Consider Germany For Your Next Vacation

Not often thought of as a great European destination, I have been finding out a bit more about this large and historic country.

Having only travelled through a small area the north of the country bordering the Netherlands, I was a bit disappointed with what I found and seemed to be constantly passing road signs saying ‘Centrum’. I got stuck on a never-ending ring road and ended up driving straight back into Holland without stopping for the night!

Since my recent studying of the country, however, I have found out where I went wrong on my journey (I was driving through the most industrialised sprawling conurbation in Europe - around Dortmund and Essen) and am regretting all the great locations that I had driven right past!

Below I have just offered an overview of the highlights of this beatiful and friendly country and hope that it’s not only me who is going to visit them this year.

The Castle or Schloss (spelt Schloß in German).
You will not believe some of the castles you will find across this country! They are like a fairytale come true. Many are perched precariously on hill tops, with giant towers and hundreds of windows. Most are also painted bright colors and some have secret caves beneath!

In the northern lowlands, they used water as a defence and needed to be stronger, so you will find huge moated buildings with gigantic wide towers, with wonderful symmetry and extensive gardens. Some look more like enormous English stately homes and are more plain in colour.

In cities and larger towns, there was more call for grandeur and less for security, and some of these are the most amazing buildings. They cover vast areas of land, with a whole array of supporting buildings for staff and guests. Many of these were commissioned by more modern rulers and were used for grand balls and for entertaining visiting nobility, all displaying the most ‘fashionable’ architecture of the time.

Medieval Houses:
Many towns in Germany - particularly in the west of the country - have a medieval history and you will find streets filled with white-washed half-timbered buildings. You will have to navigate your way around dozens of tiny winding streets packed full of history and 1000 year old architecture.

Old towns were originally small and circular - some within their brick-built city walls, and often beside a river for trading or on a hill for defense. Most towns today have outgrown their original city limits, but have kept their historic Aldstadt (old town) for all to enjoy. Industrial buildings are still in use or have been used a museums, and tourism is booming! And street names like Buttermarkt (Butter Market) and Domplatz (Cathedral Place) reflect their history.

Spa Towns and Volcanic Mountains:
Germany is filled with mountain ranges - many with a volcanic twist. As a result where these rocks hit the surface you will find thermal waters and mineral spas.

Nearly all locations will have the name ‘Bad’ at the beginning or less commonly at the end, and are famed for their medicinal or financial purposes. A large number grew up through the Roman period and as a result have great towns around them and are usually on show in some ornate gardens and decorative buildings.

The mountains themselves are a huge draw for the outdoor types, who want to explore hill top castles, deep valleys and volcanic crater lakes.

Large areas are covered by National Parks or smaller NaturParks, and there are endless trails and routes signposted across vast areas, with huge networks of further trails and cycle routes. Many are famous such as the Reinsteig across the Thuringian Forest and the Rhine Peaks Walks in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Wine Growing:
Huge numbers of people travel to Germany to see the vineyards - and to sample the fine wines. Many regions have implemented special ‘wine routes’ through their regions to help you pick your way across their countryside.

The most famous region is of course on the banks of the Rhine in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, where huge tracts of land are cultivated for fine Rieslings among other wines. May to October is the best time to visit if you want to take advantage of the ‘free samples’ on offer and to see the grape harvests around September.

Join a tour or just follow the yellow signs with the grapes on them to see the best sights and get involved!

There’s plenty more to see in this vast country, but this was just a quick summary. If you want to know more, then watch out for further articles on Ultimate Vacation Spots in the future!!!