Student Guide: Budget-Friendly Activities in Germany

Germany is a beautiful country and a favorite study destination for many foreign students. In fact, even before the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of foreign students visit the country to study for a degree. 

Aside from its beauty, Germany also offers high quality of life to its citizens. Thus, expect the country to have a high cost of living. However, despite its high cost of living, German education is more accessible to foreign students, compared to other countries in Europe. 

Read below to know some of the budget-friendly activities in Germany for budget-savvy students. 

Take a Free Tour in Germany’s Big Cities 

In other countries, guided tours will usually cost you money, especially when you do them infamous and large cities. However, in Germany, joining a guided tour in its major cities, such as Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg can be free. Just be ready to walk a lot, since these tours are walking tours. 

These free tours in Germany aim to educate students and other guests about Germany’s cities, their historical significance, and culture. Aside from those, it also aims to promote the various establishments in each city, to help boost the economy. 

For students, joining a free walking tour is the perfect way to familiarize themselves with your host city and learn more about it. 

Go to the Park and Explore Various Activities 

Parks are a great way to enjoy a lot of things for free. As of 2020, Germany has around 16 national parks covering more than a million hectares in the whole country, and they are all protected by the government. Aside from its national parks, the country is also home to over 100 nature parks. Thus, if you are planning to stay in Germany, you won’t be short of it. 

Parks are a great way to relax on your own or have fun with your friends by having picnics or even barbecue activities. 

Aside from those activities, you can also trek, hike, jog, cycle, visit outdoor markets, and do karaoke (after COVID-19). 

Visit Germany’s Outdoor and Food Markets 

If you find items from the malls and supermarkets too expensive, worry not, as an alternative to those that are outdoor markets. Outdoor markets offer students a lot of things such as street food, food ingredients, fruits, vegetables, freshly baked goods, and even souvenirs, which you can bring home to your friends after your study program is finished. 

Visiting outdoor markets is free and they are all over Germany. Some outdoor markets even showcase unique wares or food depending on the day or season. For example, some markets are only around during Christmas selling gifts you can give to people for Christmas.

Other markets such as the Markthalle Neun showcase international street food on Thursday evenings, while in Kreuzberg, a Turkish Market is held only on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

There are more budget-friendly activities in Germany aside from the ones listed above. To learn more about living in Germany, such as top foods and drinks that students must try, check out MSM Unify’s article on this topic.