It is easy to think of Germany as a single country, but this economic engine of the European Union, now famed for its banking and finance industry, precision engineering and quality performance cars and high speed trains, was previously a cluster of city-states and free imperial cities, only to be unified into its present form in the 19th century.
A Brief History
Germany has been a witness to, and at times the lead, in numerous tumultuous events in history. A long time ago, Germanic tribesmen settled in the lands around the river Rhine. During Roman times, after repeated incursions by these unruly tribes across the Rhine and into Roman territory, Emperor Augustus conquered these lands to subdue them. In doing so, he created Germania (in Latin, meaning Land of the Germans, and thus giving rise to its modern name) Inferior and Superior, with Cologne (Köln to Germans) established as its capitol, which was also the headquarters of the Roman military.
During the Middle Ages, Germany was conquered by the Franks and endured further dissolution and expansion. It was during this time in 509AD that the first King of the Franks was baptised into Roman Catholicism, thus aligning his successors closely with the Pope. Thereafter, his eldest son Charlemagne founded the Holy Roman Empire, and laid the ground for future Holy Roman Emperors to be coronated in Frankfurt Cathedral.
In the 16th century, Germany entered into a period of Renaissance and Reformation, which included the rise of Protestantism led by Martin Luther. A German priest and professor, Martin Luther allegedly pinned his 95 theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, which eventually cumulated in the Thirty Years War. Even now, northern Germany is predominantly Protestant while the south is Catholic (the former Pope, Benedict XVI, was an Archbishop in Munich). Thereafter, the ascendency of the Kingdom of Prussia led to an age of enlightenment, with the palaces at Sanssouci built under Frederick the Great. The arrival of the great conquerer, Napoleon Bonaparte, hastened the dissolution of the Holy Roman Emperor, which led to the rise of the German Empire under Bismarck after a series of revolution and turmoil.
Fast forward to WWI, Germany was on the side of the aggressors and suffered a humiliating defect at the hands of the Allies, forcing it to sign the Versailles Treaty. This saw sovereign lands lost and excessive reparations to the victors, thus creating a fertile ground for the rise of a brand of extreme ideology led by the megalomanic, Adolf Hitler. His ultra right-wing Nazi Party seized power and disbanded civil liberties after a fire in Berlin’s Reichstag, and then went on to hold massive rallies at the grounds in Nuremberg, promoting the superiority of the Aryan race.
Germany became the antagonist for the outbreak of World War II in Europe and ruthlessly conquered other territories whilst systematically attacking and cleansing its population of “undesirables” by sending them to work or extermination camps modelled on Sachsenhausen near Berlin. After a counterattack by the Allies (led by America) from the West and Russia from the East, Hitler shot himself in an underground bunker near the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Berlin and Nazism was defeated. But peace would not come so fast. Germany then became embroiled in the Cold War between Capitalist West and Communist East, essentially dividing the country into two, with Berlin as ground zero. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and reunification between East and West Germany, this country has risen from the ashes, phoenix-like, to become one of Europe’s most industrious, wealthy and politically powerful players on the world stage.
With that short summary of Germany, let’s take stock of its geography.
An Overview of the Land
With a land area of around 357,000km2, Germany is the seventh largest country in Europe. It is surrounded by no less than nine neighbouring European countries and stretches from the border with Denmark in the north to a shared border with Austria and Switzerland in the south. Germany’s only coastline is in the north, which faces both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, giving towns there a sort of Nordic vibe. In the south, the Alps loom high above small picturesque townships nestled at the foothills, where cultures and traditions are closely intertwined with the Austrians and the Swiss.
The north of Germany is probably known for its modern and cosmopolitan feel, with cities completely rebuilt after the tragedies of World War 2. This region, with great transport connections by plane or by train, consists of many sub-regions and free states. The latter includes the great port and warehouse district of Hamburg (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), as well as the historically rich capital city of Berlin, the battleground for Hitler’s last stand and as a strategically important city during the Cold War divide between capitalist west and communist east, manifested in concrete as the Berlin Wall.
It also includes some other noteworthy provinces such as North-Rhine Westphalia, which contains cities such as the former Roman provincial capital of Cologne with its massively gothic Dom, as well as the financial hub and glittery skyline of Frankfurt in the province of Hesse. In the eastern province of Saxony, the architecturally beautiful royal city of Dresden with its famous Theatreplatz, and the historic Leipzig, which played a key role in the fall of communism, are important cities to visit. The nearby province of Thuringia is known for its broad, dense forest and the export of delicious pork sausages.
Culturally rich and important, and usually associated with the stereotypical image of small town Germany, the south is made up of two main sub-regions. In the south-east is the state of Bavaria, centred on the beer-guzzling, pretzel munching capital city of Munich, the third most populous in Germany where gothic buildings in the old town seamlessly blends with vast gardens and parklands, next to new swanky skyscrapers near the Olympic park. This place is also famed for the big tents erected to celebrate Oktoberfest every September.
Bavaria is also known for many things: barmaids with big bosoms straddling even bigger pints of beer, lederhosen outfits that make every grown man look like a caricature, and that quirky oompah music that only appeals in beer halls. In terms of sights, several big names come to mind: Mad King Ludwig’s fairytale castle at Neuschwanstein – which was an inspiration for Walt Disney’s sleeping beauty castle; the magical Romantic Road running down Bavaria’s spine, lined with picturesque old towns such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber with its cobbled streets and timber-framed buildings – famed as the setting of Pinocchio’s village; and the former Nazi capital of Nuremberg, bookending the Nazi’s rise to power and its fall from grace, from the majestic Rally Grounds where Hitler proclaimed his vision of the Third Reich, to the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials were held.
In the south-west is the region of Baden-Wurttemburg, centred on the sleek and modern city of Stuttgart, known as the “cradle of the automobile” housing the headquarters of car markers Mercedes Benz and Porsche. In terms of sights, Baden-Wurttemburg is home to the refined spa town of Baden Baden – with natural spring waters so good they named it twice; the breathtakingly beautiful Black Forest Road which boasts fantastic views of snow-covered pine forests and delicious dessert treats at every stop, proving that you can have your cake and eat it after all; and the birthplace of the finely crafted yet whimsically sounding cuckoo clock, just outside the university town of Freiburg im Breisgau.
This and the accompanying posts – really the Ultimate Guide to Germany – comprises of descriptions of my adventures in around 20 key cities visited in both the northern and southern provinces of Germany over two trips, each spanning around 2 weeks (and curiously, only in winter). In both trips, I’ve crisscrossed the country by Auto, Deutsch Bahn and local ground transport, and visited numerous tourist attractions and sights off the beaten path, to bring you this comprehensive guide to this wunderschon land that is Germany. Alles gut.
More details can be found in each of the links below:
North Germany (North-Rhine Westphalia, Hamburg, Brandenburg and Saxony)
2 weeks (7 – 22 December 2024)
This 2 week itinerary strings together the important cities in north Germany via high-speed Inter City Express (ICE) trains, starting from former Roman city of Cologne and Bonn at the western border near France, up to the port city of Hamburg, followed by a journey south-east to the capital city of Berlin and then down south to take in the former East Germany twin cities of Leipzig and Dresden. We then make a trip across the heart of Germany to the financial hub and aviation gateway of Frankfurt am Main. As the northern region is home to 4 out of 5 of Germany’s largest cities (Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt), this plan allows us to spend more time in each city so that we can truly appreciate all its sights and places of interests.
- Cologne (Part I; Part II)
- Bonn
- Hamburg
- Berlin (including Potsdam and Sachsenhausen)
- Leipzig
- Dresden
- Frankfurt
South Germany (Baden-Wurttemburg and Bavaria)
2 weeks (3 – 19 December 2022)
This 19 day road trip covers 12 noteworthy cities in Bavaria, in a loop starting from the southern capital of Munich, up to the historically important towns of Nuremberg, Bamburg and Wurzburg, then turning south with a drive through the heart of the region along the Romantic Road to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This is followed by a beeline west to cover the automobile city of Stuttgart and the chic spa town of Baden Baden, with a scenic drive through the alpine Black Forest down to the border with France, to take in Frieburg and Fussen, and then back to Munich.
Along the way we will foray into the border towns of Strasbourg in France and Salzburg in Austria, to explore the intermingling and mishmash of cultures, traditions and languages. Given that time is short, this trip was a touch-and-go whirlwind tour with only 1 – 2 days per city (with more in bigger cities such as Munich), but it should be enough to take in the highlights and have a general feel of the land.
Towns visited:
- Regensburg
- Nuremberg
- Bamberg
- Wurzburg
- Rothenberg and the Romantic Road
- Stuttgart
- Baden-Baden and the Black Forest
- Strasbourg and Frieberg
- Fussen and Munich
- Salzburg
Getting into Germany
Germany’s main gateways for international travellers are usually at the international airports of Frankfurt am Main or Munich.
Frankfurt, being the business and financial centre of Germany, generally sees a lot of business travellers and ticket prices for flights are higher; however, it is the best place to start for a tour of northern Germany, with fast train connections to the north, west and south. From the main terminal building, simply follow the signs that say “Long Distance Trains” that will lead you across an enclosed elevated walkway to DB’s Fernbahnhof (about a 10-min walk), the airport’s long-distance train station with a concourse full of shops and televised boards showing departures from the various platforms located one level below. From there, you can get tickets to almost any destination within Germany (or with a quick change at Frankfurt’s main station) via Inter City Express (ICE) or regional trains.
Uses of S-bahn into Frankfurt’s city centre will find that the station is situated much closer to the airport’s main building, located at the ground floor of terminal 1. S8 and S9 trains connect the airport with Frankfurt’s main station (or Hauptbahnhof) at more frequent intervals of 15 minutes with a journey time of around 20 minutes, as do regional trains such as RE59, RE2 and RE3, which operate less frequently. As mentioned above, it is much easier and cheaper to travel by train around north Germany, given that bigger cities have more enhanced transport connectivity, and also factoring expensive city-centre parking and traffic congestions (especially during festive seasons such as Christmas, where traffic is tightly controlled near Christmas Markets).
At Munich, S1 and S8 trains connect the airport (look out for Flughafen München station) with the city’s Hauptbahnhof, running at intervals of between 10 to 15 minutes. The journey usually takes around 40 mins with 13 stops. Although there are some regional trains and buses such as the Lufthansa Express that connect the airport with nearby cities, for long distance trains, one must either make a transfer at the Hauptbahnhof, or board one of the Flixbuses that takes you to neighbouring countries. However, given that towns are small (sometimes without a dedicated station) and the road network is pretty well developed, it is perhaps much easier and convenient to explore southern Germany with a car, and there are multiple rental agencies situated at ground floor of the Munich Airport Centre, whose cars are parked at one of the two big garages east of the Airport Centre. We rented a BMW 5 Series at Sixt for around $2,000 for 13 days (back in Dec 2022) from the counter at the Munich Airport, and returned it near the Hauptbahnhof in Munich City.
Getting Around Germany
Germany has a fast, efficient and generally reliable public transport network comprising of bus, trams, subway (U-Bahn), sub-surface trains (S-Bahn) that usually connect within a city, as well as regional and high speed trains that connect across multiple cities. Tickets for a single trip, four trips, a day or multiple days can be purchased from ticket officers at major transport hubs (such as the Hauptbahnhof) or ticket machines. However, these may not be available at all transit stops/stations or even be in working order. All ticket machines come with a selection of languages for ease of navigation, and generally accept both card (either tap or insert) and cash payment.
Depending on how often you take public transport within a day or week, it might be better to get a single or four tickets if you are travelling light (i.e. one or even two trips per day only). These can range from around €2 per ticket, up to €11 for a day ticket. Some large cities also have different fare zones (such as Berlin, with A, B and C zones) that extend in concentric circles away from the city centre, so be sure to check which zone your destination is before you procure the ticket.
If you are depending heavily on public transport throughout your trip, and are staying for more than a week, it is perhaps more cost effective to buy the Deutschland Ticket, attractively priced at €49 a month and covers almost all modes of transport within Germany (i.e. bus, tram, U and S-bahn and even regional trains). The only downside it that it doesn’t include Inter City Express (ICE) and Inter City (IC) trains which offer a faster and more relaxed mode of transport but are usually more expensive. However, it pretty much covers most of the regional trains that have RB or RE prefixes which usually covers the same route. Note that the Deutschland Ticket is an online ticket that takes the form of a monthly subscription, and has a recurring charge if it is not unsubscribed in time. Each ticket can only be tagged to one person, so buying for someone else is not possible, as identification details and verification are required during purchase. Once approved, a link with a QR code is submitted to your email address or app marking the start of validity from the first day of the month subscribed, and it has to be cancelled by the 10th of that month, if not it automatically renews. There’s no need to validate the ticket at any machine and you only need to present the QR code to the ticket inspector for scanning.
For our north Germany trip, we purchased the Deutschland Ticket and it paid itself over multiple times, as we could hop on or off almost all the cities’ buses, trams and trains multiple times each day (extra useful when lazy or avoiding the cold weather) and not have to find a ticket machine or worry which ticket to buy. For our 2 weeks in north Germany, we estimated that we would have spent close to 3 times the price of the Deutschland Ticket per person, if we had bought individual tickets. Hence, this is an absolute life saver. For more information, you can check out DB’s website (https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket) and buy the online ticket from (https://www.rmv.de/s/en/deutschland-ticket).
