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Binge-worthy German TV shows on Netflix (Best for 2023)

Discover our selection of the best German TV shows on Netflix for some binge-worthy viewing! Plus a little travel inspiration for future travel to and around Germany.

Are you learning German? Or are you hoping to visit Germany and are looking for travel inspiration? This guide to the best German TV shows on Netflix and will sort your viewing for the next few months (and have you planning that future trip to Germany)

Get ready for these ultimate binge-worthy German Netflix series! Please bear in mind that not all these shows may be available on Netflix in your location! If you would like unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany) we recommend Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

This list contains a guide to recommended German TV series which has been compiled in conjunction with travel bloggers from all around the world.

German TV shows on Netflix

Biohackers

Biohackers is a fast-paced German series and thriller about gene modifications and their consequences. It follows Mia Akerlund, a medical student at the University of Freiburg, who is interested in biohacking technology. She is determined to uncover a conspiracy that links her family’s tragedy to a biology professor.

Mia becomes involved in illegal genetic experimentation to avenge her brother’s death. When a breakthrough in biohacking results in the search results landing in the wrong hands, Mia has to decide if she should protect her friends, or avenge her brother’s death.

Biohackers is a gripping story about friendship, love, and revenge. After the first couple of episodes, the series becomes quite suspenseful.

  • Genre – Thriller
  • Date of Release – August 2020
  • Seasons – One, renewed for a second season
  • Episodes – 6
  • Starring – Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Adrian Julius Tillmann
  • Where filmed? –  University of Freiburg and in studios in Munich

Watched by Debbie Fettback at WorldAdventurists.com

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Freiburg in Germany where some popular German TV shows on Netflix are filmed.
Freiburg

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How To Sell Drugs Online (fast)

It all starts when a heartbroken teen provokes a local drug dealer in a painfully common German town. Short but leg-slappingly funny and inspired by a true story, this show is about how nerdy teenagers Moritz (Maximilian Mundt) and Lenny (Danilo Kamperidis) launch Europe’s largest online drug shop to win back the love of Moritz’ ex-girlfriend Lisa (Lena Klenke).

It’s fast-paced, exciting, heart-warming, and peak comedy—regardless if you understand German. Topics covered range from the tech literacy generational gap to FOMO, Instagram jealousy, authenticity, teenage insecurity, and entrepreneurial success.

Set in the fictional North Rhine-Westphalian town of Rinseln, the show was mostly shot in Eppendorf, Bonn, and Köln, all in NRW. Netflix released the first season in 2019. There are two seasons of this German show available with six half-hour episodes. A third season is on its way.

  • Released – 2019
  • Number of episodes -2 seasons and 12 episodes
  • Genre – Comedy
  • Starring – Maximilian Mundt, Danilo Kamperidis
  • Where was the series filmed? Ippendorf, Bonn and Köln

Watched by Iris Veldwijk of Mind of a Hitchhiker

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Bonn street scene.
Bonn

DO YOU WANT TO WATCH THE GREAT SHOWS LISTED IN THIS GUIDE?

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Access to the US, UK and German Netflix libraries (plus a further 12 countries)

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Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood

Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood (or Octoberfest 1900) is an epic drama about the famous annual Munich beer festival around the turn of the 20th century.

The show follows the rich Curt Prank who wants to take Oktoberfest to a new level by building a large beer palace. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make this dream come true but runs into trouble with some local brewers. Especially when his daughter falls in love with one of those brewers’ sons.

Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood is not very historically accurate and only loosely based on true events. But it makes for an entertaining German show that certainly does its title justice, with lots of beer, blood, drama, and romance.

Genre – Historical Drama

Date of Release

Seasons – 1 season, 6 episodes

Starring – Misel Maticevic, Martina Gedeck, Klaus Steinbacher, Mercedes Müller, Brigitte Hobmeier

Where was it filmed? – Prague, Munich, and various locations around Bavaria and Czechia.

Watched by Sophie van der Meulen of Just Heading Out

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View of Prague.
Prague

Dogs of Berlin

Dogs of Berlin is a German series that tells the story of how the murder of a famous Turkish-German soccer player forced two detectives of opposing sides to work together against their will.

The pair go on a gripping territorial battle with the underworld in Berlin on a gripping adventure of human weakness and the workings of criminal minds.

The cutting-edge crime drama Netflix series first aired on 7 December 2018 and so far, only has one season of 10 episodes. The main stars are Felix Kramer, Fahri Yardim, Mohamed Issa and Anna Maria Mühe.

It’s the second Netflix original to be written, produced and shot in German.

  • Genre – Crime Drama
  • Released – 2018
  • Number of episodes – 10
  • Starring – The main stars are Felix Kramer, Fahri Yardim, Mohamed Issa and Anna Maria Mühe.
  • Where was the series filmed? Berlin

Watched by Alice from Adventures of Alice

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View of Berlin a city which appears in many German TV shows on Netflix.

More to watch!

Der Tatortreiniger

“Der Tatortreiniger” which translates to “Crime scene Cleaner” in English is a German TV show about Heiko, whose job it is to clean up crime scenes.

Despite the topic, the show is actually quite humorous and perfectly combines a crime show with comedic elements. The show is set in northern Germany and incorporates many elements of the local dry humour into episodes.

In most cases, the actual crimes that Heiko (also called Schotty in the show) has to clean up aren’t the focus of attention. It is more so the strange situations that he gets himself in and his reactions to absurd moments.

This show is easy to watch and a great way to switch off and enjoy a comedy focusing on a deeper topic.

  • Genre – Comedy
  • Date of Release: 2011
  • Number of episodes – 31 Episodes in 7 Seasons
  • Where was it filmed? Hamburg

Watched by Victoria of Guide Your Travel

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Hamburg a city which appears in some German TV shows on Netflix.
Hamburg

Tribes of Europe

Tribes of Europe is a German sci-fi series in post-apocalyptical, after anabout a catastrophe event in Europe in the year 2074. Europe is divided into tribal microstates, each tribe is at war with the other for dominance.

Three siblings from the Origine, which is a peaceful tribe, are caught in the war after finding a mysterious cube that fell out of a plane. The mysterious cube is powerful, very valuable and everyone wants it.

The story follows each of the siblings after their tribe is destroyed and while developing the meaning and the abilities of the mysterious cube.

  • Genre: German sci-fi television series
  • Date of release:  19 February 2021 on Netflix
  • How many seasons and episodes: 1 season with 6 episodes 
  • Starring:  Henriette Confurius, Emilio Sakraya, David Ali Rashed, Melika Foroutan 
  • Where was it filmed? The Czech Republic and Croatia

Watched by by Jorge & Cláudia Travel Drafts

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Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

DO YOU WANT TO WATCH THE GREAT SHOWS LISTED IN THIS GUIDE?

WITH SURFSHARK VPN YOU CAN!

With Surfshark VPN you get unrestricted access to the Netflix libraries of 15 countries.

Access to the US, UK and German Netflix libraries (plus a further 12 countries)

1 subscription covers every gadget in your house

Click here for all the info!

Babylon Berlin

Set from 1929 Germany follow the political plots and twists of this action-packed German drama series.

Inspector Rath is the honest cop trying to sort out spies, smuggling rackets, political anarchists and cover-ups in pre-war Germany.

Greta is an aspiring police officer facing the misogyny of a world where women are not expected to succeed in this line of work.

  • Genre – Historical Political Police Drama
  • Released – 2020
  • Number of episodes – 3 seasons 28 episodes
  • Starring – Liv Lisa Fries, Volker Bruch and Leonie Benesch
  • Where was the series filmed? Berlin

Click to watch on Netflix

Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

View of Museum Island in Berlin a city which appears in many German TV shows on Netflix.

Freud

Some German TV shows on Netflix are set in German-speaking countries such as Austria.

A fictional crime thriller based on the supposition of a young Freud using his emerging skills to solve mysteries in late 19th century Vienna.

Freud faces skepticism and suspicion from others over his theories and beliefs.

  • Genre – Crime thriller
  • Released – 2020
  • Number of seasons & episodes – 1 season 8 episodes
  • Starring – Robert Finster, Ella Rumdf, Anja Kling, Georg Friedrich
  • Where was the series filmed? Vienna

Click to watch on Netflix

Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

An aerial view of Vienna.
Vienna

Charité

If you love Germany, the German language, history, medicine, and science. this is the perfect show for you!

Charité is a drama series set in 1888, that’s inspired by the true story of the famous Berlin Charité hospital. Back in 1888 the hospital was the center of many famous scientific breakthroughs. Plus three future Nobel Prize winners worked at Charité around that time; Emil von Behring, Robert Koch and Paul Ehrlich.

What makes this German show great, is the combination of true events with a bit of fictional drama by adding romances à la Grey’s Anatomy. The series revolves around the relationship between the doctors, scientists and the main character, Ida Lenze, who works as an assistant nurse at the hospital. 

Ida is an awesome, independent, smart-ass woman. She a great role model, and I guess it’s that feature of a strong female main character that makes Charité one of the best German TV series.

  • Genre – Drama
  • Released – March 21 2017
  • Number of seasons & episodes – 1 season and 6 episodes (there is another season called Charité at war, which covers the Charité hospital during the second world war. However, none of the characters of the first season return in the second season, so I consider them two separate series)
  • Starring – Alicia von Rittberg as Ida Lenze, Maximilian Meyer-Bretschneider as Georg Tischendorf, Justus von Dohnányi as Robert Koch, Matthias Koeberlin as Emil Behring, and Christoph Bach as Paul Ehrlich
  • Where was the series filmed? Though the series is set at a hospital in Berlin, most of it is actually filmed in Prague. Which makes sense, considering the fact that none of the building that made up Berlin in 1888 are still there.  

Watched by Lara of The Best Travel Gifts

Click to watch on Netflix

Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

A view of the rooftops of Prague.
Prague

Über Weihnachten

Über Weihnachten, called Over Christmas in English, is a holiday drama that revolves around Basti. With a failing music career and very few leads, he returns home for Christmas only to be met by his goodie-two-shoes brother now dating his ex-girlfriend.

Forced to confront the familial tensions between his parents due to an underlying secret while coming to terms with his brother’s new relationship, Christmas at home quickly becomes a disaster for Basti.

But during this holiday season, he reflects on his own path in life while striking up a romance with a local woman. From a stolen Christmas tree, hectic church service, and ruined Christmas dinner, Über Weihnachten is a realistic representation of a family Christmas.

  • Genre: It’s classified as dramedy (drama + comedy) but has a nice dose of romance!
  • Date of release: November 27, 2020
  • How many seasons and episodes: 1 season with 3 episodes
  • Starring: Luke Mockridge, Seyneb Saleh, and Carmen-Maja Antoni
  • Where was it filmed? In the Eifel region of Germany – specifically in Monschau (and a bit in Cologne)

Watched by Jordan of Hamburg and Beyond

Click to watch on Netflix

Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

A view of the rooftops of Cologne.
Cologne

Dark

The German show “Dark” starts with the disappearance of a child in the fictional town of Winden, which also houses a nuclear power plant. It is uncovered that near the power plant there’s a tunnel allowing people to travel through time at 33-year intervals.

Over the course of this German series, secrets are uncovered about the families of the main characters over generations and all through the future, which includes the aftermath of a nuclear disaster.

The more the series goes on, the more intricate and complicated it gets, including parallel worlds as well as parallel times, and the opportunity to travel across several dimensions. 

  • Genre: Science Fiction thriller
  • Date of release: 1st Dec 2017
  • How many seasons and episodes: 3 seasons, 26 episodes
  • Starring: Louis Hoffmann, Oliver Masucci, Maja Schoene, Lisa Vicari
  • Where was it filmed? Most scenes were filmed in Berlin and its immediate surroundings, like Grunewald forest.

Watched by Margherita of The Crowded Planet

Click to watch on Netflix

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The Houseboat

Two musicians decide to renovate the houseboat of late Gunter Gabriel a famous German singer.

Follow this fun docuseries and the trials, tribulations, and moments of joy experienced by the two musicians as they grapple with the transformation.

  • Genre – Docuseries
  • Released – 2021
  • Number of episodes – 4
  • Starring – Olli Schulz, Fynn Kliemann
  • Where was the series filmed? Elbe River near Hamburg

Click to watch on Netflix

Not available through Netflix in your country? Get unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany, the USA, and the UK) with Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

NETFLIX SERIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Best Netflix TV series from around the globe

Enjoyed these German shows? Watch more with these best Netflix travel shows, dramas, TV series, and movies set around the world in these posts:

  • Best German movies on Netflix

If you enjoy movies I also have a selection of the best French movies, South African movies and Australian movies to enjoy on Netflix (and Amazon Prime) Coming soon – Best German movies to watch on Netflix