A west-European country that has tough history behind it, from the Hapsburg dynasty to Bismarck, the tragedy of World War I to the rise of Nazism, the construction of Berlin Wall to its destruction recently. Germany, as a country, has a very deep character and lots of adventure to itself. The dramatic landscape also attests to it, what with all the thick alpine deciduous forests to the shore kissing the North Sea, mountains and rivers to beaches. You will find yourself brimming with excitement to visit so many tourist places in Germany - from Berlin to Munich and Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Bonn, to Black Forest.

The German capital known for its illustrious history that has tragedy and cheer both interwoven into its fabric, Berlin is still fresh in the memory of the world for the divide between the Eastern block and Western block - Berlin Wall. But this city has long moved on, opening its arms to visitors with large open spaces, greenery engulfing old medieval structures, graffiti walls and cafes with lively nightlife. The art scene in Berlin is renowned, as are its museums, indie artists, history and war memorials. You will find that the Berlin Wall is a shell of its intimidating past and stands like a ghost of all that went wrong with the populace during Cold War. You can also visit the Holocaust memorial, Berlin Cathedral, Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial of Murdered Jews.

Rising from the thick deciduousness of the Bavarian region, Munich is a very wealthy city. It holds a mix of contemporary as well as the rich heritage buildings. Munich is renowned world over for its stupendous celebrations of the German beer festival - Oktoberfest, when streets are wet with the ever-flowing beer, bars, pubs and lounges are brimming with festoons and offers and open picnics and gazebos are arranged in parks. Munich is also an art paradise and encourages indie painters, while you will find much to see here - from palaces to museums, local customs and traditions.

Cologne, one of the oldest German cities (2000 years old), straddles River Rhine in the western part of Germany. It is known for the twin spires of Cologne Cathedral dominating its skyline as well as the famous and delicious - Cologne Chocolate Museum. Some of the best things to do here concern beer, chocolates and perfumes (cologne, of course). Cologne is also a very romantic city, with its old towns and cobbled streets, historic buildings and the iconic Hohenzollernbrucke bridge where lovers click a lock to tie their love.

Hamburg is a port city and the second largest in Germany, acting as a major trade hub since medieval times. The maritime influence of the river makes Hamburg very different from the rest of the country in terms of weather. You will see a lot of culture centred around Elbe river and an eclectic mix of ancient and contemporary architecture. You must visit the Elbphilarmonie Concert Hall for music, Reeperbahn for amazing nightlife, and Miniatur Wunderland for a nice railway museum tour. And yes, Hamburg is the city that inspired the world famous ‘hamburger’ back in the 19th Century, when Hamburg beef was spiced and moulded into patties.

Frankfurt is, for all intents and purposes, the business capital of Germany. It is also the financial centre and hosts major trade fairs that bring businessmen to Germany from all over the world. The city is hence, not surprisingly, so contemporary, modern and towered by skyscrapers. Frankfurt also has a small medieval town in its shadow that is full of charming cafes and quaint little taverns serving local delicacies and beer, located by the Main River. You can live in the modern part of the city and go for a walk to the older one where there are lively banks and parks, small neighbourhoods and friendly people. The city was damaged during World War II and rebuilt to its current glory.

Leipzig is another good-sized German city that is also known for its rich culture and art, with its renowned music composers like Bach, Felix Mendelssohn and Richard Wagner. The city also is home to many beautiful churches like the Gothic St. Thomas Church, St. Nicholas Church etc. You can also visit the Old Town Hall, Augustusplatz and the Museums of City History. Another highlight of Leipzig is the amusement park Belantis know for its various theme areas.

Bonn is a western city of Germany and straddles river Rhine. Bonn is known for its homage to the renowned composer Beethoven, the Beethoven House, which is a memorial and a museum. Bonn was his birthplace. There is the Bonn Minster church nearby that has Gothic and Romanesque elements, Altes Rathaus or Old City Hall, Poppelsdorf Palace and Museum, Haus der Geschichte and the private villa of Schloss Drachenburg. For a short day trip, you can visit Drachenfels, a hill of beautiful vineyards, old cog railways and a medieval castle.

Dusseldorf is a posh, wealthy city of Germany, famous for its fashion and banking industries among other things. Shopaholics coming to Germany never return without a trip to Dusseldorf. The city has two parts to it, the contemporary, more modern side with young creative architecture, and the older, more traditional buildings that were restored after World War II. The harbour of Dusseldorf is a great place to walk by at nights and the city also boasts of great nightlife. You can check out Altstadt, Rhine Tower, and Schadowstrasse and Konigsallee for shopping and flattering fashion boutiques.

Yes, cologne perfumes are named after the city of Cologne and hamburgers after Hamburg, but the luscious sumptuous black forest cake is not essentially named after the Black Forest region of Germany. In fact, it is named after a cherry liquor found in this region. Now why is Black Forest called so? Because its tree cover is so thick that the sun cannot penetrate it, making the forest floor almost black. This region in southwest Germany, bordering France and Alsace Lorraine is one of the most beautiful places in the country. You will find so much natural beauty here, peppered with Gothic buildings, quaint towns, wooden cuckoo clocks and treehouses. The Black Forest is also the place where Grimm Brothers’ fairytales are based - Rapunzel, Hansel and Gratel, Cinderella etc. 

You can visit the hot springs here, enjoy at the spa resort town of Baden-Baden, drive down Schwarzwaldhochstrasse and just relax and soak in the nature.