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Holidayco.co.uk specialises in cheap german holidays, package holidays and late deals to a huge number of destinations. Find out more about Germany in our guide below.

Holidays in Germany

Located in central Europe between the Netherlands and Poland, Germany has coastlines on the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. It is the largest nation in Europe in terms of both population and land area.

Although badly damaged in two world wars and partitioned between East and West for many years, Germany is a prosperous nation and an important player on the world economic stage. After reunification of the country in 1990, a great deal of money was spent to bring East Germany up to a comparable standard of living and economy as West Germany.

The big cities of Germany are prosperous and vibrant, while the countryside retains much of its rustic charm. Germany has a great deal of history to show you, with remains from the ancient Germanic tribes, the Holy Roman Empire and more recent historical events.

Most visitors to Germany go in the May to September period when the weather is best. There is never any guarantee of good weather in northern Europe of course, but the odds of fine days are best at these times. It is usually fairly pleasant in March to May and October to November, and these periods have the advantage of quieter attractions.

Germany Facts At A Glance

Area: 357,021 square km.

Climate: Temperate with cool, wet winters and summers

Terrain: Varied. Lowlands in the north, uplands in centre, and mountainous (Bavarian Alps) in the south

Population: 82.4 Million

Languages: German

Currency: Euro

Time Zone: 1 Hour ahead of GMT

International Dialling Code: +49

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Places to visit

Berlin lies on the Spree River and was founded in the 13 th Century. It is the capital of modern Germany, with many grand buildings and excellent museums. Berlin is famous for the Wall, which once divided the city between East and West sectors. Only a few remnants of the Wall remain, such as the Brandenburg Gate. Berlin is very much the centre of German culture, with a host of theatres, bars and restaurants to visit. The city hosts a number of festivals throughout the year, so it is worth checking what is on before you book.

Berlin has plenty to offer visitors. Have lunch in the revolving restaurant atop the Fernsturm Television Tower, the tallest structure in the city, or visit the Reichstag, home to the German parliament. There are many good museums including the Egyptian Museum and Museum Island, which is a complex of five museums.

Bonn, capital of West Germany during the country’s period of partition, is over 2000 years old. The city has a wealth of cultural attractions including many good museums.

Cologne (or Koln) is a magnificent city with many grand buildings and excellent museums. It is also a great place to go shopping.

Dusseldorf is a very modern city with a busy, industrious lifestyle complemented by vibrant nightlife.

Frankfurt is a major business centre with a cosmopolitan outlook. It hosts many exhibitions and has a range of good museums.

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany. It is a major harbour and centre for international trade with a very attractive old quarter and Baroque gardens.

Munich is a popular tourist destination, with a wide variety of museums and generous support of the arts. The city hosts a number of festivals of which Oktoberfest is the most famous.

Stuttgart is surrounded by forests and vineyards. It is famous as a wine-making centre and for its spas. The city is very ecology-friendly. It is normally fairly quiet, though things liven up a lot at the time of the annual Oktoberfest.

Things to do

Germany offers a wealth of holiday activities. If you want to see history, visit the many castles that can be found all across the country. They date from all eras of Germany’s long history and range from fairly-tale towers to functional fortresses. Many castles host historic events including jousting competitions and period re-enactments, while some are set up as luxurious hotels where you can discover how the old nobility of Germany lived.

Germany is a popular destination with skiers. The most famous of its ski resorts is Garmisch-Partenkirchen which has hosted the Olympics and many world cup races. The resort is about an hour’s drive from Munich. It has 45 pistes and includes Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugpitze.

Another popular winter-sports destination is the Berchtesgaden National Park. Located near Munich and only 20 minutes form Salzburg, Berchtesgaden is popular with both skiers and snowboarders. The resort also offers a range of exciting outdoor sports including canyoning, hot-air ballooning and abseiling.

More excitement can be found in the Harz Mountains south of Hanover, where you can go canoeing and rafting in summer and find winter sports in winter. Rafting is also available in the Isar Valley and at Jena on the river Saale.

Somewhat less strenuous activity can be found on Germany’s rivers. River cruises up the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Weser and the Oder are very popular. Whether a day trip or a longer cruise aboard a hotel ship, a river cruise is an excellent, romantic way to see Germany. The Rhine valley is especially good, with cruises stopping at wine-making towns and historical sites along the way.

Germany is famous for its beer festivals and for the intriguing variety of cooked meats and sausages it produces, but this is only a fraction of what German cuisine has to offer. German wines are often quite distinctive and are very good.

German cuisine changes as you head south from the coasts. It is varied and, at times highly unusual. Seafood and fish are popular in the north of the country, close to the North Sea and Baltic coasts. Inland, there are other speciality dishes to be investigated, some of them rather unusual. One delicacy from Holstein is a dish of pears, beans and bacon. Of course, international cuisine is readily available everywhere but it is worth making the effort to sample the local dishes, accompanied by beer, wine or schnapps.