There's enough variety within all
but the smallest Läander to fill
several weeks of travel, and you
may prefer to confine your trip to
just one or two regions. Among the
scenic highlights are the
Bavarian Alps, the Bodensee, the
Black Forest, the valleys of the
Rhine and Mosel, the Baltic island
of Rügen, the Harz, and Saxon
Switzerland. However, you may
prefer one of the many less
spectacular areas of natural
beauty, which can be found in
every province - these are the
places the Germans themselves love
the most, and where they spend
their holidays and weekends.
Several of the cities have the air
of capitals, though
Bann
has lost therole it
"temporarily" carried
for fifty years. Nearby
Cologne
, on the other hand, is one of the
most characterful cities in the
country, and the richest in
historic monuments. Bavaria's
capital,
Munich , is
another obvious star and boasts of
having the best the country has to
offer - whether in museums, beer,
fashion or sport.
Nürnberg
reflects on its bygone years of
glory, while
Frankfurt
looks on itself as the
"real" capital of the
country, and
Stuttgart and
Düsseldorf
compete for the title of champion
of German postwar success. In the
east,
Dresden is making a
comeback as one of the world's
great cultural centres, while
Leipzig
is returning to its role as one of
the continent's main trading
centres, while as all these cities
have suffered to a considerable
extent from bomb damage and ugly
postwar redevelopment, the smaller
places in many respects offer a
more satisfying experience. Chief
among these is the university city
of
Heidelberg , star and
guiding light of the Romantic
movement. Tier, Bamberg,
Regensburg, Rothenburg and Marburg
in the west, and Potsdam, Meissen
and Quedlinburg in the east, are
some of the many towns which
deserve to be regarded among the
most outstanding in Europe.
The best times to go are
between of Britain or New England.
Summers are usually warm, but not
overpoweringly so: good weather
may come at an unexpected time,
while it's not uncommon to have
several abrupt changes in
temperature within a single day.
Rain occurs fairly regularly
throughout the year. Unless you're
intending to go skiing, winter
travel can't really be
recommended, other than for seeing
the cities stripped of tourist
hordes. Otherwise, there's a
chance of snow at any time from
November onwards. In the really
popular areas, the claustrophobic
effect of masses of organized tour
groups is a factor to be taken
into account between mid-June and
mid-September: best avoid such
places altogether then, and head
for the many less spoiled
alternatives. All things
considered, however, the ideal
times for visiting Germany are
late spring and early autumn.
