Germany

An Introduction to Germany

Vibrant cities with amazing architecture, enchanting medieval villages and traditional wine villages, picturesque countryside – Germany continues to beguile millions of visitors year after year.

Landlocked, except for two stretches of coast along the North and Baltic Seas, Germany shares land borders with nine neighbouring countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The country has a fascinating history in its role as one of the most powerful and domineering countries in the greatest wars of history. The Romans, under Caesar, were the first to rule Germany in 55 AD. By the eighteenth century, the region was known as Prussia, and was considered a major European power. The country’s aggressive arms build-up during the last years of the nineteenth century fuelled international tensions, erupting in the First World War. Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 and plunged Europe into the Second World War invading Poland in 1939. Hitler was to become known as one of the most diabolical rulers to have lived, attempting the genocide of the Jewish people. At the end of the war, a defeated and devastated Germany was divided into two principal zones, the west and the east. After many years of separation, Germany was finally united with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Germany is famous for its beer, the Munich Oktoberfest which is still one of the most popular festivals around the world. It is also generally considered one of the best manufacturers of just about anything – in particular, cars, vacuums, kitchen knifes, and electronics. The country’s wine regions are very popular and its major cities offer some of Europe’s most-pulsating nightlife.

Germany’s south is generally mountainous and heavily forested with the Black Forest and the Rhine regions forming the border to France. In the east are the spectacular peaks of the Alps dividing the border with Austria. Its capital city, Berlin is located in the northeast.