| Germany is a country with amazing architectural | | | | town of Lubeck, for centuries the queen of the |
| treasures. It has some minor Roman and Carolingian | | | | Hanseatic League, is worth a journey. It has marvelous |
| monuments, but it is with the Romanesque and Gothic | | | | examples of brick Gothic architecture. Hamburg, a |
| that German building craft really came to the fore. The | | | | city-state, is Germany's second-largest city and |
| influence of the Renaissance was limited, but Baroque | | | | premier port. It is a spread-out city with mostly modern, |
| and Rococo are well represented. More modern | | | | low-rise buildings and much water and greenery. |
| styles, including Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, Modern, and | | | | Especially popular are harbor cruises, the Alster Lake, |
| Post-Modern, can also be found, especially in German | | | | and the elegant shopping arcades. Bremen, another |
| cities. Air raids in WorldWar II ruined most German | | | | city-state, is Germany's second-largest harbor. It has |
| cities. Many rebuilt the damaged buildings while others | | | | an impressive historic center but many modern |
| opted to rebuild in modern style. Half-timbered houses | | | | attractions are being created to appeal to younger |
| (Fachwerk) make some of the most romantic | | | | visitors. Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) is the original |
| townscapes and are often seen as typically German | | | | home of the Saxons. Its North Sea coast is popular |
| and typically medieval - though most half-timbered | | | | with German families, but for most foreign travelers |
| buildings are from the 16th to 18th century. The long | | | | the south is more interesting. It has many small villages |
| tradition of dividing inheritances gave Germany literally | | | | with wonderful half-timbered buildings such as Celle |
| hundreds of small states and principalities, each with its | | | | and Hann. Munden (Hannoversch Munden). The Weser |
| own palaces and residences. More than 20,000 | | | | Renaissance architecture of towns such as Hameln is |
| castles and castle ruins are scattered throughout the | | | | also interesting. Hildesheim and Goslar were important |
| country. Often the largest palaces and churches are | | | | towns at the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire a |
| found in what are now small and insignificant towns. | | | | millennium ago and have interesting Romanesque |
| Germany is more than arts and culture. It is also a | | | | structures as well as lovely half-timbered buildings in |
| paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Hiking is the most | | | | the old sections. |
| popular activity in Germany, with thousands of marked | | | | Western Germany |
| trails throughout the country. Cycling is also popular, | | | | North Rhine Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) is |
| with many dedicated cycling routes. Canoeing and | | | | densely populated, with the Ruhr district, the former |
| kayaking are done on many rivers and lakes. Skiing | | | | powerhouse of German industry, having the highest |
| and other winter sports are possible in the Bavarian | | | | concentration of large cities in the country. More |
| Alps and many parts of the Mittelgebirge. Germany | | | | interesting is Cologne, with its enormous Gothic |
| also has amazing natural beauty, with the Bavarian | | | | cathedral, numerous Romanesque churches, excellent |
| Alps, the Black Forest and the Harz Mountains. This | | | | museums, and the most refreshing beer in the country. |
| book starts in Berlin and then follows a geographical | | | | Bonn has important museums and Beethoven-related |
| Baroque "S," with a few extra curls at the top end, first | | | | sights. Dusseldorf is a modern city with high fashion |
| through eastern, then northern Germany, before | | | | and modern art, while Aachen was the preferred |
| passing through the western states to end in Bavaria | | | | capital of Charlemagne. Rhineland-Palatinate |
| and Baden-Württemberg in the south. | | | | (Rheinland-Pfalz) boasts the most romantic stretches |
| Eastern Germany | | | | of the Rhine Valley, with castles or castle ruins every |
| Berlin, Germany's capital and largest city, is also the | | | | two km (1.2 miles). It also has the equally beautiful |
| most interesting destination. It has more than 170 | | | | Mosel Valley with the meandering river in a steep, |
| museums, three opera houses, enormous cultural | | | | narrow valley. Speyer, Worms and Mainz have |
| variety, and a gripping modern history. Brandenburg | | | | interesting Romanesque cathedrals, while Trier has the |
| surrounds Berlin. It is the largest of the former East | | | | largest collection of Roman monuments in Germany. |
| German states that joined West Germany after the | | | | Saarland is well off the beaten track and seldom |
| Wende (the Change, as the end of the Communist | | | | visited by foreign tourists. |
| regime is commonly called). It is also one of the | | | | Hesse (Hessen) is geographically at the center of |
| poorest. The most popular destination here is Potsdam, | | | | Germany with an excellent transportation network, |
| which, due to its close proximity to Berlin, is more often | | | | including Frankfurt Airport, the busiest airport in |
| than not visited on a day-trip from the capital. Saxony | | | | continental Europe. Frankfurt is a mostly modern city |
| (Sachsen) is one of the most densely populated states | | | | but with a couple of interesting historic buildings and a |
| in Germany, but has natural beauty, especially in the | | | | number of excellent museums. The Lahn Valley is a |
| Saxon Switzerland area south of Dresden. Its two | | | | gem, with wonderful castles and cathedrals along |
| major cities, Dresden and Leipzig, are tourist magnets. | | | | Germany's most popular canoeing river. |
| Dresden is restoring its pre-1945 Baroque appearance | | | | Southern Germany |
| and, in addition to the marvelous architecture, it has | | | | Bavaria (Bayern) is the largest state in Germany and |
| some excellent museums and art collections. The | | | | the most popular holiday destination for domestic and |
| immediate appeal of Leipzig is less obvious but it is a | | | | foreign travelers alike. In the north of the state is |
| great city to visit - giving the impression of a lived-in | | | | Franken, with important historic cities such as |
| city rather than an artificial tourist attraction. Thuringia | | | | Wurzburg, Bamberg, and Nurnberg. Regensburg and |
| (Thüringen) is closely associated with German | | | | Passau are on the banks of the Danube and both |
| literature through the Weimar classical movement led | | | | cities have interesting historic centers that escaped |
| by Goethe and Schiller. In addition toWeimar, Erfurt has | | | | damage during the World War II. The Romantic Road |
| a wonderfully preserved medieval town center and | | | | is a popular holiday route that passes romantic sites, |
| Eisenach has the Wartburg, the most German of | | | | including Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the most romantic |
| castles. The Thuringian Forest is a lovely wooded | | | | of all Germany's medieval towns. Apart from Berlin, |
| low-rise mountain range of outstanding natural beauty | | | | Munich (Munchen) is the most interesting German city. |
| with the Rennsteig, Germany's most popular | | | | It has a vast range of cultural offerings, including |
| long-distance hiking trail, at its crest. Saxony-Anhalt | | | | excellent art museums and spectacular, mostly |
| (Sachsen-Anhalt) is a predominantly rural state. A large | | | | Baroque, royal palaces. It is the home of beer, with |
| part of the beautiful Harz Mountain range is in the | | | | many historic beer halls, beer gardens and, of |
| southern part of the state and has lovely half-timbered | | | | course,Oktoberfest. The Bavarian Alps have the most |
| villages including Quedlinburg and Wernigerode. The | | | | spectacular scenery in Germany. Their natural beauty |
| state also has three major sights associated with | | | | is enhanced by castles, churches, monasteries, and |
| Martin Luther in Wittenberg, Eisenach, and Mansfield. | | | | historic towns. Baden-Wurttemberg is also popular with |
| Saxony-Anhalt is a magnet for Romanesque | | | | tourists. Heidelberg, with its majestic castle ruin, is a |
| architecture enthusiasts as well. Mecklenburg-Western | | | | must-see for most foreign visitors to Germany. |
| Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) is the | | | | Stuttgart, a major industrial city, is surprisingly beautiful |
| northernmost part of the former East Germany. It has | | | | and has several interesting museums and galleries. The |
| the lowest population density of any state in Germany | | | | Black Forest is the largest forested area in Germany, |
| and unspoiled nature is still easy to find. Highlights | | | | and contains many picture-perfect towns and valleys. It |
| include the Baltic Coast, with the island of Rügen | | | | is hugely popular with hikers and cyclists. Baden-Baden |
| especially popular among well-heeled travelers. In the | | | | is the most elegant town in Germany. The Bodensee |
| former Hanseatic cities it is the brick Gothic churches | | | | (Lake Constance) is a popular holiday area, with the |
| and town halls that are especially impressive. Many | | | | Swiss Alps providing a constant backdrop to the sights |
| countryroads are tree-lined allees. | | | | along the lake shore. In addition to picturesque villages, |
| Northern Germany | | | | it has historically significant sights, including the historic |
| Schleswig-Holstein is in the north of the former West | | | | old town of Konstanz and the Romanesque churches |
| Germany, mostly on the Jutland peninsula that ends in | | | | on the island of Reichenau. |
| Denmark. Few foreign tourists travel here, but the | | | | |