Other Attractions

Harz Mountains

The Harz Mountains rise picturesquely from the North German plain, a quick train ride from the tourist centres in the south. They don't have the peaks and valleys of the Alps, but they offer a great all-seasons sports getaway without some of the Alpine tackiness and tourism.

Leipzig

In Goethe's Faust a character named Frosch calls Leipzig 'a little Paris'. He was wrong - Leipzig is more fun. Street-side cafes pour out onto the streets, and underground music clubs thud throughout the night; the town also has some of the finest classical music and opera in the country - it was once home to Bach, Wagner and Mendelssohn.

Lübeck

Lübeck is a glorious medieval town that's earned its place on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It's a quiet alternative to the more spectacular attractions further south. The altstadt (old town) was heavily bombed in WWII but has been sensitively rebuilt and the town's stately charm is apparent today.

North Frisian Islands

The North Frisian Islands reward those who make the trek, with sunshine, sand dunes, sea and pure air. Much of this area is a national park and paths and boardwalks are provided for strolling. One island, Helgoland, was used as a submarine base in WWII and you can tour the strong bunkers and underground tunnels.

Rhine Valley

Here are dramatic landscapes with fertile vineyards clinging to steep hills, numerous imposing castles and dreamy wine villages. Every village has at least one wine festival per year, with the most famous being the Rhine in Flames series of festivals, when water, lighting and fireworks are combined to spectacular effect.

Tübingen

This gentle, picturesque university town, just 35km (22mi) south of Stuttgart, is a place to wander winding cobbled alleys past half-timbered houses and old stone walls. From the heights of the Renaissance Hohentübingen Castle there are fine views over the steep, red-tiled rooftops of the altstadt (old town).

Today's students are the proud custodians of a rigorous liberal intellectual tradition, and can be seen in every cafe plotting earnestly to save the world. The market here is a treasure, filled with fruit and vegetables, and this is one town where some of this crisp and fresh produce might actually turn up on your plate.

Weimar

Best known abroad as the birthplace of the ill-fated Weimar Republic, this small city is a cultural pilgrimage site for Germans. It was the epicentre of the country's Age of Enlightenment and home to such intellectual and creative giants as Goethe, Bach, Schiller, Liszt, Nietzsche, Kandinsky and Klee, to name a few.

Aachen Dom

Christ's Loincloth

religious/spiritual ; royal

Münsterplatz

The Rhineland

tel: 0241 477 090 (info)

Aachen's main draw is its Dom, with Charlemagne's exquisite Pfalzkapelle (palace chapel) at its core. One of the best-preserved examples of Carolingian architecture, the chapel served, over the course of nearly 600 years, as the coronation church of some 30 Holy Roman emperors, starting with Otto I in 936.

Hours: 7:00 AM-7:00 PM

Black Forest

must-see ; forest

79098

south western Germany

fax: 761 37003 (info)

Home of the cuckoo clock, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) gets its name from its dark, slightly sinister canopy of evergreens: this is where Hansel and Gretel encountered their wicked witch. Twenty minutes walk from populated spots will put you in quiet countryside dotted with traditional farmhouses and amiable dairy cows.

Brandenburger Tor

gate

Pariser Platz

Potsdam

One of Berlin's most photographed locations, Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) once marked the impenetrable boundary between East and West Berlin. Built in 1791, Brandenburger Tor has often been a centre stage for Berlin's militant political rallies, including the memorable celebrations in November 1989, when the Berlin Wall was torn down.

Füssen

87629

Bavaria

tel: 83 62/9 38 50 (info)

There's more to Füssen than its famous trio of Ludwig II castles. Its compact centre, with its tangle of lanes, is full of historical buildings; check out the Hohe Schloss. There are excellent views from the top of Tegelbergbahn, reached by cable car, and nearby are the Bavarian Alps.

Goethe Haus

significant house ; literary

Grosser Hirschgraben 23-25

Innenstadt W

tel: 069 13 88 00 (info)

It was here that Goethe penned his ode to suicide, , and began work on . The rooms are nicely decorated with a mix of reproduction and original furniture, offering a glimpse of 18th-century domestic life. Don't miss Goethe's original writing desk and the library on the top floor.

Hours: Sun-Fri 10:00 AM-5:30 PM, Sat 10:00 AM-6:00 PM

Romantic Road

gateway via Frankfurt or Munich

98 519 02 71

The popular Romantische Strasse links a series of picturesque towns running north-south through western Bavaria from Würzburg to Füssen, and passing through Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl and Augsburg. It's an area of charmingly preserved medieval towns and twisting cobbled lanes.

Schloss Hohenschwangau

castle ; royal

Bavaria

tel: 08362 93 08 30 (info)

Ludwig II spent his childhood at the sun-yellow Schloss Hohenschwangau. It's much less ostentatious than the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein and has a distinct lived-in feeling. After his father died, Ludwig's main alteration was having stars, illuminated with hidden oil-lamps, painted on the ceiling of his bedroom.

Hours: Apr-Sep 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Oct-Mar 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Schloss Neuschwanstein

castle ; royal

Bavaria

08362 930 830

Appearing through the mountain-top mist like a surreal fantasy is the world's best-known castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein. Ludwig II planned this castle himself with the help of a stage designer rather than an architect. It was conceived as a giant stage to recreate the world of Germanic mythology immortalised in the operatic works of Richard Wagner.

Hours: Apr-Sep 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Oct-Mar 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Stasi Museum

museum ; war-related

Ruschestrasse 103 (House 1)

Lichtenberg

tel: 030 553 6854 (info)

The one-time headquarters of East Germany's notorious secret police now houses the so-called Stasi Museum, where you can see the office of longtime Stasi chief Erich Mielke, cunning surveillance devices and communist paraphernalia.

Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, Sat-Sun 2:00 PM-6:00 PM