The 10 German cities with the best weather

The seasons are very defined in Germany, it's usually hot and sunny in the summer, cold and sometimes snowy in the winter. So if you're making Germany your home but you're used to the warmer climes all year round, which German cities have the best weather overall? 

What is the sunniest city in Germany?

According to a study by Enpal, an energy company in Berlin, Offenburg in Baden-Württemberg is the sunniest city in the whole of Germany. The Black Forest city of around 60.000 people is close to the French border and rakes in an impressive 2.790 hours of sunshine every year.

Another spot in Baden-Württemberg follows as the Germany city with the second-highest hours of annual sunshine, Pforzheim. Pforzheim lies on the northern edge of the Black Forest and logs 2.666 hours of sunshine every year.

In third place, three German cities are tied: Freiburg im Breisgau and Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg and Kempten im Allgäu in Bavaria. The sun shines on each of these cities for no fewer than 2.660 hours every year.

The warmest cities in Germany

There are perhaps some surprises here, as the sunniest cities in Germany aren’t necessarily the warmest. In fact, the cities with the highest average temperatures are largely located in the sun-deprived western states. Offenbach am Main secures the number one spot with an average annual maximum of 15,4 degrees.

The coldest cities, unsurprisingly, are to be found on the wind-battered northern coast. Rostock comes in last with an average maximum of 11,6 degrees.

The German cities with the longest summer

Summer is everyone’s favourite season, right? Its only flaw is that it doesn’t last long enough - three months in most German cities. However, residents of Offenbach, Karlsruhe, Mainz, Pforzheim and Frankfurt are lucky enough to enjoy average temperatures of more than 20 degrees for a full four months.

The shortest summer season is in Bremerhaven, where temperatures only rise above the 20-degree mark in July and August - and only just.

The German cities with the least precipitation

Nothing puts a damper on a good day like a heavy rain shower. If you hate getting wet, consider heading to Halle/Saale, where the average annual precipitation is 483mm, 236mm less than the national average. Honourable mention goes to the cities Erfurt, Berlin and Magdeburg, which all have less than 500mm of rain, hail and snow per year.

If you’re on your way to Oldenburg, don’t forget your umbrella: with 1.072mm of precipitation per year, it is officially Germany’s rainiest city. Places two through five all go to cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Of course, the weather in Germany can be notoriously unpredictable. But, armed with this information, you can be sure you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of finding your perfect German weather to enjoy an ice-cold German beer!