Germany is a beautiful country complete with high mountain peaks, rolling hills, beaches, plains and quaint, old towns. If traveling to the area, know that the tourist season is May through September when the weather is warmest. There is much for you to do while in the country including hiking, touring the country towns, shopping and exploring the museums in the larger cities. And if you are a beer drinker, you should try a few of the local brews before you leave.
The Rhine
A visit to Germany is not complete if you do not find a way to visit the Rhine. There are castles and vineyards to explore as well as trails to follow. Two popular trails run along the left and right banks of the Rhine River. The left bank trail is the Rehinhohenweg and is 240 km in length. On the right is a 320 km trail called the Rheinsteig trail. If you prefer a different travel method, boat tours of the area are offered that will take you down the river and stop at villages along the way. The Rhine in Flames festivals occur during the summer as do wine festivals in many of the villages. Since the area is crowded during the summer months, accommodations can be limited, but the area does have several camping locations. Naturpark Camping Suleika and Camping Maaraue are two such locations. They offer camping for RV's and have cabins, and Camping Maaraue also allows tent camping.
Camping Maaraue
Auf der Maaraue, 55246 Mainz-Kostheim,
The Rhine Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate
4 (906) 134-4383
http://www.krkg.de/camping_gb.html
Naturpark Camping Suleika
65382 Lorch
The Rhine Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate
06 726-9496
Trier
In the Mosel River Valley, you will find Trier. It is considered the oldest city in Germany and was part of the Roman Empire. There is evidence of its Roman past in some of the architecture of the remaining ruins and in the Porta Nigra, which is one of the old Roman city gates. There is quite a bit of wine produced in the area, and some producers give visitors the opportunity to work at the vineyards for short amounts of time. Besides by car, you can tour the area around Trier by boat, bike or on foot. Bike trails that run through the area include the Moselradweg trail that goes from Koblenz to Thionville, France. There is camping on the Mosel River from April to October at Camping Trier City, and bike rentals are available at Fahrrad Service Station during the summer months.
Camping Trier City
54294 Trier
The Mosel Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate
06 518-6921
Fahrrad Service Station
Hauptbahnhof,
The Mosel Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate
(065) 114-8856
Bavaria
In the Alps, you will find Bavaria. It includes Nuremberg, Munich and Augsburg and is know for its beer. The Bavarians even have laws governing the way the beer in the area is made. Bavaria is mostly a modern state with a stable economy and has views that will give you pause. The upper region alone has over 200 lakes and sits at the foothills of the Alps, and the eastern region is known as the green roof of Europe because of its forest lands. A long distance hiking trail in the area called the Alpen-Weitwanderweg is popular. It is 160 km in length and can take around 40 hours to complete. It is usually broken down into sections. Another hike called Obersalzbergbahn travels up over 3,000 feet above sea level. You will also find ski resorts on the side of mountains due the optimal winter weather. One such resort is Erste Skilanglauf Schule Garmisch-Partenkirchen with over 70 miles of slopes. Plus boat rentals allow you to go out on the many lakes for a little exploring or fishing. Boats for rent also include kayaks, canoes, row boats and motorized boats. Wassersport Zentrum is a rental company in Seebruck.
Erste Skilanglaufschule Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Olympia-Skistadion, Osteingang,
Bavarian Alps, Munich & the Bavarian Alps
08 821-1516
Wassersport Zentrum
Ludwig-Thoma-Straße 1, 83358 Seebruck,
Bavarian Alps, Munich & the Bavarian Alps
08 667-8710
Berlin
Berlin is a city you cannot miss if coming to Germany for the first time. It is where you will find the great divide that was once the Berlin Wall. It was a wall that divided the city and separated the country for many years. However, despite its past, there is much to see in the city including museums, wonderful architecture, old-world churches and gardens. There are walking tours such as the Berlin Walks or a bike tour like Berolina. The bike route is about two hours long and takes you around the city. For a different activity in the middle of a city, there are rock climbing centers to enjoy. T-Hall offers indoor climbing of varying degrees of difficulty and is a great way to get your exercise.
Berlin Walks
Hackescher Markt
Berlin, Berlin
030 301-9194
Berolina
Meinchester 3 D-10719
Berlin, Berlin
0 (308) 856-8030
T-Hall
Thiemannstraße1
Berlin, Berlin
0 306 808-9864
About The Author
Keith Dooley has a degree in outdoor education and sports management. He has worked as an assistant athletic director, head coach and assistant coach in various sports including football, softball and golf. Dooley has worked for Associated Content in the past and has been a contributing writer at Demand Studios for the last year, writing mainly for eHow, Trails, Golflink and Travels.
