There are many places to visit in Germany. The mild and humid climate will compliment the beauty of the surroundings and turn traveling into a joyous experience. You can visit the magnificent city of Berlin and be part of the Cold War era as you pass the demolished Berlin Wall. Relive history at Munich and Dresden. Frankfurt, Cologne and Hamburg will present you with a totally new face of Germany. You can also participate in the various fairs and festivals held in Germany. The variety in German landscape will also come as a pleasant surprise. So, head north to the Baltic Sea and North Sea coast of Germany, or trek in the Black Forest (a national heritage), move south to embrace the Alps or go boating on Lake Constancein, Germany’s fresh water lake, all this is just a glimpse of German Tourism. You can also travel along the Die Romantische Strasse (The Romantic Road) to charm your beloved. Germany without its outstanding transport network would not have been such a tourist hot spot of Europe.
Germany has good connectivity and excellent communication system. The country spoils you with the choice it offers as far as the transport system are concerned. Firstly, you can enter Germany by plane, train and also boat, but what will enchant you the most is viewing the beautiful Europe landscape as you enter Germany by train. Besides this, commuting within Germany is fairly simple. With excellent roads and dense railway system, reaching every part of the country, Germany provides its visitors a comfortable journey.
If you are planning a long holiday in Germany, lodging shall not be a problem. Germany presents a wide variety of accommodations to choose from. Depending on your budget you can choose from the budgeted B&BS or stay at the hotels ranked according to the facilities they provide. If you are the outdoor types, you can just camp at the countless campsites in Germany.
History of Germany
The history of Germany is a long and a chequered one. The Holy Roman Empire was the first kingdom or “Reich”. The founder of this empire was Charlemagne who was the first Holy Emperor of Germany in 800 AD. This span lasted for a long time till 1806, the time of the Napoleonic wars.
1871 saw the beginning of the Second “Reich” with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The whole of the German Empire came together leaving out Prussia and this continued for fifty more years.
The effect on the World Wars on the history of Germany
Germany was successful in winning the Franco- Prussian War in 1871 and then Germany invaded France again in the Second World War. The war was a devastating one and there were innumerable trenches dug to protect soldiers and there were mass casualties on both the sides. When the war ended in 1918 the reigning emperor gave up his throne. There was an internal rebellion with which ended the Second Reich and the regime of the democratic Weimar Republic started.
After the World War, Germany faced numerous problems especially because of the Great Depression and the Treaty of Versailles. Then the “Third Reich” came into force from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler and he became an autocrat of Germany. Hitler gained control over the nearby countries and this sparked off the Second World War in Europe on 1st September 1939. The beginning brought a number of victories for Germany but after the Battle of Stalingrad German army started to retreat. It was on the 8th of May that Hitler committed suicide and Germany lost the Second World War that she had started with much aplomb.
The present scenario
The Second World War resulted in the split between West and East Germany. In 1990, Socialism ended and with this the two Germanys were merged. Now Germany and France form a major part of the European Union and this body strives to unify Europe for the betterment of economy, defense and politics.
Culture of Germany
Germany is best known as the land of thinkers and poets. In the German language it is known as das Land der Dichter und Denker. German culture had flourished long before the German state rose as a nation state and spanned the German speaking world.
Architecture of Germany
Architecture primarily consists of the Ottonian and the Carolingian styles. These are the most important predecessors of the Romanesque. Then there are the other types of architecture like the Baroque, the Gothic and the Renaissance.
Music and Dance in Germany
The famous musicians like Beethoven, Bach, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert are all from Germany. There are 141 professional orchestras in Germany. Dance is v popular in Germany. germany has more than 250 ballet companies. Dance is usually traditional and the approach classical. The main troupe is tanztheater. The dance theaters have roots in the expressionist dance and political threaters. Music and dance is the life blood of Germany
Cuisine of Germany
The cuisine of Germany varies from region to region but the specialties are the meat that is had in the form of sausages, the varieties of cakes and the desserts and the rye bread for which Germany is famous.
Languages in Germany
95% of the people speak the standard German language but apart from this there are other languages spoken like the Sorbian, North Frisian, Danish, Romani, and also Turkish.
Religion in Germany
Etiquettes and Behavior in Germany
Germans attach great importance to punctuality. You will win their favor if you reach the promised place on time! If you are visiting the house of a German, remember to open your shoes before you enter and bring a smile on the face of your host by presenting him or her with a bunch of flowers!
Germany Popular Destinations
There are many popular tourist destination in Germany, given below are a few.
Berlin, Germany:
Berlin is the capital of Germany.
Munich, Germany:
Munich is a famous place and hosts the Oktoberfest.
Stuttgart, Germany:
Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg.
Potsdam, Germany:
Potsdam is located on the Havel River.
Hamburg, Germany:
Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany.
Wiesbaden, Germany:
Wiesbaden is the capital of the state of Hessen.
Schwerin, Germany:
Schwerin is famous for numerous lakes.
Hanover, Germany:
Hanover is the capital of lower Saxony.
Dusseldorf, Germany
Is a Fashion advertising center of Germany and hosts famous Dusseldorf Carnival.
Mainz, Germany:
Mainz is a major whine producing city in Germany.
Dresden, Germany:
Dresden is a culturally active city with many theaters and opera houses.
Erfurt, Germany:
Erfurt is famous for its medieval city center.
Kiel, Germany:
Kiel is located in the Northern part of Germany and is the seat of ship building.
Leipzig, Germany:
St Thomas Lutheran Church along with the city hall is the main landmark of Leipzig.
Frankfurt, Germany:
Frankfurt is the financial and transportation capital of Germany.
Cologne, Germany;
Cologne is one of the oldest cities of Germany.
Augsburg, Germany:
Augsburg is the capital of Bavaria.
Wittenberg, Germany:
Wittenberg has close connection with Martin Luther.
Trier, Germany:
Trier is the oldest city of Germany.
Fussen, Germany:
Fussen is famous for winter sports.
Baden Baden, Germany:
Baden Baden is situated on the western foot hills of Black Forest.
Constance (Konstanz), Germany:
Constance is a Cathedral town by Lake Constance.
Hessen, Germany:
Hessen is the fairy tale land of Germany.
Nuremberg, Germany:
Nuremberg is famous for its Gingerbread market.
Ruhr Valley, Germany:
Ruhr Valley is a major coal producing region of Germany.
Bonn, Germany:
Bonn in Germany is renowned for its many historic buildings, churches and castles.
Saxony, Germany:
Saxony is located in the eastern part of Germany.
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany:
Schleswig-Holstein is famous for Helgoland Island and Kiel.
Cathedrals in Germany
A country roughly located at the centre of Europe, Germany boasts an exceptionally rich religious history and therefore a large number of sacred destinations that one can imagine. With no dearth of churches and cathedrals through out the length and breath of the country, Germany is undoubtedly a significant place of religious interest. If you wish to see some of the greatest and the oldest churches and cathedrals, check out the cathedrals in Germany.
The country being home to the Romans, the Jews and the Protestants at different points in time, Germany's churches and cathedrals changed hands umpteenth number of times and bear a mark of history. But not only is the history that calls for attention in the Cathedrals of Germany,: there is a lot more to it. The famous Romanesque architecture with the typical Gothic structures and beautiful pieces of artwork of Germany's churches and cathedrals is simply enchanting. Whether to see the tallest church of the world, the heaviest church bell, the remains of the stunning medieval period structure or the rare art pieces by some of the world famous artists, you have to come to the Cathedrals in Germany.
Though the prevalent architecture in the cathedrals Germany is the beautiful Romanesque architecture with the bold Gothic tombs and towers, you can see some excellent remnants of Neo-classical and Baroque style. And perhaps what is really surprising is that inspite of massive bombings during the World War II and the dark days of the Nazi regime, Germany boasts of some of the oldest cathedrals and churches in the entire world, with some of them surviving in their true original forms.
List Of the most important cathedrals and churches in Germany:
- Bamberg Cathedral, Germany
- Cathedral of Magdeburg, Germany
- Cathedral of Trier, Germany
- Church of Peace (Sanssouci), Germany
- Church of the Redeemer, Sacrow, Germany
- Cologne Cathedral, Germany
- Elisabeth Church (Marburg), Germany
- Erfurt Cathedral, Germany
- Freiberg Cathedral, Germany
- Gedächtniskirche (Speyer), Germany
- Gustav Adolf Stave Church, Germany
- Mainz Cathedral, Germany
- Naumburg Cathedral, Germany
- St. Augustine's of Canterbury, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Saint Justinus' church, Frankfurt-Höchst, Germany
- Schleswig Cathedral, Germany
- St. Andreaskirche, Hildesheim, Germany
- St. Johannis Harvestehude Hamburg, Germany
- St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim, Germany
- St. Nikolai, Hamburg, Germany
- Ulm Münster, Germany
- Worms Cathedral, Germany
Festivals & Events in Germany
Germany has been hosting a number of fairs and festivals and the place is immensely popular for all the events that Germany hosts. There are quite a handful of events held here in Germany and the neighboring places like Frankfurt and other places. The events are as follows:
Berlin Film Festival
Berlin Film Festival is a very important festival and is held in Berlin and is regarded as one of world's most glamorous event and sees visitors from all over the world coming here and it is held every year in February and the fair has been held since 1951. The jury compromises representatives from all over the world. The premieres of the films are held in the Berlin ale Palast.
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is held in Munich every year at the end of September or early October. This is a famous festival that celebrates beer. This is specially made and is different both in flavor and alcohol content of the usual variety of beer. People from all over the world come to participate in the event and there are Beer Tents set up where people gather to enjoy and have a nice time together.
Berlin Love Parade
Berlin Love Parade is a very important festival and the event dates back to 1989 and it intends to promote peace, love and international understanding through music. The parade takes place in the middle of July. The parade is characterized by open roof trucks that usually represent the local clubs. One would also find DJs playing the console for the general crowd gathered here.
Berlin Marathon
This event takes place during late September and the Marathon course is the fastest Race Course and the Marathon takes place in various parts and the marathon sees participation from a mixed crowd like children, wheel chair riders and proper runners. Many athletes from all over the world come here to take part in the marathon and also have a nice time here.
Carnival in Germany
The festival is also called Mardi Gras and sees a large parade with people dressed in colorful attires and donning colorful masks. This was originally a Pagan festival but recently the event has changed its character and has gone on to include some Christian ele3mts and the festival also sees some representation of political satires and the event takes place during February.
Frankfurt Book Fair
This is a very important fair and is held in Frankfurt annually. The fair sees the coming together of publishers, book sellers and other people in the publishing fraternity. The Frankfurt Book Fair is held for 5days with about 6,700 exhibitors and 270,000 visitors come here.
Getting to Germany
by Air
Germany, being one of the most important countries of Europe, can be easily reached by air. Getting to Germany by Air is by far one of the most convenient ways of reaching this European country.
Whether you are coming from a country within the mainland of Europe or from a place outside Europe, traveling by air is the easiest way of getting to Germany. Getting to Germany by air helps you to save time, especially if you are in a hurry.
There are a large number of international airlines that have flights to Germany. Depending upon your place of departure, you can board any of these flights and come to this country. There are both direct flights as well as hopping flights to Germany.
As far as international flights are concerned, you can take a plane to Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich and come over here. However, there are a number also a large number of flights that come to Stuttgart, Bonn and other cities of the country. Nearly all the major airlines have flights to Germany. The country is well connected by air to some of the major cities and countries like London, India, United States of America, Paris, Holland, Italy and other countries in and outside Europe. Some of the major airlines that have flights to Germany include KLM Royal Dutch, European Air Express, Air Berlin, Lufthansa, Cirrus Airlines, British Airways, Condor, Delta Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SN Brussels Airlines, Aero-Lloyd and others.
There are a large number of cheap and expensive flights to Germany. These are usually offered during special seasons and you can avail any of them for the purpose of getting to Germany by air at low and reasonable rates. Getting to Germany by air is by far the most comfortable ways of reaching this country.
You can contact the relevant airline companies or the travels agents to get the flight information and ticket prices if you are thinking of getting to Germany by air.
by Train
Getting to Germany by train is possible if you are traveling to this country from the other countries located in Europe. There are a large number of trains, which enables the tourists to come to this country in a hassle free manner.
Germany is located right in the center of Europe and hence it is easily accessible from other European countries. The country has a good passenger rail system that is extremely efficient. The train service in Germany is operated by the Deutsche Bahn rail passenger system. This train connects Germany to some of the main European cities. The trains are extremely fast and help you to reach your destination quickly. The journey is comfortable and hassle free too. You can board this train and come to Germany form countries like Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Te Netherlands and Belgium.
Another train service provider is the Eurostar. This is another high-speed train that you can board in order to come this country. This is a convenient mode of transportation that you can avail in order to get here, especially if you are coming from London. The Eurostar trains runs the Waterloo International and the Ashford International from London to Paris. From here, you can then take a train and come to Germany. After the construction of the Channel Tunnel train link is completed by October 2007, the train will have direct services from London to Germany. The major train stations in Germany are located in Cologne and Frankfurt.
The InterCity Express is a high-speed train that is operated by Deutsch Bahn to enable tourists to reach Germany by train. There are trains every two hours for the convenience of the tourists. Germany has a good rail network system; because of which getting to Germany by train is one of the most popular ways of reaching this country. When traveling by train, you can go for the Inter-rail passes like the Global Pass and other passes that allows you to travels to nearly 29 European countries, including Morocco and Turkey. Eurailpass allows one to travel to 17 European countries.
Getting to Germany by the train is one of the most economical ways of reaching the country. Besides, the journey is a safe and comfortable one too.
Hotels in Germany
