Michelin Green Guide Germany, 9e

THE GREEN GUIDE
Germany

Schloss Neuschwanstein, Bavaria
Giovanni Simeone/Sime/Photononstop

How to

Green Guides - Discover the Destination

Main sections

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

The blue-tabbed section gives you ideas for your trip and practical information.

INTRODUCTION

The orange-tabbed section explores Nature, History, Art and Culture and the Country Today.

DISCOVERING

The green-tabbed section features Principal Sights by region, Sights, Walking Tours, Excursions, and Driving Tours.

Star ratings

Michelin has given star ratings for more than 100 years. If youre pressed for time, we recommend you visit the three or two star sights first:

Other reading

Green Guides Austria and Switzerland

Must Sees Prague

Michelin Local Maps of Germany

Michelin Regional Maps of Germany

Michelin German Country Map or Road Atlas

Region intros

At the start of each region in the Discovering section is a brief introduction. Accompanied by the region maps, these provide an overview of the main tourism areas and their background.

Tours

Weve selected driving and walking tours that show you the best of each town or region. Step by step directions are accompanied by detailed maps with marked routes. If you are short on time, you can follow the star ratings to decide where to stop. Selected addresses give you options for accommodation and dining en route.

Region maps

Addresses

Weve selected the best hotels, restaurants, cafs, shops, nightlife and entertainment to fit all budgets. See the Legend on the cover flap for an explanation of the price categories. See the back of the guide for an index of where to find hotels and restaurants.

Welcome to Germany

Germany is a rich quilt of dynamic cities, awe-inspiring scenery and spirit-lifting culture. Although the country became a nation only in 1871, its influence on history goes back at least a couple of millennia. No matter what your itinerary, you will inevitably come upon intriguing relics of the past, from Roman ruins to mighty cathedrals and dazzling palaces. Be sure to venture off the main tourist trail for those extra-special personal discoveries.

Dom, Magdeburg, Central Germany Christina Hanck/iStockphoto.com

Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Bode-Museum, Berlin

visitBerlin / Wolfgang Scholvien

Regions of Germany

Berlin and Brandenburg ()

Sassy, confident and irreverent, Berlin is a sly seductress who tempts you with her explosive creativity, vibrant cultural landscape and keen sense of history. Visit major landmarks such as Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate, then soak up the citys idiosyncratic spirit by drifting about its distinct neighbourhoods. For a break from urbanity, hop on a train to Brandenburg, a timelessly beautiful rural area shaped by water and accented by the dreamy palaces and parks of Potsdam.

Port of Hamburg

www.mediaserver.hamburg.de/C. Spahrbier

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Germanys Baltic Coast once revelled in the wealth of its Hanseatic League towns. The proud red-brick buildings of Lbeck, Wismar, Stralsund and Greifswald still hark back to those medieval glory days. Fringing the coast is a landscape of often startling beauty: a pastiche of bays, islands and cliffs accented by beach-fringed seaside resorts whose dazzling white spa architecture has drawn royalty and the rich for over a century.

The Northwest ()

Germanys northwest stretches from the wind-battered beaches of the Frisian Islands to the historic towns of Mnster, Goslar and Celle and the fairytale cities of Bremen and Hamelin. Take a day in the slow lane roaming around the Harz Mountains, or opt for an urban jolt in maritime Hamburg, which will charm you with cutting-edge couture, culture and cuisine.

Aerial view of downtown Munich

W.O. Hausmann/Munich City Tourist Office

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This region wraps culturally vibrant conurbations and laid-back countryside into one attractive package. Get a dose of world-class art and architecture in Dsseldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt, then make a date with the Romans in Trier and with Charlemagne in Aachen. Whatever you do, do not miss a trip down the Rhine or Moselle rivers to explore a remarkably beautiful mosaic of vine-clad slopes, dreamy half-timbered villages and medieval hilltop fortresses.

The Southwest ()

Nowhere does Germany feel more radiantly Old World than in the Black Forest, a rustic landscape of Hansel-and-Gretel woods, undulating hills, gushing waterfalls and snow-dusted mountaintops. Along with nearby Lake Constance, it has long been a favourite holiday playground. Key cities include the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Freiburg with its vibrant student scene and Stuttgart, which is a must-see not just for those who worship at the altar of the automobile.

Ulm at Danube River, the Southwest

Peter Widmann / age fotostock

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Few cities in Germany exude the contagious energy that youll find bubbling away in the streets and legendary beer halls of Munich. Outside of the city, natural and manmade beauty is all around. Crane your neck while marvelling at the sky-etching Alps, explore higgledy-piggledy villages where ancient traditions still thrive, or visit Ludwig IIs fantasy castles. This is truly a land of superlatives ready to deliver a lifetime of memories.

Northern Bavaria ()

One of Germanys most iconic drives is along the Romantic Road, which runs through soul-stirring scenery from Wrzburg and its wine country past the cobblestoned perfection of Rothenburg ob der Tauber as far as peaceful Fssen near the Alps. Slow down this region wants to be savoured. History buffs should point the compass towards Nuremberg, music lovers at Bayreuth and architecture fans at Bamberg.