Germany is Europe's most economically powerful country and one of its most culturally underrated destinations. The obvious draw is Berlin — a city of extraordinary energy, cheap rents, great museums, and a nightlife scene that doesn't begin until most European cities are closing. But Germany has 16 federal states, each with a distinct identity: the Hanseatic port culture of Hamburg, the Baroque magnificence of Dresden, the Rhineland wine culture, the medieval towns of Thuringia, and the Alpine scenery of Bavaria.
Germany is Europe's most economically powerful country and one of its most culturally underrated destinations. The obvious draw is Berlin — a city of extraordinary energy, cheap rents, great museums, and a nightlife scene that doesn't begin until most European cities are closing. But Germany has 16 federal states, each with a distinct identity: the Hanseatic port culture of Hamburg, the Baroque magnificence of Dresden, the Rhineland wine culture, the medieval towns of Thuringia, and the Alpine scenery of Bavaria.
The country's relationship with its 20th-century history is unusually honest — memorials, museums, and honest interpretation are built into the urban fabric in ways that visitors often find striking. German engineering, German food (better than its reputation), and German festivals (Oktoberfest is real, but the Christmas markets are equally worth it) make for a rich and varied travel experience.