Travel to Germany: hilltop castles and buzzing cities

Culture, history, gastronomy, countryside, urban life... Germany doesn't lack attractions from a touristic point of view. It is not surprising, therefore, that the country attracts a large number of visitors every year.
Why come to Germany? For many reasons, each one as good as the others. Let's start with the architecture: with 2000 years of history to go by, Germany is home to feats and creations of human minds and hands capable of transporting you back in time.

As is often the case, in Germany urban tourism is perhaps the most important. Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Cologne receive a large number of visitors every year who come to discover the cities just as much for their architecture as for their distinctive cultural lives.
In practice there are rarely quiet periods in German cities, what with all of the concerts, festivals, and the big sporting events (such as the Berlin Marathon, to mention just one.) Add to this list all of the street festivals: Christmas markets (a German institution) major events such as Munich's beer festival, Oktoberfest, Christopher Street Day in Cologne, Berlin's carnival of cultures and the many other carnivals, including in Mainz and Cologne.

Along with culture, German cities don't lack for galleries and exhibition spaces. The territory contains more than 6250 permanent museums waiting to be discovered - covering everything including art, history, crafts, architecture, literature and natural history. Among the many institutions not to be missed are Berlin's famous Museum Island, Frankfurt's Städelsches Kunstinstitut, where both modern and older masterworks are exhibited, and Munich's Deutsches Museum, considered one of the most important technology museums in the world.

In addition to all of its urban treasures, Germany stands out too for its diverse landscape, and the weight placed on developing nature tourism.
As a result, the countryside is covered by a network of hiking trails which make up 190,000 km in total. Cyclists aren't ignored either, with 50,000 km of bicycle tracks.
Be it by foot, bicycle or car, by exploring the different corners of Germany you can discover the coasts of the North Sea and the Baltic, where you can find spas, or the Black Forest, Lake Constance, seaside resorts in the North and thermal springs in the South.

Hardcore nature lovers can enjoy 14 national parks, 101 nature parks and 15 nature reserves spread across Germany's landscape.
Across the country you can experience a wide variety of different types of plant and animal life. The region Allgäu, in Southern Germany, is undoubtedly one of the highlights, and is one of the most popular for those looking to appreciate local flora and fauna.