From the castles of Bavaria to the brutalist architecture of brilliant Berlin, a journey through Germany is a jaunt through the eras.
Berlin, Bach and the baroque
Germany’s jumping capital Berlin has an intriguing past. Relive key moments in modern history with a trip to the infamous remains of the Berlin Wall and hear the stories of a once-divided city. Enjoy exciting nights and cultured days in this 24-hour city with world-renowned bars and restaurants and tangible history at your fingertips.
On the banks of the river Elbe sits the capital of Saxony. The city of Dresden is a two and a half hour drive from Berlin. This baroque gem offers a striking silhouette of domed palaces and jutting church spires.
To the west of Dresden, fast-paced Leipzig is a haven of the decorative and musical arts. This city has witnessed the giants of German culture. Walk the same streets as Bach, Mendelssohn and Wagner and, if you’re visiting at the right time of year, enjoy an atmospheric church hall concert during the city’s popular Bachfest in June.
The grand and the Gothic
Over in the West of Germany, Cologne’s Aldstadt (old town) is filled with galleries, Gothic spires and ancient Roman walls. Warm your hands around a mug of glühwein in the winter months at Germany’s best Christmas market – this is a city known for its warm welcome.
Birthplace of Beethoven and beautifully located on the banks of the Rhine, Bonn is a 30-minute drive away if you’re starting out from Cologne. Enjoy summers by the river and great museums in this charming city.
The bounty of Bavaria and the Black Forest
The entire world seems to descend on Munich in autumn to celebrate Oktoberfest. But outside this holiday season you’ll find a big city with a small town air. Though it’s now a centre of business and commerce, Munich hasn’t lost its roots of lederhosen-clad men and bustling Bavarian barmaids in traditional dirndls (dresses). Sprawling parks and timber buildings give the city an olde-worlde feel.
A short drive from Munich, visit the castle that inspired Walt Disney with a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. Perched in the foothills of the Alps and in the heart of the Romantic Road, mountain views from the esplanade are stunning and the interior is a mismatch of avant-garde colour and kitsch. Continue along to Füssen for a full view of the German Alps along one of the world’s best drives. Meadows flecked with edelweiss stretch beneath jagged frosty peaks.
In the far west of southern Germany lies the deep and mysterious Black Forest. The setting for many of the Grimms’ fairy tales, this is a land of magic and folklore. Villages in deep woodlands make you feel like you’ve just stepped in to Hansel and Gretel. Base yourself in the university town of Freiburg in the south of the Black Forest where half-timbered houses and gilded clock towers adorn the winding streets. Or relax in northern Baden-Baden, a 19th-century spa town, nestled in a nook of wooded hillside and famed for its restorative waters.
With a wide range of cutting-edge cities, towering mountains and folksy forests, Germany is one of the best countries in Europe for a memorable road trip.
