Germany
Europe · Berlin · DE
Germany occupies the heart of Europe, a country whose landscapes range from the flat, wind-swept marshes of the North Sea coast to the forested peaks of the Bavarian Alps, encompassing within those boundaries a cultural intensity that reflects centuries of intellectual, musical, and artistic achievement. Reunification in 1990 merged two fundamentally different national experiences, and traces of that division remain visible in Berlin's urban landscape where the Wall once stood and in the architectural differences between eastern and western cities. German beer culture operates with a seriousness reflected in the Reinheitsgebot, a brewing purity law dating to 1516, and the country's contribution to classical music from Bach to Beethoven to Brahms provides a heritage that concert halls across the nation actively maintain. Forests cover roughly a third of the country's surface, providing hiking terrain that the Romantics once found spiritually inspiring and that modern Germans pursue with systematic enthusiasm. Every region maintains distinct food traditions, from the seafood-heavy dishes of Hamburg to the dumpling-centered cuisine of Bavaria.
Overview
Germany is a country in Europe. Its capital is Berlin and the international dialling code is +49. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include German. Local currency is the Euro (EUR). Our guide covers 4 airports, including Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Düsseldorf Airport, Frankfurt Airport. We also list 4 cities in Germany: Berlin, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt and more.
The Romantic Road and Bavarian Castles
The Romantic Road stretches 460 kilometers through southern Germany from Würzburg to Füssen, connecting medieval towns and baroque churches through a landscape of rolling farmland and forested hills that nineteenth-century poets considered the epitome of German character. Neuschwanstein Castle rises above a forested ridge near Füssen as the most photographed building in Germany, its fairy-tale turrets and alpine backdrop embodying King Ludwig II's romantic vision of medieval architecture more than any actual medieval building could. Rothenburg ob der Tauber preserves a complete medieval town wall with walkable ramparts that encircle cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses. Augsburg, one of Germany's oldest cities, displays its Renaissance wealth through the Fugger palaces and a guildhall that once controlled international banking. The road passes through wine-growing regions where Franconian vineyards produce Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau varieties served in distinctive Bocksbeutel flask-shaped bottles. Each town along the route maintains its own character rather than feeling like a themed extension of the others, making the journey rewarding even for those who know the individual destinations well.
Berlin's Divided History and Creative Revival
Berlin operates as a city perpetually reinventing itself, a place where Cold War scars coexist with the creative energy of a generation that found cheap rents and empty buildings after reunification. The East Side Gallery preserves the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall as an open-air art gallery where murals address themes of freedom, division, and hope with varying degrees of subtlety. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe occupies a central block near the Brandenburg Gate with 2,711 concrete stelae arranged in a grid pattern that visitors walk through in silence, the ground gradually dropping below street level as the slabs grow taller. Kreuzberg and Neukölln neighborhoods contain populations from over seventy nationalities, their kebab shops and Vietnamese restaurants sitting alongside craft breweries and concept stores. The Reichstag building's glass dome, designed by Norman Foster, provides a transparent roof over the seat of German democracy, symbolically suggesting governmental openness. Museum Island holds five consecutive museums covering everything from ancient Egyptian artifacts to nineteenth-century paintings, representing one of the most concentrated collections of cultural heritage in any European capital.
Oktoberfest and Bavarian Beer Culture
Munich's Oktoberfest transforms the city's Theresienwiese meadow into the world's largest beer festival, where six major breweries pour their products in enormous tents decorated with flowers, painted ceilings, and communal wooden tables that force strangers into sociable proximity. The festival begins with the mayor tapping the first keg using the traditional call of O'zapft is and continues for sixteen days with Bavarian brass bands, amusement rides, and the consumption of roughly six million liters of beer served in one-liter glass steins. Beyond Oktoberfest, Bavarian beer culture operates year-round in Biergartens where chestnut trees shade communal tables and families bring their own food to accompany purchased beer, a tradition dating to when brewers were permitted to sell beer directly from their cooling cellars. The Bavarian beer purity law of 1516, which restricted ingredients to water, barley, and hops, shaped brewing standards across Germany and beyond. Munich's year-round beer halls like the Augustiner Keller maintain the communal atmosphere outside festival season, serving Helles lager alongside Weißwurst sausages that locals consume only before noon.
The Black Forest's Trails and Traditions
The Black Forest covers 6,000 square kilometers of southwestern Germany in dense coniferous woodland that inspired the Brothers Grimm fairy tales and continues to function as both working forest and recreation ground. The Westweg trail traverses the complete length of the range through high ridges where spruce and fir canopies filter light into green-tinged shadows. Triberg's waterfalls tumble through a steep gorge in a series of drops that collectively form Germany's highest cascade, accessible via paths that climb through moss-covered rock. Black Forest cake, with its layers of chocolate sponge, cherry, and cream, originates here alongside cuckoo clocks, a craft tradition maintained by small workshops in villages like Schonach and Furtwangen. The southern Black Forest contains the Feldberg, the range's highest peak at 1,493 meters, where winter skiing gives way to summer hiking across meadows carpeted with gentian and edelweiss. Thermal spas in Baden-Baden and Bad Wildbad utilize natural hot springs that the Romans first exploited, offering heated pools within forest settings that connect bathing culture to the surrounding landscape.
Hamburg's Maritime Heritage and Harbor
Hamburg occupies the confluence of the Elbe and Alster rivers at the head of Germany's longest estuary, a position that established it as the country's primary port long before the modern container shipping industry consolidated its warehouses into the Speicherstadt district. The Elbphilharmonie concert hall rises from an old warehouse base like a glass wave frozen in mid-break, its acoustic design by Yasuhisa Toyota creating a performance space where every seat experiences sound with crystalline clarity. The harbor boat tours pass container terminals where ships from across the globe load and unload cargo in operations visible from public viewing platforms, connecting Hamburg's citizens directly to the maritime commerce that defines their city. St. Pauli's Reeperbahn, originally a sailors' entertainment district, maintains a neon-lit nightlife that extends into Sunday morning hours. The Alster lakes, formed by damming the river within the city center, provide sailing and rowing opportunities within walking distance of the shopping district. Hamburger Fischmarkt, operating since 1703, hosts Sunday morning trading where fishmongers, florists, and live music create an atmosphere closer to carnival than commerce.
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- Capital
- Berlin
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Languages
- German
- Calling code
- +49
- Internet TLD
- de
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Germany.
Which nationalities can enter Germany?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Airports (4)
All airports →Cities (4)
All cities →Travel guides for Germany
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Germany?
For the origins we track, travellers from Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina and Australia currently enter Germany visa-free for tourism. Entry rules depend on your passport and the purpose of your trip, so check the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of Germany?
Berlin is the capital of Germany, and the country sits in Europe.
What currency is used in Germany?
You pay with Euro (EUR) in Germany. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Germany?
The languages we list for Germany are German. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Germany?
The dialling code for Germany is +49 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve Germany?
We cover 4 airports for Germany, including Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), Frankfurt Airport (FRA) — and 1 more.
Which cities in Germany do you cover?
Our guide lists 4 cities for Germany: Berlin (capital), Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich.