| 1. Neuschwanstein |
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Bavaria is famous for its beautiful castles and they don’t come more beautiful than Neuschwanstein. Rumoured, like many others to be the blueprint for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty’s castle, you can understand why with Neuschwanstein. Sitting atop a hill, perfect in design, with delicate towers and turrets, you can understand why it’s said to be the most photographed building in Germany. If you think it’s gorgeous outside, take a tour to see the breath-taking interior with some surprising touches such as the man-made grotto or the Minstrel’s Hall. |
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| 2. Brandenburg Gate |
For years West Germans could only wonder at the Brandenburg Gate hidden away in the communist East. They longed for the return of a prime symbol of Germany’s power. More than any other landmark, the Brandenburg Gate is the national symbol for Germany. Built over 200 years ago as a symbol of peace, the top of the gate has a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, riding a chariot.
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| 3. Weimar |
Most people think of Weimar in terms of the failed Weimar Republic but it deserves looking at more in how it was the melting pot for German culture brought about by those greats that lived and worked there such as Bach, Nietzsche, Wagner, Kandinsky and Schiller. For a city to have so many of the world’s greatest as its sons marks it out as special. Today, museums to their work dot the city and the feeling still pervades the city of forward thinking, dynamism and creativity.
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| 4. The Porsche Museum |
Nothing sums up sports cars better in Germany than Porsche. They were the original contenders for the quality sports car crown and if you are visiting Stuttgart then a visit to the Porsche Museum is a must. Here, the fabulous design of the building is as impressive as the cars. They’ve got nearly 80 cars on display together with other aspects of their motor car engineering. You’ll see the original 356, 911 and 917 and some of the designer’s other famous work such as the Beetle which few realise was designed by Porsche. Highlight of the exhibition for the non-technical is the ‘pink pig’ racing car that completed the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1971. Plenty of Porsche memorabilia is available in the shop after the tour.
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| 5. German Village Festivals |
These crop up all over the country celebrating numerous incongruous events. I went to the potato festival outside Marburg for a day seeing just how many things can be done with a potato, including alcohol and cake making. There was the ubiquitous beer tent serving sparkling golden brews to wash down the potato products and highlight of the show, a variety of blue potato!
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| 6. Koln Cathedral |
Stand by Koln Cathedral and you can’t help but be inspired and just a little scared. It’s Gothic beyond measure and its pollution blackened spires remind one of something from Lord of the Rings. It’s the third tallest cathedral in the world and took over 600 years to build. A testament to the accuracy of German building and engineering, the finished edifice was exactly as had been planned in the original 13th century design. It was one of the few buildings to survive a concentrated bombing campaign by the British in World War II purely as it was spared to provide a landmark for fresh bombing runs.
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| 7. Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz |
We often think of France as having the most beautifully designed palaces and formal gardens. But a trip around the so called Garden Kingdom of Dessau- Wörlitz may change your mind. Prince Leopold III designed the palaces and landscape and in the process attempted to harmonise man and nature. The result is a breath-taking fairyland of rivers, meadows, woodland and waterfalls; all synchronised to the design of the palaces and houses that dot the kingdom. Its unique design earned it UNESCO protection and it is truly amazing.
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| 8. Munich Oktoberfest |
Every serious beer drinker talks with awe about the Munich Oktoberfest. If they’ve been then it’s stories of the amount they’ve drunk etc. etc. Serious imbiber or not the festival must be experienced. The Munich Hofbräuhaus is the most well-known beer hall on the planet, in operation for over 400 years it serves huge pretzels and other specialities of the region with litre steins of beer. The Oktoberfest is a mammoth beer drinking festival with over 6 million people attending each year. The lashings of beer are served with German specialities such as wurst and sauerkraut whilst the attendees are entertained with traditional German music.
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| 9. The Robe of Christ, Trier |
Germany’s oldest city holds the country’s most revered relic, the Robe of Jesus, which he is purported to have worn on the day of his crucifixion. The city lies on the Mosel River and was a favourite of many Roman Emperors. Evidence of their times here can be seen in the Porta Nigra, the biggest gate built by the Romans outside of Italy.
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| 10. Christmas Markets |
From October onwards you see them advertised in newspapers, short breaks to the European Christmas markets. Some are just commercial events but others, such as Nuremberg, mix the commerciality with the magic of Christmas and in a beautiful setting. Here the city’s castle dominates the marketplace where a semi-permanent market sells traditional toys, sweets and crafts in the cold and snowy December air. Children who hate shopping can be entertained with a mini theme park for them based on the market experience. In a scene reminiscent of the Pied Piper, up to 1,500 children join a musical procession up to the castle on the hill to see Father Christmas.
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