US, Aug. 12 -- When Sightseeing Becomes a Luxury: Are Expensive Attractions Good Business for Cities? A city break can look affordable until the sightseeing starts. Flights and hotels are usually compared before departure, but admission charges arrive one by one: 20 for a museum, 30 for another landmark, perhaps 40 or 50 for an observation deck. For a couple or family trying to see several headline attractions, the cultural part of a weekend can unexpectedly become one of the largest items in the travel budget.

A new DERTOUR Sightseeing Index illustrates just how wide the gap has become even within Germany. DERTOUR examined the ten most popular paid attractions in each of Germany's 20 largest cities, identified with the help of Tripadvis...