10 Top Tourist Attractions in Germany

Though it remains far less well known or understood by foreigners than some other European countries, since reunification Germany has gained a higher profile as a travel destination. The most popular destination is Berlin, one of the most fascinating capitals in Europe. Many of Germanys other major cities have proud histories as independent city states or as capitals of kingdoms in their own right. But the tourist attractions in Germany are by no means limited to the cities and many other great attractions can be found in every part of the country. 10Rgen Cliffs The Rgen Cliffs are located in the Jasmund National Park in the northeast of Rgen island. Facing constant erosion the chalk cliffs tower high above the Baltic Sea. The 118 meter (387 feet) high Knigsstuhl (kings chair) is the most majestic part of the cliffs. The undisturbed forests behind the cliffs are also part of the national park.

9Romantic Rhine The Romantic Rhine is the most famous section of the Rhine, running between from Koblenz to Bingen. The river Rhine carves its way here through steep vineyard-covered hills topped with countless castles and ruins. The river has been an important trade route into central Europe since ancient times and a string of small towns has grown up along the banks. Constrained in size, many of these old towns retain a historic feel today.

8Frauenkirche Located in Dresden, the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) is a Lutheran church that was completely destroyed during WWII. The church reconstructed using original plans from the 1720s and reopened in 2005. The city of Coventry, which was raided by the Luftwaffe donated the golden cross for the dome of the church. Since its reopening, the Frauenkirche has been a hugely popular tourist attraction in Dresden. In 2009 the church was visited by President Barack Obama.

7Lindau The historic city Lindau is located near the meeting point of the Austrian, German and Swiss borders in the eastern part of Lake Constance (Bodensee). The city is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway and has about 3,000 inhabitants. Full of medieval and half-timbered buildings, Lindau is quite a popular tourist attraction.

6Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest Volksfest in the world with over 6 million visitors annually. Despite the name, the Oktoberfest starts at the end of September until the first weekend in October. An important part of Bavarian culture, the festival has been held since 1810. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of traditional fare such as Hendl, Schweinebraten, Wrstl, Kndel and large quantities of German beer.

5Cologne Cathedral Easily the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany, Cologne Cathedral (Kln er Dom) has been Colognes most famous landmark for centuries. Construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, more than 600 years to complete. It is dedicated to the saints Peter and Mary and is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne.

4Holstentor The Holstentor is one of the two remaining city gates of the city of Lbeck. Built in 1464, the gate now serves as a museum. Because of its two captivating round towers and arched entrance it is regarded as a symbol of Lbeck. Together with the old city center (Altstadt) of Lbeck it is one of the top tourist attractions in Germany.

3Heidelberg Old City Located in the Neckar river valley, Heidelberg is one Germanys most popular tourist destinations. During WWII, the city was almost completely spared by allied bombings which destroyed most of Germanys larger inner cities. As a result, Heidelberg has retained its baroque charm of narrow streets, picturesque houses and the famous Heidelberg Castle.

2Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate is the only surviving city gate of Berlin and symbolizes the reunification of East and West Berlin. Built in the 18th century, the Brandenburg Gate is the entry to Unter den Linden, the prominent boulevard of linden trees which once led directly to the palace of the Prussian monarchs. It is regarded as one of the most famous landmarks in Europe.

1Neuschwanstein The ultimate fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein is situated on a rugged hill near Fssen in southwest Bavaria. It was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castles in the Disneyland parks. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria who was declared insane when the castle was almost completed in 1886 and found dead a few days later. Neuschwanstein is the most photographed building in the country and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany.

The Black Forest One of the top 10 tourist spots in Germany, the Black Forest is an attractive mountain range at BadenWurttemberg in southwestern Germany. The Feldberg is considered as the highest peak of the mountain range, which height measures 4,898 feet. The breadth of the mountain range is 37 miles while the length measures 120 miles. Some of the mountains found in the range are the Belchen, the Kandel and the Schauinsland.

Museum Ludwig Another tourist spot to visit in Germany is the Museum Ludwig. This site features numerous modern artworks. The place was established in 1976. One of the attractions in the site is the Sammlung Haubrich, Josef Haubrichs art collection. The artworks included in the collection were gathered by Haubrich from 1914 to 1939.

Lake Constance Included in the list of the top 10 Europes longest rivers, Lake Constance is a popular river at the foot of the Alps. It is consisted of three bodies of water, namely the Seerhein, the Untersee and the Obersee. At this tourist spot, people can find several islands including the Lindau, the Mainau Island and the Reichenau Island.

Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced [n vantan]) is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Fssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner. Contrary to common belief[citation needed], Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds (see below). The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886.[1] Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle.[2] More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer.[3] The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle[4] and later, similar structures. Seven weeks after the death of King Ludwig II in 1886, Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. The shy king had built the castle in order to withdraw from public life now vast numbers of people came to view his private refuge.Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. Every year 1.3 million people visit "the castle of the fairy-tale king". In the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.The setting of Neuschwanstein could not be more idyllic. However, movement in the foundation area has to be continuously monitored, and the sheer rock walls must be repeatedly secured. The harsh climate also has a detrimental effect on the limestone faades, which will have to be renovated section by section over the next few years. The man behind it So, who was this man, who had such a masterpiece of a castle constructed and what were his motives? The story behind Ludwig II is almost as intriguing and romanticized as the castle itself.Ludwig was the oldest son of Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria. He lived a typical life of a young royal, with a strict regimen of study and exercise and rather harsh relations to his father and mother. Ludwig spent much of his time at Castle Hohenschwangau, the former ruined castle of Schwanstein, which his father had rebuilt in a gothic style.Hohenschwangau means in a strict translation The upper land of the Swans and the castle was decorated with scenes from medieval legends and poetry, including the legend of the swan knight Lohengrin. The swan was also the heraldic animal of the Knights of Schwangau, whose successor the Maximilian II considered himself to be. Quick Facts: Names: - Neuschwanstein Castle, Scholss Neuschwanstein. Constructed: - Between 1868-1892. Founded by: - Ludwig II. Main architect:

- Christian Jank. Today: - Known as one of the most beauitufl castles in the world. The contract signed on 5 February 1976 by Mr and Mrs Ludwig covering their donation to the City of Cologne marked the founding of Museum Ludwig. In the contract, Peter and Irene Ludwig agreed to endow 350 modern artworks and in return the City of Cologne committed itself to build a dedicated "Museum Ludwig" for works made after the year 1900. The "twin" museum designed by the architectural team Peter Busmann and Godfrid Haberer, and opened in 1986, became home to both the Wallraf Richartz Museum as well as Museum Ludwig. In 1994 it was decided to separate the two institutions and to place the building on Bischofsgartenstrasse at the sole disposal of Museum Ludwig. TIMELINE 5 FEBRUARY 1976 Founding of Museum Ludwig on the signing of the contract with Peter and Irene Ludwig covering their endowment (Russian avant-garde 1905-1935) 1977 Founding of the Photography and Video Collection (purchase of works from the Gruber Collection) 1986 Inauguration of the new building designed by Busmann und Haberer 1988 Endowment made by Gnther und Carola Peil 1994 Donation by Peter and Irene Ludwig (Picasso) NOVEMBER 2000 Kasper Knig becomes the new director 1 NOVEMBER 2001 Exhibition to celebrate the reopening of the house - "Museum of our Wishes" The collection at Museum Ludwig covers the major currents and approaches in twentieth century and contemporary art. The core collection was amassed by a Cologne lawyer, Dr. Josef Haubrich (1889-1961). Directly after World War 2, in May 1946, he presented the City of Cologne with his Expressionism collection (Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, August Macke, Otto Mueller) and works by other representatives of Classical Modernism (Marc Chagall, Otto Dix). In October 1946 a selection of 100 paintings was presented for the first time in the old University of Cologne.Among the visitors to this now legendary exhibition was a 21 year-old art history student from Mainz - Peter Ludwig. He was not only impressed by the art, but equally so by the collector and donor Josef Haubrich. As a person who had been denied the chance to see contemporary art in his youth as a result of the Nazi regime, after this encounter he resolved to likewise collect art and make it available to the general public.The first gift from the Ludwigs in 1976 brought works by the Russian avant-garde from the period 1905 to 1935 (Goncharova, Larionov, Exter, Popova, Malevich, Rodchenko) of singular quality and quantity to the newly founded museum. In addition to this came the most extensive American Pop Art Collection outside of the USA (including paintings, objects and environments by Lichtenstein, Rosenquist, Warhol and Wesselmann). The Frauenkirche Dresden can look back on a 1000-year history. Already its predecessor churches were dedicated to the Mother of God and called Frauenkirche. In the 18th century, the famous dome structure by George Bhr was built and dominated Dresdens cityscape for 200 years. The church was destroyed shortly before the end of World War II. Its ruin remained as a memorial at the heart of the city. The name Frauenkirche is by no means unusual: you will find a Frauenkirche or Liebfrauenkirche in around 40 cities throughout Germany, including Meien, Munich, Nuremberg and Bremen. They can also be found in other European countries such as Belgium or France, where they are called Notre Dame, or Our Lady, and refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus. A Frauenkirche is thus a church that has been or is consecrated in honour of the Virgin Mary. The original name of the Dresden Frauenkirche was Unserer Lieben Frauen, which dates back to

the time the church was founded in the Middle Ages. The name was shortened over time to Frauenkirche and even retained after the Reformation despite the fact that the Protestant Church knows no adoration of the Virgin Mary. Dedicated to the saints Peter and Mary, Cologne Cathedral (Klner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. Cologne Cathedral is the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany and has been Cologne's most famous landmark for centuries. Once the tallest building in the world, Cologne Cathedral still boasts the world's largest church faade. The cathedral's main treasure is a golden reliquary containing the remains of the Three Magi of Christmas story fame. These relics and other treasures have made Cologne Cathedral a major pilgrimage destination for centuries. History Cologne Cathedral stands on the site of a 4th century Roman temple, followed by a square church known as the "oldest cathedral" commissioned by Maternus, the first Christian bishop of Cologne. A second church built on the site, the "Old Cathedral," was completed in 818. This burned down on April 30, 1248.Construction of the present Gothic church began in the 13th century and took, with interruptions, more than 600 years to complete. The new structure was built to house the relics of the Three Magi, taken from Milan by Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick Barbarossa and given to the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald von Dassel in 1164.The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral was laid on August 15, 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden, and the choir was consecrated in 1322. After this initial rapid progress, construction work gradually came to a standstill, and by the year 1560, only a torso had been built.Only with the 19th century Romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and the commitment of the Prussian Court did construction work resume. 1824 saw the addition of the towers and other substantial parts of the cathedral, mostly according to surviving medieval plans and drawings.The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880, 632 years after construction had began. The celebration was attended by Emperor Wilhelm I.The cathedral suffered 14 hits by World War II aerial bombs but did not collapse and reconstruction was completed in 1956. In the northwest tower's base, an emergency repair carried out with bad-quality brickstones taken from a nearby war ruin remained visible until the late 1990s as a reminder of the War, but then it was decided to reconstruct this section according to the original appearance. It is possible to climb a spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 98 metres above the ground.In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites and in 2004, it was placed on the "World Heritage in Danger" list. The Holsten Gate ("Holstein Tor", later "Holstentor") is a city gate marking off the western boundary of the old center of the Hanseatic city of Lbeck. This Brick Gothic construction is one of the relics of Lbecks medieval city fortifications and the only remaining city gate, except for the Citadel Gate ("Burgtor"). Because its two round towers and arched entrance are so well known it is regarded today as a symbol of this German city, and together with the old city centre (Altstadt) of Lbeck it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. History The rich and wealthy Hanseatic city of Lbeck felt the need in the course of the centuries to protect itself from outside threats with ever stronger walls and fortifications. Three gates gave access to the city: the Citadel Gate in the north, Mill Gate in the south, and the Holsten Gate in the west. To the east, the city was protected by the dammed Wakenitz River. Here, the less martial Hxter Gate led out of the city.These city gates were initially simple gates which were repeatedly strengthened over time so that they eventually all had an outer, middle and inner gate. Today, only fragments remain of these ancient city gates. The gate now known as the Citadel Gate is the former Interior Citadel Gate; the Middle and Outer Citadel Gates no longer exist. All three Mill Gates have completely disappeared. The gate now known as the Holsten Gate is the former Middle Holsten Gate; there was also an (older) Inner Holsten Gate, an Outer Holsten Gate, and even a fourth gate, known as the Second Outer Holsten Gate. So the history of the Holsten Gate is actually the history of four consecutive gates, although only one of them is left.The names of the individual gates changed as a matter of course as their components emerged and disappeared. The Middle Holsten Gate was once the Outer Holsten Gate before the gates on either side were constructed. Still today there is a great deal of confusion about the names as one studies the historical record. The four gates and their history are described below.

One of Berlin's most famous sights, the Brandenburg Gate is located on the western edge of Pariser Platz just inside the former East Berlin. Rising up from behind the Berlin Wall, it was a potent symbol of Berlin's division. From the construction of the Wall in 1961 up until 1989 the Brandenburg Gate was inaccessible to the general public.

History
The Brandenburg Gate in 1764 The first Brandenburg Gate (pictured right) was built in 1734, when a permimeter wall was constructed around the edge of the city. This wall, called the "Zoll- und Akzisemauer" ("Customs and Excise Wall") was not for defensive purposes but for controlling the flow of people and goods to and from the city. As well as the Brandenburg Gate, 17 other gates were built, none of which have survived to the present day, alhtough many have lent their names to the area or the street crossings where they once stood.the current Brandenburg Gate was constructed between 1788 and 1791 as part of a programme of building works to improve the wall and many of its gates. The Brandenburg Gate was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans in the classicist style; in 1793 it was complemented by the Quadriga, the triumphal statue of the winged goddess of peace driving a four-horse chariot.The Quadriga In 1806 the Quadriga was stolen by Napoleon following the occupation of Berlin by the French army and it was removed to Paris. It was returned to Berlin in 1814 following Napoleon's fall from power, and the statue's olive wreath was exchanged for an Iron Cross.War damage in 1945 Until his abdication following the First World War, the middlemost of the five portals was reserved for the exclusive use of the Kaiser. The other four were open to general traffic, including motorised traffic. Evening at the Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate was used extensively by the Nazis for propaganda purposes, beginning with a torchlit parade by the SA following their acquisition of power in 1933. The Gate was heavily damaged during the Second World War and partially destroyed during the final battle for Berlin. The Quadriga suffered particularly, and of the original only one horse's ear remains; this is now exhibited in the Mrkisches Museum.Following the Second World War the Brandenburg Gate found itself just inside the Soviet sector, putting it under control of the East Berlin government. Between 1956 and 1957 the Gate was restored in an act of cooperation between both halves of the divided city. The Quadriga was also reproduced using the original forms, although East Berlin insisted on the removal of the Iron Cross and Eagle as symbols of militarism. The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald, pronounced [vatsvald is a wooded mountain range in BadenWrttemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres (4,898 ft). The region is almost rectangular with a length of 160 km (99 mi) and breadth of up to 60 km (37 mi). The name Schwarzwald (German for "Black Forest") derives from the Romans who referred to the thickly forested mountains there as Silva Nigra[citation needed] (Latin for "Black Forest") because the dense growth of conifers in the forest blocked out most of the light inside the forest. Our cities (Freiburg, Kalrsruhe, Pforzheim, Freudenstadt, Offenburg, Donaueschingen combine an atmosphere of hospitality with a rich history and modern interests. You will find cultural highlights throughout the entire region, ranging from the folk drama festival on Germanys biggest open-air stage in tigheim to the Schwarzwald Musikfestival- the Black Forest music festival with numerous acts in 25 villages and cities throughout the entire Black Forest.But even without special events, the innumerable museums, exhibitions, theatres and open-air theatres offer entertainment and pleasure to suit every taste. Discover our rich history and heritage on visits to castles, churches, monasteries and marvel at the handicrafts of past eras. Old or young there is something for every generation in the cultural life of the Black Forest. tradition The traditional Bollenhut hat The Bollenhut hat with its red or black pompoms suits the Black Forest particularly well. People all over the world know the hat and hope to see one when coming to the Black Forest and the hat is both a symbol and a trademark of the Black Forest. However the Bollenhut hat is traditionally worn in only three communities in the Black Forest: Gutach, WolfachKirnbach and Hornberg-Reichenbach. The hat is a very valuable item and is made by an ever-decreasing number of skilled seamstresses and milliners. Its artful magnificence is only worn and displayed on special occasions. Furthermore the colour of the pompoms have a special meaning. Red indicates that the lady wearing the hat is unmarried, while black indicates the wearer is married. History of Black Forest Cake While we all love the Ben and Jerry flavor Cherry Garcia made of cherry ice cream, cherries and chocolate chips, long before it was invented, German bakers had invented a German dessert known as Schwarzwlder Kirschtorte, more commonly known as the Black forest cake. The German name Schwarzwlder or black forest, is a popular tourist place in Germany with dense forests and beautiful high lands. Black forest region is known for its abundant (as earlier it was a custom for newly marrieds to plant a cherry tree) and beautiful cherry trees, which were said to be an inspiration for the black forest cake.