Destination:
Germany

For most of the latter part of the 20th century, Berlin has stood as a symbol of the division between East and West, split by the infamous fortified wall erected to separate the socialist sector from the democratic district. When the Berlin Wall was pulled down in 1990 the city discovered that it suddenly had two of everything, most notably two very distinct societies separated both socially and economically. The past decade has seen Berlin embracing unification and rebuilding itself as a modern European capital.

More than 100 streets have been reconnected, and signs of the Wall's existence have all but disappeared. Years of division are still reflected in the new city's architecture, however, with a modern city of skyscrapers, retail centres and urban developments in the West contrasting with most of the pre-War city that remains in the East.

For nearly 30 years the Wall sealed off the imposing Brandenburg Gate from the West, but now traffic passes through it freely. Similarly Alexanderplatz, which was one of the main centres of 1920s Berlin, and later post-war East Germany, has once again become one of the city's focal centres. The site of the infamous Check Point Charlie with its threatening monitoring tower erected to ensure no one crossed over from East to West, is now a museum, and while the tower no longer stands, visitors can see the East Side Gallery, a surviving chunk of the real Wall, now decorated by local artists.

Berlin is once again a vibrant centre for the arts, with many museums, galleries and theatres. At the Kulturforum visitors will find a number of impressive museums and concert venues from the spectacular Berliner Philharmonie concert hall to the complex's Picture Gallery, which houses a vast collection of European paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Berlin still boasts a fantastic nightlife, and while tastes have changed since the height of the cabaret halls of the 1920s and 30s, there is a vast array of venues catering to all tastes. Berlin's calendar is also packed with festivals and parties from the Christopher Street Day gay and lesbian parade in June to the Jazz Fest Berlin in November. All this contributes to an ever-evolving city that makes a holiday in Berlin an exciting and attractive prospect.

The Bavarian city of Munich, centre of southern Germany, is one of the country's favourite tourist destinations, offering a unique combination of modern flair and traditional charm, all mixed together with a heavy helping of 'Gemutlichkeit', the special German term for hearty, happy, healthy togetherness.

Traditionally the city, famous for its breweries and beer halls, conjures up images of jolly red-cheeked, portly men in lederhosen, downing steins of beer. There is plenty of this fun to be had, but Munich and the Bavarian region has plenty more to recommend it to visitors. The city has numerous great museums, art treasures, hi-tech industries and gems of Gothic and Baroque architecture. It is also the gateway to the Bavarian Alps, drawing winter sports enthusiasts from near and far.

Munich itself was founded in 1158 on the River Isar, and acquired its name, Munchen (home of the monks) from its first monastery. It was the monks that started the beer brewing tradition for which the city is now world famous, particularly since it started celebrating an annual beer festival in 1810. Today close on six million people visit the Oktoberfest every year, and consume more than five and a half million litres of beer during its two-week run.

Visitors to Germany do not find much to make them linger in the sprawling city of Frankfurt on the River Main, unless their purpose is business rather than pleasure. For most visitors to the country, however, Frankfurt's huge showpiece airport is the point of arrival and departure. The city is a major transport hub and an industrial and financial metropolis that ensures it is the economic powerhouse not only of Germany, but central Europe. Frankfurt is home to Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank and Europe's most important stock exchange, which has been trading since 1585.

For tourists Frankfurt does offer some sights, some intriguing restaurants in the Nordend, a variety of artistic and cultural events, and excellent shopping opportunities. Sightseeing opportunities are mostly confined to the historical core of the city, known as the Romerberg, where Charlemagne erected his fort in medieval times. Most of the original buildings were destroyed during World War II, but some have been reconstructed, including the home of Goethe, Frankfurt's famous son who became Germany's greatest writer. For shopping it is hard to beat the Zeil, Germany's equivalent to New York's Fifth Avenue.

With its excellent rail connections and Autobahn system, Frankfurt is the natural hub for travellers wishing to explore the surrounding towns and countryside. It is also the venue for numerous trade fairs, exhibitions and congresses, drawing about 12-million visitors a year to these events. The largest and best known is the annual International Book Fair, which is attended by thousands of publishers.

The Black Forest ( Schwarzwaldin German) covers a range of birch and pine studded hills along 100 miles (161km) of southwest Germany's border with France. The forest is renowned as a popular holiday destination in Germany with its picturesque fairy-tale villages, spa-bath resorts, hiking trails and ski resorts. The first famous holidaymaker to enjoy rest and recuperation in the Black Forest was the Roman emperor Caracalla who stopped at the natural spring waters, at what is now the town of Baden-Baden, around 2,000 years ago. Since then the Black Forest has been the chosen destination of the rich and famous: everyone who is anyone from Napoleon to Mark Twain has come to take the waters and enjoy the forest's natural beauty.

In medieval times the local people developed the traditional skills of woodcarving, glass-blowing, jewellery-making and clock-making, and these are still followed today to the delight of tourists with spending money in their pockets. The Black Forest has also become known for its local delicacies like Black Forest ham and cherry cake.

The most central town in the Black Forest is Freudenstadt, which is the starting point for hundreds of miles of hiking and ski-trails through the nearby hills. Most visitors, however, prefer to find accommodation in guest lodges in the small villages sprinkled throughout the region, exploring by car, on foot or bicycle.

Hamburg is a watery city, geographically, historically and atmospherically. It is Germany's second largest city and lies on the Elbe River, for centuries a major port and trading centre for central Europe. The city has a network of canals that rival those of Venice (it is said to have more bridges than Venice) and is centred on two artificial lakes that take up eight percent of its total area. Probably because of all the water, Hamburg is also known as Germany's 'green city', sporting 1,400 parks and gardens. Modern buildings sit cheek by jowl with historic Baroque and Renaissance architecture, and by night the neon lights dazzle all-night revellers, particularly in the city's notorious red light district, the Reeperbahn.

Hamburg was founded in 810 by Charlemagne and earned its place in history by becoming the most strategic port in the Hanseatic League of North German cities which controlled trade in the Baltic and North Seas between the 13th and 15th centuries. A great fire destroyed much of the city in 1842, and a century later World War II bombing raids again laid it waste, but Hamburg bounced back with style, thanks to the wealth garnered from its position as a trading centre. The city's tourist board claims that Hamburg is now home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in Europe.

Most of the sights of interest to tourists in the city are centred on its maritime traditions, particularly in the harbour area, where the warehouse district (Alster Arkaden) has been transformed into an entertaining destination offering a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants. Hamburg also has a number of lovely gardens and pretty churches and cathedrals, though there is little old architecture left in the old town. There are also a number of museums dedicated to history, art, communications, ethnology, and even spices. Further afield, Hamburg is the gateway to the seaside and spa resorts of the Baltic and North Sea coastline.

Situated amongst the rolling hills of Germany's premiere wine-growing region, Stuttgart is capital of the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in southwestern Germany. Dotted with beautiful historical buildings, impressive parks and fantastic art museums, this modern city is a good stopover for its undulating wine estates, annual beer festival, mineral spa culture and acclaimed ballet, opera and philharmonic companies.

Charming olde worlde quarters like the Bohnenviertel (Bean District) with its sidewalk cafés and cobbled streets, meet the modern pedestrianised precincts of contemporary Stuttgart, boasting the latest in European mode such as Königstrasse, one of the longest shopping areas in Germany. A big city with a small-town atmosphere, visitors will find the bustling art nouveau Market Hall transports them to former countrified years. Nowadays, this is where organic fruit and vegetables, aromatic cheeses and fresh fish from the North Sea can be found. However, a must for any visitor to this city is a trip to one of Stuttgart's reputed mineral baths, be it the modern and luxurious Mineralbad Cannstatt or the Mineral Bath Berg, exuding a wistful fifties charm.

View the city from atop the Fernsehturm (Television Tower), a 712ft (217m) tower with an observation deck and restaurant at the pinnacle where on a clear day, you can see the Black Forest; head to Schlossplatz, a famous landmark and meeting place for locals and visitors, its green lawns littered with youths soaking up the summer sunshine or find your own sanctuary in the dappled shade of the 'Green U' park, a five mile (8km) natural haven in the city centre.

These features all come as a surprise to the first time visitor to Stuttgart, who usually associate the city with its reputation as the 'cradle of the automobile'. The motorbike and four-wheel car were invented in Stuttgart and one of its most famous attractions is the enormous Mercedes-Benz Museum, with 160 immaculate vehicles on permanent display, including their new luxury models, racing cars and reputed antiques. If that doesn't whet your appetite, head across town to the Porsche Museum.

Located on the bank of the River Leine, Hanover is a small yet humble city and has become one of Germany's wealthier cities, best known for hosting the annual commercial expositions, such as the Hanover Fair as well as Oktoberfest Hanover, the second largest Oktoberfest in the world.

Although a substantial amount of the city was destroyed by Allied bombers during World War II, Hanover has retained its sense of history and charm, evident in its medieval attractions and distinctive timbered buildings. Complete with world-class shopping centres, wonderful museums and churches, and a love of all things beer related, Hanover has plenty to offer the intrepid traveller.

An integrated transport system means that visitors to the city can experience all Hanover has to offer and the 'Red Thread', a 3-mile (4km) red line painted onto the road tracing the city's most famous attractions means that tourists can explore this exciting destination at their own leisure.

The Rhine River winds through Germany amidst a fertile valley of villages, castles, mountains and vineyards. The Rhine has been an important trade route for the last two millennia, and the towns that have sprung up along its banks exhibit all the tradition and charm of that rich history.

Each section of the Rhineland has its own attractions, including the winelands of Rheinhessen, hiking trails of Westerwald, mineral springs of Ahr, and historic Roman and Celtic settlements of Hunsrück. The regions are full of their own fairytales and mythology, inspiring tales like Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, where Siegfried killed the dragon and Brunhild plotted revenge. The Rhineland also inspired stories by Lord Byron, Goethe, and Mark Twain.

Today you can visit bustling small towns along the river, each with its own charm, including Mainz, Trier, Koblenz, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse and Worms. Larger cities like Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf are attracting business to their growing metropolises and offer more cosmopolitan shopping and dining. The variety of experiences makes the Rhinelands a perfect holiday destination for just about anyone!

A former trade route, Germany's Romantic Road is a 220-mile (350km) portion of highway stretching from central Germany to the southern border with Austria. A popular route for holidays in Germany, the Romantic Road is actually a modern concept meant to encapsulate the typically Bavarian atmosphere and culture of the villages and towns along the way.

Easy to follow with brown signs posted in several languages, the Romantic Road is an ideal route for seeing fairy-tale castles and quintessentially German towns, but is so popular that many of the best sites tend to be overrun with tourists.

The Romantic Road starts in Würzburg, a town famous for its wineries and gourmet restaurants. Visitors should be sure to see the Residence Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From there the road goes to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl, the best-preserved medieval towns in Germany, and the 1,000-year-old Castle Hotel Colmberg. The 2,000-year-old town of Augsburg, an old Roman trading centre, features beautiful buildings and traditional Bavarian restaurants as well.

Pfaffenwinkel and Neuschwanstein are also key stops on the route, famous for their churches, castles, and pretty rolling countryside.

There are many ways to travel the Romantic Road: by train, bus tour, car, or even bicycle. Hop-on, hop-off bus tickets are available from Frankfurt, and you can also hire bicycles at any train station for only a few euros if you have a valid train ticket.