Travelling to Germany

Planning your first trip to Germany? One of the largest countries in Europe has plenty for you to explore. From city's full of rich history to stunning museums, here are our top picks to help you soak up all that Germany has to offer.

Berlin

There are three certainties about a visit to Berlin. Firstly, things will get emotional. Secondly, fun is guaranteed, no matter where your interests lie. Third, one trip won't be enough. Berlin doesn't shy away from the more difficult aspects of its past. Indeed, the holocaust is remembered in sobering and poignant style at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, an imposing construction of concrete rectangles. Prepare to feel moved as you walk amongst the blocks, often in an eerie silence despite the huge numbers of visitors.

In this fascinating city, with such a rich history, the Jewish Museum documents thousands of years of German-Jewish history in an astonishing building designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind. Meanwhile, the wall that once divided Berlin is commemorated at various sites. For history-lovers Checkpoint Charlie Museum (named after the famous border crossing) is an enthralling documentation of people attempting to flee the East. To lighten the mood, take a trip to Charlotteburg Palace - a wonderful example of Baroque and Rococo design, with stunning gardens.

For art buffs, there's no shortage of culture, most notably on Museum Island on the River Spree in the heart of the city, which houses five museums. Here, you'll find an extraordinary collection of art and artefacts, including the bust of Nerfetiti and the Pergamon. Meanwhile, fashion-lovers will be in heaven on the Kurfurstendamm, a wide boulevard renowned for being Berlin's shopping heartland. If all these attractions leave you exhausted, head for the beautiful Tiergarten, over 500 acres of city centre park, and lie back on the grass to plan your return trip.

Leipzig

Nicknamed the "new Berlin", Leipzig has a burgeoning arts scene. Artists have turned the city's once derelict factories, such as the must-visit Spinnerei, into buzzing creative hubs. The streets of Plagwitz are now full of cool hangouts, while the city centre is home to attractions such as the Museum der Bildenden Künste. As the birthplace of Wagner, Leipzig can be explored via the Leipziger Notenspur, a trail through the city marking its musical history.

Hamburg

The second-largest city in Germany was attracting visitors from the UK long before The Beatles famously set up camp there in the early 1960s.

The notorious Reeperbahn area in the St Pauli district where the world's most legendary band honed their Merseybeat still attracts stag dos, but this cultured city has far more to offer, as confirmed when the Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus district - a stunning complex of huge warehouses packed with shops and museums - was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015.

Once voted the greenest city in Europe, beautiful outdoor space abounds in a skyline speckled with church spires, and you're never too far away from water. One of Europe's largest ports, the city also boasts more canals than Amsterdam and Venice combined. This maritime side of the city truly comes to life every Sunday morning, when thousands of locals flock to the Fischmarkt for a unique assault on the senses - well worth the 5am alarm call. And when in town, try their take on the eponymous hamburger, or frikadelle as it's actually known here.