Plan a getaway to magical Germany

From the thumping 24-hour nightclubs of Warschauer Strasse and the artsy enclave of Kreuzberg to the serene solitude of Tiergarten and the moving Memorial of the Berlin Wall, Berlin offers a study in contrasts. Catch a concert by the renowned Berlin Philharmonic, savor the funky expressions of freedom at East Side Gallery, and step back in time at Museum Island.

Home to one of Europe’s most famous skylines, Munich’s charms stretch well beyond its Gothic buildings, old-world ambience, and party-hearty festivals. Scratch below the surface and you’ll discover a thriving restaurant scene, a world of lush English gardens and midnight markets, and surfers hanging ten on the frigid waves of the Eisbach River. Munich stokes the imagination and invites you to dive in with both feet.

Frankfurt is sleek, modern, and vertical – which suits the inhabitants just fine. This gleaming financial hub is all about upward mobility, after all, and the charms of Frankfurt lay in its cozy traditional bars; its carefully curated architectural and film exhibits; and its most picturesque pedestrian square, the Römerberg. To get up close and personal with some of the country’s best museums, take a stroll around Frankfurt’s Museumsufer.

Hamburg boasts cosmopolitan charms, an unforgettable old town, and one of the most impressive concert halls in the world. The city revolves around the water, so visitors would be remiss not to take a boat trip around the harbor, followed by a walk through the magical Speicherstadt – the largest warehouse district in the world. Culture lovers can buzz over to the Elbphilharmonie, a dazzling concert hall offering views across Hamburg.

Cologne is best known for its towering cathedral and lively carnival season, which makes visits to Alter Markt especially festive from November 11 at 11:11 a.m. until Ash Wednesday. The entire city has a cozy feel in winter, as the pubs fills with the buzz of fireside chats over pints of Kölsch. Summer sees sprawling Rheinpark come alive, and visitors can catch the Cologne Cable Car to take in the city from above.

Situated in an idyllic valley, Stuttgart may be best known as the country’s car capital, but amongst the glimmering super cars and automotive museums you’ll discover intimate wine bars, imposing castles, serene botanical gardens, and some of the best mineral baths in Europe. Visitors may come to tour the birthplace of Mercedes and Porsche, but they shouldn’t miss the treasures nestled in the countryside outside of town.

Visitors are never far from the grandeur of the past in Nuremburg, one of the country’s most historic cities. The 12th-century Nuremberg Castle is an imposing presence in the city’s center, and marks the start of this historical mile, which runs past churches, silversmiths, the old city hall, and Tucherschloss Museum. The city is still packed with centuries-old buildings, with some highlighting Nuremberg’s 15th-century golden age as the center of the German Renaissance.

One of the country’s most cosmopolitan cities, Düsseldorf is the fashionable heart of Germany – and a great place to hit up the couture boutiques on Königsallee. The city is also rich with cutting-edge restaurants, craft breweries, and art museums. Night owls can hit the clubs in Düsseldorf Old Town – “the longest bar in the world” – while art lovers can explore the galleries of quaint Carlstadt.

With its cobblestone streets, 18th-century town hall, haunting abandoned castle, and charming Baroque houses, it’s easy to see why German Romanticism took wing in Heidelberg. Peek past the Altstadt though and you’ll find a city abuzz with university students, bohemian restaurants, and world-class cultural attractions – as well as the romantic ruins of the Hortus Palatinus gardens, once known as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’.

Packed with jaw-dropping palaces, dazzling castles, and villas to dream upon, it’s hard to believe that so much splendor could be packed into one city – let alone one that was nearly destroyed in WWII. But Dresden delivers beauty in spaces, along with some unmissable attractions. Zwinger Palace and the Semperoper opera house get the headlines, but the borough of Blasewitz and Raphael's The Sistine Madonna have plenty of admirers.