Along Germany's southernmost Borders

Because of its strategic loca­tion at a bridge and also at the inter­sec­tion of two trade routes, the city soon became the resi­dence of the Wittelsbach family who reigned as dukes, electors and kings of Bavaria. The city expe­r­i­enced a boom in the Baroque era and finally also in the 20th century. Munich became the capital of Art Nouveau – but also of the National Socialist move­ment. In 1919 Hitler already tested the demonic effect of his speeches in the Hofbräukeller. Although Munich is a high-tech loca­tion today, the Bavarian folklore is lovingly cared for, espe­cially in the last week of September when the Okto­berfest beer festival takes place.

The closest Alpine peak – the 1,972 m Unter­sberg – is only a few kilome­ters from the city center. The inner city, or old town, is dominated by baroque towers and churches. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is Salzburg's most famous son. The houses where he was born and also lived in are popular tourist attrac­tions and there are many monu­ments remem­bering the “Wolferl” in the city. His family is buried in a small church grave­yard in the old town.

The only major city in the Alps has a medieval city center with narrow alleys and numerous exam­ples of Gothic archi­tec­ture, the most famous of which is the house with the Golden Roof (Gold­enes Dachl). The city, which has twice hosted the Winter Olympics (1964, 1976), is famous for its scenic setting amid soaring Alpine peaks such as the Karwendel mountain range in the north and the Lanser heads as well as the Patscherkofel – a popular skiing terrain – in the south-east, where a cable car leads to the summit also during the summer months.

Extended moors and forests cover the north, while the southern part, sculp­tured by the ice age, is hilly and fertile. In the south the Allgäu borders the Alps with soaring mountain peaks and deep valleys. The Upper Swabian Baroque Road (Ober­schwäbische Barocks­traße) will lead you to marvellous churches and castles which harmo­nize wonderfully with the country­side.

Since 1993 the harbor is dominated by a massive statue that rotates once around its own axel every four minutes. A nine meter high female figure with a plunging neck­line holds two gnomes in her hands. This is the legendary pros­titute Imperia and the two gnomes are the Emperor and the Pope. During the Council of Constance 1414-1418 she slept – and played – with both. Jan Hus, who criti­cized the power and demo­r­al­izing influ­ences of concu­bines within the Roman Church most violently, was burned at the end of the Council in Constance at the stake.
The old town around the cathedral and the town hall is espe­cially beau­tiful and inter­esting.

Its story begins with a castle (Freiburg – “free castle”) of the Zähringer Duke in 1008. Today the vibrant univer­sity town with over 30,000 students is a stronghold in the world for solar energy research and one of the few German cities with a “green” mayor. The picturesque, traffic-free old town with its magnif­i­cent cathedral lends itself to a leisurely stroll, to shop or to dine. South of the city the Schauins­land rises, – one of the most beau­tiful mountains in the southern Black Forest. And a few kilome­ters north the Kais­er­stuhl (Emperor’s Chair), a range of hills where rare plants and excel­lent wines grow, emerges from the Rhine plains.

It is consid­ered the cradle of German Romanticism and has inspired poets such as Brentano, Arnim or Eichendorff. The city is mentioned for the first time at the end of the 12th century. 200 years later the univer­sity was estab­lished and the castle under Pala­tine Count Rupert was built. In 1693 the town and castle were destroyed and rebuilt in the 18th century in baroque style. Rising majes­tically above the roofs of the old town are the ruins of the Heidelberg Castle – the most spectac­ular in its loca­tion, size and beauty in all of Germany. The clas­sical-romantic view of Heidelberg's Old Town and the castle can be enjoyed from the Philosphengärtchen (Philoso­phers' Garden) and along the Philoso­phers’ Way on the north bank of the River Neckar.

For thou­sands of years it has been one of the most important trade routes in Europe. Between Bingen and Koblenz it squeezes through a deep valley which is one of the most beau­tiful landscapes in Germany and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Castles and ruins alternate with vine­yards and picturesque half-timbered towns. Many myths and legends surround the valley; the best known is about the Loreley, who sat on a cliff, combing her beau­tiful long golden hair and enchanting the boatmen with her enticing singing voice, so that many men drowned in the quickening waters of the Rhine. The best way to expe­r­i­ence the valley is from the boat on a trip from St. Goar to Kaub.