Germany

A nineteenth-century imitation of the medieval, so not actually old — but famous for how it sits against the mountains and lakes. Inside is timed-entry only and sells out weeks ahead in season, and the photograph everyone wants is from the Marienbrücke. Two to three hours from Munich by train and bus.

During the Cold War the wall ran directly behind it, leaving it unreachable from either side. The Holocaust memorial and the old parliament building are walkable from here, and the glass dome of the Reichstag is free but needs registering in advance. It is striking floodlit at night.

Most of it is gone and what remains comes in two kinds: the painted stretch of the East Side Gallery, and the Bernauer Strasse memorial, which preserves a watchtower and the death strip. The first is for photographs, the second for understanding — see both. A line in the pavement marks where it ran.

It stands directly outside the main station, so it faces you as you step off the train. Climbing the tower means more than five hundred steps and there is no lift. It stayed standing through the bombing of the war.

A tourist route linking old towns from Würzburg down to Füssen. Rothenburg, with its walls fully intact, is the set piece, and people drive it or take the dedicated coach over several days. It is at its best during the Christmas market season.

Medieval castles on the hills of both banks and vineyards covering the slopes. The standard version is the boat between Rüdesheim and Koblenz, though the train follows the same view. Boats run seasonally and thin out in winter.

The shape of the furniture and buildings around you now was largely settled here. The Dessau school building and the masters’ houses survive together, and it is under two hours from Berlin by train. A high priority if you care about architecture or design.

The centrepiece is the enormous unbroken fresco across the ceiling above the staircase. It is the northern end of the Romantic Road, which makes it a natural starting point. An hour or so from Frankfurt by train.

Largely undamaged in the war, so the medieval street plan survives whole. The twelfth-century stone bridge and the sausage kitchen beside it are the emblem, and the town is small enough to walk in half a day. Ninety minutes from Munich by train.

A closed colliery and coking plant kept rather than demolished, and turned into museums and exhibition space. The structures remain in place, so the scale is overwhelming, and an outdoor basin becomes an ice rink in winter. A rare chance to read industrial history off the buildings themselves.

Among the largest surviving buildings in the Romanesque style that preceded Gothic. Round arches and thick walls instead of height and points — the contrast with Cologne is immediately legible. Emperors are buried in the crypt.

An enormous tidal system running on into the Netherlands and Denmark, listed as natural World Heritage alongside Korea’s own tidal flats. Walking out across the flats to an island with a guide at low tide is the thing people come to do. Going alone without knowing the tides is dangerous.

Division and reunification are marked all over the city, which turns walking into a history lesson. There is an entire island of museums, and it is cheaper than most German cities. It is spread out, so a day travel pass earns its keep.

Beer culture and Bavarian architecture, and the city fills completely for Oktoberfest from late September. Neuschwanstein and Salzburg across the Austrian border are both day trips, which makes it a good base. Alpine skiing is close in winter.

It has enough bridges for people to claim it beats Venice, and the red-brick warehouse district is World Heritage. A harbour cruise and the concert hall are the standard outings, and being this far north it is windy and cold. Two hours from Berlin by fast train.

Dresden’s bombed old town was reconstructed to its original form; Leipzig centres on the church where Bach worked and the musical tradition around it. An hour apart by train, so they pair naturally. Prague is close from Dresden.

Known abroad for cuckoo clocks and cake, but in practice it is forest walking and thermal baths. Baden-Baden’s spas and Freiburg’s old town serve as the two gateways. A car makes moving between the villages far easier.

One of Europe’s largest airports makes it the usual way in and out. It has a high-rise skyline, unusual for Germany, and a row of museums along the far bank of the river. A day or two is enough, and the Rhine Gorge is close.

Long days and open beer gardens make this the best walking season. July and August are peak but nowhere near southern European heat. Alpine trails open properly from June.

Despite the name, most of it happens in September. Munich accommodation fills months ahead and prices climb steeply, so unless the festival is the point, avoid the city in this window. Tent seating needs reserving.

Wooden stalls and mulled wine in every main square — the defining German winter scene. Nuremberg, Dresden and Cologne are the famous ones, but small-town markets are just as good. Most close just before Christmas, so check the dates.

Once the markets end it turns grey and dark and the tourists leave. In exchange prices drop and museums are empty, and the Alps are in ski season. Plan indoors and it works fine.

Cash survives here more than in most of Europe, and small restaurants, bakeries and markets may turn a card down. Carry some, and look for the accepted-card stickers at the door. Larger city shops are generally fine.

It is written into law: supermarkets and shops shut on Sunday. Restaurants, museums and station shops open, but anything you need to buy has to be bought on Saturday. Watch out if your first day lands on a Sunday.

Long-distance fares fall sharply the earlier you book. A nationwide monthly pass covering regional trains and city transport exists and is worth checking if you are moving slowly between regions. Delays are not rare — leave slack at connections.

Limits do apply near roadworks and approaching cities, and the signs are binding. Overtaking happens on the left only and you are expected to move back right immediately. City centres may require a low-emission sticker.

The Europe-wide 112 reaches ambulance and fire; police is 110. Pharmacies are everywhere but on Sundays and at night only the duty pharmacy opens, with a notice posted on the door. What you can buy without a prescription differs from home.

Free water does not come with the table; you order a bottle. If you want it flat you have to say so. The tap water itself is drinkable, so carrying a bottle saves money.