Which German cities have the best air quality?
This pattern fits with the bigger picture across Europe, where north and western cities tend to have better air quality than those that are further to the south and east.
The EEA's study revealed that
Stockholm has the cleanest air of all European capitals
.
In comparison, Berlin took a middle position with air quality that is better than Vienna and just slightly better than Paris, but worse than Brussels or Lisbon.
Which German cities had the best (and worst) air quality?
The northern port city of Kiel has the best air quality in Germany on average.
A number of other northern cities were also ranked among Germany's cities with the cleanest air including Flensburg, Lübeck, Neumünster, Lüneberg, Schwerin and Stralsund.
A few cities not in the north that ranked high for clean air were Villingen-Schwenningen in the Black Forest, as well as Aachen and Düren in North Rhine-Westphalia near Germany's western border.
Screenshot of the map of Germany in the EEA's air quality viewer. Bluer arrows represent better air quality whereas yellow to orange show lower quality. Map by EEA.
On the other end of the spectrum were cities found in Germany's south-eastern regions, as well as a couple of cities near to industrial regions in the highly populated west.
Advertisement
Görlitz, east of Dresden on the border with Poland, had the worst air quality of the German cities.
Also ranked poorly were Oberhausen, Nuremberg, Bottrop, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Fürth, Passau and Ingolstadt.
The EEA's ranking was based on data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground-level ozone (O3) pollution over the past two calendar years.
You can see how clean the air is in your city by checking the agency's
air quality viewer
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
'Fairytale' Neuschwanstein Castle Becomes UNESCO Heritage Site
The Neuschwanstein castle in Germany's Bavaria, perhaps best known for inspiring Walt Disney's fairytale castles, has been named a World Heritage site, the UN cultural agency announced on Saturday. Three other royal residences, also constructed in the late 19th Century under the famously arts-obsessed King Ludwig II of Bavaria, were also added to the coveted list: Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof and Schachen. Neuschwanstein, perched on a rocky, 200m-high Alpine crag, is Germany's most visited castle, with almost 1.5 million people flocking there every year. "A fairytale comes true for our fairytale castles: We are #WorldHeritage!" Bavaria's governor, Markus Soeder, wrote on X after the announcement. Neuschwanstein combines an idealised medieval exterior with architectural techniques considered cutting-edge at the time. Its main rooms are adorned with paintings of German and Nordic legends, the same stories that inspired composer Richard Wagner, for whom Ludwig was a generous patron. Peter Seibert of the Bavarian Castles Administration (BSV) told AFP that the UNESCO listing "is a very great responsibility, but also recognition... for the work we have done so far in preservation". Philippe, a 52-year-old visitor from Canada, was surprised that the castle was not already a World Heritage Site. "We're lucky to still be able to experience this," he said, calling the listing "a very good idea". Herrenchiemsee meanwhile evokes a Versailles in miniature on a lake between Munich and Salzburg, an homage to absolute monarch Louis XIV of France, whom Ludwig admired. Indeed Ludwig nicknamed Herrencheimsee "Meicost-Ettal", an anagram of Louis XIV's alleged aphorism "L'Etat, c'est moit" ("I am the state"). The third site in the UNESCO listing is the small castle of Linderhof, completed in 1878, the only one to have been finished in Ludwig's lifetime. It mixes elements of French Baroque architecture from the reign of Louis XIV with touches of the Rococo style developed in southern Germany. Its park boasts an artificial cave inspired by Wagner's opera Tannhaeuser, 90 metres long and up to 14 metres high, which houses a grotto of Venus and was designed as a personal retreat for Ludwig. The electric lighting system used in the cave was state of the art at the time, with glass discs used to illuminate the grotto in different colours. The last of the four sites on the list is Schachen, a royal house in the style of a large Swiss chalet, where Ludwig liked to celebrate the saint's day of his namesake St Louis on August 25. It is located at 1,800 metres above sea level, not far from Neuschwanstein. The four castles have become "part of Bavarian identity" says Seibert, "iconic and perfectly embedded in a beautiful landscape". Ironically, while Ludwig's architectural legacy is today a source of pride in Bavaria -- not to mention tourist revenue -- they were part of the reason for his own downfall. The ruinous construction costs of the lavish residences led the Bavarian government to depose him, declaring him insane. Interned in Berg Palace, he died shortly afterwards in mysterious circumstances at Lake Starnberg. The New Palace of Herrenchiemsee Castlein Bavaria, pictured on July 11, 2015 AFP Linderhof Castle near Oberammergau, southern Germany pictured on July 10, 2025. AFP The King's House at Schachen in Bavaria, pictured on July 11, 2025. AFP
Local Germany
4 days ago
- Local Germany
'Fairytale' Neuschwanstein castle becomes UNESCO heritage site
Three other royal residences, also constructed in the late 19th Century under the famously arts-obsessed King Ludwig II of Bavaria, were also added to the coveted list: Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof and Schachen. Neuschwanstein, perched on a rocky, 200m-high Alpine crag, is Germany's most visited castle, with almost 1.5 million people flocking there every year. "A fairytale comes true for our fairytale castles: We are #WorldHeritage!" Bavaria's governor, Markus Soeder, wrote on X after the announcement. Neuschwanstein combines an idealised medieval exterior with architectural techniques considered cutting-edge at the time. Its main rooms are adorned with paintings of German and Nordic legends, the same stories that inspired composer Richard Wagner, for whom Ludwig was a generous patron. Peter Seibert of the Bavarian Castles Administration (BSV) told AFP that the UNESCO listing "is a very great responsibility, but also recognition... for the work we have done so far in preservation". Philippe, a 52-year-old visitor from Canada, was surprised that the castle was not already a World Heritage Site. "We're lucky to still be able to experience this," he said, calling the listing "a very good idea". Herrenchiemsee meanwhile evokes a Versailles in miniature on a lake between Munich and Salzburg, an homage to absolute monarch Louis XIV of France, whom Ludwig admired. Indeed Ludwig nicknamed Herrencheimsee "Meicost-Ettal", an anagram of Louis XIV's alleged aphorism "L'Etat, c'est moit" ("I am the state"). Advertisement 'Part of Bavarian identity' The third site in the UNESCO listing is the small castle of Linderhof, completed in 1878, the only one to have been finished in Ludwig's lifetime. It mixes elements of French Baroque architecture from the reign of Louis XIV with touches of the Rococo style developed in southern Germany. Its park boasts an artificial cave inspired by Wagner's opera Tannhaeuser, 90 metres long and up to 14 metres high, which houses a grotto of Venus and was designed as a personal retreat for Ludwig. The electric lighting system used in the cave was state of the art at the time, with glass discs used to illuminate the grotto in different colours. The last of the four sites on the list is Schachen, a royal house in the style of a large Swiss chalet, where Ludwig liked to celebrate the saint's day of his namesake St Louis on August 25. Advertisement It is located at 1,800 metres above sea level, not far from Neuschwanstein. The four castles have become "part of Bavarian identity" says Seibert, "iconic and perfectly embedded in a beautiful landscape". Ironically, while Ludwig's architectural legacy is today a source of pride in Bavaria -- not to mention tourist revenue -- they were part of the reason for his own downfall. The ruinous construction costs of the lavish residences led the Bavarian government to depose him, declaring him insane. Interned in Berg Palace, he died shortly afterwards in mysterious circumstances at Lake Starnberg.
Local Germany
5 days ago
- Local Germany
'Daily struggle': Deutsche Bahn's train punctuality continues to fall
Around 43 percent of Deutsche Bahn's (DB) long-distance trains (ICE and IC) were recorded as being late in June. It's worth noting that even more trains were less than perfectly punctual, because Germany's national railway operator only considers trains delayed when they are at least six minutes behind schedule. How does June compare to previous months? The drop in punctuality in June is notable. With 43 percent of trains being late, DB had a punctuality rate of 57 percent for the month. In May, the average punctuality for long-distance trains was 62 percent. In March, it was 65.6 percent. Regional trains fared better, with 88.9 percent on time in June, down slightly from 89.9 percent in May. According to DB, performance on the long-distance network in June was marred by equipment malfunctions, unplanned construction work, and problems caused by severe weather, which all contributed to a significant drop in reliability. READ ALSO: School closures to rail chaos - What happens when Germany is hit by extreme heat Deutsche Bahn has set itself an annual punctuality target of 65 to 70 percent for 2025. While figures for July aren't yet available, the heatwave at the beginning of the month is unlikely to lead to improved results. According to a report in Bild , the proportion of trains running late rose to a record high as a result of the heatwave When can rail users expect improvements? Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz has acknowledged the ongoing challenges, citing dilapidated infrastructure and a high volume of construction sites as the main causes of delays. While the company hasn't abandoned its 65 to 70 percent punctuality target for the year, Lutz admits that reaching it will be 'a daily struggle'. Advertisement Major renovation projects are underway, but their completion has been pushed back to 2035, suggesting that delays and disruptions will remain a reality for the foreseeable future. What are passengers' rights? Passengers are entitled to claim a 25 percent refund on the price of their ticket if their train arrives at its destination with a delay of at least 60 minutes. READ ALSO: How to get compensation for delayed or cancelled trains in Germany For delays of 120 minutes or more, the refund increases to 50 percent. Claims can be submitted online via DB's website or app, or at DB travel centres and by mail. Advertisement Issues to be aware of on July 12th and 13th, 2025 These days, it's always a good idea to check DB's real-time information before travelling and to allow extra time for your journey. This weekend, the replacement of points at Cologne Central Station is likely to affect multiple regional lines. Partial cancellations and substitute bus services are also in place on routes between Frankfurt (Main) Central Station and Frankfurt-Höchst. In northern Germany, the AKN line A1 between Eidelstedt and Ulzburg Süd is operating with replacement buses due to extensive construction. READ ALSO: 'Four-hour delays' - How travelling on German trains has become a nightmare for foreigners
