Exploring Germany

One of the most attractive and most visited regions of Germany is Bavaria which sits at the foot of the mighty Alps. The landscape in the area of the Black Forest and Lake Constance is particularly beautiful. The famous castles of Linderhof, Hohenschwanstein and Neuschwanstein are the ones seen on numerous posters and literature issued by the tourist authorities. And rightly so as they are extremely spectacular, the one at Neuschwanstein being copied by Disney as the castle of Sleeping Beauty.

Schleswig-Holstein is the state furthest to the north in Germany. Its medieval town of Lubeck is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

Potsdam was once a centre for the most affluent residents of Germany. It was at its peak in the 17th century being placed conveniently close to Berlin on the River Havel. The most outstanding building remaining from that time is the castle of Schloss Sanssouci.

The very pretty university town of Tubingen is worth a visit. It is situated some thirty five kilometres to the south of the city of Stuttgart and has half-timbered residences in cobbled alleyways. There are also some very old stone walls throughout the town.

The great River Rhine is best seen between Koblenz and Mainz. The lovely Rhineland landscape with the vineyards on the hillsides, small wine making hamlets and huge fairy story type castles must not be missed.

Off the north western coast of Germany are the North Frisian Islands. The air there is very clean and therapeutic and the sun shines sometimes. The coastal resort of Sylt can be very busy in the summer months. The Harz Mountains can be seen from there rising spectacularly from Germany’s northern plain.