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My European top 5: Germany

Although many countries and cultures have captured my heart through time, there’s a handful, which I keep returning to. Read on for some European travel inspiration. Second one on the list is Germany!

Why Germany?

The only fair answer to this would be; why not? Germany is a big country offering anything from rich culinary traditions to vineyards, intriguing history and a world-famous film festival. With its perfect location in the heart of the European continent, it’s easy to reach all other countries either by train or by car. It’s a gateway to both Eastern and Western Europe.
Unfortunately, Germans have suffered with a bad reputation for many years, but things are starting to change. An increasing number of young people have opened their eyes towards the German culture, which is both interesting and vibrant - and some of the most chic and urban cities in the world are to be found here. Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich - just to mention a few.

The towes in Lübeck / Photo credit: schleswig-holstein.de

From countryside idyll to chic urban

Germany truly is the country of diversity. From the idyllic Hanseatic towns in the North to the trendy areas in the East and tradition-bound cities in Bavaria in the South. There’s plenty to choose from. Hamburg in the Northern part is named “Germany’s gateway to the world”, since it’s the biggest in the country. Just 60 kilometers North of Hamburg lies the historical Hanseatic town of Lübeck, which is home to the world-famous marzipan and traditional Christmas market. In fact, visiting this market is one of the clearest memories from my childhood.

Ever since the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Berlin has experienced a huge popularity amongst intellectuals and creatives coming here to find inspiration and freedom. Berlin is still the creative and cultural hub of Germany. It’s home to more than 3 million people, where of nearly 14% are foreigners. No matter what you’re looking for - you’ll most likely find it in Berlin.

Berlin - a modern capital! Photo credit: newartgaze.com

Breathtaking nature

Bavaria is a whole different story. This Southeastern part of the country is home to more than 12 million people as well as a breath-taking landscape and a whole lot of Bavarian beer! The famous Octoberfest takes place here each year. Oh, and Munich is the capital of the region, which thecopenhagentraveler.com will visit in December. Stay tuned for more about this!

Germany also features 90 nature parks and 15 national parks, and the magic of The Black Forest and the Alps in the South will undoubtedly sweep you off your feet - be it winter or summer.

The Black Forest / Photo credit: lonelyplanet.com

Fascinating history

History nerds (like myself) will be stoked diving into the German treasury of history. The dark shadows of World War II can still be found in shape of several concentration camps and museums, but German history is so much more than that. The once thriving kingdom holds exciting tales to be discovered, for example the insane King Ludwig (Ludwig II of Bavaria, who lived in the last half of the 19th Century). His passion was to built fairytale castles in exceptional locations and his legacy lives on. Most famous is the castle of Neuschwanstein (in Bavaria), which holds a mysterious, dark and absolutely compelling history.

Neuschwanstein Castle in the snow / Photo credit: reddit.com

 Read more about Germany here. 

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