I’m the kind of person who loves roadside attractions. If a sign says “Biggest Ball of Yarn” or “Caves of Wonder,” I’m telling the driver to PULL OVER! So you can imagine my delight (and my family’s frustration) when I discovered the Brown Signs on the Autobahn pointing out German Tourist attractions! Everywhere are signs pointing out Sehenswürdigkeiten (things worthy of being looked at). Maybe a Historic Altstadt (Historic Old Town)? A Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection)? or even (my favorite!) a Freilicht Museum (Open Air museum)! The signs aren’t very descriptive. All they show is a name and a sketched image. But you just KNOW there will be something to see at the end of the road, and probably a cafe.
Brown Signs on the Autobahn
The big Brown Signs, the Touistische Hinweissschilder (Tourist recommendations), are just a name and a graphic- sort of a teaser about what you can find near the next Ausfahrt. You won’t find directions or mileage on these signs.
The first Brown Sign on the Autobahn was for Burg Teck in Baden-Württemburg on the A-8. The original sign has since been replaced so that it’s more in keeping with the rest of the signs. (There is no point in stopping to get an Instagram photo of it). It was so successful that the state set up 14 more Brown Signs!
Naturally, since this is Germany, people took notice. In 1988, the Federal Republic of Germany created “Guidelines for tourist information on roads.” Section 383.3 of the Road Traffic Regulations Code covered the Brown Sehenswürdigkeiten signs.
To clarify: All tourist signs on the Autobahn and public streets are brown. You might see a brown sign on a bridge as you pass over a river with the river’s name and a squiggly line (representing a River). This is amazingly helpful when you are in a car full of people, and someone asks, “Hey, what river is that?” (these signs fall under Road Traffic Regulations code 383.1) There are also directional signs on streets that may have an arrow pointing you toward Burg Eltz. (Code 383.2) Now, go out and win a trivia contest about German signage codes!
More Sign information-
(You might be able to use this information at the next family dinner, but anyone who isn’t an engineer may skip this bit)
–Signs on the Autobahn may be no closer than 10 KM apart (a change from the original 20km).
–Brown Tourist Signs Signs may not be placed near other highway signs.
–Signs MUST refer to something you will find at the next Ausfahrt (FYI…Ausfahrt is not a city name, but yes, it is a funny joke that never gets old).
–Signs must use the Sans serif Linear Antiqua font, with letters between 245 and 280 mm tall.
–The Road Traffic Authority must approve signs, but any city, company, or cultural association can apply for them. And yes, being TOO obscure is a reason not to get a sign, but most signs are rejected because there are already too many signs.
BUT WHY?
According to studies, the signs work. Remember, this is Germany; you KNOW someone did the math. Every sixth person who sees a sign stops! (These are my people!)
Every sign points to something interesting. Cultural sites, like UNESCO cities or Cathedrals. Natural Monuments, nature areas, recreation areas, and parks that are perfect for picnics or breaks from driving. You’ll find cities and Museums. (Did you know that the world’s largest Computer Museum is in Paderborn?). From the large, there are signs for the Schwarzwald, the Lüneburger Heide, and for the 50 City are of the Ruhr, to the more obscure, like the Glockenguß in Gescher, a museum for a bell maker. (ps. That one is on my bucket list now) and the Thüringer Kloßwelt Heichelheim, DUMPLING WORLD! (Dumpling World is on the A-4 and also on my Bucket List). Along the A-72 is the Glasstadt Lauscha, home to the original glass Christmas Ornaments, and on the A-24 is the Garten der Schmetterlinge Friedrichsruh-Sachsenwald, Garden of Butterflies. The variety is astonishing!
Currently, there are over 3400 signs along the Autobahn, 800 in Bavaria alone! I’d never get anywhere if I were in charge of driving. I grumbled for hours after my Tech Guy drove PAST the signage near Halle for the Nebra Sky Disk a few years ago, but we returned to it on a later trip. (To be fair, we were headed to the Allianz, and kick-off wasn’t going to wait for me).
All of these wonderful signs are a reminder that Germany is much more than just the stuff you find on the cover of a Tourist magazine. Life is about the Journey, not the destination, so why not stretch it out a bit? There are so many places, out of the way and off the Autobahn, just WAITING to be discovered.
And chances are, wherever you go, there will be cake.
Finding the Tourist Attractions with Brown Signs
Sehenswürdigkeiten entlang der Autobahn
So, how do you know where to go and what to see?? Well, you can just exit when you see a sign. There will be further directions at the bottom of the exit.
Or you can do what I did and buy the book. “Sehenswürdigkeiten entlang der Autobahn” lists all of the brown signs in order of their appearance along the Autobahn and even gives you the exit number. There is a short description and generally a link to a website. YES, it’s in German, but the text is short, and you can run it through a translation app or take this opportunity to brush up on your German Language Skills.
UPDATE April 2025- the book seems to be out of print, and wildly expensive. You can order it as an ebook directly from the publisher-> Thalia E-Book Sehenswürdigkeiten entlang der Autobahn
