Country guide
Germany runs from the Baltic and North Sea coasts in the north down to the Alps in the south, and its 16 states have kept enough separateness that the country r...
Photograph · Llez · CC BY-SA 3.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Germany runs from the Baltic and North Sea coasts in the north down to the Alps in the south, and its 16 states have kept enough separateness that the country reads as a set of destinations rather than one. Over 83 million people live in them, more than any other European Union member. Berlin is the capital and the largest single city, Frankfurt is the financial centre, and the largest urban area is neither - it is the Ruhr, a belt of western towns that have grown into each other. Choosing between the Bavarian south, the Rhine, the Hanseatic north and the eastern cities is the actual planning decision; the distances are short and the places are not variations on one another.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
12 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Berliner Ensemble is a theatre company and performance venue on Bertolt-Brecht-Platz in Berlin’s Mitte district. Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel founded it in 1949, and the institution remains closely associated with epic theatre, political engagement and Brecht’s ideas about performance.
Waldbühne is an open-air amphitheatre in Berlin, Germany, located within the Westend district near the Olympic Stadium complex. Originally constructed for the 1936 Summer Olympics, it was designed by architect Werner March as part of the larger Reichssportfeld grounds.
Schillertheater
Schiller Theater is a major performing-arts venue in Berlin named after Friedrich Schiller, the German playwright and poet.
GRIPS Theater
GRIPS-Theater is a Berlin theatre known for contemporary, socially engaged productions with a strong connection to younger audiences.
Molecule Man is a monumental aluminium sculpture standing in the Spree between Treptow and Kreuzberg. American artist Jonathan Borofsky created the work, which consists of three intersecting human figures about thirty metres tall.
Atze Musiktheater is a Berlin performing-arts venue combining theatre and music. It offers travellers a chance to experience the city through a staged production rather than through a museum or outdoor landmark.
Seven to ten days works for Berlin plus one connected region, or for a focused Rhine, Bavaria or northern-city route. Germany’s rail network makes multi-city travel practical, but changing bases every night still reduces useful time.
Germany’s Federal Foreign Office is the official visa reference. Review its nationality-specific entry rules and the Schengen application guidance for the passport and route being used.
Intercity and high-speed trains connect Germany’s major cities, with regional services completing shorter journeys. Deutsche Bahn publishes the integrated timetable; airport choice should follow the route rather than defaulting to one national gateway.
May through September favours outdoor city and countryside travel, while December has a distinct seasonal-market pattern. Alpine, North Sea and urban conditions differ enough that the intended region should determine clothing and reservations.
Germany uses the euro (EUR). Cash and card practices are not stated as a single national rule in the cited source, so travellers should carry a backup and check the payment method before ordering or boarding.
For Germany, 112 reaches medical and fire services and 110 reaches police. Type C and F plugs use 230 V, and mains tap water is recorded as safe.
