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Germany
Quick Overview:
Now in its second decade of putting itself back together again, Germany continues to improve as a destination—we find it much better than the sum of its two former halves. Huge investments in infrastructure and services not only are erasing the Cold War dividing lines; scars caused by World War II are also finally disappearing. In real terms, this means that travelers are likely to move around the country faster, dine better, and experience new attractions like the Reichstag's new glass dome. A lot has changed, yet chances are that repeat visitors will still find the things they always liked: the restaurant serving huge helpings of sauerbraten or the biergarten with liter upon liter of wheat beer. Once you stop looking at Germany strictly in terms of east and west, you'll have to admit that the country really is a lot more complex. Regions are sharply defined, each one maintaining its distinctive character in terms of dialect, traditional dress and foods. We recommend that you sample as many regions as possible. Booming Berlin, now the No. 1 tourist magnet, is the clearest benefactor of reunification. Visitors to the cultural centers of Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar in eastern Germany will find improved amenities there as well. The north has the delightful old seafaring cities of Hamburg and Bremen. Along the Rhine and Moselle Rivers are picturesque castles and steep, terraced vineyards. From Frankfurt to Bremen runs a trail of villages that helped inspire the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. In the south are the alluring Black Forest, Munich and Bavaria's boisterous beer halls and rococo palaces and churches. Although it has plenty of fairy-tale sites and medieval picture-postcard scenery, Germany is without a doubt a postindustrial, multicultural country with all the inherent advantages and conflicts. Reunification is a huge social and economic undertaking, and it comes on top of an already heavy and, at times, troubling history. Travelers to Germany will probably not be affected by much of this, but on the other hand, visitors shouldn't expect all parts of the country, at all times, to be an Oktoberfest.
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