Germany

Germany is a federation of sixteen states, each with its own capital, cuisine and building style — Hanseatic brick in the north, half-timbered towns in the centre, Alpine villages in the south. The Rhine and Danube thread castles, cathedrals and vineyards across the country, while Berlin, Leipzig and the Ruhr turned industrial and Cold War history into museums and galleries. Distances are short and the rail network makes almost every region a day trip.

Capital

Berlin

Population

84M

Area

357,022 km²

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Language

German

Time zone

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

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  01

  Baden-Württemberg

  Black Forest charm, innovative spirit

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• 
  02

  Bavaria

  Alpine splendor, beer garden tradition

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  03

  Berlin

  vibrant, historical, cosmopolitan capital

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  04

  Brandenburg

  lakes, castles, Prussian heritage

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  05

  Bremen

  historic Hanseatic city, fairy tale

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  06

  Hamburg

  maritime flair, vibrant nightlife

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  07

  Hesse

  financial hub, fairytale landscapes

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  08

  Lower Saxony

  North Sea coast, historic towns

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  09

  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

  Baltic Sea beaches, tranquil lakes

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  10

  North Rhine-Westphalia

  industrial heritage, art, Rhine

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  11

  Rhineland-Palatinate

  vineyards, castles, Moselle charm

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  12

  Saarland

  French influence, industrial heritage

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  13

  Saxony

  Baroque splendor, cultural richness

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  14

  Saxony-Anhalt

  Luther's heritage, Romanesque art

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  15

  Schleswig-Holstein

  coastal charm, Viking history

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  16

  Thuringia

  cultural heart, lush forests

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  Historic Site

  29th Division (German Empire)

  The 29th Division (29. Division) was a unit of the Prussian/German Army, almost entirely made up of troops from the Grand Duchy of Baden.

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  Historic Site

  Alt Eberstein

  The ruins of Alt-Eberstein are the remains of the former Schloss Eberstein (Eberstein Castle), located on a hill near the town of Ebersteinburg and directly upstream of the modern city of Baden-Baden, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The original structure was built in 1100 as the primary residence of the Co

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  Castle

  Altdischingen Castle

  Altdischingen Castle, also called the "Old Castle", is a former (Burgstall) hilltop castle around 400 m (437.45 yd) above sea level in the Solitude state forest range of Weilimdorf, a district incorporated into Baden-Württemberg's capital Stuttgart in 1933. The castle situated 400 m (437.45 yd) south of Dischingen Cast

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  Museum

  Augustiner Museum

  The Augustiner Museum is a museum in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany located in the former Augustinian Monastery building. It is undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion, the first phase of which ended in 2010.

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  Tower

  Aussichtsturm Schlossberg

  The Schlossbergturm or Castle Hill Tower is a 35 m high observation tower on Castle Hill Schlossberg on the edge of the historic Altstadt of Freiburg im Breisgau. It has 153 steps, its top is located 463 m above sea level and thus 185 m above the average altitude of the city (278 m).

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  Historic Site

  Bad Cannstatt

  Bad Cannstatt, also called Cannstatt (until July 23, 1933) or Kannstadt (until 1900), is one of the outer Stadtbezirke, or city boroughs, of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Bad Cannstatt is the oldest and most populous of Stuttgart's boroughs, and one of the most historically significant towns in the area of S

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  Historic Site

  Baden-Baden

  Baden-Baden is a spa town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the Rhine, the France–Germany border, and forty kilometres (twenty-five miles) north-east of Strasbourg, France. I

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  Bridge

  Baden-Baden station

  Baden-Baden station is the most important of the three railway stations in the city of Baden-Baden in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is regularly served by local and long distance trains operated by Deutsche Bahn.

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  Historic Site

  Baden-Württemberg

  Baden-Württemberg, commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a landlocked state (Land) in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of the country's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants as of 2019 across a total area of nearly 35,752 km2 (13,804 sq mi), it is the thi

• Berlin

  Reunified capital of galleries, Wall history and late nights.

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• Munich

  Bavarian residence city, beer gardens and the Alps an hour away.

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• Hamburg

  Harbour city of canals, brick warehouses and the Elbphilharmonie.

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• Cologne

  Twin-spired Gothic cathedral over the Rhine.

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• Dresden

  Rebuilt baroque skyline on the Elbe.

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• Heidelberg

  Ruined red castle above an old university town.

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• Saxon Switzerland

  Sandstone towers and the Bastei bridge on the Elbe.

• Berchtesgaden

  Königssee fjord-like lake beneath the Watzmann.

• Bavarian Forest

  Germany's oldest national park, wild woodland on the Czech border.

• Wadden Sea

  Tidal flats and seal banks along the North Sea coast.

• Harz

  Brocken summit, spruce forest and steam railways.

• Jasmund

  Rügen's chalk cliffs above beech forest.

• Sylt

  Forty kilometres of North Sea dune beach.

• Binz, Rügen

  Baltic resort of white villas and a long pier.

• Timmendorfer Strand

  Classic Lübeck Bay sand with beach baskets.

• Sankt Peter-Ording

  Vast tidal beach with stilt houses.

• Prerow, Darß

  Quiet Baltic sand backed by pine forest.

• Zugspitze

  2,962 m, Germany's highest peak, reached by cog railway and cable car.

• Black Forest

  Dark fir ridges, lakes and clock-making valleys.

• Bavarian Alps

  Watzmann, Alpspitze and the lakes around Berchtesgaden.

• Harz

  The north's highest range, crowned by the Brocken.

• Saxon Switzerland

  Free-standing sandstone pinnacles above the Elbe.

• Bratwurst

  Regional grilled sausages — Nuremberg's small ones, Thuringia's long ones.

• Schweinshaxe

  Roasted pork knuckle with crackling, a Bavarian classic.

• Currywurst

  Sliced sausage under curried tomato sauce, Berlin street food.

• Spätzle

  Swabian egg noodles, often baked with cheese and onions.

• Brezel

  Lye-baked pretzel, eaten with butter or Obatzda cheese.

• Black Forest cake

  Cherry, cream and kirsch layered in chocolate sponge.

• 01

  Carry cash — many bakeries, bars and small museums still refuse cards.

• 02

  Sundays close nearly all shops; stock up on Saturday.

• 03

  Deutschlandticket gives a month of regional trains, trams and buses for one flat fare.

• 04

  Book ICE trains early for Sparpreis fares; walk-up tickets cost far more.

• 05

  Cycle lanes are strictly for bikes — walking in them earns sharp bells.