 |
Germany |
|
 |
Language(s) | German |
 |
Currency | Euro (€) |
 |
Phone Code | +49 |
 |
Population | 82,398,000 |
 |
Area | 357,021 sq km |
 |
Capital | Berlin |
 |
GDP | $3.26 trillion |
|
Germany |
|
|
Language(s) | German |
|
Currency | Euro (€) |
|
Phone Code | +49 |
|
Population | 82,398,000 |
|
Area | 357,021 sq km |
|
Capital | Berlin |
|
GDP | $3.26 trillion |
Most people visit Aachen, close to the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, to see the Dom, which partly dates from Charlemagne’s time. It makes an interesting daytrip from Cologne and is also a convenient stopover on the high-speed trains from Brussels and Paris to Cologne. (In English, the French name Aix-la-Chapelle, which Charlemagne would have recognized, is often used for Aachen.)
The major reason for visiting Lutherstadt Wittenberg is to see the sights associated with Martin Luther. Although the town itself is pretty, it is only the Luther connection that lifts it above the average and makes it a major tourist destination for foreigners and German travelers alike.
Berlin is the most interesting and diverse of all German cities. It is probably most famous for its division during the Cold War and seeing related sights such as the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and a few surviving pieces of the Berlin Wall are priorities for many visitors. Berlin has more than 170 museums covering all genres. After four decades of division, some collections are now again united into world-class presentations.
After World War II, Bonn suddenly found itself catapulted from a provincial backwater to the capital of what was soon to be one of the richest democracies in the world. It was never a natural capital and, although the new status brought huge spending on public works, Bonn would always be considered a provincial town. In German, it was often referred to as the Bundeshauptdorf (federal capital town) rather than Bundeshauptstadt (federal capital city).
