Germany : Berlin and the Bavaria. Modern Frankfurt and traditional Munich. The contrasts abound
Intro
Germany is a large country, the most populous in Western Europe. There is a lot to see, but for the first-timer, I have put together a simple itinerary that brings together the best of old traditions and modern Germany.
We start in Munich, a traditional city that is at the forefront of modern engineering, pass through historical cities rebuilt after World War 2 and end in Berlin, which is a thoroughly modern European capital city.
Travel Style
This is a train trip. Rail travel in Germany is much better than in some countries but by European standards it does have some failures. Despite the potential delays it is an efficient way of travelling as a tourist and gets you from city centre to city centre quicker than driving in the majority of cases.
10 Day Germany itinerary
Germany is a pretty large country and the interesting regions are quite spread out. This itinerary is for an introduction and definitely misses out on some fascinating quarters of the country. For more you really need to concentrate on a region. I have other itineraries that cover more detail but necessity leave out some of the better known landmarks.
Arrival in Munich
As you have most likely been travelling overnight there isn’t much need for a full day of activity. Just check in to your accommodation and recover from the flight.
Take a short stroll around town to get a feel for the city and maybe visit the famous Hofbrauhaus brewery for a traditional dinner and a Bavarian beer. Of course during Octoberfest you will have to book this months in advance. The last two weeks of September are a crazy time in town. If you are not coming specifically for Oktoberfest then maybe it is best avoiding this period in Munich. The hotels are more expensive, the restaurants are full and the city centre is a bit crazy in the evenings.
Munich old town and English Garden
Time to Explore Munich Fully. Getting a guided tour in the morning is a great idea. The insights you get from a guide a much more than you get from just wandering on your own checking out what you read in a book. Munich was destroyed in WWII so there is a lot that has been rebuilt. In fact only two church towers remain in their original form but you would be forgiven for thinking that much more is older. The Nazis realised that their city would be bombed so they archived the plans for every building to rebuild as before. A guide will help point out what the interesting stories behind the faux-old buildings.
There are a few things worth seeing. The churches, St Peter’s is a good one and the Old Town hall are must sees.
In the afternoon spend time in the English Garden. Maybe even have lunch there, in one of the many traditional beer gardens in the park. This massive park in the city is a great place to soak up the atmosphere of the locals during the summer months. There are a few great museums to showcase Munich as well. The Deutsche Museum is the German Technological Museum, one of the best anywhere. The BMW Museum obviously tells the story of the massive car manufacturer. The Residenz has some great art and Nymphenburg is one of the Palaces of the Old King of Bavaria, Ludwig(Louis) II. The one who built Neuschwanstein Castle, the one Disney used for inspiration.
Day Trip to Nuremberg (or Neuschwanstein)
Munich is a big city but is limited in what it offers a visitor. It has long been the capital of Bavaria which could be a country in its own right, but Munich seems to be missing the vibe of other capital cities.
My recommendation is to take a day trip to visit more of Bavaria. Nuremberg, just over an hour by train, is a great place for those interested in History. It is tied up with the history of the Nazi Party. The National Socialist rallies of the 1930’s were held there in the Reichsparteigelände. The associated documentation museum will give you a glimpse into the fascist state as Hitler came to power.
Nuremberg’s old town is also quite pretty with its islands on the river Pegnitz. During the advent period the city is host to one of the biggest Christmas markets in the country.
Another option for a day from Munich is in the opposite direction. Neuschwanstein is about 2 hours from Munich to the South West. The castle built by Ludwig II is well known but is honestly much better from the outside. Hiking in the area is good and there are a few lakes nearby as well. If you want to see Ludwig’s best castle though head to Herrenchiemsee, a lake to the South East of Munich. On an island here he built a copy of Louis the 14th’s Versailles which bankrupted him.
Frankfurt
Heading North it is time to get the train to Frankfurt. If you like changing hotels often you could have stayed in Nuremberg last night. Otherwise get the train from Munich main station via Stuttgart to Frankfurt. Frankfurt is the commercial capital of Germany but as a city is not very large. Big numbers of people live in the surrounding area but the city centre is relatively compact.
The trip from Munich to Frankfurt is about 4 hours. Some more express trains will do it in 3.5 hrs.
The main train station in Frankfurt is about 20 mins from foot from the Cathedral and the old town square. Along the way you will pass the modern part of Frankfurt. It is one of the few European cities with real skyscrapers.
In the old town you will find the home of Goethe, worth a stop if you are of a literary mind. I recommend the stop off here just to see the difference in Culture in Frankfurt, and simply because it is a good base for a couple of days. The city which is home to bankers and insurance brokers has a completely different vibe from the more traditional Munich.
Not everything is top class restaurants and fancy cocktail bars. There are plenty of low key places for the regular people of the city as well.
Day Trip to Heidelberg and Mainz
It is time to backtrack a little bit. Take the early morning train back south to Heidelberg. Overlooking the Neckar River, Heidelberg is famous for its castle. It isn’t just the castle though.
The town, speciffically the old town on the river is very pretty. A hike up the hill, or a funnicular if you prefer, brings you to the famous castle. A visit to the castle is a must and you need to stop by the famous and massive Wine cask. During the middle ages the method of taxation was tithing, taking ten percent of a farmer’s or tradesmans goods instead of cash. Because a lot of wine was grown in the surrounding hills beside the River Neckar and the Rhine the lords of Heidleberg collected a lot of tithes in the form of wine.
For this they had a couple of massive casks in the cellar to store it all. It was a blended wine from all of the local producers and I am not sure that it tasted great. While modern wine from the region is well produced I am not sure about the medieval prodcution methods.
After lunch head back north but not towards Frankfurt, rather towards Mainz. Mainz has also got a pretty old town. Housed in one of the old buildings here is the Guttenberg Museum. Johannes Guttenberg lived here in the 1400s and is famous as the printer of the Guttenberg Bible, the very first printed version of this historically important book. This wasn’t an easy task for him. In fact before this there was no such thing as a printing press in Europe. It was his invention of moveable type that allowed him to develop a machine capable of printing multiple copies of his bible.
The town of Mainz on the river Rhine was always an important trading post as were most river towns but it is the as the home of Guttenberg and his printing press that made it the important city that we know today.
It is a short train ride back to Frankfurt.
Cologne via the Rhine
Continuing downstream along the Rhine the next major city is Cologne. There are direct trains along the route, plenty of express trains but my preference is for the slow route along the river.
There are plenty of small interesting places to see on the way.
Head towards Ruddesheim by train and from there transfer to one of the Rhine boats. It is a gentle cruise downstream to Koblenz through the Rhine gorges one of the most beautiful parts of the river.
Along the way you will be treated to hill top castles, beautiful scenery and the famous Lorelei cliff at the narrowest and deepest part of the river. Don’t worry modern ships have no difficulty with this but before motorised boats travel here was extremely dangerous and lead to the creation of numerous myths. Among them is the Lorelei, who enticed the sailors to their deaths with their beautiful singing, reminiscent of the Sirens of ancient Greece. They also appear as the Rhinemaidens in Wagner’s operas.
After a comfortable cruise, head to the train to continue to Cologne. If you prefer, the Main station has lockers to leave your luggage and allows you to explore Koblenz a little. The old town is about 10 minutes from the train station. Koblenz was an important trading hub on the river 500 years ago as it was the junction between two regions. The Mosel River flows into the Rhine here and was used to transfer wine from that famous wine growing region to the cities downstream. Today the Mosel (Moselle in French) region is known for its Rieslings.
On arrival into Cologne you will cross the famous Railway bridge over the Rhine and see the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe.
Travel to Berlin
In the morning head out to explore Cologne. The city was mostly flattened during WW2 bombing raids. One of the reasons the fantastic gothic cathedral is still standing is due to its spires being a great landmark for the bombers. No I am not mixing things up with Munich. This pretty much happened everywhere. Unlike Munich though the city was rebuilt in a much more modern way.
The cathedral which avoided much dammage is worth a visit. The stained glass is a bit more modern than the general plan as the cathedral wasn’t completed until the 19th Century. The important parts, the Choir and the Facade were built between the 13th and 15th centuries. However the nave, between the two wasn’t proplerly constructed until the 19th Century along with the final spires. Infact, the crane on top of the spires stood still for about 400 years, a symbol on the skyline of the unfinished masterpiece.
Around the Cathedral area is what was once the old town of Cologne. The area made wealthy by river trading. This area is today a more modern city center than other European cities as it was rebuilt through the 50’s and 60’s.
Around lunch time take the train to Berlin. It is a 5 hour trip so relax as you head across the country. The first parts are quite industrial and urban but as you reach the middle of Germany towards what was the old border between East and West, the land becomes more rural and compared to the Rhine valley, one could say nearly empty.
Berlin
There is much to see and do in Berlin. It is Europes youngest capital city. In terms of population It definitely attracts the youth of the continent and the young start up businesses of the EU. but saying that it is a young capital though is maybe misleading. It became the capital city of the Reunited Germany only in the 1990s but was previously the capital city of the German Reich and previously Prussia.
There is more to see and do here than just going out partying with Europe’s youngsters. Though that is worthwile as well.
Noteably the city is split into multiple neighborhoods. Those of the old East and West are blending together but are still distinct.
Starting in the Mitte (middle district) with the Brandenburg gate is a good start. Around here is central Berlin. The Main street leads from here towards the Museum Insle, the museum Island. Housed in imperial era buildings are a few of Germany’s best museums. The Famous Pergamon museum is closed for renovations but the outside is still architecturally interesting. In the area is the Berlin Cathedral as well.
The famous Berlin Wall is no longer at thing and East and West are hard to distinguish. However there are two parts of the wall still important. Checkpoint Charlie, the famous, crossing point on the wall has a museum showing the important aspects of controlling the border between the “Free World” and the communist world. The individual parts of The Wall are now mostly gone, but the East Side Gallery has some of the parts covered with more interesting grafiti. On that note Grafiti in Berlin is better known as street art and the city has tons of interesting murals. Keep an eye out for them or get a guided tour of the more interesting ones if you are interested.
After a bit of History head towards Alexanderplatz. The a trip up the TV Tower has amazing views over the city. Leading away from Alexanderplatz is Karl Marx Allee. This broad avenue was the main street of East Germany and along both sides has stunning communist era buildings.
In this area is Freidrichschain. This is a great area for restaurants and pubs if you are looking for something that represents cosmopolitan Berlin.
Berlin – A city of Rememberence
There are a few more things you can do in Berlin that are well worth it. As the capital of the Nazi attempt at an empire they put a lot into the city. One of the most interesting sights is the Berlin Underground.
A network of tunnels and working rooms for the government to avoid the bombing raids of the allied forces this modern museum is fairly unique. The Templehof airport has a similar underground feature as well. It was known also for the airlift that fed the people of West Berlin when the Soviets tried to prevent land supplies from the west.
The sombre Holocaust Memorial is a must see. I reccomend going here for a bit of quiet contemplation. No matter what your reason to be in Berlin, a reminder of how horrible the world can get is important to make sure we prevent horrors on such a scale again. Also associated with the Nazi era atrocities and around the corner is the Topography of Terror documentation center. It is housed in the old building of the SS secuity services and the secret police, the Gestapo.
On the subject of the secret police, after the split into East and West the East maintained a police force that spied on their own people. The Stasi as they were known are explained in the excellent Stasi Museum.
Return Home
If you have more time in Berlin in the Morning a small cruise along the Spree River or a trip up the TV Tower will give you a different view of the city.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end and this Itinerary is no different.
Conclusion
This itinerary missed out on some of traditional Germany. The Black Forest, for example, is beautiful. However, considerations have to be made for an itinerary that covers the whole country.
For a more off the beaten track itinerary, Munich, Nuremberg and the Black Forest is a great ten days. Also, the Hanseatic League cities of the North are great for exploring an often overlooked area.
If you enjoy the mountains of the south then Austria has even more mountains and they speak German too. My 10 day Austrian itinerary should give you some good ideas.
