the streets of the southern city and let yourself be infected by the spirit: