Germany Travel Guide

Occupying a prime position in the heart of Europe - both literally and figuratively - today's Germany is an endlessly engaging destination: a land of high culture, frothy beer, half-timbered villages and dynamic cityscapes. Anyone expecting a homogenous country conforming to rigid Teutonic stereotypes is in for a surprise.

Germany has shaken off the shackles of its inglorious past to stand as a country of remarkable diversity, as notable for its avant-garde architecture as for its horizon-wide countryside vistas. Tourists will encounter a heady mix of untamed nature, fine arts and youthful creativity. The capital, Berlin, has a reputation (forged by the legendary 'Roaring Twenties') as a hip and hedonistic community where almost anything goes. In contrast, the quiet academic surroundings of historic university cities like Heidelberg and Freiburg convey a peacefulness quite at odds with the atmosphere of the capital.