Introducing Germany
With nine European borders and a location smack dab in the heart of the continent, Germany could stake a convincing claim to being the most ‘European’ of all countries. Packing over 80 million people into a pretty tight frame, it’s an economic and political powerhouse with bewitching scenery, pulsating cities, progressive culture and an awareness of a historic legacy teetering between horror and greatness.
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Few countries have had as much impact on the world as Germany, a land of innovation that has given us the printing press, the automobile, aspirin and MP3 technology. It’s the birthplace of Martin Luther, Albert Einstein, Karl Marx, Goethe, Beethoven, the Grimm brothers and other players on the world stage. As you travel around, you’ll have plenty of brushes with such genius but, perhaps, Germany’s scenery lifts the spirit even more. The jagged peaks of the big-shouldered Bavarian Alps unfold above flowering mountain pastures where cows graze lazily. Mighty rivers flow through romantic valleys, past steep vineyards and fairy-tale forests. You’ll encounter history in towns where streets were laid out before Columbus set sail and in mighty castles looming above prim, half-timbered villages.
Enjoying the outdoors, from skiing Alpine peaks to hiking carefully preserved forests, is essential. And compare the ancient traditions of the east, as beautiful Dresden adjusts to the 21st century, with Cologne, where decades of prosperity burnish its grand heritage.
Berlin, edgy and vibrant, is a grand capital in a constant state of reinvention. At the other end, Munich perches atop Bavaria, the centre of national traditions. Cities of all sizes boast some of Europe’s best clubs, as you’d expect from the home of techno. Beer is at the heart of a pilsner-swilling culture that draws kegloads of visitors annually, is the very reason for one of the world’s great parties (Oktoberfest) and is consumed with pleasure across the land.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Explore Germany's picturesque historic towns
- Follow the waltz of the blue Danube by bike
- Discover the dramatic scenery of the Bavarian Alps
- Find out more about underground Cold War Berlin
Last updated: Jan 10, 2013
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Things to do
- All things to do (3,894)
- Activities (405)
- Entertainment (858)
- Restaurants (875)
- Shopping (287)
- Sights (1,437)
- Tours (32)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Germany
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1 Berlin
Visit world-class museums by day and bustling bars, pubs and clubs by night
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2 Rügen Island
Explore the many faces of this fascinating island, including its rugged chalk cliffs, windswept beaches, Romantic-era spa architecture and tree-lined country roads
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3 Dresden
Explore the treasures and grand buildings of this baroque beauty bisected by the majestic Elbe River
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4 Cologne
Visit Cologne's magnificent Dom (cathedral), which dominates the city skyline
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5 Hamburg
Let your hair down on a tour of this vibrant city's eclectic bar and pub scene
Fast Facts about Germany
- Most famous civil criminal
Fritz Haarmann (allegedly killed 26 people and drank their blood, 1925)
- Capital
- Area
357, 045 sq km
- Coolest museum
- Famous for
sausages, Oktoberfest, culture, cars, Kraftwerk, Friedrich Nietzsche, Love Parade, Nico
- Population
82 million
- German phrases
Guten Tag (good day); Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye); Ja/Nein (yes/no); Danke (thank you); Sprechen Sie Englisch? (Do you speak English?); Du leidest wohl unter Größenwahn (your ego is out of control)
- Year first Volkswagen Beetle manufactured
1938
- She said it
A man would prefer to come home to an unmade bed and a happy woman than to a neatly made bed and an angry woman. - Marlene Dietrich