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The Federal Republic of Germany is the largest country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by Denmark, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. The largest exporter nation in the world, outside of Russia, Germany is also home to the largest population in Europe. While the foreigner's conception of Germany is that it is a homogenous state like most of its neighbors, it is actually, similarly to the USA, a federation of 16 states, each with a distinct and unique culture.
Germany is the biggest country in Central Europe, it runs Europe’s biggest economy and has the largest population on the continent (excluding Russia). Even so it is much smaller in size compared with most of the other leading nations in the world. Germany is a federalist country with a highly decentralised structure and has several large urban cities. Therefore, the capital Berlin is not as dominant to the rest of the nation as say London is in the United Kingdom or Paris in France. Nevertheless, it has been touted as one of the world's most fashionable big cities since the early 90s.
The undisputed financial capital of Germany is Frankfurt am Main (not to be confused with Frankfurt an der Oder). It features an unusual skyline for Central Europe with its many high-rise buildings and an ever growing airport, sometimes being referred to as "Mainhattan".
The historically decentralised structure lead to a regional stronghold of traditions. Germany's famous beer culture is centered around Southern Germany's biggest city (Munich), where beer is traditionally served in 1 liter mugs (not in Kneipen (pubs) and Restaurants); Munich is also the site of the annual Oktoberfest, Europe's most visited festival and the world's largest fair.
Germany's south-western regions are known for their wine growing areas (e.g. Rheinhessen and Palatinate). The biggest wine festival worldwide with over 600 000 visitors each year is held in Bad Duerkheim on the German Wine Route.
Cars are a symbol of national pride. Company's such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen (VW) are famous internationally for their quality, safety and style. This quality is matched by Germany's excellent network of roadways including the world famous Autobahn network, which has many sections without speed limits and lots of speed hungry drivers on it. Germany also features an extensive network of high speed trains - the InterCityExpress
HOW TO REACH
By plane - The most important airports are Frankfurt (IATA: FRA), Munich (IATA: MUC) and Düsseldorf (IATA: DUS). Berlin (IATA: SXF and IATA: TXL), Cologne (IATA: CGN) and Hamburg (IATA: HAM) have some relevance to international travellers as well.
Frankfurt is Germany's main hub and one of Europe's four major hubs, and the destination of most intercontinental flights. Munich is a secondary hub. Travellers can easily fly in from most places of the world and then connect with Germany's biggest and most respected airline Lufthansa which is a member of the Star Alliance.
By train - Regular train services connect Germany with all neighbouring countries. Almost all neighbouring countries (especially Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic and Austria) and even some non-neighbouring countries (e. g. Italy) are quite well connected with "EuroCity" trains. They are a little bit slower than the European high speed trains but reach nevertheless up to 200 km/h. They are a worthwhile way to travel--not only for budget travellers (although budget airlines might be cheaper) or landscape viewers (especially the Rhine valley lines).
RESPECT
Germany, especially urban Germany, is a rather tolerant society, and your common sense should be sufficient to keep yourself out of trouble.
Drinking in public, contrary to many places in the U.S., is not forbidden and even a common sight in the far west (Cologne and the Rhine-Ruhr Area). In some larger cities (such as, peculiarly, Cologne) there are local laws that in theory make drinking alcohol in public a misdemeanor punishable with a fine of several 10s of euros; these laws are rarely enforced against tourists, except in cases when drinking leads to rowdy behavior. Behaving aggressively or 'disturbing the peace' ("inciting public anger", such the official term) will earn you a conversation with the notoriously friendly German police officer and possibly a fine. Behave respectfully in places of worship and places that carry the dignity of the state (like the numerous war and holocaust memorials, parliaments and other historical sites).
On German beaches, it's usually okay for women to bathe topless. Full nudity is tolerated everywhere though not a frequent sight outside of the numerous nudist areas (labeled "FKK" -- "Freikörperkultur", literally free body culture). These are especially common at the east German Baltic coastline, due to the high popularity of nudism in the former GDR. It's also possible to spot nudists in Berlin's public parks and in Munich's "English Garden". In most saunas nudity is compulsory and mixed sessions are common practice. One day of the week is usually only for women.
STAY SAFE
Germany is a very safe country and the law is strictly enforced. There are no ghettos but certain city areas, usually around main train stations, have a higher crime record. Recent statistics show a significant drop in major crimes like murder or robbery. Pickpockets can be a problem in large cities or at events with large crowds. Bigger cities also have their share of beggars and punks but police are watching them very closely. Germany has one of the world's best social systems, keeping not only its inhabitants alive, so those asking for money are usually in need for various individual reasons or as a lifestyle choice. It is not illegal to give money to them, but keep in mind that nobody has to starve in Germany.
Symbols of Nazism, including Mein Kampf itself and any material questioning the extent of National Socialist crimes or praising its actions, are forbidden in Germany. The penalty for any kind of neo-Nazism is a prison sentence of up to five years, or a fine (the maximum is €21,600). Foreigners are not exempted from this law.
