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Travel and Tour World Sweden Joins Netherlands and More as Hamburg Travel Stays Resilient With 1.6 Million July NightsTravel and Tour World US Along With Canada and More Discover Hamburg Through UNESCO Heritage Harbour Tours and Vibrant City AreasHospitality Net HVS Europe Hotel Transactions Bulletin - Week Ending 02 October 2026Travel and Tour World Dublin Unites with Frankfurt and More to Drive Europe’s Aviation Comeback as Fuel Costs Surge but Keeping Flights Stay on TimeTravel and Tour World Eurowings Expands Travel From Germany With New Baghdad Flights and Dubai GrowthTravel and Tour World United Kingdom Unites France and Other Leading Markets as Washington DC’s Free Museums Boost TravelTravel and Tour World UK Powers Ahead with France and Germany as Spain Tourism Hits New Heights with 70.4 Million Visitors and Nearly €100 Billion SpendingTravel and Tour World Italy Joins Spain and More as Slow Tourism and Simpler Itineraries Rise Across Europe in 2027VisaVerge Germany Denies Russian Art Student Visa Over Security Threat at Bremen University of the ArtsTravel and Tour World Berlin Festival of Lights 2026 illuminates Germany with Dazzling Art Across Iconic Landmarks: All You Need to KnowTheTravel The 'Bavaria Of America' Is Quickly Becoming The Most Charming City For Fall And Winter TripsTravel and Tour World Wyndham Expands in Germany with Opening of Vienna House Frankfurt SouthTravel and Tour World France Teams Up With Germany And More In Driving Tunisia Tourism As Stability, Value And Access Reshape TravelTravel and Tour World US Rivals Australia and Germany as Nascar Roval 400 Accelerates the Global Race for Motorsport Tourists in 2026Travel and Tour World Sweden Joins Netherlands and More as Hamburg Travel Stays Resilient With 1.6 Million July NightsTravel and Tour World US Along With Canada and More Discover Hamburg Through UNESCO Heritage Harbour Tours and Vibrant City AreasHospitality Net HVS Europe Hotel Transactions Bulletin - Week Ending 02 October 2026Travel and Tour World Dublin Unites with Frankfurt and More to Drive Europe’s Aviation Comeback as Fuel Costs Surge but Keeping Flights Stay on TimeTravel and Tour World Eurowings Expands Travel From Germany With New Baghdad Flights and Dubai GrowthTravel and Tour World United Kingdom Unites France and Other Leading Markets as Washington DC’s Free Museums Boost TravelTravel and Tour World UK Powers Ahead with France and Germany as Spain Tourism Hits New Heights with 70.4 Million Visitors and Nearly €100 Billion SpendingTravel and Tour World Italy Joins Spain and More as Slow Tourism and Simpler Itineraries Rise Across Europe in 2027VisaVerge Germany Denies Russian Art Student Visa Over Security Threat at Bremen University of the ArtsTravel and Tour World Berlin Festival of Lights 2026 illuminates Germany with Dazzling Art Across Iconic Landmarks: All You Need to KnowTheTravel The 'Bavaria Of America' Is Quickly Becoming The Most Charming City For Fall And Winter TripsTravel and Tour World Wyndham Expands in Germany with Opening of Vienna House Frankfurt SouthTravel and Tour World France Teams Up With Germany And More In Driving Tunisia Tourism As Stability, Value And Access Reshape TravelTravel and Tour World US Rivals Australia and Germany as Nascar Roval 400 Accelerates the Global Race for Motorsport Tourists in 2026
Berlin – GermanyMunich – GermanyNeuschwanstein Castle – GermanyCologne – GermanyBlack Forest – GermanyMiddle Rhine Valley – Germany
📍 Berlin📷 File:Museumsinsel Berlin Juli 2021 1 (cropped).jpg : Kasa Fu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
🌍 Europe🗓️ Best: May–Sep

Germany ✓

MunichNeuschwanstein

Fairy-tale castles, buzzing cities and cosy beer gardens

🕒 –:– local time37 stories this week14 sources 6 top placesCapital Berlin

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Germany📸 Photo album · 9 photos · Ultra-HD
Germany📜 History of Germany

The story of Germany

Germany's story stretches back to the hunter-gatherers who carved some of the world's oldest known figurines in the caves of the Swabian Jura. Celtic tribes later built hillforts across the south, while Germanic peoples occupied the north. The Romans pushed to the Rhine and Danube, founding cities such as Trier, Cologne and Regensburg, but their advance into the forests beyond was halted after the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD.

After Rome's fall, the Franks rose to power, and Charlemagne was crowned emperor in 800, ruling from Aachen. His legacy evolved into the Holy Roman Empire, a patchwork of kingdoms, duchies, bishoprics and free cities that lasted for nearly a thousand years. Trade towns of the Hanseatic League flourished along the Baltic and North Sea, and in 1517 Martin Luther's ideas in Wittenberg sparked the Protestant Reformation, followed by the devastating Thirty Years' War.

Read the full history

Prussia's rise in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries led to German unification under Bismarck in 1871. The new empire industrialised rapidly but was defeated in the First World War. The Weimar Republic that followed collapsed amid economic crisis, and the Nazi dictatorship led the world into the Second World War and carried out the Holocaust. After 1945 the country was divided into West Germany and the communist East, with the Berlin Wall built in 1961 as a stark symbol of the Cold War.

Peaceful protests brought down the Wall in 1989, and Germany reunified in 1990, becoming a central force in the European Union. Today visitors encounter a country that confronts its past openly through memorials and museums while celebrating a rich cultural heritage: fairy-tale castles, Gothic cathedrals, half-timbered towns, world-class orchestras, beer halls, Christmas markets and some of Europe's most vibrant, creative cities.

Timeline

  1. 9 ADGermanic tribes defeat Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest
  2. 800Charlemagne crowned emperor
  3. 1517Luther's theses launch the Reformation
  4. 1871Unification of Germany under Prussia
  5. 1949Founding of West and East Germany
  6. 1961Berlin Wall built
  7. 1989Fall of the Berlin Wall
  8. 1990German reunification
Germany 🛂 Visa & entry

Entry rules depend on your passport and change often.

  • Schengen Area – Part of the Schengen Area – 29 European countries with no passport checks between them. Short visits are usually counted under the 90-days-in-any-180 rule across the whole area.
  • European Union – EU member – EU/EEA citizens can travel and stay freely.
  • Eurozone – Uses the euro.

Before you book, check the official rules for your passport:

The latest visa and entry news for Germany appears below as soon as publishers report it.

Germany✨ 10 best things to do in Germany

Things to do in Germany

  1. Walk the Berlin Wall memorialsTrace the line of the Wall at Bernauer Strasse and the East Side Gallery's painted murals.
  2. See Neuschwanstein CastleGaze at the fairy-tale castle perched above the Bavarian Alps that inspired countless storybook images.
  3. Cruise the Rhine ValleyGlide past vineyards, castles and the legendary Lorelei rock on a river boat.
  4. Raise a stein in a beer gardenJoin locals at a shady Munich beer garden for pretzels, sausages and a frothy Mass.
  5. Browse a Christmas marketSip mulled wine among twinkling stalls in Nuremberg, Dresden or Cologne.
  6. Climb Cologne CathedralTackle hundreds of steps up the spire of a Gothic masterpiece for views across the Rhine.
  7. Hike in Saxon SwitzerlandCross the Bastei Bridge among dramatic sandstone pillars above the Elbe.
  8. Drive the Romantic RoadFollow a scenic route of medieval towns like Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl.
  9. Explore Museum IslandSpend a day among Berlin's world-class collections, from ancient Egypt to classical sculpture.
  10. Wander Hamburg's harbourExplore the warehouse district and catch a concert at the Elbphilharmonie.
Travel and Tour World✈️ Flights & Airlines
Dublin Unites with Frankfurt and More to Drive Europe’s Aviation Comeback as Fuel Costs Surge but Keeping Flights Stay on Time

Dublin Unites with Frankfurt and More to Drive Europe’s Aviation Comeback as Fuel Costs Surge but Keeping Flights Stay on Time European aviation transformation drives soaring punctuality across two million flights despite fuel…

#Ireland#Germany#Dublin#Flights & Airlines
Germany🗺️ Where to visit in Germany

Where to go in Germany

  • BerlinNortheast · capitalA creative, historic capital packed with museums, street art, nightlife and Cold War landmarks.
  • MunichBavaria · cityElegant squares, beer halls and great art collections, with the Alps within easy reach.
  • 📍
    HamburgNorth · port cityCanals, red-brick warehouses, a lively waterfront and a buzzing music scene.
  • CologneRhineland · cityHome to a soaring Gothic cathedral, a famous carnival and a friendly pub culture.
  • 📍
    DresdenSaxony · baroque cityA rebuilt baroque skyline along the Elbe, with superb art galleries.
  • 📍
    HeidelbergBaden-Württemberg · university townA romantic castle ruin overlooking an old town and the Neckar river.
  • 📍
    Rothenburg ob der TauberBavaria · medieval townWalled lanes and half-timbered houses that feel frozen in time.
  • Black ForestSouthwest · forest & villagesDark pine forests, cuckoo-clock villages, spa towns and hiking trails.
Germany✨ Must-do experiences
  • See the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery
  • Relax in a Munich beer garden
  • Wander a Christmas market with mulled wine
  • Cruise the Rhine past hilltop castles
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Germany🍽️ Taste of Germany
  • Bratwurst – grilled sausage with mustard
  • Brezel – large soft pretzel
  • Schnitzel – thin breaded and fried cutlet
  • Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte – Black Forest cherry cake
Germany🌦️ Weather & best time to visit Germany

Best time to visit Germany

Germany has a temperate climate with warm summers and cold winters, becoming more continental in the east and south. The north is milder and windier, while Bavaria and the Alps see the most snow.

BestMay to September – long, warm days for beer gardens, river cruises, hiking and festivals.
ShoulderApril and October, plus late November to December for the magical Christmas markets.
AvoidJanuary to March – cold, grey and short days, though it is quieter and good for skiing in the Alps.
3°💧Jan
5°💧Feb
9°💧Mar
15°💧Apr
19°💧May
23°💧Jun
25°💧💧Jul
24°💧Aug
20°💧Sep
14°💧Oct
8°💧Nov
4°💧Dec

Typical daytime highs and rain in Berlin (approximate averages).

Germany🎉 Festivals & events in Germany
  • Late September – early October
    OktoberfestMunich's giant folk festival of beer tents, traditional dress, music and fairground rides.
  • February (before Lent)
    Cologne CarnivalCostumed parades, street parties and singing take over the city for days.
  • Late November – December
    Christmas marketsSquares across the country fill with stalls selling crafts, gingerbread and mulled wine.
  • February
    BerlinaleOne of the world's major film festivals, with public screenings across Berlin.
  • May – September
    Rhine in FlamesSpectacular fireworks displays light up stretches of the Rhine on selected nights.
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Germany🧭 Germany itinerary ideas

How many days in Germany?

5 daysBerlin and Munich

Day 1-2 explore Berlin's Wall sites, Museum Island and the Brandenburg Gate. Day 3 take the fast train to Munich. Day 4-5 enjoy Munich's old town and beer gardens, with a day trip to Neuschwanstein.

10 daysClassic Germany

Day 1-3 Berlin, with a day trip to Potsdam. Day 4 Dresden. Day 5-6 Cologne and a Rhine Valley cruise. Day 7 Heidelberg. Day 8 Rothenburg on the Romantic Road. Day 9-10 Munich and Neuschwanstein.

Germany🎒 Backpacking Germany – tips & hacks

Backpacker budget: about $55–80 a day

  • Berlin, Hamburg and Munich have plenty of hostels; neighbourhoods like Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg are backpacker favourites.
  • Look into regional rail day tickets or monthly transport passes, which can make train travel very affordable.
  • Long-distance buses are often the cheapest way between cities.
  • Eat cheaply at bakeries, Imbiss stands and döner kebab shops, and shop at discount supermarkets.
  • Many city walking tours run on a tip-based model, and some museums offer free or reduced entry on certain days.
Germany🛡️ Safety & money in Germany

Stay safe

  • Germany is very safe, but watch for pickpockets in crowded stations, markets and festivals.
  • Do not walk in marked bike lanes – cyclists move fast and expect a clear path.
  • Always validate your public transport ticket where required, as inspectors issue fines.
  • In the Alps, check weather and trail conditions before hiking.

Money

  • The currency is the euro.
  • Cash is still popular – some cafés, bakeries and small shops do not accept cards, so carry some euros; ATMs are everywhere.
  • Tipping is customary: round up or add around five to ten percent, telling the server the total you want to pay.

Emergency: 110 police · 112 fire & ambulance

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Germany🛬 Getting to Germany

Frankfurt and Munich are the main international hubs, with Berlin Brandenburg, Düsseldorf and Hamburg also well connected. Excellent rail and road links connect Germany with all nine neighbouring countries.

✈️ Cheap flights to Germany: airports, flight times & best time to fly →

Germany💡 Did you know? 5 facts about Germany
  • Germany shares borders with nine countries, more than any other nation in Europe.
  • Some sections of the autobahn have no general speed limit.
  • The country has thousands of breweries and a famous tradition of beer purity laws dating back to 1516.
  • The Christmas tree tradition is widely believed to have spread from Germany.
  • Cologne Cathedral took more than 600 years to complete.
Germany❓ Germany travel FAQ

Germany travel questions

Is Germany safe for tourists?

Yes, Germany is a very safe country with reliable public services. Normal precautions against pickpocketing in busy places are enough.

What is the best time to visit Germany?

May to September offers the best weather for outdoor sightseeing. Late November to December is perfect for Christmas markets.

How many days do you need in Germany?

Five days covers Berlin and Munich. Ten days to two weeks lets you add the Rhine, Dresden, Heidelberg and the Romantic Road.

Do I need a visa for Germany?

It depends on your passport – check the official German Federal Foreign Office site or your nearest embassy before you travel.

Do people speak English in Germany?

English is widely spoken in cities, hotels and among younger people. Learning a few German greetings is always appreciated, especially in rural areas.

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Germany💰 What a trip costs
$$$price level
$55–80backpacker / day
$140–240mid-range / day

Approximate daily cost per person (stay, food, local transport).

Germany🚌 Getting around

Deutsche Bahn trains, including fast ICE services, connect almost everywhere. Cities have excellent U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus networks.

Germany🛕 Sacred & spiritual places
  • Cologne Cathedral – Towering Gothic cathedral, one of Europe's most visited churches
  • Aachen Cathedral – Charlemagne's chapel and Germany's first UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Altötting – Bavaria's leading Catholic pilgrimage shrine
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Germany🤝 Local etiquette
  • Be on time – punctuality is valued
  • Wait for the green light before crossing
  • Sundays are quiet days and most shops are closed
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📰 Older Germany stories Everything our agents ever found – keeps loading as you scroll

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