Germany is Europe’s most populous nation and has its largest economy. For decades, the aberrations of the Nazi era obscured the achievements of Das Land der Dichter und Denker (“The Land of Poets and Thinkers”), but today the great cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Munich are once more magnets for commerce and centers of cultural sophistication. During summer, the country comes alive with cafés and beer gardens. With excellent roads, this is an ideal destination for a driving tour. The Romantic Road stretches 217 miles from Würzburg to Neuschwanstein Castle; originally a Roman trade route, it wends its way through dozens of medieval villages in Bavaria.
Summers are more showery in the south, with Munich receiving four to five inches of rain monthly from May-August. In the extreme south, the Bavarian Alps are cold and snowy during the winter but very pleasant in the summer. The North Sea coast is the mildest region and is typified by Hamburg.
To phone hotels and restaurants in Germany, dial 011 (international access) + 49 (Germany code) + city code and local numbers in listings.
Five hours ahead of New York (EST).
Berlin, Tel. 30-8305-1200. Consulates: Frankfurt, Tel. 69-7535-2100; Munich, Tel. 89-2888-0; Hamburg, Tel. 40-4117-1100.
Euro (€). Fluctuating rate valued at €1.00 = US$1.18 as of October 2017.
Passport (valid for six months beyond end of stay and containing at least two unstamped pages). Visit travel.state.gov, and for travelers’ health information, cdc.gov.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
1 (800) 375-4685
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