Henrik Bekker - Germanys Rhine & Mosel Valleys. Mainz, Cologne, Bonn, Trier & Beyond

Destinations

Berlin is Germanys largest and most interesting city. It has something for everyone from its excellent museums to its risqu nightlife. It has high culture and a vibrant underground music scene.

Munich (Bavaria) is an interesting city with many historic venues, beer gardens, and a high quality of life. It has excellent art galleries and one of the largest technology museums in the world.

Dresden (Saxony), once known as the Florence on the Elbe, is recovering some of its original Baroque splendor. In addition to the excellent museums, and the Semper Opera House, the city is also convenient for daytrips into the beautiful Saxony Switzerland area.

Leipzig (Saxony) is an interesting city unwilling and unable to hide its communist-era buildings. It is less tourist-oriented than many others but has excellent museums and cultural offerings. The revolution against the communist regime started here and the Forum of Contemporary History is one of the most interesting museums in Germany.

The Rhine Valley (Rhineland-Palatinate) is a popular destination with a castle or castle ruin every mile or so in the Loreley Valley. Whether traveling the valley on boat, by road, or on foot, it is a region sure to impress with its natural beauty and cultural delights.

The Romantic Road (Bavaria) is Germanys most popular holiday route, passing numerous mostly small and very romantic towns and locations. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is chronically overcrowded but remains Germanys most beautiful walled medieval town.

The German Alpine Route (Bavaria) offers Germanys most beautiful natural scenery. It runs the full length of the Bavaria Alps from Lindau on the Bodensee to Berchtesgaden near Salzburg. En route, it passes several famous sights including Mad King Ludwigs castles, the Wieskirche, and Kloster Ettal.

The Black Forest (Baden-Wrttemberg) is Germanys largest forested area with superb natural beauty and ample outdoor adventure options.

Cologne (North Rhine Westphalia), for a thousand years the largest city in Germany, has the worlds largest Gothic cathedral, a dozen Romanesque churches, excellent art museums, and the most refreshing beer in the country.

Great Museums

• Gemldegalerie (Berlin)
• Pergamonmuseum (Berlin)
• Pinakothen art galleries (Munich)
• Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (Cologne)
• Deutsches Museum (Munich)
• Zwinger & Green Vault (Dresden)
• Forum of Contemporary History (Leipzig)
• Zeughaus (Berlin)
• German National Museum (Nrnberg)
• Federal Art Space (Bonn)
• Rheinisches Landesmuseum (Trier) Luther Museum (Lutherstadt Wittenberg)

• Great Cathedrals & Churches

• Cologne Cathedral (Gothic)
• Speyer Cathedral (Romanesque)
• Trier Cathedral (Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque)
• Marienkirche in Lbeck (brick Gothic)
• Passau Cathedral (Gothic, High Baroque)
• Regensburg Cathedral (Gothic)
• Wieskirche (Bavarian Rococo)
• Frauenkirche in Dresden (Baroque)
• Frauenkirche in Munich (Gothic)

• Great Castles

  The German term Burg can be translated as castle or fortress, while Schloss can be translated as castle or palace. In this guide, a Schloss that can laugh off a few cannonballs is referred to as a castle. A Schloss where cannonballs would ruin the porcelain and stuccos is translated as a palace.

• Burg Eltz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
• Wartburg (Thuringia)
• Marksburg (Rhineland-Palatinate)
• Schloss Heidelberg (Baden-Wrttemberg)
• Festung Knigstein (Saxony)
• Schloss Neuschwanstein (Bavaria)
• Schloss Sanssouci (Brandenburg) Munich Residenz (Bavaria)

Travel Information