Heidelberg
A picturesque town featuring picturesque Heidelberg Castle and picturesque postcards, it couldn't be more picturesque. Visitors rarely miss a stroll along the Hauptstrasse through the old town.
Reichstag, Berlin
Germany's past and future are represented in no other building quite like this one. Construction started in 1884, and a decade later it was the parliament for Bismark's German Empire. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, British architect Sir Norman Foster's glass dome has capped off the Hitler-tainted building's rebirth as a united democracy. Visitors can walk right up to the dome and even have a meal there.
Cologne Cathedral
The dom is a positively enormous thirteenth-century Gothic cathedral in the centre of the city (a few steps from the central train station) that makes a trip to Cologne worthwhile on its own.
The Marienplatz glockenspiel, Munich
This hyperactive cuckoo clock in central Munich forms part of the town hall's Gothic façade. Time your visit for 11a.m, noon or 5p.m and you'll get to see the re-enactment of Duke William V's wedding to Renata von Lothringen.
Neuschwanstein
If you're one of those picky travelers who'd rather see the original than be satisfied with the Disney replication, you'll need to brave the crowds and make a pilgrimage to this famous "Sleeping Beauty" castle. (Extra Bonus; there's now also Musical Theatre Neuschwanstein, a nightly performance based on King Ludwig II's tragic life.)
Dachau concentration camp
No matter what you've read or how many movies you've seen on the subject, it's hard to appreciate what happened under Hitler's regime without a trip to a concentration camp memorial. Dachau wasn't the largest such death machine but it was the first to be built, and a few hours of wandering the grounds will likely leave a powerful imprint in your soul.
Soak in a spa at Baden-Baden
Germany's most famous spa lies in the heart of the Black Forest. Its famed curative mineral waters bubble up from thermal springs at temperatures over 68.C. The Therme of Caracilla is popular with families, but for a more upscale (and less clothed) experience, try Friedrichsbad
Cycle along the Danube
The cycle path that runs along the Danube river passes monasteries, castles, meadows and forests on a route that is littered with UNESCO World Heritage Sites. If you get hooked, you can continue all the way down to Vienna and Bratislava.
Windsurf LakeConstance
Near the Swiss border, the winds of Lake Constance lure German windsurfers by the dozen. Rent a board at Strandbad Eichwald. If your arms get tired, you can also fish the lake (with a permit) for pike, perch and eel. Or head to Lindau, rent a bike, and circle the water on two wheels. Or just take a dip; the mountains surrounding the lake provide magical backdrop for a swim.
Mountain bike the Black Forest
The Black Forest park has the largest network of mountain-bike trails in the world - about 1400km worth, and with routes for all levels. There are several places to access the trails: the Elz and Simonswalder valleys, Triberg, Schonach, Schonwald, Furtwangen, St Georgen, Hardt, Lauterbach, Schramberg and Tennenbronn.
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