Germany is located in central Europe. As a federal state, the Federal Republic of Germany is made up of the 16 countries and represents the most recent form of the German Nation state. Germany has a total of nine neighboring states: Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. This makes Germany the country with the most European Neighbors.
Germany is a diverse one Travel destination. On the one hand, this is due to the diversity of the landscape and, on the other hand, Germany’s rich history. 101 nature parks, 15 biosphere reserves and 14 national parks with international recognition adorn the Federal Republic.
The North and Baltic Seas are characterized by fresh sea air and calm coastal areas in the north. Especially islands like the North Frisian Islands with Sylt, the East Frisian Islands with Norderney and Borkum (in the North Sea) as well as Rügen, Usedom and Hiddensee (in the Baltic Sea) are real visitor magnets, especially in summer.
Not far from the sea, there are cultural and historical sights in Hanseatic cities such as Rostock with its Gothic city center or proud Lübeck.
Berlin, the capital of the republic, is one of the most exciting metropolises in Europe. Further to the west, in the triangle between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, is the city of Aachen. Emperors and kings once resided here. The Aachen Cathedral with its famous treasury has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
In the south, the Alps beckon, but also metropolises like Munich or Stuttgart and historic cities like Heidelberg or Tübingen.
Germany is also popular among local and foreign holidaymakers because the country’s transport links are well developed. Both on land (train, car) and in the air. Cheap flights within Germany are often offered, a flight to Berlin, for example, is often cheap.
Due to the great tourist demand, you can find the entire range of accommodation in Germany: from guesthouses in Munich to Cologne youth hostels to holiday apartments in Berlin, everything is represented – you just have to decide…
What does not catch the eye of many is the fact that Germany is also a country of islands. In addition to the archipelago of the North Frisian Islands, there is also the island chain of the East Frisian Islands, Helgoland and Neuwerk. There are also several islands in the Baltic Sea. The best known are Fehrman, Hiddensee, Rügen and Usedom. There are also islands on Lake Constance such as the famous Mainau Island, which is also known as the Flower Island.
Germany – sights
Germany is a big country with a huge number of different sights.
The German state of Baden-Württemberg has some interesting sights to offer. You should definitely not miss the Ulm Minster. The Gothic Cathedral in Ulm with 161 meters as the highest church tower in the world.
The Freiburg Minster is also worth seeing. The foundation stone was laid in 1120. The late Romanesque and Gothic styles were used to build the cathedral.
The Konstanz Minster is also worth a visit. The three-aisled pillar basilica with a cruciform floor plan was made accessible to the faithful in 1089. The basilica was dedicated to the patrons Maria, St. Pelagius and Konrad.
The Maulbronn Monastery is something special. It was built in 1147 and is still inhabited by Cistercian monks today. The monastery is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You should also have seen Hirsau Monastery, which is located in the town of the same name, near Calw. In past centuries the monastery was of great importance. Some parts of the monastery are still in very good condition, which testifies to the former importance of the sacred building. The history of the monastery goes back to the ninth century.
Other interesting religious buildings in Baden-Württemberg are Zwiefalten Monastery, Obermarchtal Monastery, Wiblingen Monastery, Neresheim Monastery, Loroh Monastery, etc.
The ivory Venus is an absolute highlight of Baden-Württemberg. They were found in 2008 in the “Hoher Fels” cave, near Schelklingen. The figure is about six centimeters tall and was made from the ivory of a mammoth. Their age is estimated to be around 35,000-40,000 years. The figure thus comes from the early days of Homo sapiens, who lived in Central Europe. Because of their representation, there is a high probability that the ivory Venus is a symbol of fertility.
The lion man is particularly impressive. The eight-inch-high figure made of mammoth ivory was found in 1939 in the Hohenstadel cave, Lonetal. It depicts a mythical creature that is half man and half lion. The lion man can be seen in the Ulm Museum.
The oldest carved musical instruments in the world were discovered in the Geißenklösterle cave in the Achental. These are flutes made from bird bones and mammoth ivory. Scientists estimate the age of the flutes to be around 32,000 years.
One of the special technical buildings in Baden-Württemberg is the Black Forest Railway. It was opened to the public with a grand opening ceremony in 1873. It had taken a full five years to build. The Black Forest Railway is considered a technical masterpiece, especially because of the difficult area between Hornberg and Sommerau that had to be overcome. The person responsible for building supervision and planning was Robert Gerwig. This civil engineer even helped build the Berlin Reichstag. If you want to find out more about the Black Forest Railway, you can visit a model of the railway and many details about construction and planning in the Black Forest Museum in Triberg.
You should definitely have seen the Stuttgart TV tower. At 216.8 meters, it was the first television tower of its kind in the world. The inauguration of the tower took place in February 1956. Its architect was Erwin Heinle. From the Stuttgart TV tower you have a wonderful view of the city and you can also eat out in the Panorama Café, which is located there at a height of 147 meters.
You shouldn’t miss a visit to the Scheffel Bridge in Singen. It is a twenty meter long bridge over the river Aach. The bridge was built during the inflationary period in Germany. It cost a total of 1,520,980,901,926,024 marks and is therefore the most expensive bridge in the world.
The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg is one of the oldest universities in Germany. It was founded in 1386.
The Knight’s Castle Hornberg is something special, it was first mentioned in writing in 1884 in historical documents. The castle was bought in 1517 by Götz von Berlichingen, who lived there for almost forty-five years.
This man served Goethe as a template for his novel Götz von Berlichingen. Today the castle is a hotel with an associated museum.
Other interesting historical buildings in Baden-Württemberg are the Götzburg or the Kaiserpfalz in Bad Wimpfen.
But Germany is not just made up of Baden-Württemberg. There are other federal states, such as Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, etc. Therefore, the list of sights in Germany is extremely extensive. Everything from natural beauties, historical buildings, museums to a multitude of sacred buildings is offered.
Baden-Württemberg in Germany
Baden-Württemberg is located in the southwest of the Federal Republic of Germany and was created in 1952 through the merger of Württemberg-Baden, Baden and the former Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
The history of Baden-Württemberg
The entire area of theregionhas many finds from prehistoric times. We also know today that the first people must have lived here half a million years ago. For example, a lower jaw was found in Mauer and a so-called homoninid in Steinheim an der Murr. These ancestors of ours lived here around 500,000 to 250,000 years ago. Thus, these two finds represent parts of the oldest finds of our genus in all of Europe.
There were even real employment structures in the Stone Age. One of the oldest German jasper mines was found in Kleinkems in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg, and it can be proven that it dates from the Stone Age.
Cultural life also developed particularly early in this region. There is evidence of culture from around 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. A very old musical instrument was found here. The excavated ivory flute was discovered in 1979 in the Geißenklösterle. The artwork of the lion man probably originates from that time and was discovered in a cave in the Swabian Alb.
The so-called Hallstatt period was marked by the presence of the Celts. The numerous barrows that can be found all over Baden-Württemberg also date from this time.
In Baden-Württemberg there was a dichotomy in the Roman Empire. While the Romans established a Limes in Upper Swabia and large areas of Germany and founded their own villages and towns, there was a border through what is now Baden-Württemberg that the Romans did not cross. Today this point is roughly at Ellwangen. The Roman occupiers could not penetrate further. The peoples of the region knew how to defend themselves. The northeastern part of Baden-Württemberg was never a part of the Roman Empire, which is still proud of today.
The cities of Baden-Württemberg are characterized by magnificent old town parts with typical medieval buildings. The typical Black Forest architecture was also widespread and is still used today in the form of the half-timbered house as a stylistic device.
