Explore other destinations on Earth Germany Travel Guide

  Europe Earth World Greatest Sites    Advertise on this page  Bookmark and Share

States of the Federal Republic of Germany

Berlin
Berlin 		Baden-Wurttemberg
Baden-Wurttemberg 		Bavaria
Bavaria
Brandenburg
Brandenburg 		Bremen
Bremen 		Hamburg
Hamburg
Hesse
Hesse 		Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony 		Mecklenberg-Vorpommern
Mecklenberg-Vorpommern
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia 		Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate 		Saarland
Saarland
Saxony
Saxony 		Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt 		Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia
Thuringia

About the Federal Republic of Germany
Germany is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Denmark to the north, Poland to the east, the Czech Republic to the southeast, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France to the southwest, and Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the east. It is a neat country with beautifully preserved old towns and a wealth of culture and festivals. Within Germany are plenty of places to explore and good food to taste.

Fast Facts about Germany

  • Official Name: Germany
  • Capital: Berlin (3,302,000)
  • Population of Germany: 82,431,000
  • Currency: Euro
  • Languages spoken: German
  • Religions: Protestant (34%), Roman Catholic (34%), Muslim (4%), others (28%)
  • Size: 357,021 sq km (137,845 sq miles)
  • Continent: Europe

    • Germany Hotels

    When planning your trip to Germany, you should first check the price of hotel rooms offered by different hotel booking websites before placing your booking. Different sites actually offer the same rooms at vastly different rates. Hence it is prudent to do a bit of homework. Use our free Germany Hotel Search Engine to view and compare room rates from different hotel booking sites. It helps you make an informed decision that can save you a lot of money

    You can also use the search console below. Just key in the dates of your trip, and the engine will generate a list of hotels with the best prices, as plucked from the different Online Hotel Booking websites.

    Find a hotel

    When to visit Germany

    You may visit Germany at any time of the year. For sunny weather, the best time is between May and September. This is however the most crowded time, whether you are visiting the museums or the beaches, and there are traffic jams going through the narrow country roads. Between November and March, the skies tend to be overcast and crowds will be less, except perhaps in the sky resorts.

    What to wear in Germany

    Lightweight to medium weight clothing is needed for summer, depends on how the weather turns. For winter, you need medium to heavyweight clothing.

    Getting into Germany

    The biggest airport in Germany as well as Europe is Frankfurt-am-Main International Airport (FRA) followed by Munich International Airport (MUC). Other major airports in Germany are Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS), Berlin Airport (TXL) Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN) and Hamburg (HAM).

    Germany Entry Requirements

    Nationals of US, Australia, Canada, Britain and other EU countries do not need a visa to enter Germany.

    Getting around in Germany

    Perhaps the best way to explore Germany is by car. The country has an excellent road network. The Autobahn (motorway) does not require toll for cars (trucks have to pay), but price of gasoline is kept high, at €1.40 per liter. You can easily rent a car to drive in most cities.

    Another good way to explore Germany is by train. The national railway company, Deutche Bahn is a reliable and comfortable way to go around in Germany. Get the Eurail pass if you intend to use the train often.

    Money matters in Germany

    Germany uses the Euro, €. Banknotes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 while coins are in denominations of 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Banking hours are from 8:30am to 1:00 pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm for Mondays to Fridays except Thursdays 8:30am to 1:00pm and 2:30pm to 5:30pm.

    At time of writing (Oct 2007), USD1.00 = EUR0.71 For the latest exchange go to the Oanda Currency Converter.

    Photos of Germany

    Aachen Cathedral
    Aachen Cathedral
    Author: Lokilech (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

    Half-timbered houses in Quedlinburg
    Half-timbered houses in Quedlinburg
    Author: Jungpionier (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

    Goslar
    Goslar
    Author: Kaschkawalturist (GNU General Public License)

    Hildesheim
    Hildesheim
    Author: Thomas Henze (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

    Regensburg
    Regensburg
    Author: HH58 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

    Tübingen marketplace
    Tübingen marketplace
    Author: Prissantenb&aulm;r (public domain)

    ICE Intercity-Express Train
    ICE Intercity-Express Train
    Author: Dejanmilo (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0) Imperial Cathedral, Bamberg
    Imperial Cathedral, Bamberg
    Author: Johannes Otto Först (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

    St Katharinen, Braunschweig
    St Katharinen, Braunschweig
    Author: Magnus Manske (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

    Schloss Friedrichsthal, Gotha
    Schloss Friedrichsthal, Gotha
    Author: Stefan C. Hoja (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)

    Johannisbad in Zwiskau
    Johannisbad in Zwiskau
    Author: André Karwath (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)

    Lichtenstein Castle, near Honau in Baden-Württemberg
    Lichtenstein Castle, near Honau in Baden-Württemberg
    Author: Andreas Tille (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)


    Photo Credit & Attribution
    Berlin: Author: Thomas Wolf (cc-by-sa-3.0); Baden-Wurttemberg: Author: Arminia (GNU Free Documentation License); Bavaria: Author: MaxM (cc-by-sa-3.0); Bremen: Author: Klaus Grünberg (cc-by-sa-3.0); Hamburg: Author: Heidas (GNU Free Documentation License); Hesse: Author: Mylius (GNU Free Documentation License); Lower Saxony: Author: Ra Boe (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5); Munich: Author: Luidger (GNU Free Documentation License); Mecklenberg-Lower Pomerania: Author: Aquilo (public domain); North Rhine Westphalia: Author: Frank Vincentz (GNU Free Documentation License); Rhineland Palatinate: Author: Flicka (GNU Free Documentation License); Saarland: Author: Didion (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5); Saxony: Author: Christoph Münch (cc-by-sa-3.0); Schleswig-Holstein: Author: Arnold Paul (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5); Rhineland Thuringia: Author: Andreas Praefcke (GNU Free Documentation License);

    Places of Interest in Germany

      Main Cities of Germany

    1. Berlin
    2. Munich
    3. Hamburg
    4. Frankfurt-am-Main
    5. Cologne
    6. Stuttgart
    7. Bremen

      8. UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany

    8. Aachen Cathedral
    9. Speyer Cathedral
    10. Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square
    11. Pilgrimage Church of Wies
    12. Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl
    13. St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim
    14. Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier
    15. Frontiers of the Roman Empire
    16. Hanseatic City of Lübeck
    17. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
    18. Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
    19. Mines of Rammelsberg and Historic Town of Goslar
    20. Maulbronn Monastery Complex
    21. Town of Bamberg
    22. Collegiate Church, Castle, and Old Town of Quedlinburg
    23. Völklingen Ironworks
    24. Messel Pit Fossil Site
    25. Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau
    26. Cologne Cathedral
    27. Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg
    28. Classical Weimar
    29. Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin
    30. Wartburg Castle
    31. Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
    32. Monastic Island of Reichenau
    33. Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen
    34. Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
    35. Upper Middle Rhine Valley
    36. Dresden Elbe Valley (Delisted 2009)
    37. Muskauer Park / Park Muzakowski
    38. Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen
    39. Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
    40. Berlin Modernism Housing Estates
    41. The Wadden Sea

      Cities and Sights of Brandenburg

    42. Brandenburg/Havel
    43. Chorin
    44. Cottbus
    45. Elbtalaue
    46. Frankfurt an der Oder
    47. Jüterbog
    48. Lehnin
    49. Neuruppin
    50. Oranienburg
    51. Potsdam
    52. Spreewald
    53. Wittstock

      54. Cities and Sights of Saxony-Anhalt

    54. Bernburg
    55. Dessau
    56. Halberstadt
    57. Halle
    58. Havelberg
    59. Lutherstadt Wittenberg
    60. Magdeburg
    61. Marseburg
    62. Naumburg
    63. Quedlinburg
    64. Querfurt
    65. Stendal
    66. Tangermünde
    67. Wernigerode

      68. Cities and Sights of Saxony

    68. Augustusburg
    69. Bad Muskau
    70. Bautzen
    71. Chemnitz
    72. Dresden
    73. Freiberg
    74. Görlitz
    75. Kamenz
    76. Leipzig
    77. Meissen
    78. Moritzburg
    79. Muldetal
    80. Pirna
    81. Sächsische Silberstraße
    82. Torgau
    83. Zittau
    84. Zwickau

      85. Cities and Sights of Thuringia

    85. Altenburg
    86. Eisenach
    87. Erfurt
    88. Gera
    89. Gotha
    90. Heiligenstadt
    91. Jena
    92. Kyffhäuser Mountains
    93. Mühlhausen
    94. Rudolstadt
    95. Saalfeld
    96. Sondershausen
    97. Thuringian Forest
    98. Weimar

      99. Cities and Sights of Bavaria

    99. Altötting
    100. Amberg
    101. Andechs
    102. Ansbach
    103. Aschaffenburg
    104. Augsburg
    105. Bamberg
    106. Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest)
    107. Bayreuth
    108. Berching
    109. Berchtesgadener Land
    110. Burghausen
    111. Chiemsee
    112. Dachau
    113. Dingolfing
    114. Dinkelsbühl
    115. Donaustauf
    116. Eichstätt
    117. Ettal
    118. Füssen
    119. Fränkische Schweiz
    120. Freising
    121. Garmisch-Partenkirchen
    122. Hohenschwangau
    123. Ingolstadt
    124. Kempten
    125. Landsberg am Lech
    126. Landshut
    127. Lindau
    128. Linderhof
    129. Neuburg an der Donau
    130. Nördlingen
    131. Nuremberg
    132. Oberammergau
    133. Oberstdorf
    134. Ottobeuren
    135. Passau
    136. Pommersfelden
    137. Regensburg
    138. Rothenburg ob der Tauber
    139. Schleissheim
    140. Schloss Neuschwanstein
    141. Straubing
    142. Vierzehnheiligen
    143. Würzburg

      144. Cities and Sights in Baden-Wurttemberg

    144. Baden-Baden
    145. Bad Mergentheim
    146. Bad Wimpfen
    147. Bodensee
    148. Bruchsal
    149. Creglingen
    150. Esslingen
    151. Freiburg im Breisgau
    152. Heidelberg
    153. Heilbronn
    154. Karlsruhe
    155. Ludwigsburg
    156. Mannheim
    157. Marbach
    158. Maulbronn
    159. Ravensburg
    160. Rottweil
    161. Salem
    162. Schwäbisch Gmünd
    163. Schwäbisch Hall
    164. Schwäbische Alb
    165. Schwarzwald (Black Forest)
    166. Schwetzingen
    167. Tauberbischofsheim
    168. Tübingen
    169. Ulm
    170. Weikersheim
    171. Weingarten
    172. Wertheim

      173. Cities and Sights of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland

    173. Koblenz
    174. Mainz
    175. Moseltal
    176. Rheintal (Rhine Valley)
    177. Saarland
    178. Speyer
    179. Trier
    180. Worms

      181. Cities and Sights of Hesse

    181. Alsfeld
    182. Bad Homburg
    183. Darmstadt
    184. Eltville
    185. Fritzlar
    186. Fulda
    187. Gießen
    188. Kassel
    189. Kiedrich
    190. Limburg
    191. Lorsch
    192. Marburg
    193. Michelstadt
    194. Rüdesheim
    195. Waldecker Land
    196. Wetzlar
    197. Wiesbaden

      198. Cities and Sights of North Rhine-Westphalia

    198. Aachen
    199. Altenberg
    200. Bielefeld
    201. Bonn
    202. Brühl
    203. Dormagen
    204. Dortmund
    205. Duisburg
    206. Düsseldorf
    207. Essen
    208. Hagen
    209. Höxter
    210. Kleve
    211. Königswinter
    212. Lemgo
    213. Minden
    214. Münster
    215. Münsterland
    216. Neuss
    217. Northern Eifel
    218. Paderborn
    219. Sauerland
    220. Siegen
    221. Soest
    222. Solingen
    223. Teutoburger Wald
    224. Wuppertal
    225. Xanten

      226. Cities and Sights of Lower Saxony

    226. Altes Land
    227. Bückeburg
    228. Braunschweig
    229. Celle
    230. Clemenswerth
    231. Cloppenburg
    232. Duderstadt
    233. Einbeck
    234. Goslar
    235. Göttingen
    236. Hanover
    237. Hildesheim
    238. Lüneburg
    239. Lüneburger Heide
    240. Oldenburg
    241. Osnabrück
    242. Ostfriesische Inseln (East Frisian Islands)
    243. Ostfriesland
    244. Soltau
    245. Stade
    246. Stadthagen
    247. Wolfenbüttel
    248. Wolfsburg

      249. Cities and Sights of Schleswig-Holstein

    249. Flensburg
    250. Glückstadt
    251. Helgoland
    252. Holsteinische Schweiz
    253. Kiel
    254. Lübeck
    255. Meldorf
    256. Ratzeburg
    257. Schleswig
    258. Sylt

      259. Cities and Sights of Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania

    259. Anklam
    260. Bad Doberan
    261. Gadebusch
    262. Güstrow
    263. Greifswald
    264. Ludwigslust
    265. Neubrandenburg
    266. Peenemünde
    267. Rostock
    268. Rügen
    269. Schwerin
    270. Stralsund
    271. Usedom
    272. Wismar
    273. Wolgast

    Compare Hotel Room Rates

    Find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. Our free Hotel Search Engine lets you compare room rates from different booking sites. Just key in your visiting City. You'd be glad to do your homework!








    EarthDocumentary and globe logo are trademark and service mark of Timothy Tye.
    The EarthDocumentary logo © copyright Timothy Tye 2007-2010. Content and articles in EarthDocumentary are provided in goodwill and are believed to be correct at time of writing. While every reasonable care is taken to check and verify the information shared, EarthDocumentary disclaims responsible for the use of information. Text in EarthDocumentary is available under Creative Commons Attribution/ShareAlike License meaning you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, adapt and make derivative works, as long as you attribute your resulting work and apply it under the same, similar or a compatible license. Wikipedia and Wikitravel are cited as among the sources of references. Photographs appearing in EarthDocumentary are available according to the licensing specified in its caption. Photographs supplied by Panoramio are governed by the Panoramio API terms & condition, are for display only, and may not be downloaded for use. Photographs belonging to the author are the copyright of Timothy Tye and may not be reused without prior written permission from the author. Contact author for licensing terms.