Fairytale villages on the Romantic Road. Take Bavaria’s most famous road trip to discover a magic kingdom that’s just as cute as Disney, but where the ancient towers, steep roofs and overflowing window boxes are all real.
Schloss Neuschwanstein. Mad King Ludwig’s maddest creation combines Wagneria inspiration with a superbly dramatic alpine site to create a romantic fantasy from the age of chivalry.
Time travel in a Trabant car for a dose of Eastern bloc nostalgia in Berlin.
Hiking in Bavaria. Fabulous mountain scenery, clean mountain air and a challenge for even the most serious hikers.
Dip a paddle on Hamburg’s canals or lose a week on Mecklenburg’s lakes; getting afloat in Germany is slow travel at its best.
Skiing at Garmisch-Partenkirchen and test your mettle on the fearsome Kandahar World Cup run.
Beer Gardens. Dappled shade and cool, refreshing beer make a Biergarten the perfect place to laze your way through a summer’s afternoon.
Kaffee und Kuchen. Another natural obsession: this mid-afternoon sugar rush is one to be lingered over, and should give you new legs for sightseeing afterwards.