Germany Destination Guide
Photo courtesy of Steve Filipiak
Wherever you venture in Germany, there is something interesting to see or do. It is a goldmine for the adventurous tourist in search of something different to the norm.
The country has now firmly shaken off the shadows of its 20th century past, regained a sense of national pride, and breathed a sigh of relief at its new-found ability to express its distinctive national character again.
Modern Germany has come of age, and while it is still suffering the economic consequences of reunification in October 1990, Europe’s most populous country is clearly
a nation coming to terms with itself. Massive investment in the long-neglected infrastructure of the former East is paying off, as cities like Dresden once more begin to shine like the jewels they were in the past.
The country is the product of a long history of division, first as a loose collection of independent (and often warring) states before original unification during the 19th century, and latterly as West and communist East Germany following WWII.
For this reason alone, it is a country of remarkable diversity, with cultural differences clearly evident as one travels around the various states that make up the modern Federal Republic.
Germany boasts a heady mix of history and nature, fine arts and youthful rebellion. Its capital, Berlin, has a reputation gained from its decades as a divided city, as a hedonistic, ‘on the edge’ community where almost anything goes. In contrast, the quiet academic surroundings of historic university cities like Heidelberg, convey a peacefulness quite at odds with the atmosphere of the capital.
Geography
The Federal Republic of Germany shares frontiers with Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. The northwest of the country has a coastline on the North Sea with islands known for their health resorts, while the Baltic coastline in the northeast stretches from the Danish to the Polish border.
The country is divided into 16 states (Bundesländer), including the formerly divided city of Berlin. The landscape is exceedingly varied, with the Rhine, Bavaria and the Black Forest being the three most famous features of western Germany. In eastern Germany, the country is lake-studded with undulating lowlands which give way to the hills and mountains of the Lausitzer Bergland, the Saxon Hills in the Elbe Valley and the Erzgebirge, while the once divided areas of the Thuringian and Harz ranges in the central part of the country are now whole regions again. River basins extend over a large percentage of the eastern part of Germany, the most important being the Elbe, Saale, Havel, Spree and Oder.
The western area of the country consists of the Rhineland, the industrial sprawl of the Ruhr, North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Hessen, the Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and the Saarland. In the southern area of the country are the two largest states, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria (Bayern), which contain the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), Lake Constance (Bodensee) and the Bavarian Alps.
Location
Western/Central Europe.
Area
357,021 sq km (137,847 sq miles).
Population
82.6 million (UN estimate 2007).
Population Density
231 per sq km.
Capital
Berlin.
Population: 3.4 million (2007).
Government
Federal Republic.
Language
German. Some English is spoken and French is also spoken, particularly in the Saarland. In the north of Schleswig-Holstein, Danish is spoken by the Danish minority and taught in schools. In eastern Brandenburg and Saxony, Sorbic is spoken by the
Slavic minority called the Sorbs and is also taught in about 50 schools. Regional dialects often differ markedly from standard German.
Religion
Approximately 34% Protestant, 34% Roman Catholic, 4% Muslim, with Jewish and other non-Christian minorities.
Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style round two-pin plugs are in use.
Head of Government
Chancellor Angela Merkel since 2005.
Head of State
President Horst Köhler since 2004.
Recent History
From 1995 onwards, a new leadership under would-be chancellor Gerhard Schröder emerged to challenge the long-standing Helmut Kohl Christian Democrat (CDU) government. The Social Democratic (SPD) party won the 1998 general election and Kohl stood down. Schröder held on to power in September 2002, and then sought to continue Helmut Kohl’s aim of a more activist German foreign policy. Along with former French president Jacques Chirac, Schröder opposed much Anglo-American policy in the Middle East.
However, Schröder’s reign came to an end amid confusion following September 2005’s inconclusive election. Germany faced weeks of uncertainty resulting in a deal between the CDU and the SPD that October. Angela Merkel was declared Germany’s first woman chancellor and sworn in late in November, as the first chancellor to have grown up in the former Communist east. Merkel is more pro-US than her predecessor, and has pledged to overhaul the ailing economy, suffering since reunification in 1990. It is gradually improving.
Telephone
Country code: 49.
Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving.
Internet
Internet is readily available; there are many Internet cafes all over the country. Large Internet access centers exist in most main cities. Most hotels also provide facilities, either included in the room rate or charged separately.
Media
Germany’s competitive TV market is the largest in Europe. Each of the country’s 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting, and operates public TV and radio services. Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV. Germany is home to some of the world’s largest media conglomerates, such as Bertelsmann.
Post
Stamps are available from hotels, slot machines and post offices.
Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1200. Smaller branches may close for lunch.
Press
• The most influential dailies include Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung.
• The most widely read of the weekly publications are Der Spiegel and Die Zeit.
• Some new or revamped newspapers, such as Berliner Kurier, have emerged out of eastern Germany and are competing well with western German papers.
• Most major English-language newspapers and international magazines are also available in large cities.
Radio
• Deutsche Welle TV broadcasts radio in many languages.
• Deutschlandradio operates national public radio stations, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandradio Kultur (broadcasting news/current affairs and cultural programs).
• ARD is an umbrella organization of many public radio services, including regional stations.
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.
2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
10 Apr Good Friday.
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
21 May Ascension.
1 Jun Whit Monday.
11 Jun* Corpus Christi.
15 Aug* Assumption.
3 Oct Day of German Unity.
31 Oct* Day of Reformation.
1 Nov* All Saints' Day.
18 Nov* Repentance Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.
2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
2 Apr Good Friday.
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
13 May Ascension.
24 May Whit Monday.
3 Jun* Corpus Christi.
15 Aug* Assumption.
3 Oct Day of German Unity.
31 Oct* Day of Reformation.
1 Nov* All Saints' Day.
17 Nov* Repentance Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.
Note
*Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Assumption, Day of Reformation, All Saints’ Day and Repentance Day are not observed in all areas. Consult the German National Tourist Office for details (see Contact Addresses).
Contact Information:
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the UK
23 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7824 1300 (general enquiries).
Website: www.london.diplo.de
Opening hours: 0900-1130.
Consular section: (020) 7824 1463 (passport enquiries, Mon-Thurs 1330-1530, Fri 1330-1430 only) or 09065 508 922 (recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute) or 540 740 (24-hour automated visa appointment booking service; calls cost £1 per minute) or (020) 7824 1465/6 (individual visa enquiries Mon-Thurs 1330-1530, Fri 1330-1430 only).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1030.
German National Tourist Office in the UK
PO Box 2695, London W1A 3TN, UK
Tel: (020) 7317 0908.
Website: www.germany-tourism.co.uk
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the USA
4645 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 298 4000.
Website: www.germany.info
German National Tourist Office in the USA
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2000, New York, NY 10168, USA
Tel: (212) 661 7200 or 1 800 651 7010, in the USA.
Website: www.cometogermany.com
Situated at the crossroads of Europe, the country consists of 16 states (Bundesländer), which are divided for the purposes of this section as follows: Berlin, Baden-Württemburg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Northwest Germany (the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Bremen), Rhineland (North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate and Saarland), Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia. Northwest Germany includes the North Sea coast and the East Friesian Islands, Schleswig-Holstein and the city-states of Hamburg and Bremen, along with the
Weser Valley, Lüneburg Heath and part of the Harz Mountains.
The Rhineland region incorporates the industrial sprawl of the Ruhr, the varied landscapes of Westphalia, the wine-producing region of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. The state of Hesse with its ‘fairytale road’, also includes the major financial center of Frankfurt-am-Main.
The Black Forest is in the southwest, and forms part of the state of Baden-Württemberg. Other areas of interest in this state include the Neckar Valley, Swabia and Lake Constance.
Munich (München) is the capital of Bavaria, whose main tourist regions are the Bavarian Forest to the east, Franconia to the north, Upper Bavaria and the Alps to the south and the Allgäu region of the southwest. Bavaria is the most popular tourist destination for both Germans and overseas visitors alike.
The states of Brandenburg (which surrounds Berlin), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (on the Baltic coast), Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and, of course, eastern Berlin itself, constituted the former East Germany (GDR) prior to re-unification in 1990. The Baltic coast with its resorts is the major holiday region in the former east, followed in importance by the Thuringian Forest, the northern lakes, the Saxon Hills, the Harz Mountains and the Zittauer Gebirge.
The scenery of Germany is enormously varied, ranging from sandy beaches to towering mountains, forests, lakes, medieval villages and some of Europe’s greatest cities. Every area has its distinct regional foods, and it offers a huge choice of local wines and beers.
Berlin
Berlin is the largest city in Germany. It is also the country’s capital and seat of Government. The recently renovated German Parliament (Reichstag), designed by British architect Norman Foster, testifies to the construction boom currently taking place in the German capital. Since November 1989 when the Wall came down, nearly 100 streets have been reconnected, disused ‘ghost’ railway stations have sprung back to life and the watchtowers, dogs and barbed wire that divided the city, the country and indeed the continent for 28 years have virtually disappeared. Nevertheless, there is often stark contrast between the two parts of the city, partly due to economic contrasts between East and West, but also because they have never been of a uniform character.
The east contains the densely populated working-class quarters of Mitte, Pankow, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain, which inspired the theater of Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht. West Berlin also had its poorer areas like Wedding, Neuköln and Kreuzberg (the latter known for its pubs and the high proportion of Turkish-owned shops in its streets).
In comparison, the green and leafy areas of Charlottenburg and Zehlendorf have a more affluent atmosphere. After the city was occupied by the four post-war victorious powers, the two halves diverged even more as West Berliners broke away from their past and embraced the idea of a new, intensely western, Americanised city. At the same time, eastern counterparts chose to retain what remained of the old Berlin instead. This is why the eastern half of the city probably gives a more accurate image of what Berlin was like in the 1920s and 30s. To find areas retaining the pre-war atmosphere, visitors must move away from the city center. Alexanderplatz was one of the main centers of 1920s Berlin as well as of post-war East Berlin. It is now re-emerging as an important focal point in the newly united city. Relentless modernization, however, has changed the character of the Alexanderplatz, which is now a bustling if faceless area of cafes, hotels and the 365m- (1190ft-) high Television Tower (Fernsehturm) which dominates the skyline of the city. The oldest church in Berlin, the Nikolai Church (13th century) lent its name to the surrounding district, the Nikolaiviertel. This part of the city suffered tremendously during the war. Rebuilding consists partly of historic details, partly of modern facades. Sweeping westwards away from Alexanderplatz is Unter den Linden, which Frederick the Great saw as the centerpiece of his royal capital and which changed from one of the premier thoroughfares of the old unified city to the showpiece of the German Democratic Republic. Restored monumental buildings, and diplomatic missions to the former GDR capital now line it. However, for nearly 30 years it was a dead-end, cut off by the Wall. At its western end, the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) has been the supreme symbol of the city of Berlin since it was built in 1791. The Wall once partly obscured the view of the Gate from the West, so it became a potent symbol of European division. Now it is again accessible from both East and West. The Berlin Wall has all but gone and walkers and cyclists now roam along what was once nicknamed ‘Todesstreifen’ or Death Strip. Quite a few tourists bought their ‘own’ piece of the Wall – museums also display pieces. There is a Berlin Wall Museum situated at the former Checkpoint Charlie in Friedrichstrasse. Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the innovative Jewish Museum that opened in 2001 is an incredibly moving experience (website: www.jmberlin.de).
Berlin is not just an industrial city but also a cultural and scientific capital with several universities. It houses three opera houses, 53 theaters, more than 100 cinemas, and no less than 170 museums and galleries. It is worth noting that most foreign films are dubbed into German; look for the ‘O.m.U.’ indicator for the original language versions shown with German subtitles. East Berlin has a rich array of museums, most of which can be found on Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in a fork of the River Spree.
The most famous is the Pergamon Museum which houses works of classical antiquity such as the Pergamon Altar and art of the Near East, Islam and the Orient. Among the many museums in the west are the Ägyptisches Museum (Egyptian Museum) in Charlottenburg, which contains the world-famous bust of Queen Nefertiti; the museums at Dahlem housing the major part of the Prussian State art collections; and the Berlin Museum in the old Supreme Court Building in Kreuzberg.
The restored Martin-Gropius-Bau houses changing art exhibitions and the Berlin Gallery, with exhibits of the Jewish collection of the Berlin Museum and 20th-century paintings. Nearby is the Prinz Albrecht area where the Gestapo headquarters, later the Reichssicherheitshauptamt, stood. The Topography of Terror exhibition documents this part of its history. The Kulturforum Art Gallery (opened in 1998) stands alongside the National Gallery, the Philharmonic, the Chamber Music Hall and other museums, and serves as a new cultural center for the city. The Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstrasse, a restored railway station, contains a collection of modern art. Potsdamerplatz is under development as another recreational center with shops and an IMAX cinema.
One of the main cultural attractions of the eastern part of Berlin is the Deutsche Staatsoper (German State Opera), staging performances in a refurbished classical setting.
Three times a day, visitors can enjoy the carillon of the French Cathedral bell-tower. The German Cathedral on Gendarmenmarkt now contains an exhibition called Fragen an die Deutsche Geschichte (Questioning German History).
The heart of West Berlin is the Kurfürstendamm, popularly referred to as the ‘Ku’damm’. As with so many features of this once divided city, it is all too easy to attribute symbolic significance to the ‘Ku’damm’, for, in a sense, it is the embodiment of the glitzy materialistic West.
Pulsating with traffic and people 24 hours a day and lined with cafes and shops, despite unification, it still seems a thousand miles away from the bleak Alexanderplatz in the other half of the city. Strolling eastwards along the Ku’damm one will come to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. Preserved as a ruin after World War II, it is a stark reminder of the city’s wartime bombardment.
Not far from here is the Europa Center, containing shops, nightlife and a rooftop cafe with a splendid view of the whole city and the KaDeWe (short for Kaufhaus des Westens) department store.
Other attractions in the western half of the city include: the Siegessäule (Victory Column), built at the order of Kaiser Wilhelm I two years after victory in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871; and the Tiergarten, an English-style park in the heart of the city. Schloss Charlottenburg, the splendid Baroque and Rococo palace of Frederick the Great, was the former summer home of the king outside Berlin. The Palace Park is ideal for long walks. The Gedenkstätte Plötzensee is a memorial to more than 2500 members of the Resistance who were executed here and generally to German resistance during the Nazi regime.
It is easy to find diversion from city life, as the city boundaries include numerous recreational areas, such as the Pfaueninsel (peacock island), now a nature reserve, the Spandau and Tegel Forests and the Grünewald. The People’s Park Friederichshain in the eastern part of the city is the largest and oldest park in east Berlin.
Baden-Württemberg
The Neckar Valley, in the north of the state, is a major wine-growing region, with vineyards located around castles such as Gutenberg, Hornberg and Hirschhorn, each of which offers splendid views of the surrounding landscape.
To the east of the romantic university town of Heidelberg, another scenic route begins, the 280km- (175 mile-) long Castle Road, which leads to Nuremberg in Bavaria. This route follows the river, branching off at Heilbronn and continuing east to medieval places such as Rothenburg and Ansbach, also across the state border in Bavaria.
Further to the south is the Swabian Jura, a limestone plateau between the Black Forest and Europe’s longest river, the Danube. Places to visit here include Hohenzollern Castle near Hechingen, Beuren Abbey and the Bären Caves. Picturesque towns include Urach and Kirchheim-unter-Teck.
Einstein’s birthplace, Ulm, houses the world’s tallest cathedral spire (161m/528ft). Following the road from Ulm, one reaches Reutlingen and Blaubeuren, with its fine abbey. Zwiefalten has another remarkable Baroque church.
In the southwestern corner of the state, the Rhine acts as a natural border between France, Germany and Switzerland. To the east of the river lies the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) where fine mountain scenery and beautifully situated lakeside resorts like Titisee-Neustadt and Schluchsee combine to make the area popular year-round – with walkers in summer and skiers in winter. The historical character of the area is preserved in the Black Forest Open Air Museum at Gutach.
The Romans first recognized the therapeutic powers of the Black Forest’s springs. In addition to the region’s best-known spa town, Baden-Baden, there are many other charming villages and resorts in the surrounding area, principally Freudenstadt, which claims to have more hours of sunshine than any other German town. The climatic spa of Triberg has 162m- (531ft-) high waterfalls and a swimming pool surrounded by evergreens.
Baden-Baden
The Black Forest’s chief spa, Baden-Baden, was the summer capital of Europe during the last century. Travelers still flock to this delightful town to ‘take the waters’, which may be inhaled as a vapor, bathed in or simply drunk. Fortified by the water’s therapeutic powers, one can take advantage of the town’s many sporting facilities. For the less energetic, the evening could be spent playing roulette or baccarat in a casino which Marlene Dietrich herself regarded as the most elegant in the world. Other attractions include the Baroque Kleines Theater, National Art Gallery, the Friedrichsbad Romano-Irish temple and baths, the Margravial Palace (museum), 15th-century Collegiate Church, Russian Church, Romanesque Chapel, parks and gardens, Lichtentaler Allee, tennis, riding, 18-hole golf course, winter sports, international horse racing weeks at Iffezheim and a modern congress hall.
Constance (Konstanz)
Constance is a German university and cathedral town on the Bodensee (Lake Constance) which has shores in Austria, Switzerland and the Germany. Constance (Konstanz) is a frontier anomaly, a German town on the Swiss side of the lake, completely surrounded by Swiss territory except for a strip on the waterfront. Attractions include the Konzilsgebäude (14th century); Renaissance Town Hall (16th century); historic old Insel Hotel (14th century); Barbarossa-Haus (12th century); Hus-Haus (15th century); and the old town fortifications Rheintorturm, Pulverturm and Schnetztor. The town has theaters, concert halls, a casino and hosts an international music festival as well as the Seenachtfest, a lake festival. Reichenau, an island with a famous monastery and the island of Mainau, with stilted buildings, make an interesting day trip.
Excursions
The Bavarian town of Lindau is a former free imperial city on an island in Lake Constance. It has a medieval town center and an old Town Hall (1422-35). Other attractions include Brigand’s Tower, Mang Tower (old lighthouse), Cavazzen House (art collection), Heidenmauer (wall), St Peter’s with Holbein frescoes; harbor entry (new lighthouse); international casino; and boat trips. Opposite the town of Constance (Konstanz) is Meersburg, an old town with two castles. Here is also the German Newspaper Museum which covers the history of the German-language press on its three floors. The museum is only open during the summer. As an area, Lake Constance is the focal point of a delightful holiday district, rich in art treasures and facilities for outdoor activities. The Rheinfall (Rhine Falls) at Schaffhausen, a Swiss town on the north shore of the lake, are a spectacular draw just over the border.
Freiburg
Freiburg is the gateway to the Black Forest, an archepiscopal see and an old university town. The Gothic Cathedral (12th to 15th centuries) has a magnificent tower (116m/380ft) and is a much lauded architectural masterpiece. Views from the top are reward indeed for the climb. Other attractions include the historic red Kaufhaus on the Cathedral Square (1550); Germany’s oldest inn, Zum Roten Bären; and many excellent wine taverns. The city is famous for its trout and game dishes and environmental innovation – for which it has earned the title of ‘green capital’ of Germany. Museums include Zinnfigurenklause (pewter figures) and the Augustinemuseum housing Upper Rhine art. The Wentzingerhaus hosts the City History Museum. The nearby Schauinsland Mountain (1284m/4213ft) is accessible by cable car.
Excursions
Nearby Todtnauberg in the Upper Black Forest is the highest resort in the Black Forest (1006m/ 3300ft) and a perfect observation point is the Belchen summit nearby. The highest mountain is the Feldberg, with its popular winter skiing slopes.
Heidelberg
The most famous place on the Neckar River is Germany’s oldest university town, Heidelberg, dominated by the ruins of its famous 14th-century castle. Other attractions include more than 10 museums; the ‘Giant Cask’ in the cellar holding 220,000 liters (48,422 gallons); Church of the Holy Ghost; St Peter’s Church; Karlstor (gate); and wine taverns. The castle is partly Renaissance, partly Gothic and Baroque in style, and serenade concerts take place during the summer in the courtyard. Another highlight is the German Museum of Pharmacy.
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a former imperial city, surrounded by vineyards and situated on the Castle Road. The Renaissance Town Hall has an outside staircase, clock, gable and astronomical clock. Other attractions include the 16th-century Käthchen House, the Gothic Kilian Church with its 62m- (203ft-) high tower (1513-29), and the Shipping Museum. The town is also a good base for excursions into the Neckar Valley.
Karlsruhe
The prime reasons for visiting Karlsruhe are the town’s Schloss and surrounding Schlossgarten parkland. It also offers the ZKM Center for Art and Media museum.
Mannheim
Mannheim is a commercial, industrial and cultural center on the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Neckar. Attractions include the former Electors’ Palace, now the university; the Kunsthalle fine arts museum; the Barockschloss castle; Municipal Art Gallery; Reiss Museum in the old arsenal; the old Town Hall and Market Square; and the National (Schiller) Theater.
Stuttgart
The state capital is a green and open city surrounded by trees and vineyards with only a quarter of its area built on. Two of its major industries are car manufacture and the publishing industry. Attractions include the modern Staatsgalerie; the Prinzenbau and Alte Kanzlei on the Schillerplatz; the Neues Schloss, a vast palace now accommodating the State Museum, which served as the residence for the kings of Württemberg and has been painstakingly restored after 1945; Württemberg Regional Museum; 15th-century Collegiate Church; TV Tower (217m/711ft high); Killesberg Park; Ludwigsburg Palace; Wilhelma Zoo; botanical gardens; theater (ballet); and mineral-water swimming pools. The Stuttgart Ballet and Chamber Orchestra enjoy worldwide renown. There are Mercedes and Porsche museums, a covered Markthalle (Market Hall), and wine and beer museums. The city is also home to the Carl Zeiss Planetarium.
Tübingen
Tübingen, south of Stuttgart, is a world-famous romantic university town on the River Neckar. The old town center is unspoilt. Attractions include the Castle of the Count Palatine (1078); late Gothic Collegiate Church (1470) with royal burial place; Market Square with Town Hall (1453); picturesque Neckar front; Hölderlin Tower; former student dungeons (1514); old and new lecture theaters (Aula) of the university; Bebenhausen Abbey and the Schloss Hohentübingen museum.
Ulm
Ulm is famous above all for its soaring Gothic Cathedral (768 steps in the 161m/528ft tower; choir stalls by J Syrlin). Other attractions include the beautiful Town Hall with famous astronomical clock; Corn Exchange (1594); Schuhaus (1536); Schwörhaus (1613); old town and fishermen’s quarter with city wall and Metzgerturm (butchers’ tower); Wiblingen Abbey; Baroque library; German Bread Museum; and the Municipal Museum with local works of art.
Bavaria
Bavaria consists of four main tourist areas: the Bavarian Forest and East Bavaria; Swabia and the Allgäu in the southwest; Upper Bavaria in the south; and Franconia to the north. The state offers varying landscapes – towering mountains in the Alpine south, lakes, forests and many resorts.
Upper Bavaria
In the Upper Bavaria region the best-known places include Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Berchtesgaden, Mittenwald and Oberammergau, home of the Passion Play. One of the most spectacular feats of architecture, epitomizing the fairytale landscape of Bavaria, is Neuschwanstein Castle, built by Ludwig II. Constructed on the ridge of a mountain valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it is a vision from fairyland, while at night it changes into the perfect home for Count Dracula.
Bavarian Forest
The vast Bavarian Forest is in the east, bordering the Czech Republic, and contains the first German national park. This unspoiled and peaceful region offers outdoor activities, especially walking. Historic towns such as the three-river town of Passau and 2000-year-old Regensburg provide interesting contrasts to the nature reserves. The northern part of Bavaria, Franconia, is rich in art treasures. Its main attractions include medieval and historic old towns such as Coburg, home of Prince Albert (consort of Queen Victoria); the cathedral town of Bamberg; Bayreuth, which stages the annual Wagner Opera Festival; and Würzburg, with its world-famous Baroque palace, set on the River Main among the Franconian vineyards. Nuremberg (Nürnberg), the main city in this region, is a modern metropolis, yet the center of the town has retained its traditional style. The many valleys, forests, lakes and castles of the ‘Swiss’ Franconian area and the Fichtel Mountains, combined with the nature reserves in the Altmühl Valley, make Franconia a popular holiday center.
The Romantic Road
Connecting the northern area of Bavaria with the south is the most famous of all the German scenic roads – the Romantic Road. The towns along the way give visitors an excellent insight into the region’s history, art and culture. Places of particular interest are Würzburg; medieval Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen; Augsburg, founded in 15BC by the Romans; the pilgrimage church Wieskirche in the meadows; Steingaden Abbey; and, the most popular site of all, Neuschwanstein Castle near the village of Schwangau.
Munich
The Bavarian capital, Munich (München), is the third-largest German city with 1.3 million inhabitants, and is a major international arts and business center. The 800-year-old city has numerous museums and several fine Baroque and Renaissance churches.
The Alte Pinakothek is home to the largest collection of Rubens paintings in the world; directly opposite is the Neue Pinakothek with a collection of modern paintings. Two other galleries of note are Pinakothek der Moderne, and the Museum der Fantasie. The German Museum (natural science and technology) with planetarium, a life-size coal mine and the German Transport Center extension, is also interesting for children.
Elsewhere in the city, motoring enthusiasts will find the BMW (Bayerische Motorwerke) Museum dedicated to the famous marque manufactured in Munich.
The Lenbach Gallery is located in the impressive villa of the Munich ‘Painter Viscount’. Only a short walk away is the Glyptothek on the Königsplatz, housing Greek and Roman sculptures. Other attractions include the Royal Palace and Royal Treasury; Bavarian National Museum and others; the Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche); the Theatinerkirche and Asamkirche; and the Church of St Michael. The New and Old Town Halls, and the restored Mariensäule surround the Marienplatz. Thrice daily a large group gathers here to witness a glockenspiel carillon depicting the Schäfflertanz.
The Olympia Park with its stadium (home of Bayern Munich) is now a recreational area. Site of the 1972 Olympic Games, city residents now use its facilities. Munich hosts the best-known of all German events, the Oktoberfest beer festival. This had its origins in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The people liked the festival so much that it became a regular feature and now takes place annually for two weeks – the first Sunday in October is always the last day of the festival. Munich’s nine breweries all have their own beer tents at the festival, but the city has many famous permanent beer cellars, including the Hofbräuhaus.
The city’s artists’ colony is in the district of Schwabing which also features shops, cafes, small theaters and market stalls along its Leopoldstrasse.
The Englischer Garten, one of the largest parks in Europe, offers an escape from the city bustle. Right in the middle stands the Chinese Tower, surrounded by beer gardens. The many theaters include the National Theater (opera house), the Rococo theater built by Cuvilliés and the Schauspielhaus (playhouse). The Nymphenburg Palace is home to a portrait gallery and a famous collection of china. The Fasching (carnival) season reaches its peak during February with several balls and other festivities; but the Auer Dult, a funfair and flea market, takes place three times a year.
Augsburg
Founded in AD 15 by the Romans, Augsburg lies northwest of Munich and was once the financial center of Europe. It was also the home of the Fuggers, a famous medieval aristocratic family and great patrons of the arts. Here, in 1555, German religious conflict during the Reformation ended following the signing of a Peace Treaty. It also boasts the Fuggerei – the oldest ‘council’ housing in the world, dating back to 1519. Other attractions include the Cathedral (807 Romanesque/1320 Gothic) with 12th-century stained-glass windows and 11th-century bronze door; St Anna’s Church (16th-century Luther memorial); Town Hall (1615); Perlach Tower; Baroque fountains (16th to 17th centuries); City Gates (14th to 16th centuries); Schaezler Palace and Rococo banquet hall (18th century) with German Baroque gallery and an Old German gallery with paintings by Holbein and Dürer; Maximilian Museum; Roman Museum; and Mozart’s House.
Bamberg
An old imperial town and bishopric, Bamberg stands on seven hills, and has many medieval and Baroque buildings. Attractions include the Imperial Cathedral (13th century) with famous ‘Bamberger Reiter’ sculpture, reliefs, royal tombs and Veit Stoss altar; the old Town Hall; picturesque fishermen’s dwellings (‘Little Venice’); the Franconian Beer Museum; Old Royal Palace, New Palace (picture gallery) and rose garden; and Michaelsberg Monastery.
Bayreuth
Bayreuth is mainly famous for its Wagner Opera Festival which takes place every year from late July to August. Other attractions, many of which are connected with the life and works of the composer, include the Festival Theater (1872-1876); Villa Wahnfried (Wagner’s home, now a museum); Wagner Memorial (‘Chiming Museum’); Freemasons’ Museum, Wagner’s grave in the Court Gardens; the Old and the New Palace, the former residence of the Margraves; Margraves Opera House (largest European Baroque stage); Eremitage (park); and the parish church. The city is also a convenient base for excursions into the Fichtel Mountains, Oberpfälzer Woods and the ‘Franconian Switzerland’.
Coburg
Coburg Castle (13th to 16th centuries), one of the largest fortified sites in Germany, towers over this former ducal capital. A one-time refuge of Martin Luther, it now houses valuable collections of art, weaponry and copperplate engravings. Ehrenburg Palace overlooks the palace square and faces the Coburg State Theater which provides a center for cultural events. Other attractions include St Maurice’s Church (14th to 16th century), the Natural Science Museum and Doll Museum. Nearby countryside offers Banz Monastery, the game park at Tambach Castle and the Rodach Thermal Spa.
Ingolstadt
Among its fine architecture dating from the 14th and 15th centuries (the Old Town dates from the early ninth century), Ingolstadt also numbers the Neues Schloss, now home of the Bavarian Army Museum, among its attractions. Alte Anatomie offers more offbeat diversions, containing the German Museum of Medical History. The town hosts a major annual international jazz festival each November.
Kempten
In the heart of the Allgäu holiday region to the southwest of Bavaria, Kempten is a former Celtic and Roman settlement – the Cambodunum Archaeological Park, with its partial reconstruction on the original site, highlights this heritage. Two more recent buildings, the St Lorenz Basilica and the Residenz Palace, feature notable interiors. Museums include the Allgäu Folk Museum and the Alpine Museum.
Nuremberg
A mainly modern city, Nuremberg (Nürnberg) has nevertheless managed to retain much of its medieval center. The region’s typical red sandstone forms the fabric of the churches of St Lawrence and St Sebald. Attractions include the Kaiserburg Imperial Castle with its old stables today used as a youth hostel; the City Wall (over 5km/3 miles long) with 80 watchtowers; Dürer’s House; Museum of Toys; Fembohaus (municipal museum); the Post and Communications Museum (with more than 200,000 stamps); Germanic National Museum; German Railway Museum; Town Hall; and the ‘Schöne Brunnen’ Fountain with mechanical clock. The international toy fair and the famous Christmas Fair, Christkindlmarkt, also attract many visitors.
Passau
On the Austrian border at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers, Passau’s attractions include a Baroque Cathedral, with the world’s largest church organ; Bishop’s Palace with Rococo staircase; Oberhaus and Niederhaus fortresses (13th to 14th centuries); and Inn Quay with Italianesque architecture.
Regensberg
Situated about 80km (50 miles) northeast of Munich, this city can trace its roots back to the first century AD. Attractions of the old episcopal city include the Cathedral (with its famous ‘Regensburger Domspatzen’ choir); St Emmeram’s Church (with many crypts and tombs); the ‘Scottish Church’ (with its Romanesque portal); Old Chapel; Palace Niedermünster (excavations); Porta Praetoria (North Gate); 12th-century stone bridge (the oldest in Germany); boat trips on the Danube; Old Town Hall with the Imperial Chamber; Palace of the Princes of Thurn and Taxis; and museums.
Würzburg
The northern Bavarian town of Würzburg, about halfway between Frankfurt/M and Nuremberg, nestles between vineyards famous for their Bocksbeutel (specially formed bottle). The Festung Marienberg (fortress) offers a spectacular view over the city and its numerous spires. From the 15th-century Old Main Bridge, with its statues of the Franconian apostles of Lilian, Totnan and Kolonat, the Romanesque Cathedral dominates the view.
Attractions include the Mainfränkisches Museum, housed in the former arsenal with examples of the work of Riemenschneider (1460-1531), and the Marienkirche, built in AD 706 and one of the oldest churches in the country. The Baroque Castle-Palace (Residenz), former home of the powerful Prince Bishops, was designed by Balthasar Neumann taking Versailles as a model, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Candlelit Mozart concerts take place during the summer months in the Emperor’s Hall and the Hofgarten. The town library and tourist information are in the Haus zum Falken (Falcon House), which has an impressive Rococo facade.
Numerous wine bars, cafes and restaurants provide relaxation and diversion. Almost the entire city center is a pedestrian zone, only disturbed by the passage of trams.
Brandenburg
The ‘March’ of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin is a region of birch and pine forests.
The picturesque Spreewald lies south of Berlin and offers numerous waterways for exploration by boat, and tranquil hamlets such as Bückchen. Flat-bottomed barges are still the main means of transport in the heart of this region, as they have been for centuries.
Potsdam
Potsdam’s major new family attraction is the high-tech Babelsberg Film Theme Park. There are also several fine 18th-century buildings preserved in the city, which boasts three large parks. The Neuer Garten contains the marble palace and Schloss Cecilienhof, where Stalin, Truman and Churchill drafted peace treaties in July and August 1945 during the Potsdam Conference. Sanssouci has the spectacular Sanssouci Palace, which was Frederick the Great’s favorite residence, and a gilded teahouse. The picture gallery next door to the palace contains many old masters. The city’s Dutch Quarter is an attraction in itself, as is the famous Potsdam Bridge, where East and West exchanged spies in all the best espionage films of the Cold War era.
Elsewhere
Traces of Frederick the Great are also evident at Rheinsberg, which was immortalized by Kurt Tucholsky’s tale of the same name. The interior of the beautifully situated castle is still undergoing restoration, but visits are possible. One of the towers houses a Tucholsky Memorial. The music academy at Cavalier House concentrates on period music as played at the court of Crown Prince Frederick. The Schorfheide is an area of forest north of Berlin. Beavers, otters and eagles have claimed this picturesque area as their own. In the center of this landscape of birches and pines lies the Werbellin Lake. Summer concerts at the former Cistercian Monastery of Chorin are another Brandenburg highlight, as is Lehde, where there is an open-air museum with original houses and farm buildings, complete with interiors. There are also several examples of the culture of the Sorbs, a resident Slavic minority.
Hessen
Hessen’s capital is the city of Wiesbaden. The northern part of the state – Kurhesse-Waldeck – boasts lakes, forests and state-recognized health resorts. Hessen has many rural villages with half-timbered houses and still-observed ancient customs.
The German Fairy Tale Road leads through some of these towns. Schwalmstadt, home of Little Red Riding Hood, is a town where people still wear traditional costumes to church on Sunday and at folk festivals. In the Reinhardswald, Sababurg – now a castle-hotel – inspired the Brothers Grimm to write Sleeping Beauty.
The romantic scenery of the Lahn, a tributary of the Rhine, draws many visitors to Nassau, Wetzlar, Limburg and the Schaumburg Castle. Also on this river is the historic university town of Marburg.
In the far south of Hessen is the rolling hill country of the Odenwald, a region rich in legend and folklore and excellent for hiking. The Bergstrasse traverses the western slopes. The region has a particularly mild climate, permitting cultivation of a wide range of flowers and fruit. Two routes are available for exploring the Odenwald; the Nibelungenstrasse and the Siegfriedstrasse.
Erbach, which has a Baroque palace and a medieval watchtower; Michelstadt with its half-timbered Town Hall and basilica; the resort of Lindenfels; and the spa town of Bad König, are prime attractions. Northwest of Frankfurt and north of Wiesbaden is the wooded hill country of the Taunus, a ski center during the winter. Resorts here include the old town of Oberursel, the spa town of Bad Homburg and, nearby, the preserved Roman fort of Saalburg, situated on the line marking the frontier of the Roman Empire.
Northeast of Frankfurt is the Baroque town of Fulda, gateway to the Rhön region. Some of the buildings here date back to the ninth century. Further north is Kassel, home of the Grimm Brothers Museum and the Wilhelmshöhe Palace with its magnificent grounds.
Darmstadt
Darmstadt lies a few miles east of the Rhine. Attractions include the Palace (16th and 17th centuries); Prince George Palace (18th century) with a porcelain collection; Hesse Regional Museum; an artists’ colony on Mathildenhöhe; ‘Wedding Tower’ and Russian Chapel; National Theater on the Marienplatz; and Kranichstein Hunting Lodge with hunting museum and hotel.
Frankfurt-am-Main
The city of Frankfurt-am-Main is Germany’s major financial and commercial center. Its soaring skyline has led to its nickname of ‘Mainhattan’. Much of the city suffered destruction in 1944, but extensive restoration has preserved many Old Town buildings, including the Römer, town hall and coronation place of German emperors since 1562. Some ancient buildings survived the war, including part of the cathedral and the 13th-century chapel that once adjoined Frederick Barbarossa’s Palace. In the City Museum there is a perfect scale model of the old town and also the astonishing city silver. The stark Paulus Church was home to the first German parliament in 1848. Other attractions in the city include the zoo; the birthplace of Goethe; the Opera House; the suburbs of Sachsenhausen and Hoechst, both formerly towns in their own right; and the Messe, the exhibition halls complex. The Städel Art Institute houses a large collection of European paintings. The Senckenberg Natural History Museum, Jewish Museum and the Museum of Post and Communication offer more specialized diversion.
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is the capital of the state of Hesse. It is an international spa and congress center in the Taunus and on the Rhine; the spas specialize in the treatment of rheumatism. Attractions include the Kurhaus and casino; the Wilhelmstrasse, with elegant shops and cafes; Hesse State Theater; the Greek Chapel; international riding and jumping championships in the grounds of Biebrich Palace at Whitsun; boat trips on the Rhine; and woodland walks.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania contains a long stretch of Baltic coast, on which lies the former Hanseatic port of Rostock. It is primarily a rural state, with numerous lakes in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte region to the south, and is popular for water-based and cycling holidays, as well as its beaches.
Rostock
The University, founded in 1419, was the first in Northern Europe. Attractions in the city include the elegant burghers’ houses in Thälmann Square, the 15th-century Town Hall, the late-Gothic St Mary’s Church with its 15th-century astronomical clock and Baroque organ and the district of Warnemünde with its fishing harbor and seaside resort. The Schifffahrtsmuseum (Museum of Navigation) tells the story of seafaring from Viking times. Kröpelin Gate houses the City History Museum.
Schwerin
State capital, founded in 1160 and still a charming town. Schwerin Castle, on the lake of the same name and surrounded by a terraced garden crossed by a canal, was for many decades the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and is one of the finest examples of German Gothic architecture. In the historic old quarter of the city are the well-preserved Gothic Cathedral, the Town Hall and an interesting museum with collections of French, German and Dutch paintings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. There is a fine baroque opera house.
Elsewhere
Greifswald, a small university town east of Rostock, has original 15th-century burghers’ houses and is part of a medieval fishing village. Birthplace of painter Caspar David Friedrich, radical alterations to the city’s appearance resulted from construction of new residential areas and industrial zones in the post-war period. The ‘White Fleet’ of passenger boats serves all the coastal ports, and calls at Hiddensee Island, an island with no cars and a large protected bird colony. The island of Rügen, with its nature reserve and famous chalk cliffs, is Germany’s largest and a popular holiday destination. From Bad Doberan, 9 miles west of Rostock, it is possible to take the ‘Molli’ narrow-gauge railway to Germany’s oldest seaside resort, Heiligendamm. Notable at Wismar is the huge market square, covering 10,000 sq m (12,000 sq yards).
Northwest Germany
Undiscovered by many holidaymakers, the northern region, although relatively flat, offers pleasant scenery with gently rolling hills, lake country and fine sandy beaches and dunes in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, bordering on Denmark.
Hamburg
Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany with a population of 1.8 million people. It is a city-state, forming with Lübeck, Bremen and Rostock and other European ports the medieval Hanseatic League.
A sightseeing tour, starting at the Hauptbahnhof (main station) gives a good overall impression of the city. The Baroque Church of St Michael (der Michel), the Town Hall with its distinctive green roof, the elegant Hanseviertel, the Alster Arcades and the Alster Lake, the biggest lake inside a European city, are principal sights, along with the Arts Mile, location of most important museums and galleries.
Museums of interest include the domed Hamburg Art Gallery (Kunsthalle), the Historical Museum, the Decorative Arts and Crafts Museum and the Altonaer Museum. Hamburg has many theaters, including the Hamburg State Opera (Hamburgische Staatsoper); Germany’s oldest opera house, John Neumeier Hamburg Ballet; the German Theater (Deutsches Schauspielhaus); and the Ohnsorgtheater, which performs plays in the Low German dialect (plattdeutsch).
In the city’s heart is the Planten und Blomen park near the Congress Centrum Hamburg, with its spectacular fountain displays during the summer. During a daytime visit to the park, the Television Tower is a highlight. For a small charge, visitors take the lift to the top platform and enjoy a view of the city, the harbor, the northern districts and the surrounding countryside. Just below is a restaurant, which turns full circle in the course of an hour, enabling diners to enjoy every vantage point at their leisure.
Not far from the Television Tower, next to the Feldstrasse underground station, the large Dom funfair takes place several times a year. From Feldstrasse, it is not far to the famous St Pauli district, which includes the notorious Reeperbahn, with its various ‘adult’ entertainments. After dark this area comes alive with neon lights, music, crowds, theaters and door staff trying to attract people into their establishments. After a long night out, revelers congregate at the Fischmarkt, which opens at 0630, and sells fruit and vegetables as well as fish. A wide range of harbor trips are available, and the Speicherstadt historic Warehouse Quarter is a must. Hamburg enjoys unrivalled shopping, with pedestrianized shopping streets, elegant arcades, fine department stores and street cafes concentrated in the area between the main railway station and the Gänsemarkt.
Refuge from a hectic day’s shopping can be sought by hiring a rowing boat or a paddleboat and exploring the Alster and the intricate network of canals (Hamburg has more bridges than Venice) which extends throughout the city. On Sundays, a stroll on the banks of the River Elbe or a visit to the Museum Harbour at Övelgönne is a favorite pastime. The numerous cafes and restaurants make sure that nobody overdoes the walking.
Bremen
Bremen, also a city-state, with over half a million inhabitants, is the oldest German maritime city, having been a market town since AD 965. For all its history, though, it boasts two of the country’s most modern high-tech visitor attractions: the interactive Universum Science Center and the Space Travel Visitor Center.
Historic Bremen clusters around the marketplace, featuring the Gothic Town Hall (1405-1410), in front of which stands the Roland, the statue of a medieval knight and symbol of the city. The extensive pedestrian zone includes a sculpture of the Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Musicians of Bremen), made famous in the fairy tale by Grimm. Also part of this is the Schnoorviertel, a district full of medieval charm, with narrow cobbled streets now housing art galleries and exclusive shops. The nearby port of Bremerhaven is home to the German Maritime Museum.
Schleswig-Holstein
In Schleswig-Holstein is Germany’s ‘Little Switzerland’ and the dukedom of Lauenburg, an area of quiet meadows and wooded hills. Glistening among them are the blue waters of innumerable lakes and fjords reaching deep into the interior of this state. A trip could also include visits to tiny undiscovered towns such as Ratzeburg and Mölln, or to one of a string of Baltic resorts such as Timmendorfer Strand, Grömitz and Schönhagen, whose golden, sandy beaches attract summer crowds. Lübeck, whose picturesque oval-shaped old town, ringed by water, still has many reminders of the city’s medieval golden age and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, claims to be the most beautiful town in northern Germany. The Holsten Gate, the Rathaus and the many examples of northern red brick town houses are part of the historic heritage. Thomas Mann set his famous novel, Buddenbrooks, here. Buddenbrook House contains the Heinrich and Thomas Mann Center, giving information on the life and works of both authors.
Flensburg, the most northerly town in Germany, has architecture dating back to the 16th century and for many years of its history was part of Denmark. Just south of Flensburg is Kappeln an der Schlei, a picturesque small town between the Fjord and the Baltic. Every hour during the summer the traffic comes to a halt when the rotating bridge allows sail and fishing boats to pass. At the beginning of the season in May, the Heringstage lure visitors to taste the town’s specialty: herring.
Along the Schlei lies the old Viking town of Haithabu, with its interesting museum.
Further south, still on Schleswig-Holstein’s east coast, is state capital Kiel, a modern city with a large university. It stands on the Nord-Ostsee (Kiel) Canal, which connects the North Sea with the Baltic. In June, yachting and sailing enthusiasts flock to the Kiel Week. One of Germany’s biggest passenger ports, Kiel’s highlights include a Maritime Museum, the Molfsee Open Air Museum and the Oceanographic Institute Aquarium.
Large systems of dykes protect the low-lying western coast of Schleswig-Holstein from constant pounding by waves. Sea breezes, a wealth of bird species and nature reserves make the North Friesian Islands of Sylt, Föhr and Amrum a favorite for nature holidays. Ferries connect with the numerous Halligen, small flat islets off the coast.
Westphalia
Westphalia extends from the Rhine to the Weser Valley. For many, Westphalia conjures up images of the industrial Ruhr Valley (see below), but the region is also one of outstanding natural beauty and historical interest. Highlights include the Teutoburger Forest with its nature reserves; the ancient episcopal see of Münster (whose attractions include the newly opened Pablo Picasso Graphics Museum containing nearly 800 original lithographs); and the Sauerland Region, an area of lakes, forests and hills, providing good skiing in winter and walks at any time. Major cities along the Rhine in the west of the state are described in the Rhineland section.
The Ruhr Valley
South of Münster is the heavily industrialized Ruhr. Made up of several large cities merging to form one huge conurbation, the Ruhrgebiet is, however, also a vibrant center of culture with many museums, theaters, art galleries and opera houses. The region also has a large number of parks providing refuge from the industrial landscape. Many older buildings survive from the days when this was an agricultural area dotted with small towns.
The main cities of the Ruhr are (from west to east): Krefeld; Duisburg, Germany’s largest internal port; Mühlheim; Essen (in the heart of the region, and home to Germany’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Zollverein Coke Plant); Bochum; and Dortmund, center of Germany’s brewing industry. South of the Ruhr and bordering the beautiful Siegerland and Sauerland regions is Wuppertal, which, stretched out along its own valley, is home to a unique suspension railway urban transit system, the Schwebebahn.
Lower Saxony
East Friesland, on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony, consists of a wide plain interspersed by ranges of tree-covered hills known for their health resorts and modern spa facilities, as well as their fine sandy beaches. The car-free East Friesian Islands also offer relaxing health-oriented holidays. Sea air and scenery along the coast guarantee a happy and restful holiday atmosphere.
In contrast is the large nature reserve between the rivers Elbe and Aller further inland. The countryside comprises moorland with wide expanses of heather, grazing sheep, clumps of green birch trees and junipers. Of interest in this area are the half-timbered houses of Celle and Lüneburg, historic center of Germany’s salt industry.
Further west is the town of Oldenburg, economic and cultural center of the region between the Ems and the Weser; to the north is the spa town of Wilhelmshaven, which has relaxing and therapeutic mud baths as its specialty. It is also the starting point for many tours along the East Friesland coast and the off-lying islands.
Romantic Germany can be found in the Weser Valley, near Hanover (see below), where there are fairytale towns such as Hameln (Hamlyn), famed for the tale of the Pied Piper. A play about the infamous piper is re-enacted during the summer months every Sunday at noon. The town has several buildings in Weser Renaissance style. Here is also the romantic area of the Weserbergland with numerous hill ranges and deep forests.
In the east of the state is Wolfsburg, home of Volkswagen cars. Autostadt (Car City), an unusual and major new visitor attraction dedicated to cars, opened recently on a 10 hectare (25 acre) site in the heart of the city.
Hanover
The state capital of Lower Saxony hosts the renowned Hanover Trade Fair. The ‘Big City in the Park’ is also an important tourist draw, with many interesting sights. Attractions, linked for visitors’ benefit by a 4.2km (2.5 mile) route marked by a red line on the pavements, include the Herrenhausen Castle with its baroque gardens incorporating a new rainforest house. The annual music and theater festival, which is performed on open-air stages within the garden, attracts many visitors each summer. The city also has a 14th-century market church, the Marienkirche, several museums and a 15th-century town hall with the famous gable. There are also numerous museums, such as the Sprengel Museum near the Masch Lake, which is becoming an important center for modern art.
Rhineland
Rhineland is Germany’s oldest cultural center. Names such as Cologne, Aachen and Mainz are synonymous with soaring Gothic architecture and with the history and lives of many of the great names of Western Europe. However, the area consists of more than a series of riverside cities. Here too are the vast plains of the Lower Rhine farmlands, the strange volcanic crater lakes of the Eifel Hills, the Bergische Land with its lakes and Altenberg Cathedral and the Siebengebirge. Rhineland and the Moselle Valley attract visitors not only for their beauty and romanticism, but also for the convivial atmosphere engendered by wine and song.
Like most of its tributaries, vineyards line the Rhine wherever the slopes face the sun. Alternating with the vineyards are extensive orchards, which are heavy with blossom in spring.
The Ahr Valley in the Eifel region is particularly renowned for its lush scenery and its red wine; nearby is the famous Nürburgring racing circuit. Trier, the oldest German town close to the Luxembourg border, stands on the River Moselle. The city houses the most important Roman ruins north of the Alps. Following the River Moselle eastwards towards Koblenz are several towns well known among wine connoisseurs – Bernkastel-Kues, Kröv, Beilstein and Cochem.
The Rhine Valley between Cologne and Mainz is also world famous for its wines and wine festivals during the autumn. Eltz Castle is located deep in the woods near the Elzbach River. The Rhine Gorge’s numerous castles include Stolzenfels, Marksburg Castle, Rheinfels at St Goar and the Schönburg Castle at Oberwesel.
Along the Cologne–Mainz route, the KD German Rhine Line operates boats between Good Friday and the end of October enabling the passenger to enjoy the view of both sides of the river with vineyards and picturesque villages lining the banks. Spectacular Rhein in Flammen (Rhine in Flames) fireworks and son et lumière events take place at various venues along the river throughout each summer.
Düsseldorf
One of the great cities of the industrial north, this important commercial and cultural center is the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). The city developed over 700 years from small fishing village at the mouth of the Düssel River to the country’s leading foreign trade center. It is extremely prosperous, with a fine opera house as well as many concert halls, galleries and art exhibitions. There are over 20 theaters and 17 museums, including the State Art Gallery of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Kunsthalle (City Exhibition Hall) and the late Baroque Benrath Palace. The major exhibition center is to the north of Hofgarten, which has been staging trade fairs since Napoleonic times. The heart of the city is the Königsallee or ‘Kö’, a wide boulevard bisected by a waterway and lined with trees, cafes, fashionable shops and modern shopping arcades. Nearby are the botanical gardens, the Hofgarten, the Baroque Jägerhof Castle and the state legislature. Other attractions include the ruined 13th-century castle, St Lambertus Church, the rebuilt 16th-century Town Hall, Benrath Palace in southern Düsseldorf and the Hetjens Museum, a shrine to ceramics and pottery.
Cologne
An old Roman city, Cologne (Köln) is an important cultural and commercial center holding many trade fairs each year. Germany’s biggest indoor arena opened in the city recently. Principal attractions include the Cathedral of St Peter and St Mary (13th-19th century); the golden reliquary of the Three Magi; the Romanesque churches of St Pantaleon, St George, St Apostein, St Gereon and St Kunibert, the Gothic churches of St Andreas and the Minoritenkirche and Antoniterkirche; the medieval city wall and the Roman-Germanic Museum. There are several examples of preserved Roman art, among them the Dionysus mosaic, the Praetorium, the sewage system and the catacombs. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum (paintings) is located in a controversial modern building next to the main railway station and the river. The Schnütgen Museum contains medieval ecclesiastical art. The Zoo, the Chocolate Museum and the Rhine Park with its ‘dancing fountains’ are further attractions. The city is a major starting point for boat trips on the Rhine. It also has a famous carnival. The lovingly reconstructed Altstadt (Old Town) is enjoyable on foot as is the extensive pedestrian shopping zone. Near the town of Brühl, just southwest of Cologne, is the popular theme park, Phantasialand.
Aachen
The beautiful spa town of Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) was capital of the empire of Charlemagne. It is not actually on the Rhine, standing 50km (30 miles) west of Cologne on the borders of three countries – Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands – and nearby is a point where a person can stand in all three at once. Attractions in Aachen include the Cathedral (Kaiserdom); Charlemagne’s marble throne; the Octagonal Chapel; the Town Hall built between 1333 and 1370 on the ruins of the imperial palace; Suermond Museum (paintings, sculptures); and the elegant fountains of sulphurous water, bearing witness to the spa statues of the city. Each July, Aachen hosts an international horse riding, jumping and driving tournament.
Bonn
Until the end of 2000, when the Government moved to Berlin, Bonn was administrative capital of Germany. In the south of the city is the former spa of Bad Godesberg, which is also the embassy district and offers a good selection of international restaurants and shops. Attractions include the Cathedral (11th to 13th centuries) and cloisters; Kreuzberg Chapel, approached by a flight of ‘holy steps’; Schwarzrheindorf Church (1151); Town Hall (1737) and market square; art collections in the Godesberg (1210); Redoute (1792); Poppelsdorf Palace (1715-40) and botanical garden; the Beethoven Birthplace Museum and much general theatrical and musical activity associated with his life; Pützchens Market (September); the University (1725) and Hofgarten. Excursion possibilities include the Siebengebirge, the Ahr Valley, Brühl Castle and the Nürburgring. The city also has many parkland areas, such as the Kottenforst, Venusberg and Rhine Promenade.
Koblenz
Koblenz lies at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle. From the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (1816-32) visitors have a spectacular view over the Deutsches Eck Monument to German unity (of 1870) and the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Other attractions include the Old Town; the Weindorf (Wine Village); Monastery Church (12th to 13th centuries); former Electors’ Palace; Collegiate Church of St Florin (12th century with a 14th-century chancel); and Church of Our Lady (12th century with a 15th-century chancel). Ehrenbreitstein also houses a Beethoven Museum.
Rüdesheim
On the Rhine south of Koblenz, Rüdesheim is famous for its Drosselgasse, a narrow lane with many little wine bars and pubs, some serving the delicious Rüdesheimer Kaffee (locally produced brandy with coffee). The Asbach Distillery is open to visitors, and there is also the unusual Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments. A cable car from Rüdesheim takes visitors up to the beautiful Niederwald Castle, a starting point for walks in the Taunus hills. It is also a popular starting point for many of the Rhine cruises. Almost midway between Rüdesheim and Koblenz is the Rhine’s symbol, Lorelei Rock, which has provided the inspiration for many songs about its legendary siren.
Trier
On the banks of the Moselle, a Rhine tributary, Trier is near the Luxembourg frontier, about 100km (60 miles) southwest of Koblenz. It is the oldest city in Germany, a Roman imperial capital in the thirrd and fourth centuries AD, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Attractions include The Porta Nigra (city gate, second century); Roman Imperial Baths; Basilica; Amphitheater; Cathedral (fourth century); Gothic Church of Our Lady; Simeonsstift with 11th-century cloisters; Church of St Matthew (Apostle’s grave); Church of St Paulinus (designed by Balthasar Neumann); Regional Museum; Episcopal Museum; Municipal Museum; Municipal Library (with notable manuscripts); and the birthplace of Karl Marx.
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is mainly a modern industrial city, and capital of the state of Saarland, sandwiched between the Rhineland and the French and Luxembourg frontiers. The city lies on the River Saar, a Moselle tributary. Saarbrücken is a modern industrial city. Attractions include the Church of St Ludwig and Ludwigsplatz (1762-75); the Collegiate Church of St Arnual (13th and 14th centuries); a palace with grounds and a Gothic church; and a Franco-German garden with a miniature town (Gulliver’s Miniature World). Close to Saarbrücken, at Völklingen, is the Hütte Steelworks UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mainz
State capital of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), this university town and episcopal see dating back 2000 years is situated on the rivers Rhine and Main. Attractions include the international museum of printing Gutenberg Museum; the 1000-year-old Cathedral; Electors’ Palace; Roman Jupiter Column (AD 67); ‘Sparkling Hock’ Museum; Citadel with monument to General Nero Claudius Drusus; old half-timbered houses; Mainzer Fassenacht (carnival); and the Wine Market (late August and early September). The sunny slopes of the Rhinegau Hills are center of one of the world’s most famous wine-producing regions.
Saxony
Best-known of the former GDR states, Saxony (Sachsen) is famous for cities like Dresden, Leipzig, and of course, the pottery town Meissen.
The Erzgebirge region near Dresden lies on the border with the Czech Republic. Its mountainous wooded landscape makes it ideal for walkers in the summer and skiers in the winter. Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland) is now a national park, its sandstone mountains attracting many visitors. Chemnitz (formerly Karl-Marx-Stadt) is the main town in this region. It was heavily bombed during the war and only a few of its historic buildings remain, such as the Old Town Hall (16th century) and the 800-year-old Red Tower; others are Freiberg, Kuchwald, with its open-air theater, and Seifen with its toy museum. Zwickau was birthplace of Robert Schumann and is home to a late Gothic Cathedral, a Town Hall dating back to 1403 and numerous old burghers’ houses.
Dresden
With over 500,000 inhabitants, this is one of the largest cities in southeast Germany. Its heyday was during the 17th and 18th centuries when August the Strong and subsequently his son August III ruled Saxony. The most famous building in the city is the restored Zwinger Palace, which contains many old masters in its picture gallery, among them the Sistine Madonna by Raphael. Allied bombings destroyed much of the Baroque magnificence of the city, once known as the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ during World War II. However, some of the finest buildings, such as the Catholic Hofkirche, the Palace Church, the Semper Opera and the Green Vault treasure chamber of the Saxon Princes, either survived the bombings or have been restored in the intervening period. The reconstruction of the Frauenkirche, since 1945 a chilling reminder of wartime horrors, is now complete. Elbflorenz also celebrated the reopening of its contemporary art gallery at the Bruehlsche terrace. Designed in the 1880’s, the building was destroyed during the Second World War. Other attractions include the Arsenal, which has a vast collection of armour and weapons from the Middle Ages to the present day, the fountains in the Pragerstrasse, the old market, the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kreuz Choir. The Dresden district is home to the minority Sorbs, a Slavic people who settled there in the sixth century. Sorb-language newspapers and broadcasts combine with teaching in local schools to preserve the culture.
Leipzig
Leipzig has a fascinating history. Lenin printed the first issues of his Marxist newspaper here. Lessing, Jean-Paul Sartre and Goethe all studied at the university. Music and books are important – there are no less than 38 publishers in the city, and it is Wagner’s birthplace. The German Museum of Books claims to be the world’s oldest of its kind. Mendelssohn was director of music, and Bach was choirmaster, at the now completely restored St Thomas’ Church, between 1723 and 1750. There are museums dedicated to both composers in the city. Bach’s church choir still exists and is of an excellent standard, as is the city’s Gewandhaus Orchestra. The old University (1407), the famous Auerbach’s Cellar and the Kaffeebaum, the most famous of the city’s cafes, are further attractions in the city. Today Leipzig stages major international trade fairs.
Meissen
Meissen is the oldest china manufacturing town in Europe, famous for its fine Meissen china. Visitors can tour the factory. The narrow streets of old Meissen retain their historic charm. The Albrechtsburg Cathedral (1485) and the Bishop’s Castle tower above the city. Meissen is also the center of a wine-growing region.
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) boasts no less than four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Martin Luther’s Birthplace at Eisleben, the Old Town of Quedlinberg, the Castle at Wittenberg, and Dessau’s Bauhausstätten. Among the towering scenery of the Harz Mountains, a region ideal for walking and winter sports holidays and dotted with villages with attractive carved timber-fronted houses, lies the town of Wernigerode whose castle and 16th-century Town Hall endow it with a fairytale air. There is a museum of church relics here. On a walk the visitor can see half-timbered houses of six centuries, among them the Crooked House. The Harz is also one of the most beautiful hiking areas in Germany; since December 1989, hikers have been able to enjoy the Brocken (highest point of the Harz) again. Half-timbered houses characterize Stolberg, ‘Pearl of the South Harz region’, where the Town Hall, dating back to 1492, contains no inner staircase. Just to the south lies the city of Halle, birthplace of Handel, and where Martin Luther often preached in the Marienkirche in the Market Square.
South of Halle lies the historic town of Naumburg with its beautiful late Romanesque/early Gothic Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. A recommended excursion from here takes in the old Hanseatic towns of Salzwedel, Stendal and Tangermünde to see the medieval fortifications.
Magdeburg
Located on the banks of the Elbe to the southwest of Berlin, Magdeburg is state capital. It has a busy arts scene. One of its most popular attractions is the Elbauenpark on the river, with the tallest wooden tower in the world, the Millennium Tower. The tower contains an exhibition on 6000 years of human development. Cathedral Square, with its Gothic church surrounded by Baroque buildings, stands at the heart of the old city center, with the Old Market Square (site of the Magdeburg Knight monument) and the Town Hall.
Dessau
‘Second home’ of the Bauhaus Architectural School, which moved from Weimar in the mid-1920s, and whose building, the Bauhausstätten, designed by Walter Gropius, is a designated World Heritage Site.
Quedlinburg
55km (34 miles) southwest of Magdeburg, this town has many 16th-century half-timbered houses such as the Finkenherd and a Renaissance Town Hall, all restored to their original condition.
Wittenberg
One of the most famous Reformation towns, where Martin Luther nailed his ‘95 Theses Against Indulgences’ to the door of the castle church in 1517. Numerous magnificent buildings from the 16th century – Luther’s House, the Melanchton House, the Castle Church and the buildings of the former University bear witness to the town’s historical significance.
Thuringia
Thuringia (Thüringen) lies between Saxony and Hesse, and is the most westerly of the old ‘East’ German states. Major centers include Erfurt, Jena and Weimar. The wooded heights and slate mountains of the Thuringian Forest make the region an ideal area for walking. The best-known hiking route is the Rennsteig which stretches for over 168km (105 miles). The entire region of the Rennsteig is a protected zone and is therefore immune to any industrial or urban development.
A flourishing craft industry and winter sports facilities centered in Suhl also draw visitors to the state. Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, contains the oldest Town Gate in Thuringia and the Romanesque Nikolai Church. Wartburg Castle, where Martin Luther sought refuge and translated the New Testament into German, dominates the town. The small town of Rudolstadt was known for its cultural life during the Renaissance, hosting plays of the Weimar Court Theater, directed by Goethe, and founding a renowned court orchestra in 1635 which attracted many of the best classical musicians. It is now a popular stop along Thuringia’s Classic Road. Arnstadt, where the young Bach was an organist at the local church, is the ‘Gateway’ to the Thuringia Forest, with its lush hiking trails and magnificent views.
Other noteworthy sites in the region include Gera with its Renaissance Town Hall and fine Burghers’ Houses, the castle ruins at Friedrichsroda, the imperial city Nordhausen with its late Gothic Cathedral and Renaissance Town Hall and the picturesque town of Mühlhausen.
Erfurt
The cultural center of Thuringia, and state capital. Formerly a rich trading center, its well-preserved, medieval city center contains a wealth of churches, cloisters and old merchants’ houses. Dating from 1392, the university is one of northern Europe’s oldest. Martin Luther lived as a monk in the city’s Augustinian Monastery, which displays exhibits relating to his life. Erfurt’s museums contain valuable collections of medieval treasures.
Jena
Famous for its optical industry, Jena also offers the world’s oldest Planetarium, nowadays equipped with the latest laser technology. The Optics Museum contains extensive collections of spectacles and Zeiss microscopes. Collegium Jenense, the original 16th-century university building, is also open to visitors. For children, the interactive Imaginata interpretation center encourages exploration of a variety of topics.
Weimar
The southern 1000-year-old town of Weimar was home to many great men, including Luther, Bach, Liszt, Wagner and Schiller. An important cultural center of the past, the city experienced its golden age in the 18th and 19th centuries. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived here for 50 years and was a major influence as a civil servant, theater director and poet. His house is now the Goethe National Museum. Literature enthusiasts should not miss the Goethe and Schiller Archive. Bach was Court Organist and Court Concertmaster, Liszt and Richard Strauss were both directors of music. There is documentation of their private and public lives kept in hotels and museums in the town. Weimar was also the original home of the Bauhaus architectural school before it moved to Dessau (see the Saxony-Anhalt section). The modern Weimar House multimedia presentation tells the full story of the city. A few kilometers from Weimar, a museum occupies the former site of the Buchenwald concentration camp.
Walking
The Harz Mountains, Black Forest and the Bavarian Forest are some of the best areas for walking. The network of marked trails amounts to some 132,000km (82,500 miles). The District of Templin in the March of Brandenburg provides 480km (300 miles) of paths. The German Alps Club (Deutscher Alpenverein) maintains several huts in the Alps and the other ranges. It also organizes tours and courses in rock climbing. The Saxon Hills between Dresden and Bad Schandau, with more than 1000 prepared routes, provide good training for aspiring climbers. Excellent facilities can also be
found in Oberhof.
Spectator sports
There are extensive sports facilities, with a sports field or stadium in all larger towns. League football matches take place between Friday and Sunday. International matches also take place regularly: the national team were world champions in 1990, a title they previously won in 1954 and 1974, as well as having been runners-up in 1966 (to England), 1982, 1986 and 2002, and quarter finalists in 1998.
Wintersports
Resorts are mainly in the Suhl area in the south of the country. The main resort is Oberhof, which offers excellent ski-jumping and tobogganing. Ice hockey and skating are both popular. In Bavaria, skiing is available at resorts such as Berchtesgaden, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Inzell, Oberstdorf, Reit im Winkl, as well as in the southern mountains. Other areas are the Bavarian Forest, the Black Forest and the Harz Mountains. The season runs from November to April. Curling is especially popular in Upper Bavaria.
Cycling
This is increasingly popular and cycling paths ensure that, even in cities, cycling is a safe form of transport. Bicycles can be hired from certain railway stations, a list of which is available through the German National Railways (Deutsche Bahn) (see also Travel – International and Travel – Internal sections) or the German National Tourist Office (see General Info section). Further information is available from the German Cycling Club (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club) e.V. (ADFC), Postfach 107747, 28077 Bremen (tel: (421) 346 290; fax: (421) 346 2950; e-mail: kontakt@adfc.de; website: www.adfc.de).
Watersports
The northern coastline and the extensive rivers and lakes provide sailing, swimming, windsurfing and both sea and river fishing. A fishing permit is needed. Fishing is particularly good on inland waterways; fishing and sailing are also popular at the Bay of Lietzow on the Baltic coast. The Baltic coast has many beaches.
Horse riding
Hotels with horse riding facilities are located in all tourist regions. Racecourses can be found at Baden-Baden, Frankfurt/M, Hamburg and Munich.
Wine tasting
German wine country has many small vineyards which welcome visitors. The main wine-growing regions are around the rivers Rhine, Moselle and Neckar in the west of the country and, further east, near the Saale, Unstrut and Elbe rivers. For motorists, there is a signposted ‘wine road’ (Weinstrasse) running through each area. The majority of German wines are white and light, with such varieties as Riesling and Silvaner. Wines are officially classified by the Government as either Tafelwein/Landwein (table wine/country wine) or Qualitätswein (higher-quality wine from a specified area). Qualitätswein mit Prädikat is the highest category. Within this last category, the wine is classed according to ripeness and quality: Kabinett for example is a light, low-alcohol wine made from fully ripened grapes, while Trockenbeerenauslese is a sweet wine made from grapes which have shrivelled almost to raisins. For a list of private vineyards open to the public, contact the German National Tourist Office (see General Info section) or the German Wine Institute, PO Box 1660, 55116 Mainz (tel: (6131) 28290; fax: (6131) 282 920; e-mail: info@deutscheweine.de; website: www.deutscheweine.de).
Spas
Germany has over 300 spas and health resorts which offer a wide range of traditional and modern treatments. All are strictly regulated by the Government, and promise beneficial results for such conditions as rheumatism, respiratory problems, nervous disorders or stress. Spa stays are very popular with Germans, not only because they are a national tradition, but because they offer holistic treatment combined with relaxation. Under medical supervision, visitors can take the waters or undergo treatments involving mud and peat. Many spas are situated on the North Sea and Baltic coasts. For further information about spa stays, contact the Deutscher Bäderverband (for address, see Health section).
Language courses
There are many opportunities to pursue courses in German language and culture. Often these are subsidised by the Government. For further information, contact the Goethe Institut, 50 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2PH, UK (tel: (020) 7596 4000; fax: (020) 7594 0240; e-mail: mail@london.goethe.org; website: www.goethe.de/london).
Temperate throughout the country with warm summers and cold winters, but prolonged periods of frost or snow are rare. Rain falls throughout the year. The average January daytime temperature is 3°C (38°F) and in July is 22°C (72°F). Extremes commonly reach -10°C (5°F) in winter and 35°C (95°F) in the summer months.
Required Clothing
European clothes with light- to mediumweight in summer, medium- to heavyweights in winter.
From the fifth century AD onwards, the rich and complex history of what is now Germany is inseparable from that of Central and Western Europe as a whole. It is often said that the Germanic tribes destroyed the Roman Empire, but the Visigoths, Ostrogoths and Franks who settled in Western Europe after the deposition of the Emperor Romulus in AD 476 were anxious to perpetuate some parts of a system which they both admired and found administratively convenient. Indeed, it was a Frank, Charlemagne, who revived the Roman Empire in the West in AD 800, uniting modern-day Germany with France and northern
Italy, albeit only for the 40 years of his own reign and that of his son, Louis the Pious. The division of Charlemagne’s Empire was confirmed by the Treaty of Verdun (AD 843), as a result of which much of what is now Germany passed to Louis’ son, who was known as Louis the German. During the next 80 years, Germany fragmented into five large duchies (Saxony, Bavaria, Franconia, Lorraine and Swabia), whose dukes managed to establish a de facto hereditary tenure over each of their respective fiefdoms. The 10th century witnessed a growth in the power of central authority under the leadership of the House of Saxony, while in the 11th and early-12th centuries, under the Salian Dynasty, the power of the crown was in many ways at its height. In 1152, following a disputed succession and a civil war, the dynamic Frederick Barbarossa acceded to the throne: he is one of the most significant figures in German history. Frederick, his son Henry VI and his grandson Frederick II, made prodigious attempts to revive the reality of royal power in Germany and Italy, but the task proved impossible and by the late 13th century the country was seething with civil war.
This period saw the emergence for the first time of the House of Habsburg. Temporarily deposed by other dynasties during the next 150 years, Albert V of Habsburg re-established his clan’s ascendancy in 1438. The Habsburgs were to rule the empire, with only a brief interruption, until 1806. By this time Germany had dissolved into a patchwork of over 300 states, some no more than a town or castle, and increasingly the Habsburg Emperors derived their power and influence from their extensive family lands. In 1519, Charles V became Emperor, uniting by his dynastic connections Spain, the Low Countries, Naples, Sicily, Burgundy, the Holy Roman Empire and all the Spanish possessions in the New World. Germany, in common with much of the rest of Europe, was divided by the Reformation at this time, despite Charles V’s attempts to impose a religious solution by force. The impossibility of holding together such a large empire was recognized by Charles himself, and on his abdication in 1556 the imperial office and the Habsburg lands passed to his brother Ferdinand I.
Sporadic warfare against the Turks continued, but a more serious catastrophe was the complex Thirty Years War (1618-48), during which many of Europe’s disputes were fought out on German soil. One of the results of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years War, was the emergence of the previously minor state of Brandenburg-Prussia as a major power. The territorial gains were built upon by a series of cunning and ruthless rulers and, by the early 18th century, the new kingdom was the scourge of other European states, not least the Habsburg Empire. Frederick the Great is the king most strongly associated with the growth of Prussian militarism. When the moribund Holy Roman Empire – not inaccurately described by a contemporary as ‘neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire’ – was formally abolished by Napoleon in 1806 (by which time the Habsburgs had already assumed the title of Emperors of Austria), much of its northern and eastern parts had already been absorbed by Prussia. After 1815 the German Confederation was established with 39 states. German unification continued apace throughout the century, the most influential figure in the process being Count (later Prince) Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor under Emperor Wilhelm I. Various wars, both offensive and defensive, were fought with other European states, of which the most notable was the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). In the following decades, an increasingly complex web of treaties (including the Dual and Triple Alliances of 1878 and 1892) and diplomatic liaisons evolved, which managed to contain temporarily the increasingly ambitious policies of the major European states and their empires. A revolt in Serbia finally shattered the illusion of European security, precipitating a complex chain of events which led to World War I.
In 1919, the year after the end of World War I, Germany adopted a democratic constitution. This was the foundation of what became known as the Weimar Republic, named after the former capital of the Saxe-Weimar grand duchy and located in the modern Land of Thüringen. However, assailed by serious domestic political instability compounded by the Great Depression of the 1920s and 30s – which hit Germany particularly severely – Weimar paved the way for the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Nationalist Socialists who took power following the general election of 1933. Hitler sought to reverse the perceived humiliation imposed by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles (the political settlement at the end of World War I) by initiating a major rearmament program that no other European power seemed inclined to challenge. He next set about creating the Third Reich, first by merger (the Anschluss) with Austria, then annexation of the Czech Sudetenland, followed by Czechoslovakia itself. When Hitler threatened Poland, the UK and France drew the line: from there, it was a short route to World War II. After six years of global warfare, at an estimated cost of 60 million lives, the German army was defeated in 1945 by the allied armies of the USA, the USSR, the UK and others. This produced the post-war division of Europe into Western and Soviet spheres of influence.
Germany was divided into two parts: the eastern, Soviet-controlled portion became the German Democratic Republic (GDR); the western part emerged to become the Federal Republic of Germany. The city of Berlin, which lay within the GDR, was itself divided into allied and Soviet-controlled zones. East Berlin became the capital of the GDR while the isolated West Berlin was attached to the Federal Republic. The Federal Republic was established in September 1949, under the supervision of the three Western allied powers – the USA, the UK and France. Federal politics adopted the familiar pattern of Social Democratic (SPD) and center-right Christian Democrat (CDU) parties typical of most of Western Europe. The dominant political figure of the era was Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor between 1949 and 1963. Adenauer and his Economics Minister Ludwig Erhard were the principal architects of the country’s phenomenal economic growth after 1945. A major foundation of this was the European Coal and Steel Community, under which the Federal Republic and France, together with several smaller neighbors, established a free trade area in these products. This was the basis of the European Economic Community, which was formally established by the 1960 Treaty of Rome. The Christian Democrats remained in power until 1972, at which point the SPD took control of the Bundestag (Parliament) under the leadership of Willi Brandt. Brandt resigned in 1974 and was replaced by Helmut Schmidt. Brandt initiated Ostpolitik under which peaceful co-operation became the centerpiece of relations with the GDR; it was conceived as an alternative to the sterility of the Cold War. The Soviets had sponsored the creation of the GDR in October 1949 and granted formal independence to the country five years later.
During the 1950s, the GDR embarked on a full-scale program of socialist development complete with wholesale agricultural reform and breakneck industrial construction. Popular discontent with some of the policies culminated in a series of uprisings throughout the decade – notably in 1953 – which were put down forcefully. Political power in the GDR was vested solely in the hands of the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED – Socialist Unity Party), an amalgam of leftist and pre-war anti-fascist parties dominated by the Communist Party. Walter Ulbricht was succeeded as Party First Secretary in 1971 by Erich Honecker, who remained in the post almost until the end of the GDR. As with West Germany, relations with the ‘other’ Germany dominated the political agenda in the GDR. Ostpolitik was continued by Brandt’s successor, Helmut Schmidt, and by the Government which took office after the SPD lost its overall majority at the 1980 election. This was a coalition of the SPD and the small centrist Free Democrats, then led by Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who became West Germany’s Foreign Minister for the next 12 years.
The SPD-FPD coalition collapsed in 1982 after which the Free Democrats promptly switched sides and teamed up with the right-wing Christian Democrats (CDU) under Helmut Kohl. This provided the launch-pad for the most successful political career in post-war German history. Kohl won four consecutive polls before his eventual defeat in 1998, but more importantly, he presided over German reunification. This dramatic process began in 1985 with the accession of Mikhail Gorbachev as leader of the Soviet Communist party, and steadily gathered momentum until its climax at the end of 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the East German state. The first – and as it turned out, the last – free election for a national GDR leadership was held in March 1990. Victory went to the Alliance for Germany coalition led by Lothar de Mazière and firmly backed by Chancellor Kohl and the CDU.
The final decision on unification was not, of course, exclusively one for the Germans: the agreement of the wartime Allies was required. Washington was enthusiastic, while Paris, London and surprisingly Moscow, were lukewarm but not obstructive. Unified Germany, with nearly 80 million people and twice the GNP of the EU’s next largest member, dominates the Union economically. The first united German government was elected in December 1990. As expected, Chancellor Kohl’s CDU-controlled alliance won a comfortable majority in the Bundestag.
The opposition social-democratic SPD was in disarray at this point, awaiting a new leadership generation which would not emerge until the late 1990s. From 1995 onwards, a new leadership under would-be Chancellor Gerhard Schröder emerged to challenge a Kohl government now entering a stale twilight period. The SPD duly won the 1998 general election and, after 17 years as Chancellor and 25 years as party leader, Kohl stood down. Since then he has become embroiled in a number of political scandals which may yet have serious consequences for German politics. With a cleverly worked campaign which drew in part on widespread popular concern about a future Middle East war, Schröder out-maneuverd the Christian Democrats and held on to power in the September 2002 general election.
Schröder has sought to continue Helmut Kohl’s aim of a more activist German foreign policy. Along with French president Jacques Chirac, Schröder has opposed much Anglo-American policy in the Middle East. (Although not a permanent member, Germany currently sits on the UN Security Council). Germany has also been heavily involved in diplomatic and military activities in the Balkans, where it has been allied closely with Croatia. And the Franco-German alliance is still at the heart of the EU and its programs of expansion, economic and political integration. As elsewhere in Europe, immigration and asylum have become major political issues – Germany hosts the largest number of immigrants of any EU nation – and the debate has coincided with the growth of violent neo-Nazism.
In the national elections held on 18 September 2005, Angela Merkel's conservatives won Germany's election by just three seats, falling far short of a majority. Provisional results gave the Christian Democrats 35.2% of the vote, or 226 seats, against 34.3% for Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats. As both Mrs Merkel and Mr Schroeder claimed they had a mandate to be Chancellor, Germany faced weeks of uncertainty which only resulted in a deal between the CDU and the SPD on 10 October. Angela Merkel was declared Germany's first woman Chancellor and sworn in in late November 2005; the first to have grown up in the former Communist, eastern part of the country. Merkel's foreign stance is more pro-US than her predecessor and she has pledged to overhaul the German economy. A CDU-SPD 'grand coalition' was formed under which the SPD will take eight ministerial posts, against six for the CDU and their CSU allies.
Government
The present constitution dates from May 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany being formally established four months later. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislature (Bundesrat and Bundestag, with 68 and 663 members respectively). Executive authority lies with the Federal Government, led by the Federal Chancellor. The Federal President is the constitutional head of state. Each of the states has its own legislature with power to pass laws on all matters not expressly reserved for the competence of the Federal Government. The former German Democratic Republic has been absorbed into this system, adding five new states to the total.
Economy
Germany’s economy has recovered considerably from the doldrums of the early 21st century, with annual growth estimated at around 2.7% in 2007. However, unemployment remains high at around 9% of the workforce. All this is very different from the 1970s and 1980s, when Germany was the economic powerhouse of the European Union.
The nation’s finances have suffered heavily from reunification, the former East Germany swallowing up huge sums in modernization, and still badly underperforming economically. Those employed in the former West still pay a special tax on top of their regular income tax, for supporting the eastern states. However, inflation is relatively low at around 2%.
Germany’s population is aging, and this, combined with the high unemployment levels, and population movement, places a heavy burden on the welfare system. The country also has a high immigrant population.
The country is known for having a cumbersome bureaucracy, both at national, state and local levels, and this too places a strain on tax resources.
Breakfast usually consists of a boiled egg, bread rolls with jam, honey, cold meat and cheese slices, juices and coffee. Available from snack bars and cafes are grilled, fried or boiled sausages (wurst) with a crusty bread roll. In restaurants, a salad plate will often be produced before a main course, whether or not a starter has been ordered; it is not a side dish, waiting staff will expect this to be eaten before the meal is brought - it can cause confusion for non-Germans. There is an emphasis on meat, potatoes and noodles, but fish dishes are also popular. International specialty restaurants,
such as Chinese, Greek, Turkish and others, can be found everywhere in the former West, and increasingly in other parts of the country.
Things to know: Bars can either have table service and/or counter service, although often drinks consumed are simply marked on a beer mat to be paid for on leaving.
National specialties:
• Bratwurst (grilled sausage).
• Eisbein mit sauerkraut (leg of pork) and mashed potatoes.
• Schwäbische maultaschen (large savoury ravioli from Stuttgart).
• Eierpfannkuchen (pancakes).
• Schwarzwälder kirschtorte (Black Forest gateau).
National drinks:
• Beer of many varied kinds.
• Ebbelelwoi (apple wine – principally in Hessen).
• Schnapps (available in hundreds of varieties).
• Kirschwasser (cherry spirit, principally from the Black Forest).
• Rhineland wines.
Legal drinking age: 18.
Tipping: It is customary to tip taxi drivers, hairdressers, cloakroom attendants, bar and restaurant staff; a 10% tip is standard.
Nightlife
In all larger towns and cities in western Germany and also in the major eastern cities, visitors will have the choice between theater, opera (Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Dresden’s Semperoper and the National Theater in Munich are some of the most famous names), bars with live music, and nightclubs catering for all tastes and inclinations.
Berlin, in particular, is famous for its large selection of after-hours venues. Traditional folk music is found mostly in rural areas. There are bierkellers in the south and wine is drunk in small wine cellars in the Rhineland Palatinate, Franconia and Baden region. Hamburg’s Reeperbahn is the country’s best known center for ‘adult’ entertainment.
Social Conventions
Handshaking is customary, and it is considered rude to address people by their first name unless invited to do so. Normal courtesies should be observed. Before eating, it is normal to say Guten Appetit to the other people at the table to which the correct reply is Gleichfalls. It is customary to present the hostess with unwrapped flowers (according to tradition, one should always give an uneven number and it is worth noting that red roses are exclusively a lover’s gift).
Courtesy dictates that visitors should utter a greeting such
as Guten Tag (or Grüss Gott in Bavaria) before saying what it is that they want; to leave without saying Auf Wiedersehen or Tschüss can also cause offence. Similarly, when making a telephone call, asking for the person you want to speak to without stating first who you are is impolite. Casual wear is widely acceptable, but more formal dress is required for some restaurants, the opera, theater, casinos and important social functions. Smoking is prohibited where notified and on public transport and in most public buildings.
International Travel:
Getting There by Air
The national airline is Lufthansa (LH) (website: www.lufthansa.com).
Departure Tax
None.
Main Airports
Frankfurt/M (FRA) (Rhein/Main) (website: www.airportcity-frankfurt.com) is Germany’s major air transport hub, 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Regular buses connect the airport with the city center (main railway station). S-Bahn (website: www.rmv.de) rail lines S8 and S9 go to the city’s main rail station (Hauptbahnhof) from directly beneath the Terminal 1 arrival hall (journey time - around 15 minutes). S8 also goes directly to Mainz and Wiesbaden (journey time - 40 minutes). Intercity ICE trains also stop at the airport station. Taxis are available around the clock (journey time to city center - 20-30 minutes). Facilities: Left luggage, medical facilities, duty-free shops, banks, restaurants, bars, conference rooms, post office, tourist information and car hire.
Berlin-Tegel (TXL) (website: www.berlin-airport.de) is Berlin’s international airport, located 8km (5 miles) northwest of the city center (journey time - 25 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses go to the city every 5 to 10 minutes from 0500-2400. Facilities: Duty-free shop, banks/bureaux de change, left luggage, 24-hour medical facilities, post office, restaurant, bars, tourist information, conference rooms and car hire.
Munich (MUC) (Franz Joseph Strauss) (website: www.munich-airport.de) is 28.5km (18 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 45 minutes). To/from the airport: Direct links with the S-Bahn S8 and S1 run every 10 minutes from Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) from 0330-0030. The Airport City Bus runs every 20 minutes from 0700-1930 to the Hauptbahnhof and every 30 minutes from 0800-2100; further bus services are available. Coach Oberbayern runs every 10 minutes to the city center. Facilities: Duty-free shop, left luggage, 24-hour medical facilities, snack bar, restaurants, post office, banks, conference center, car hire and bars. The airport also has a Visitors’ Park, an aircraft simulator, cinema and a play area.
Getting There by Water
Main ports: Bremen (website: www.keyports.de), Bremerhaven (website: www.bremen-ports.de), Hamburg (website: www.hafen-hamburg.de), Rostock (website: www.rostock-port.de) and Kiel (website: www.port-of-kiel.de).
The following shipping lines serve routes to Germany (via other countries) from the UK:
DFDS Seaways (tel: 0871 522 9955, in the UK; website: www.dfds.co.uk): Newcastle-Amsterdam.
Stena Line (tel: 0870 570 7070, in the UK; website: www.stenaline.com): Harwich-Hook of Holland, Gothenburg-Kiel.
P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333, in the UK; website: www.poferries.com): Dover-Calais, Hull-Rotterdam, Hull-Zeebrugge.
SeaFrance (tel. 0871 663 2546, in the UK; website: www.seafrance.com): Dover-Calais.
Norfolkline (tel: 0870 870 1020, in the UK; website: www.norfolkline.com): Dover-Dunkerque.
Superfast Ferries (tel: 0870 234 0870, in the UK; website: www.superfast.com): Rosyth-Zeebrugge, Helsinki-Rostock.
Ferry connections also exist from Germany to Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, and the Russian Federation.
Getting There by Rail
Germany’s rail network is operated by Deutsche Bahn (tel: 11861; website: www.bahn.de).
Eurostar: If traveling from the UK, Eurostar operates direct high-speed trains from London (St Pancras International) and Ashford International to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes 2 hours 15 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK, or +44 1233 617 575, outside the UK; a £5 booking fee applies to telephone bookings; website: www.eurostar.com); from Brussels, there are direct connections to Cologne and Frankfurt, and onward high speed trains to all major German centers. With opening of the TGV Est line in 2007, journey time between Paris and Frankfurt has been cut to less than four hours.
There are excellent connections between Germany and other main European cities. For more information, contact Deutsche Bahn in the UK (tel: 0871 880 8066; website: www.bahn.co.uk).
Rail Passes
InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. Available from The Eurail Group (website: www.eurail.com).
Getting There by Road
Germany is connected to all surrounding countries by a first-class network of motorways and trunk roads.
The Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK; website: www.eurotunnel.com) runs shuttle trains for all types of vehicles between Folkestone in Kent, and Calais. Vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. Passenger terminal buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and around 1 hour from motorway to motorway. There are up to four passenger shuttles per hour at peak times, 24 hours per day and services run every day of the year. Passengers pass through customs and immigration before they board, with no further checks on arrival. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the travel agents, or from Eurotunnel Customer Services in France or the UK with a credit card.
Coach: There are numerous and excellent road links with all neighboring countries. Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to Germany. Passes: Travelers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.
Overview
Büsingen and the Isle of Heligoland are treated as being outside of the EU for the Duty Free section. The following goods may be imported into the Federal Republic of Germany without incurring customs duty by visitors arriving from countries outside the EU:
• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 1l of spirits with an alcohol content exceeding 22% by volume or 2l of spirits or liqueurs with an alcohol content not exceeding 22% by volume or 2l of sparkling or liqueur wine.
• 2l of any other wine.
• 50g of perfume or 250ml of eau de toilette.
• 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extracts.
• Personal goods to the value of €175.
(a) The tobacco and alcohol allowances are granted only to those over 17 years of age. (b) Wine in excess of the above allowances imported for personal consumption and valued at less than €128 will be taxed at an overall rate of 16%.
Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use only. Member states may follow the EU’s guide levels of: 10l of spirits; 20l of fortified wine; 90l of wine; 110l of beer; 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos; 200 cigars and 1kg of tobacco.
Internal Travel:
Getting Around By Air
Internal services are operated by Lufthansa (website: www.lufthansa.com), Air Berlin (website: www.airberlin.com), Germanwings (website: www.germanwings.com) and several other regional airlines. Frankfurt/M is Germany’s major air travel hub, and all airports in the Federal Republic of Germany can be reached in an hour or less from here. There are numerous airports in the country apart from those listed in the Getting There section which offer internal air services.
Helgoland (HGL), Sylt (GWT) and some other Friesian Islands are served by seasonal services operated by regional airlines or air taxi services. Connections by air operate daily between Berlin, Bremen, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/M, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Westerland/Sylt (summer only). The majority of western airports offer daily flights to Leipzig and several flights a week to Dresden.
Getting Around by Water
Regular scheduled boat services operate on most rivers, lakes and coastal waters, including the Danube, Main, Moselle, Neckar, Rhine and the Weser, and also on Ammer See, Chiemsee, Königssee and Lake Constance. Ferry services are operated on Kiel Fjord and from Cuxhaven to Helgoland and to the East and North Friesian Islands as well as to Scandinavian destinations. Besides these scheduled services, special excursions are available on all navigable waters.
The KD German Rhine Line (tel: (0221) 208 8318; website: www.k-d.de) covers the Rhine and Moselle rivers, and has comfortable ships that operate daily from April to late October. In conjunction with the ‘White Fleet’ Dresden, the KD also organizes cabin cruises on the Elbe between Dresden and Hamburg. Further routes include the rivers Saale and Elbe, several lakes and the Mecklenburger Lake District.
Lake Constance is served by regular steamers, pleasure boats and car ferries between the German, Swiss and Austrian shores. The Lake Constance Adventure Passes (Bodensee-Erlebniskarte) (website: www.bodensee-erlebniskarte.info, German only) give free travel on many rides listed in the Bodensee Adventure Planner, throughout the Lake Constance area, as well as discounted admission to attractions. This includes scheduled ferry services offered by the German, Swiss and Austrian railways as well as some bus, local train and mountain railway routes. The pass is valid for seven or 14 days. Children up to six years of age travel free. In addition to the pass, there is a Family Ticket which is available free of charge and allows children between six and 16 years of age free travel; unmarried young persons between 16 and 26 years of age pay half price.
Getting Around by Rail
InterCity and high-speed ICE connections (website: www.bahn.de) run every one or two hours to around 30 destinations (mainly in Germany but trains also run to Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, France and Switzerland). Within Germany, ICE trains also operate on the following routes: Berlin-Frankfurt/M-Karlsruhe, Berlin-Cologne-Basel, Munich-Frankfurt/M-Berlin and Hamburg-Berlin-Dresden with direct links to Prague. The ICE Sprinter runs non-stop on the following routes: Frankfurt/M-Berlin, Hamburg-Cologne, Frankfurt/M-Hamburg, Cologne-Stuttgart and Frankfurt/M-Munich. Seats on these services have to be booked in advance. Generally, reservations are advised on all services. Children aged 14 and under travel free of charge when accompanied by their parents or grandparents; those aged six to 14 traveling on their own pay half fare. For latest information leaflets, contact Deutsche Bahn in the UK (see below).
German National Railways (Deutsche Bahn) operates tens of thousands of passenger trains each day. Work on the 3,200km (2,000-mile) fast-train network has already started and should be completed by 2010. The network does not radiate around the capital as the federal structure provides an integrated system to serve the many regional centers. More than 50 cities, including Berlin, Erfurt, Dresden and Leipzig, are served hourly by InterCity trains - and increasingly by high-speed ICE InterCity Express trains; regional centers are connected by local trains such as the RegionalExpress, RegionalBahn and S-Bahn. Details of up-to-date prices, and where tickets can be bought, are available from Deutsche Bahn (tel: 0871 880 8066, in the UK; website: www.bahn.co.uk) or the German National Tourist Office.
Rail Passes
A range of Bahncards is available from Deutsche Bahn, offering a number of different discount schemes for travel within Germany, and varying advance purchase discount options are also offered.
InterRail’s One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Germany. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Germany is covered by a busy modern network of motorways (Autobahnen). Use of the network is free at present, but the introduction of a road toll is being discussed and charges have been levied on some sightseeing roads in Bavaria. Although motorways in eastern Germany are of a reasonable standard, many secondary roads are still being improved to match western Germany’s standards.
Bus: Buses serve villages and small towns without railway stations. There are few long-distance services. Europabus (tel: (069) 790 3261; website: www.romantischestrasse.de) runs services on special scenic routes such as the Romantic Road (Wiesbaden/Frankfurt to Munich/Füssen) and the Castle Road (between Mannheim/Heidelberg to Rothenburg and Nuremberg).
Car hire: Self-drive cars are available at most towns, airports, and at over 40 railway stations - all major international car hire companies are present in Germany.
Regulations: Traffic signs are international. Speed limits in Germany are 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas and 100kph (62mph) on all roads outside built-up areas. Unless otherwise indicated, there is theoretically no maximum speed limit on Autobahns, but 130kph (81mph) is recommended. Some motorways and dual carriageways carry varying speed limits and are signposted. Seat belts must be worn in the front and back, and child seats used for small children. In winter, snow chains must be carried or winter tires fitted. The minimum driving age is 18.
Emergency breakdown service: The Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club (ADAC) (emergency tel: 0180 222 2222, in Germany; website: www.adac.de) is the principal national assistance network. In almost all cases, the number to dial for emergency services is 110.
Documentation: Insurance is mandatory. EU nationals driving their own vehicles are advised to obtain a Green Card. Members of the EU, the USA and Australia do not need an international driving license to drive in Germany.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
All urban areas have efficient bus services, complemented in a number of larger cities by trams, and underground or suburban trains. In most larger cities, tickets for a local transport journey have to be purchased from ticket machines before boarding the suburban train (S-Bahn), underground (U-Bahn), bus or tram. Ticket inspections are frequent, with on-the-spot fines for miscreants. Taxis are widely available in the main cities, and operate from designated ranks. They can be advance booked by telephone.
Berlin: The city’s excellent public transport includes an extensive network of buses, underground and S-Bahn in three travel zones. In the eastern part of the city, tram services and the ferries of the Berliner Verkehrs-Betriebe, BVG (Berlin Public Transport) (tel: (030) 19449; website: www.bvg.de), in conjunction with east Berlin’s ‘White Fleet’, provide further services. Day and longer period passes are available covering all services. Taxis are generally available throughout the city (tel: 0800 263 0000, in Germany; website www.taxi263000.de).
Frankfurt: An extensive tram network, S-Bahn and bus services serve the Rhine-Main region, operated under the auspices of the Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund (tel: (01805) 768 4636; website: www.rmv.de). As in Berlin, 24-hour passes for all types of public transport (Tageskarten) are available, as is a large fleet of cream-colored taxis. The central taxi booking number is (069) 230 001.
Munich: The Bavarian capital has some trams, plus comprehensive bus, underground and suburban rail services. Services are operated under the aegis of the Münchner Verkehrs-und Tarifverbund (tel: (089) 2103 3282; website: www.mvv-muenchen.de). Again, taxis are widely available. Taxis can be booked on (089) 21610 or 19410.
Note: Pedestrians should be aware that it is an offence to cross a road when the pedestrian crossing lights are red, even if there is no traffic on the road. Offenders can risk on-the-spot fines.
Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Berlin to other major cities and towns in the Federal Republic of Germany.
| Air | Road | Rail | | Cologne | 1.05 | 6.00 | 4.25 | | Frankfurt | 1.05 | 5.30 | 4.10 | | Hamburg | - | 3.00 | 1.30 | | Munich | 1.10 | 6.00 | 6.15 |
Special purchases include precision optical equipment such as binoculars and cameras, porcelain, handmade crystal, silver, steelware, Solingen knives, leatherwear, sports equipment, toys from Nuremberg and Bavarian Loden cloth. Special purchases in eastern Germany include musical instruments, wooden carved toys from the Erzgebirge Mountains and Meissen china (the workshops in Meissen are open to the public). Cuckoo clocks, contrary to popular myth, did not originate in Switzerland, but in the Black Forest region.
Shopping hours: Most large shops
are open Mon-Fri 0900-2000 and Sat 0900-2000. All shops, except a few bakeries, are closed on Sunday.
Currency Information:
Currency
Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Cheques are very rarely used.
Currency Exchange
Foreign currencies and traveller's cheques can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change, post offices, airports, railway stations, ports and major hotels at the official exchange rates.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
These are widely accepted in most shops, petrol stations, restaurants and hotels. All major credit cards are accepted, but it is advisable to carry cash as well.
Traveller's Cheques
Generally provide the best rate of exchange. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. Visitors are advised to have their traveller's cheques exchanged at bureaux de change as banks often refuse to change them and they are not accepted as payment in stores.
Banking Hours
Generally Mon-Fri 0830-1300 and 1400-1600, Thurs 0830-1300 and 1430-1730 in main cities. Main branches do not close for lunch. Bureaux de change in airports and main railway stations are open 0600-2200.
Exchange Rate Indicators
| Date | Jan 09 | | £1.00= | €1.06 | | $1.00= | €0.73 |
Passport/Visa
| Passport Required? | Visa Required? | Return Ticket Required? | | British | Yes | No/2 | No | | Australian | Yes | No | No | | Canadian | Yes | No | No | | USA | Yes | No | No | | Other EU | 1 | No/2 | No |
Passport Note
Germany is a signatory
to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.
Passports
Passport valid for length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.
Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for the following durations:
(a) nationals of EU countries for an unlimited period;
(b) nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for stays not exceeding 90 days in a six-month period; stay begins when nationals enter any of the Schengen countries.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see General Info).
Visa Note
2. Nationals of EU countries intending to stay for three months or more must register with the German authorities within seven days of arrival.
Warning
Most visits to Germany are trouble-free.
Travelers should be aware of the general threat from terrorism in Germany. Such attacks could be indiscriminate, including in public places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers. On 4 September, three individuals were arrested and charged with membership of a terrorist organization. Although the German security authorities have averted serious terrorist attacks, they assess that the threat from terrorism remains high and urge individuals to maintain a high level of vigilance.
A number of British nationals have been arrested for possessing counterfeit currency. Travelers are advised against changing currency anywhere other than banks or legitimate Bureaux de Change.
This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organizations for the latest travel advice:
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk
US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel
Health
| Special Precautions | Certificate Required? | | Diphtheria | No | | | Hepatitis A | No | | | Rabies | No | | | Malaria | No | | | Tetanus | Yes | | | Typhoid | No | | | Yellow Fever | No | |
Health Care
For European visitors who are taken ill or have an accident during a visit to Germany, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available – in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For non-EEA citizens, insurance is highly recommended. The emergency telephone number is 112.
Note
Call 1-800-iExplore 1-800-439-7567 to inquire about
trips to Germany.
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