Fortunately, I have had many opportunities to travel to Germany (aka Deutschland) and explore a number of cities and the countryside. One of my favourite activities was cruising down the Rhine river and enjoying the scenery and many castles. So far, I have not been to Munich during the famous Oktoberfest, but I have been to the Stuttgart version.
The different cities and regions have their own style of architecture, character, foods, drinks, and history. This post is an overview of Germany, and I will make separate posts about different cities I have visited with more details.
Highlights
- Berlin, the vibrant capital
- Frankfurt, the financial centre
- Munich
- Cologne or Köln
- Leipzig
- Düsseldorf
- Black Forest
- Hamburg
- Heidelberg
- Dresden
- Stuttgart
- Freiburg im Breisgau
- Mainz
Before you go
- In German, Germany is Deutschland
- Berlin is the capital and most populous city
- Frankfurt is the financial centre
- Weather is generally seasonal and can be cold and snowy in winter, and hot in the summer
- Oktoberfest festival is in September
- Germany is famous for its quality cars including BMS, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Mercedes Benz
- Public transport is generally affordable and on time
Transport
- Germany has many airports for international and domestic flights
- Trains are a great way to get around Germany on the Deutschebahn
- Most of the larger cities have public transport systems, and I will write some specific tips in city posts
Accommodation
- I will make specific recommendations for individual cities in other posts, but in general I recommend hotels in the cities and B&Bs in the countryside
- As usual I recommend checking reviews on Google Reviews or using AirBnB
Currency
The official currency in Germany is the Euro. As of March 2025, one British pound is equal to 1.21 euros.
I recommend to check the currency conversion just before you leave as this fluctuates
Food
Although those who travel to Germany probably expect to eat a lot of beer, sausages and pretzels (or bretzels), there are a lot of other typical German foods and beverages.
Savoury Foods
Typical German food often has meat in it, but nowadays there are vegetarian options available in most cities. Many people think of German food as meat and potatoes, and they wouldn’t be too far off.
There are many types of sausages, and the regions have different specialities such as weisswurst in Munich and Frankfurters. One of my favourite snacks is currywurst, which is sausage in curry sauce.
Other traditional German specialties include sauerbraten (beef), Schnitzel (breaded and fried meat), pork knuckle, potato salad, sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), Spätzle (grated egg noodles), pretzels and dumplings. Needless to say, most German foods are hearty and filling.
Good bread is also important for all times of the day!
Desserts
Germans have many types of desserts and the best known is probably strudel, a pastry with fruit. In general, there are a lot of cakes, tarts and pastries with fruits.
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, aka Black Forest Cake is also famous worldwide. It has cherries, chocolate and a lot of cream.
Lebkuchen is a spiced gingerbread that is popular at Christmas, and often comes in heart shapes. In general, making cookies at Christmas is quite a popular tradition. Another type is Pfeffernusse, made with ginger, cinnamon, and white pepper.
Stollen is a type of cake, which is made in the shape of a log an often contains dried fruits. Sometimes it has a marzipan filling (almond paste). It is also coated with icing sugar to give it a white powdery appearance.
Käsekuchen (Cheesecake) is another popular dessert. Sometimes it is made with an interesting ingredient called Quark, which is a type of curd cheese.
Although this list of desserts is certainly not exhaustive, it gives an idea of the types of sweets in the country.
Beverages
Although Germany is well known for its variety of beers, they also produce a lot of wines, especially along the rivers. For example, the Mosel Valley is known for its white wines, particularly Riesling. The red wine varieties include Pinot Noir and Blaufränkisch.
Many of the beer types we know of originate from German words. For example, the word “lager” comes from the German word lagern, which means “to store”. Interestingly, Germans are not against mixing beer with other beverages including lemonade (Sprite) to make a Radler, CocaCola or fruit syrups.
In addition, a tasty soft drink is an apfelschorle, which is apple juice mixed with sparkling water. Spezi is a mix of cola with orange soda. And kiba is a mix of cherry and banana juices. During the summer, Holunderblütensirup (elderflower syrup) is a popular mixer for water or sparkling water.
FAQs
Q: Do I need a tour guide?
A: No, not for most places if you are going city hopping. You might need a boat tour if you want to cruise along the Rhine, or a tour of specific sites.
Q: Do people speak English?
A: Some people speak English, especially in larger cities such as Berlin. However, it is useful to learn a few phrases such as Danke (thank you). You can also have a translation app like Google Translate to hand
Q: Can I travel solo?
A: Yes, it is generally safe and easy to get around
Q: How easy is it to send postcards?
A: It is easy to buy postcards and stamps in most cities around Germany. See Sending Postcards from Abroad for details on cost and the time it took to reach the USA.
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