Australia
Germany Travel and Destination Guide
PLACES TO SEE
Rhine Valley
Here you'll find dramatic landscapes with fertile vineyards clinging to steep hills, numerous imposing castles and dreamy wine villages. Every village has at least one wine festival per year, with the most famous being the Rhine in Flames series of festivals, when water, lighting and fireworks are combined to spectacular effect.
Harz Mountains
The Harz Mountains rise picturesquely from the North German plain, a quick train ride from the tourist centres in the south. They don't have the peaks and valleys of the Alps, but they offer a great all-seasons sports getaway without some of the Alpine tackiness and tourism.
Bavaria
Bavaria, Germany's southernmost federal state, harbours a bonanza of delights in one very visitor-friendly package. If you're here for the olde-worlde stereotypes of lederhosen, beer halls and oompah bands, you'll find them in abundance. But if you look beyond the cliche, you'll soon discover the land's amazing complexity and rich history.
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Appearing through the mountain-top mist like a surreal fantasy is the world's best-known castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein. Ludwig II planned this castle himself with the help of a stage designer rather than an architect. It was conceived as a giant stage to recreate the world of Germanic mythology immortalised in the operatic works of Richard Wagner.
Augsburger Puppenkiste
The celebrated Augsburger Puppenkiste holds performances of modern and classic fairy tales that are so endearing, with sets and costumes so fantastically elaborate, that even non-German speakers will enjoy a show. Advance reservations are advised.
Brandenburg Gate
One of Berlin's most photographed locations, Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) once marked the impenetrable boundary between East and West Berlin. Built in 1791, Brandenburger Tor has often been a centre stage for Berlin's militant political rallies, including the memorable celebrations in November 1989, when the Berlin Wall was torn down.
Romantic Road
Two million people ply the Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) every year, making it by far the most popular of Germany's holiday routes. That means lots of signs in English and Japanese, tourist coaches and kitsch galore. Running north-south through western Bavaria, the Romantic Road covers 420km (261mi) between Würzburg and Füssen near the Austrian border.
Black Forest
Home of the cuckoo clock, the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) gets its name from its dark, slightly sinister canopy of evergreens: this is where Hansel and Gretel encountered the wicked witch. The vast expanse of hills, valleys, rivers and forests stretch from the swish spa town of Baden-Baden to the Swiss border, and from the Rhine almost to Lake Constance.
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