Germany: Berlin, Bavaria and the Rhine Valley — Where to Go and What to Try

Berlin: history and contemporary culture

Berlin is a city where history is visible at every turn. The Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag with its glass dome, the surviving sections of the Berlin Wall and Museum Island on the Spree. Neighbourhoods full of cafés, markets and street art are just as memorable, and in summer so are the parks and riverbanks where Berliners themselves come to relax.

Bavaria: Munich, castles and the Alps

In the south of the country lies Bavaria. Munich has its beer gardens, Marienplatz and museums, and a day trip from the city takes you to fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle, perched on a crag at the foot of the Alps. From here it's easy to head out to mountain lakes, Alpine villages and the Romantic Road, with medieval towns such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The Rhine Valley and Cologne

The Middle Rhine Valley is all steep vineyard slopes, hilltop castles and charming wine-making towns. Pleasure boats cruise the river, and cycle paths run along its banks. Further north stands Cologne with its majestic Gothic cathedral — one of the most recognisable buildings in Germany.

Hamburg and the north

Hamburg is a port city with canals, the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. And along the Baltic and North Sea coasts you'll find sandy beaches, seaside resort towns and islands.

What to try

German cuisine is hearty, and every federal state has its own favourite dishes.

• Sausages — from Bavarian white sausages to grilled Thuringian ones.
• Pretzels — salty knotted breads eaten with butter or alongside a beer.
• Schnitzel with potato salad.
• Pork knuckle with sauerkraut in Bavaria.
• Beer from local breweries and wines from the Rhine and Moselle valleys.
• Black Forest cherry cake and apple strudel.

Good to know before you go

Germany is a convenient and orderly country, and a few simple tips will help you feel at ease.

• On Sundays most shops are closed; it's mainly cafés, museums and shops at railway stations that stay open.
• In some cafés and small shops it's still easier to pay in cash.
• Cycle paths are separated from pavements — it's best not to walk on them.
• Paper tickets for local public transport often need to be validated before your journey.
• Plastic and glass bottles are returned to machines in supermarkets, and you get your deposit back.

Staying connected

In Germany you need the internet from the very first minutes: to open a map, check train timetables, buy a ticket, or show your hotel booking. You can install your eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, so after landing you won't have to hunt for a SIM card at the airport or stand in queues. When a plan's validity begins is shown on the checkout page before you pay: for some plans it starts at the first connection in the destination country, for others on installation or right after purchase. Your main number stays in your phone, and calls and messages to it keep arriving as usual, under your carrier's terms.