A confident and youthful city, whose creativity is almost boundless, post-reunification Berlin has gone from strength to strength. Tour monuments of the Cold War, tap into the cultural wonders of Museum Island, gaze up at the Brandenburg Gate, then find the perfect bargain in the hip flea markets of the German capital.
Bavaria’s capital, Munich is very much the king of Germany’s south – bold, bright and home to the country’s dominant football team, FC Bayern. There are fabulous sights to be discovered in Altstadt, the city’s medieval quarter, based around majestic Marienplatz. However, this is also a forward-thinking city that hosts BMW’s headquarters.
Frankfurt is a two-sided coin. Land on one side and you’ll discover the country’s financial hub, all gleaming skyscrapers and confident capitalism. On the other? The delightful old town, with its half-timbered houses and perfect preservation of the past. Reach for the skies on the viewing platform of the Main Tower, then get back down to earth at the botanical garden.
There’s a reason The Beatles made their name in Hamburg before conquering the rest of the world. This port city oozes cool, overlaid with countless bridges that lead to markets, superb independent restaurants and edgy venues that make for a local music scene that suffuses the city in sound.
The twin spires reaching for the heavens tell you you’ve landed in Cologne, but there’s much more to this location than its incredible Gothic cathedral. The winding streets here hide medieval gems, chocolate shops and pretty plazas – plus unassuming museums that hold, to take just one example, almost 1000 pieces by Picasso.
Perched on the Rhine, energetic Düsseldorf is one of Germany’s premier modern cities, stuffed to the gills with ambitious architecture and vertiginous skyscrapers. It’s not all business – hop through the Altstadt (old town) at night and you’ll discover the medieval core of the city and a place that lives to party.
Long considered a magnet for petrolheads, is a manufacturing monster and is home to Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. Both motoring marques have impressive museums here, but the city is also packed with stately parks and baroque buildings. It’s also in pole position for an excursion into the Black Forest.
Bremen looks it has been plucked out of a Grimm fairy tale - a place of winsome charm with medieval architecture and windmills. As you stand in Marktplatz, surrounded by colourful guild houses, it’s like you’ve travelled to the past. It’s all the more surprising when you learn that the city is also famous for cutting-edge technology and science institutes.
The capital of Lower Saxony has a relaxed vibe and sedate approach to life that hits you the moment you arrive. Approach this happy city at a slow pace to experience the very best of it – the landscaped royal gardens, the town hall and Eilenriede Forest – the largest urban forest in Europe.
Dresden is like a phoenix rising from the ashes, rebuilding itself in the past century in the image of its former glory. The results will take your breath away as you tour the resurrected museums, full of international treasures. The city is split in twain by the River Elbe, and both banks have their appeal.