Drive your rental car through one the most historically and culturally rich countries in the world: Germany
You think you know Germany? Think again. This country has a lot more to offer than Lederhosen and Bratwurst. The cultural, architectural, and natural diversity of this central-European country will surprise you. No matter what your itinerary, you will stumble across exciting, memorable and diverse little treasures.
Experience the Baltic coast
The northern lowlands are covered in luscious meadows bordering the North Sea. The sea is the dominating influence, and it is, with its beaches, the wadden sea, Halligs, and the German Bay, the most visited northern area. The weather gets rough during the winter, but that does not take away any of the area’s charm. The Frisian islands like Sylt, Föhr or Amrum are worth a visit in winter, when you can experience natural forces at their best, as much as in summer.
The long Baltic beaches in the east are immensely popular in summer, as the Baltic Sea tends to warm up nicely. The coastal region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is especially scenic. The northern towns have a rich Hanseatic history reflected in their intricate gothic brick architecture. The most noteworthy towns are Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck, Wismar, Schwerin, Stralsund, and Greifswald.
Discover what Western Germany has to offer
Western Germany is renowned for its friendly and merry inhabitants. The best time to visit Cologne, the biggest western town, would be the famous Carnival (in February). The landscapes in the west are characterized by perfect agricultural conditions, which is why German wine is mostly grown along the rivers Rhine and Mosel.
The towns of Tübingen and Heildelberg have earned a world-wide reputation for their unique leisurely flair and prototypical German architecture. However, typical German architecture is not something limited to western parts of the country. The center as well as the rest of Germany has a lot of small towns to offer, where the characteristic timber-frame architecture is perfectly preserved. Göttingen is a good (though well-known) example of such a townscape.
The untouched East
Eastern Germany is popular for its untouched originality. The Brandenburg plains are sparsely populated. The lands along the river Elbe are especially scenic, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Elbsandsteingebirge) should be on every itinerary. The forests of the Erzgebirge are dense and mystical, and the towns Halle, Zwickau, and Görlitz were mostly spared the devastation of World War II.
Leipzig in Saxony has an interesting history and has managed to preserve its unique atmosphere.
As far as grand old cities go, Dresden deserves to be mentioned. The Florence of the Elbe was devastated during the war, but much has been reconstructed, especially around the Neumarkt (new market).
Experience the beauty in the south
Southern Germany is a stark contrast to the north: the mighty Alps rest above everything and provide outdoor fans with a great playground. Whether it is skiing in winter or hiking in summer, stopping for a drink in a Munich beer garden or visiting a fairytale castle, you will not get bored here, and the weather usually plays along nicely.
But there is much more to see, yet: The Bodensee – a surfing and swimming paradise – ancient towns along the Danube, from Regensburg via Straubing to Passau, the mountain ranges of the Bavarian and Upper Palatinate Forests in Bavaria and the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg.
Popular but not yet overflowing with tourists is Augsburg. This old trading town looks much as it did centuries ago. All this is most conveniently explored by rental car.
The diversity of Germany is reflected in its capital Berlin. It unites all sorts of extremes, in culture, architecture, and history. The cultural program is excellent, and fancy shopping streets like Friedrichstrasse are starkly contrasted by punky districts like Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg. World-famous sights, post-socialist grey, Wilhelmian castles, and relics of old Berlin melt into one big, vibrating city of culture and history.
