Highlights
Berlin
A capital shaped by the twentieth century: the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag's glass dome, the remaining stretches of the Wall at the East Side Gallery and Bernauer Strasse, and the world-class collections on Museum Island. Neighbourhoods such as Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg show the city's everyday life.
Munich and the Bavarian Alps
Munich mixes beer halls and the Englischer Garten with major art galleries. South of the city, the Alps rise quickly: the lakes of Tegernsee and Königssee, the Zugspitze (Germany's highest peak) and the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen.
The Rhine and Mosel valleys
The Middle Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz is a UNESCO-listed gorge of castles, vineyards and the Lorelei rock, best seen from a river boat or the riverside railway. The narrower Mosel winds past steep vineyards and villages such as Cochem and Bernkastel-Kues.
Hamburg
Germany's great port city has the red-brick warehouse district of the Speicherstadt, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall with a free public viewing plaza, and harbour ferries that double as cheap sightseeing boats.
Cologne
The twin spires of Cologne Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece that took more than six centuries to finish, dominate the skyline by the station. The city is also known for its Kölsch beer, served in small glasses, and its huge pre-Lent carnival.
Dresden and Saxon Switzerland
Dresden's baroque centre, including the rebuilt Frauenkirche, sits on the Elbe. Upriver, the sandstone towers of Saxon Switzerland National Park and the Bastei bridge offer some of the most distinctive hiking in the country.
The Black Forest
A wooded upland in the south-west with hiking trails, spa towns such as Baden-Baden, cuckoo-clock workshops and the university city of Freiburg at its edge.
Christmas markets
From late November, town squares across the country fill with wooden stalls selling mulled wine, gingerbread and crafts. Nuremberg, Dresden and Cologne have some of the best known.
Interesting facts about Germany
- Germany has no general speed limit on large parts of its Autobahn network, although many sections do have posted limits and an advisory speed of 130 km/h applies elsewhere.
- Shops are generally closed on Sundays by law, so plan supermarket runs for Saturday; station and airport shops are often the exception.
- Germany shares land borders with nine countries: Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- Berlin has more bridges than Venice, thanks to its rivers, canals and lakes.
- Many bottles and cans carry a deposit (Pfand) that you get back by returning them to machines in supermarkets.
Best time to visit
May to September is the warmest and busiest period, with long evenings, beer gardens and open-air festivals; July and August are school holidays and the Alps and coasts get crowded. Late spring and early autumn are often the best balance of weather and crowds, and September and October bring wine festivals and Munich's Oktoberfest, which starts in late September. Winter is cold and grey, but December's Christmas markets and Alpine skiing from roughly December to March make it worth considering.
Practical information
| Capital | Berlin |
|---|---|
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Languages | German |
| Plugs | Type C, F |
| Voltage | 230 V, 50 Hz |
| Emergency | 112 ambulance and fire, 110 police |
| Driving | On the right |
| Tipping | Round up or add about 5 to 10 percent in restaurants, telling the server the total you want to pay rather than leaving money on the table. Round up taxi fares. |
Getting around
The rail network reaches almost every town. ICE high-speed trains link the major cities, and regional trains, S-Bahn and U-Bahn networks cover the rest. Booking long-distance tickets early can save a lot, and saver fares are tied to a specific train; regional trains are more flexible. Punctuality on long-distance services can be patchy, so leave margin for connections. Long-distance coaches are a cheaper alternative. Cities have excellent public transport, cycling is easy and common, and driving makes sense mainly in rural areas such as the Black Forest or the Alps.
Staying connected in Germany
Mobile coverage is good in cities and towns and has improved a lot along motorways and main rail lines, but rural areas, forests and hilly regions still have noticeable gaps, and data can drop out on trains between cities. Free Wi-Fi is available on most long-distance trains, in many cafés, hotels and some city centres, though it can be slow when trains are busy. Cash is still preferred in some small bakeries and bars, so a working phone for maps and card payments matters. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
See Germany eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for Germany
- DB Navigator: Journey planning and tickets for Deutsche Bahn trains, with live platform changes and delays, plus many regional transport networks.
- Google Maps: Public transport directions in cities and walking routes; download offline maps for rural areas.
- FlixBus: Booking long-distance coaches between German cities and to neighbouring countries.
- Google Translate: Translating menus, signs and ticket machines; download German for offline use.