Sunny Cities in Germany

The second place among German sun metropolises has been earned by Pforzheim: Here the sun enlightens the sky for an impressive nine hours in July, while residents must settle for "only" seven sun hours in May, June, and August.

Closely followed by the city of Fürth, which lies about 50 km away, and the metropolis of Heilbronn, where the sun shines an average of 4.9 hours a day. Places 5 are shared by Erlangen, Ulm, and Reutlingen. This makes southern Germany the absolute frontrunner when it comes to abundant sunshine.

The direct city comparison confirms what was already evident in the comparison of the federal states: The metropolises in North Rhine-Westphalia do not fare well in terms of sunshine. All five of the sunniest cities unambiguously lie in the western federal state.

The bottom players Moers and Krefeld average just 3.2 sun hours a day. The peak month for both cities is June with six sun hours. In winter, residents are happy if they even get to see the sun.

In Solingen and Mönchengladbach, the sun is also considered a rare commodity. Here, on average, the sun appears for only 3.3 hours. Neuss, with 3.5 sun hours, also falls into the shadow of the sun metropolises.

What could be better than spending time in the city park on warm days while enjoying a delicious ice cream? In some cities, however, vacationers and locals should lick a little faster - or else the ice cream cone will melt away.

With an average annual maximum temperature of over 15.4°C, Offenbach am Main has easily secured the title of "Hottest City in Germany." It gets warmest in July: daytime temperatures average 26°C, creating plenty of vacation feeling.

Karlsruhe ranks second among the hottest cities in Germany. Even if it only reaches an average of "just" 25.5°C in the height of summer, an annual maximum temperature average of 15°C promises a pleasant urban climate. Close behind are Bergisch Gladbach with an average of 14.8°C, as well as Mainz and Trier, each with an average of 14.7°C.

The icy coastal wind ensures year-round cooling, especially in northern Germany - particularly true for Rostock. With an annual average of 11.6°C, it is on average 4°C cooler than Offenbach am Main. In summer, the thermometer barely climbs above the 20°C mark.

Bremerhaven and Kiel also do not even reach an annual average of 12°C. Especially in winter, icy maximum temperatures of 2 to 3°C make hats a must.

As an outlier, the Thuringian metropolis of Erfurt sneaks between the coastal cities. Although the temperature maximum in July and August exceeds 22°C, it gets particularly chilly in winter: In January, temperatures barely rise above 1.5°C.

Summer is regarded as the favorite season by 50% of Germans. No wonder: warming sun rays tickle the skin, mild nights invite long evenings, and a variety of ice cream stands lure with colorful flavor variations. It's clear that summer can never last long enough.

But summer wouldn't be summer without it being really warm - and for as long as possible. In most metropolises of the Federal Republic, summer usually lasts three months - among them Hildesheim, Bergisch Gladbach, and Trier.

Five German cities can boast four months of average temperatures above 20°C: In Offenbach, Karlsruhe, Mainz, Pforzheim, and Frankfurt, temperatures range from 20.2 to 26°C from June to September.

All fans of the warm season living in Bremerhaven must be strong: Because summer is not really a thing in the city. Although average maximum temperatures climb to around 20°C between July and August, they do not go any higher. Thus, Bremerhaven officially has the shortest summer in Germany.

When looking out from the front door, there's probably nothing more disliked than a heavy rain shower. On average, German cities receive 719 mm of precipitation per year - whether in the form of rain, hail, or snow. Good weather is something else, right?

As the driest city in Germany, Halle (Saale) does not let residents and visitors stand in the rain: With an annual precipitation of 483 mm, the city in Saxony-Anhalt is a full 236 mm below the national average, demonstrating particularly pleasant weather.

The major cities of Erfurt, Berlin, and Magdeburg are still below the 500 mm mark for their annual precipitation, but they do not necessarily promise clear skies: The top five driest cities in Germany average only 3.8 to 4.4 sun hours per day.

If you enjoy walking or even dancing in the rain, Oldenburg is the right place for you: Here, 1,072 mm of precipitation falls annually - 353 mm more than the national average. Nevertheless, the Lower Saxony city still averages 4.2 sun hours per day.

Places 2 through 5 are exclusively claimed by North Rhine-Westphalia. It's not surprising: After all, this is where the fewest sun hours are found in Germany. In Remscheid, Essen, Solingen, and Wuppertal, between 866 and 942 mm of precipitation falls annually - so better not forget the umbrella.

On average, 146 days of the year are marked by precipitation in Germany - 40% of the year, so we have to deal with rain, snow, and hail. Fortunately, there are cities where raincoats and rubber boots can mostly stay in the closet.

The absolute leader is Erfurt: Here it rains on average only on 97 days of the year. Berlin, Magdeburg, and Leipzig are also doing very well with 99 rainy days a year. In Mainz, vacationers and residents should prepare for 100 days of precipitation.

With such a good average, it's no surprise that all five cities also fall below the average for German precipitation: In Erfurt, Berlin, and Leipzig, less than 500 mm of precipitation falls annually. Magdeburg and Mainz are also just above the 500 mm mark.

However, despite the low number of rainy days, Erfurt, Berlin, Leipzig, Magdeburg, and Mainz are not among the sunniest cities in Germany. In plain terms: Less rain does not automatically mean clear skies.

Of course, the rainy day statistics also point to the other extreme. However, contrary to what many would expect, it is not necessarily the coastal cities that have the lowest skies: Essen should prepare for the most rainy days - it can be uncomfortable on a total of 206 days of the year. This places the city in NRW a full 60 days or two months above the national average.

In second place, Bremerhaven is the only coastal city in the ranking of the cities with the most rainy days: Over an average of 199 days, 766 mm of precipitation falls. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th places are exclusively occupied by cities from North Rhine-Westphalia, including Remscheid, Solingen, Wuppertal, and Duisburg.

Admittedly, good weather means something different to each person: Some like it sunny, others hot - and some are just happy when it doesn't rain.

Therefore, the travel experts from Travelcircus compared 80 major cities in Germany based on various criteria to find out where residents and vacationers can expect the 10 best sunny cities in Germany with a perfect mix of sun, warm temperatures, and little precipitation:

As the hottest metropolis in Germany and one of the cities with the longest summers, Offenbach has rightfully earned the title "Sunny City 2019." The gem on the Main River also shines in terms of rainfall.

Mainz secures the second place. The city in Rhineland-Palatinate impresses with particularly low rainfall and pleasant temperatures. In the 3rd place, Karlsruhe shines with an average of 4.6 sun hours per day and an annual maximum temperature of 15°C, although the precipitation amount of 770 mm is above the German average.

Although Chemnitz boasts the title of sunniest city, Halle (Saale) as the driest city, and Erfurt as the city with the fewest rainy days, all three could not make it into the top 10 sunny cities in Germany. However, if you want to enjoy sunshine without the risk of heat stroke or dry climates without sunburn, these three cities are just right.