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  • Europe
    • Introduction
    • Belgium
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  • Germany
    Overview
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    Explore
    • Berlin and Brandenburg
    • Saxony
    • Saxony-Anhalt and the Harz
    • Thuringia
    • Northern Bavaria: Franconia
    • Munich and central Bavaria
    • The Alps and eastern Bavaria
    • Baden-Württemberg
      • The Black Forest
      • Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland
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      • Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
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  • Things not to miss
Mad King Ludwig’s maddest creation combines Wagnerian inspiration with a superbly dramatic alpine site to create a romantic fantasy from the age of chivalry. This iconic white building is a temple to modernism, from the classics of modern art to masterpieces of furniture and automotive design. Soak, sweat and rejuvenate in one of Germany’s many saunas and spas Almost every major German river – including the Mosel – has a long-distance cycle path alongside. Christmas cheer the way it’s been for centuries. Rhine-side castles and vineyards in the Germany of tourist brochures. The world’s biggest excuse for a beer – and it comes in big measures, too. Revel in the Eastern Bloc nostalgia fondly known as Ostalgie. The most extravagant alfresco ballroom Germany ever built. A Disney-like Bavarian road-trip where the steep roofs and ancient towers are real. This elegant mid-afternoon sugar-rush is another national obsession. A liberal, cosmopolitan metropolis with two thousand years of art and history. Germany’s most iconic sausage, from pale, lemony Weisswurst to Currywurst with ketchup and curry powder. Electronic dance music rules in Germany, but there’s plenty of room for quirkier sounds too. The Ruhr’s reinvented industrial heritage offers some of Europe’s most original travel experiences. Bavaria’s heavenly church interiors pair élan with excess. For more information, see The Wieskirche. Trompe l’oeil trickery in the town hall that launched a thousand flashbulbs. Edged by white cliffs, Germany’s largest island remains a gentle, pastoral place where it’s easy to escape the crowds. High local demand means that many German tipples barely leave the valleys where they are grown. Soak up the views from high-altitude pistes, or brave the fearsome Kandahar World Cup Run. Aachen’s ancient cathedral is a taste of Byzantium in the heart of the city. Berlin’s and Cologne’s massive lesbian and gay communities know how to throw a party. Idle in escapist Strandkörbe seats or skim across the sea on a kite-surf. Alpine scenery, clean air and challenging hikes in Bavaria’s beautiful south.