World Guide

Germany

Country · Europe, Western Europe

Germany
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Located in Western Europe, Germany shares borders with nine countries, including France, Poland, and Switzerland. With a population of about 83 million and an area of 357,588 square kilometers, the country offers diverse urban centers and natural landmarks.

Highlights

This reference covers 134 sights across the country. Key architectural and historical landmarks include the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. Other notable structures are the Cologne, Ulm, and Aachen cathedrals, alongside castles such as Neuschwanstein, Eltz, Hohenzollern, Frankenstein, and Sanssouci. Visitors interested in history can also visit the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and the Kehlsteinhaus. Natural features include Lake Constance, the Lorelei, and the Zugspitze, while sports and recreation venues include the Nürburgring, Berlin Tempelhof Airport, and the Olympiastadion. Major cities include Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Dresden, Cologne, Füssen, Potsdam, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Stuttgart, Trier, Weimar, Bayreuth, Berchtesgaden, Bremen, Detmold, Erfurt, Koblenz, Leipzig, Lübeck, Regensburg, Sankt Goarshausen, and Schleswig.

Food and drink

Local offerings include various baked goods and snacks such as pretzels, bread rolls, marzipan, Stollen, and Baumkuchen. Savory options include Bratwurst, Vienna sausage, Currywurst, and meatloaf. For dessert, there is Black Forest gateau and gummy bears. Cider is also available.

When to go

The climate at the capital, Berlin, features cold winters and mild to warm summers. January and December are the coldest months, with daily highs of 3 °C and lows dropping to -2 °C or -1 °C. Temperatures increase in spring, with April seeing highs of 13 °C. Summer months from June to August offer the warmest weather, with daily highs ranging from 21 °C to 23 °C and lows between 12 °C and 15 °C. Rainfall is spread throughout the year, with the highest frequency of rainy days occurring in January and December.

Practical notes

The currency is the euro (EUR) and the official language is German. The electrical system uses 230 V with plug types C and F. Driving is on the right side of the road. The country operates on UTC+01:00 time.

Cities

Food and drink to try in Germany

  • Cider
  • Marzipan
  • Pretzel
  • Vienna sausage
  • Currywurst
  • Bread roll
  • Black Forest gateau
  • Meatloaf
  • Bratwurst
  • Stollen
  • Gummy bear
  • Baumkuchen

Top sights in Germany

  1. Neuschwanstein CastleUNESCONeuschwanstein CastleFüssen
  2. Cologne CathedralUNESCOCologne CathedralCologne
  3. NürburgringNürburgringNürburg
  4. Brandenburg GateBrandenburg GateBerlin
  5. KehlsteinhausKehlsteinhausBerchtesgaden
  6. Reichstag buildingReichstag buildingBerlin
  7. Bergen-Belsen concentration campBergen-Belsen concentration campBergen
  8. OlympiastadionOlympiastadionBerlin
  9. Ulm MinsterUlm MinsterUlm
  10. Eltz CastleEltz CastleTreis-Karden
  11. Hohenzollern CastleHohenzollern CastleTübingen
  12. Checkpoint CharlieCheckpoint CharlieBerlin
  1. Berlin Tempelhof Airport · Berlin
  2. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe · Berlin
  3. Lorelei · Sankt Goarshausen
  4. Frankenstein Castle · Darmstadt
  5. Lake Constance
  6. Zugspitze
  7. Sanssouci · Potsdam
  8. Aachen Cathedral · AachenUNESCO
  9. Berlin Palace · Berlin
  10. Berlin Tegel Airport · Berlin
  11. Fernsehturm Berlin · Berlin
  12. Reeperbahn · Hamburg
  13. Hockenheimring · Hockenheim
  14. Berlin Cathedral · Berlin
  15. Nymphenburg Palace · Munich
  16. Pergamon Museum · Berlin
  17. Heidelberg Castle · Heidelberg
  18. Rhine–Main–Danube Canal
  19. Berlin Victory Column · Berlin
  20. Munich Residenz · Munich
  21. Frauenkirche, Munich · Munich
  22. Landsberg Prison · Landsberg am Lech
  23. Wadden Sea
  24. Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church · Berlin
  25. Harz
  26. Linderhof Palace · Füssen
  27. Soviet War Memorial · Berlin
  28. Meyer Werft · Papenburg
  29. Museum Island · BerlinUNESCO
  30. Monument to the Battle of the Nations · Leipzig
  31. Porta Nigra · TrierUNESCO
  32. Speyer Cathedral · SpeyerUNESCO
  33. Hohenschwangau Castle · Füssen
  34. Frauenkirche, Dresden · Dresden
  35. Elbphilharmonie · Hamburg
  36. Walhalla · Regensburg
  37. Nuremberg Castle · Nuremberg
  38. Glienicke Bridge · Potsdam
  39. Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp · Nordhausen
  40. Schwerin Castle · Schwerin
  41. Wartburg · EisenachUNESCO
  42. Fuggerei · Augsburg
  43. Hedeby · SchleswigUNESCO
  44. Topography of Terror · Berlin
  45. All Saints' Church, Wittenberg · Lutherstadt WittenbergUNESCO
  46. Neues Museum · Berlin
  47. Hermannsdenkmal · Detmold
  48. Altes Museum · BerlinUNESCO
  49. Miniatur Wunderland · Hamburg
  50. Brocken · Schierke
  51. Königssee · Berchtesgaden
  52. Deutsches Museum · Munich
  53. Bayreuth Festspielhaus · Bayreuth
  54. Danevirke · Schleswig
  55. Schloss Charlottenburg · Berlin
  56. Aula Palatina · TrierUNESCO
  57. East Side Gallery · Berlin
  58. Regensburg Cathedral · Regensburg
  59. Glücksburg Castle · Flensburg
  60. Würzburg ResidenceUNESCO
  61. Alte Pinakothek · Munich
  62. Ludwigsburg Palace · Ludwigsburg
  63. Cecilienhof · Potsdam
  64. New Town Hall · Munich
  65. Zwinger · Dresden
  66. Bavarian Alps
  67. St. Nicholas Church, Hamburg · Hamburg
  68. Lichtenstein Castle · Reutlingen
  69. Port of Hamburg · Hamburg
  70. Externsteine · Detmold
  71. Trier Cathedral · TrierUNESCO
  72. Semperoper · Dresden
  73. Alte Nationalgalerie · Berlin
  74. St. Thomas Church, Leipzig · Leipzig
  75. Berlin Zoo · Berlin
  76. Mainz Cathedral · Mainz
  77. Taunus
  78. Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium · CologneUNESCO
  79. Bode Museum · Berlin
  80. Ehrenbreitstein Fortress · Koblenz
  81. Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex · EssenUNESCO
  82. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin · Berlin
  83. Chiemsee · Chiemsee
  84. Glyptothek · Munich
  85. Dresden Castle · Dresden
  86. Mercedes-Benz Museum · Stuttgart
  87. St. Mary's Church, Lübeck · Lübeck
  88. New Palace, Potsdam · Potsdam
  89. Jewish Museum Berlin · Berlin
  90. Neue Nationalgalerie · Berlin
  91. Magdeburg Cathedral · Magdeburg
  92. Freiburg Minster · Freiburg
  93. Bamberg Cathedral · Bamberg
  94. Oberbaum Bridge · Berlin
  95. St. Michael's Church, Hamburg · Hamburg
  96. Rhine Gorge · Sankt GoarshausenUNESCO
  97. Moritzburg Castle · Moritzburg
  98. Fagus FactoryUNESCO
  99. Neue Wache · Berlin
  100. Hohenzollern Bridge · Cologne
  101. Dessau-Wörlitz Garden RealmUNESCO
  102. Marksburg · Koblenz
  103. Wieskirche · FüssenUNESCO
  104. Dresden Elbe Valley · DresdenUNESCO
  105. Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces, Brühl · BrühlUNESCO
  106. Erfurt Cathedral · Erfurt
  107. Bergpark WilhelmshöheUNESCO
  108. Lorsch Abbey · LorschUNESCO
  109. Weissenhof Estate · StuttgartUNESCO
  110. St. Michael's Church, HildesheimUNESCO
  111. Bauhaus University, Weimar · WeimarUNESCO
  112. Old Synagogue · ErfurtUNESCO
  113. Margravial Opera House · BayreuthUNESCO
  114. Bremen Roland · BremenUNESCO
  115. Haus am Horn · WeimarUNESCO
  116. Porsche Museum · Stuttgart
  117. Lutherhaus · Lutherstadt WittenbergUNESCO
  118. Bremen City Hall · BremenUNESCO
  119. Wallraf–Richartz Museum · Cologne
  120. Stadtkirche Wittenberg · Lutherstadt WittenbergUNESCO
  121. Duchess Anna Amalia Library · WeimarUNESCO
  122. Holsten Gate · Lübeck

UNESCO sites in Germany →

Weather by month

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 23 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C3481319212323191373
Average low, °C-2-11491215151173-1
Rainfall, mm483946335760595948404653
Rainy days131110991012117121113

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Berlin (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

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