Europe
Germany
vital statistics
- Berlin
- 80 million
- German
- Euro
While there are few sights more kitsch than seeing a grown man in lederhosen belt out some tunes, there are few cooler than the hipsters who populate the streets of Berlin.
The madder-than-mad Love Parade may have grown too big for its boots, but electronic music has long had a home in Germany, meaning the country has its share of rocking clubs and pumping festivals.
As an antidote to the debauchery take stock of the many remnants of the past: in Bavaria explore castles, including the country’s most famous, Neuschwanstein, built by Ludwig II as an homage to Wagner; take a harbour tour to get the best outlook on the historic port of Hamburg; and check out one of the most impressive architectural achievements from the Middle Ages, the Cologne Cathedral, set on the Rhine. Along the way, you’ll be tempted to down pilsners and wurst by the bucketload, but don’t worry: there’s the opportunity to detox on a walk through the Black Forest or swishing down the slopes in the Fichtelgebirge.