The lively cities of Germany with their historic buildings, museums, art galleries and endless opportunities for shopping, dining and entertainment offer something for everyone. This centrally located European country is famous also for its many fairytale castles. The rich and varied German nature with Alps, forested hills, rivers, green countryside, and long Baltic coastline is best explored by hiking, biking or skiing. In short, Germany has it all!
City destinations. Another charming city in Northern Germany, Lübeck is the city of World Heritage –listed old town, magnificent churches, houses of famous writers, and fascinating museums. Rostock for its part is the city of long maritime traditions with beautiful Old Town and harbor, as well a modern city with a diverse cultural scene. The port of Rostock-Warnemünde is a popular cruise destination. Another popular German port city with active cultural life, Bremen introduces you modern and historical attractions. The capital of the state of Bavaria, Munich and its beautiful city center in the heart of the old town is home to magnificent architecture. Many cultural events such as the world-famous Oktoberfest also take place in Munich. Located near to the German Alps, Munich is a good base for activity holidays.
More German cities. Best known as one of the main air traffic hubs of Europe, Frankfurt is a place where you can not only enjoy the excellent facilities offered for shopping and nightlife, but also test a wide variety of cultural activities. Another popular German city destination, Dresden hosts a historically interesting city center, several fascinating museums, and local specialties such as its aerial tramway. Cologne is situated in the western part of Germany on the wonderful River Rhein. The beautiful Roman-Style old town of Cologne is home to magnificent architecture. The city is also a metropolitan centre of entertainment, art, shopping and dining. Dusseldorf, on the other hand, offers you a great number of bars and pubs, but also good shopping facilities and interesting historical sights.
Rural Germany. Apart from the lively cities of Germany, the diverse German nature is absolutely worth exploring. There are mountains and forests in the south, and Bavarian Plateau rises out of the Danube Valley in the east. Germany’s central part consists of verdant mountains and hills. In the north there is a huge lowland plain with many rivers, Elbe being most notable of them. The German beer produced of hops is world famous and there are also vineyards especially in the areas of Rheinessen and Pfalz. The Rhine Valley is the region of fertile vineyards, steep hills, dense forests, historic towns, magnificent medieval castles and idyllic wine villages great for hiking, biking and for scenic boats trips on the Rhine.
German Alps. The magnificent peaks of the Alps dominate the scenery in the southeast border of Germany. The charming little town in Bavaria, Füssen is home of the famous fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein. Füssen’s location at the foot of the magnificent Bavarian Alps and lakes makes it a perfect base for outdoor activities. Another alpine town in Germany, Berchtesgaden is a paradise for trekkers, climbers and skiers, with the alpine lake of Königsee reflecting the face of Germany's third highest mountain, Watzmann. Located on the foot of the Zugspitze, the largest mountain in Germany, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the most popular ski resort in Germany with excellent winter and summer sport activities.
Popular holiday regions. With its forested mountains and hills, cuckoo-clocks and spa-towns, Black Forest is a destination full of possibilities.
Historic cities, green countryside and ski resorts in Germany
Located in the Northeast Germany, Berlin is the reunified capital of Germany. This vibrant city is a famous tourism destination and a centre of culture, politics, media, science and transportation. The liberal lifestyle and low cost of living attract many visitors in Berlin, as will the numerous famous museums, art galleries, and sports and cultural events. One of the most important ports in the world and the city of merchants, Hamburg is situated by the beautiful Elbe River in the Northern Germany. The huge harbor area is the heart of the city which offers great opportunities for shopping, theatres, culture and more.City destinations. Another charming city in Northern Germany, Lübeck is the city of World Heritage –listed old town, magnificent churches, houses of famous writers, and fascinating museums. Rostock for its part is the city of long maritime traditions with beautiful Old Town and harbor, as well a modern city with a diverse cultural scene. The port of Rostock-Warnemünde is a popular cruise destination. Another popular German port city with active cultural life, Bremen introduces you modern and historical attractions. The capital of the state of Bavaria, Munich and its beautiful city center in the heart of the old town is home to magnificent architecture. Many cultural events such as the world-famous Oktoberfest also take place in Munich. Located near to the German Alps, Munich is a good base for activity holidays.
More German cities. Best known as one of the main air traffic hubs of Europe, Frankfurt is a place where you can not only enjoy the excellent facilities offered for shopping and nightlife, but also test a wide variety of cultural activities. Another popular German city destination, Dresden hosts a historically interesting city center, several fascinating museums, and local specialties such as its aerial tramway. Cologne is situated in the western part of Germany on the wonderful River Rhein. The beautiful Roman-Style old town of Cologne is home to magnificent architecture. The city is also a metropolitan centre of entertainment, art, shopping and dining. Dusseldorf, on the other hand, offers you a great number of bars and pubs, but also good shopping facilities and interesting historical sights.
Rural Germany. Apart from the lively cities of Germany, the diverse German nature is absolutely worth exploring. There are mountains and forests in the south, and Bavarian Plateau rises out of the Danube Valley in the east. Germany’s central part consists of verdant mountains and hills. In the north there is a huge lowland plain with many rivers, Elbe being most notable of them. The German beer produced of hops is world famous and there are also vineyards especially in the areas of Rheinessen and Pfalz. The Rhine Valley is the region of fertile vineyards, steep hills, dense forests, historic towns, magnificent medieval castles and idyllic wine villages great for hiking, biking and for scenic boats trips on the Rhine.
German Alps. The magnificent peaks of the Alps dominate the scenery in the southeast border of Germany. The charming little town in Bavaria, Füssen is home of the famous fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein. Füssen’s location at the foot of the magnificent Bavarian Alps and lakes makes it a perfect base for outdoor activities. Another alpine town in Germany, Berchtesgaden is a paradise for trekkers, climbers and skiers, with the alpine lake of Königsee reflecting the face of Germany's third highest mountain, Watzmann. Located on the foot of the Zugspitze, the largest mountain in Germany, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the most popular ski resort in Germany with excellent winter and summer sport activities.
Popular holiday regions. With its forested mountains and hills, cuckoo-clocks and spa-towns, Black Forest is a destination full of possibilities.
Photo: abhijeet.rane, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
You can choose to wonder in the refreshing forests of the region, or to enjoy the cultural attractions of the picturesque towns or the lovely spas and health resorts of the area. Beautiful lake in the German speaking region of Central Europe surrounded by charming towns with historical and cultural attractions, Bodensee is much more than just another lake with nice beaches and ice-cream kiosks. It is one of the biggest lakes of Europe, offering cruises and water sports as well as historically interesting towns to be admired.
Practical information for your trip to Germany
Germany is located in Central Europe and includes coasts along the North and the Baltic Seas. The climate in Germany is temperate with cool, cloudy and wet winters and mild summers with occasional warm mountain winds. It is a year-round destination offering both winter and summer activities, but the best season to visit Germany is in spring or in summer, when the sun shines and most events take place. However, popular German attractions can be quite crowded during the summer peak season.How to get there. The most important airports in Germany are situated close to the major cities and receive international flights to Germany from around the world. There are also fast and regular international train connections to Germany, and even some boat connections to the north exist. Germany has an excellent network of roads and motorways, Autobahns. Long distance train and bus lines have connections between major German cities like Berlin and car rental services are widely available.
Safety. German is a very safe country with very little severe crime to worry about. However, pickpockets are common in the city centers and in crowded places, and visitors are advised to keep an eye on their belongings. Especially in the larger cities there are certain areas where you should be especially cautious.
History and culture of Germany
The first inhabitants in Germany were the Germanic tribes on the Bronze or the Iron Age. Later Germany was added to the Holy Roman Empire that was formed around 900 AC and existed for many centuries until the German Confederation was formed in 1814. A unified Germany gained independence in 1871. In 1933 Adolf Hitler, a head of the National Socialist (Nazi) party became the chancellor and actually drove Europe into the World War II as he invaded Poland. After the war the country was divided into two and in 1949 two separate states were formed: the Federal Republic of Germany in the west and the Democratic Republic of Germany in the east. Reunification of the whole country was achieved in 1990.Nowadays Germany is Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation, and a key member in the European Union. The German culture has been influenced by the major intellectual trends in Europe, and the country is a home of many famous classical music composers, painters, writers, sportsmen and more. The numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany display the ancient German culture.
