Berlin: Berlin is capital, city and county in one. Berlin has 3.4 million inhabitants. The area of Berlin is 891.85 km² and is, with 3880 inhabitants per square meter, the most populated city in Germany. Berlin became part of the Federal State of Germany in 1990 after the fall of the wall. Since that time, many things have changed and Berlin is still struggling for an identity. For more info about Berlin read our blog Berlin – A Guide To Berlin

Brandenburg: The county Brandenburg has 2.5 million inhabitants and has only 85 inhabitants per square meter. Its vast land with an area of 29,478.61 km² surrounds Berlin and borders Poland in the east. Brandenburg is a quiet county with unspoilt scenery and is shaped by water from the three rivers Oder, Havel and Spree. Most of that scenery is a protected nature reserve. The capital of Brandenburg is Potsdam which is “Germany’s Versailles” with its stunning palace, parks and museums.

Saxony-Anhalt: Magdeburg is the capital of the county Saxony-Anhalt which has an area of 20,446.31 km². Saxony-Anhalt has 2.3 million inhabitants and lies in the north east of Germany. Saxony-Anhalt is known for its Wörlitz Park, for their fancy Hundertwasser houses in Magdeburg and Wittenberg and for the Reformation of Martin Luther in Wittenberg. Many people get on their bikes and explore the scenery around the Elbe River. Unfortunately Saxony-Anhalt still has a reputation for high unemployment rates and ugly buildings from its GDR time

North Rhine Westphalia: This is Germany’s highest populated county with a population higher than Austria and Switzerland combined. Nearly 18 million people live in an area of 34,088.01 km². This is 523 people per square meter. This county is well known for its big steel and coal industry which began in the industrial age 100 years ago. Population grew rapidly as there were many jobs to offer in this steel and coal industry. However this growth didn’t last as the demand for steel and coal reduced greatly in the 60′s and many factories were forced to shut down their machines. The top “must sees” in North Rhine Westphalia are Cologne with its stunning dome, the Beethoven town Bonn and the capital Düsseldorf. For more information about Cologne read our blog Köln – A Guide to Cologne. And for more information about Düsseldorf read our Düsseldorf guide.

Lower Saxony: If it comes to physical size, Lower Saxony is the second biggest county after Bavaria. The area is 47,634.90 km². The capital of Lower Saxony is Hanover with about half a million inhabitants. Hanover hosts big communication shows like the CeBit and has quite a few museums to go to. Near Hanover is Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg is home to one of the most successful automobile brands in the world; Volkswagen. Many people living in Wolfsburg also work for VW. Other big cities in Lower Saxony are Celle with its “rat-ridden” Hamelin, Braunschweig and Osnabrück.

Bremen: Bremen is the smallest county with an area of just 419.23 km². Bremen has about 660,000 inhabitants and most live in the city of Bremen. Bremerhaven, 65km north of Bremen, is politically linked with Bremen and therefore belongs to Bremen. The county is one of the three Hanseatic cities. Bremerhaven is the sea gateway to the world while Bremen is playing the lead role as a commercial and political centre.

Hamburg: The county of Hamburg has an area or 755km² and the capital is Hamburg. Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany and has the biggest port. Business is growing fast thanks to the growing economy in Eastern Europe. There is so much more to say about Hamburg, it’s probably the best to read our blog Hamburg – A Guide to Hamburg.

Schleswig Holstein: The German answer to Cote d’Azur is Schleswig Holstein with its sandy beaches, lighthouses, seals and fjords. It is Germany’s number 1 summer holiday destination and its peninsula looks never ending and is only interrupted by wind farms. Schleswig Holstein’s capital is Kiel with 240,000 inhabitants. The whole state itself has a population of only 2.8 million people. Schleswig Holstein once belonged to the neighbouring country Denmark but since 1864 is part of Germany.

Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania: Last but not least is Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania with its sandy beaches and glittering seas. This is another famous holiday destination among the Germans with three romantic island resorts called Rügen, Usedom and Hiddensee. The state capital is Schwerin with an incredible castle in the heart of the city. The state itself has an area of 23.180,14 km² with a population of 1.6 million.

The 7 South German Counties

Bavaria: At 70,538km², Bavaria is the biggest county of Germany. It’s capital is the metropolis Munich, which is famous for its yearly Oktoberfest (beer festival) and a laid-back traditional atmosphere. Bavaria has a population of 12.5 million. It divides into 3 areas: 1. Franconia to the north, 2. Historic Bavaria around Munich, Regensburg and Passau, and 3. Swabia that begins in Augsburg. Also the popular Romantic Road leads through Bavaria and takes you to the world’s most famous castle Neuschwanstein. For more info about Munich read our blog München – A Guide to Munich

Baden-Württemberg: Its capital Stuttgart is famous for its futuristic car museums. Baden-Württemberg has got a population of 10.8M and spreads over an area of 35,751km². It begins with the Black Forest in the south, the Lake Constance in the south east and Mannheim in the north. Baden-Württemberg is home to Albert Einstein, DNA, the Zeppelin and Bosch. You will find baroque palaces in Karlsruhe and Ludwigsburg, and roman style in Baden-Baden’s spas. University towns such as Heidelberg, Freiburg and Tübingen are popular for their active nightlife. For more info about Stuttgart read our blog Stuttgart – A Guide to Stuttgart.

Rhineland Palatinate: This county covers 19,847 km² and has a total of 4.01M inhabitants. It’s capital is Mainz. The river Rhine runs through Rheinland-Pfalz and strechtes over 1390km from the Swiss alps to Rotterdam. The county is also famous for its wine as most of Germany’s wine comes from Rheinland-Pfalz. You will also find famous historic cathedrals throughout the county, for example in Mainz, Worms and Speyer.

Saarland: Little Saarland is 2,568.70 km², is in the south west of Germany and borders France. It has about 1 million inhabitants. The capital is Saarbrücken and has around 200,000 inhabitants. Saarland used to be an industrial centre. Nowadays its more known for its French flair.

Hesse: Hesse is in the heart of Germany. The total population of Hesse is around 6 million but most people live in the busy Rhine-Main area. Frankfurt, the financial centre of Germany, is the biggest city with more than 600,000 inhabitants. Frankfurt is the biggest city in Hesse but the capital is actually the attractive spa city Wiesbaden. The north of Hesse has some great scenery to explore like the Lahn River valley or the National Park Kellerwald – Edersee. For more info about Frankfurt read our blog Frankfurt – A Guide To Frankfurt

Saxony: Saxony, the tenth-largest state, is located in the south east of Germany and covers an area of 18,413 km². With 4.3 Million inhabitants it is the sixth most populous state. Away from the city, the low hills of the Erzgebirge and the rock formations of the Saxon Switzerland are a tranquil bliss.
Dresden, the capital city, is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. It is best known for its beautiful baroque and rococo city centre, which has been restored after the bombings towards the end of World War II. It is definitely a must see.

Thuringia: Thuringia, which is also known as “the green heart of Germany”, is located in the central part of the country. It has an area of 16,171 square kilometers and 2,29 million inhabitants. Thuringia is well known in Germany for nature and winter sports. If you want to shake off all those civilizing influences, explore the Thuringian forests and the sleepy villages. Even though Erfurt is the capital city, Weimar has become a keystone of German culture. It´s been home to famous writers and musicians, such as Goethe, Schiller, Liszt and Bach.

Population:

Germany has nearly 82 million inhabitants and is the most populated country in the European Union. It has 16 counties. Every county has their own parties with a party leader. Germany has 9 neighbouring countries. These are Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Weather:

Germany can get chilly in winter with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius. But it can also get very hot in summer. Especially the south of Germany which is blessed with a lot of sunshine in the summer and temperatures can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius. Germany is not as cold as many people think

Politics and Economy:

The current chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel who has been in power since 2005. This makes her the most powerful woman in the world.

Germany is an industrial state and its economy is the strongest in Europe. In fact, Germany’s economy is the fourth strongest in the world. Big companies like Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW, Siemens, E.On and many more are German companies with their headquarters in Germany.

The official currency in Germany is the Euro. The Euro was introduced in 2002 and has replaced Germany’s former currency Deutsche Mark. The Euro wasn’t very popular when it was introduced in 2002. Nowadays people have accepted the Euro and it is very handy if you want to travel to other European countries with the same currency.

Formalities/Traditions In Germany:

When meeting someone for the first time strangers will often shake hands and say “hello” whereas in other countries it is more common to hear “nice to meet you” after being introduced to someone. Just a “hello” may sound a little bit rude but for German people it is not rude at all. So don’t get offended if people greet you just with a “hello”

Another common thing to say is “Gesundheit” when someone sneezes. It would be rude not to. And at every mealtime before eating everyone will say “Guten Appetit.”

On the eve of a wedding it is tradition that anything made from china is dropped and smashed on the floor. This is called in German “Polterabend” which is said to bring good luck to the couple’s marriage.

Food:

Some German food specialties are Kässpätzle, Weißwurst and Schnitzel. Kässpätzle (cheese pasta) is a Swabian dish from south Germany. This is a self made pasta with a lot of melted cheese and roasted onions on top. The Weißwurst is a traditional Bavarian dish. It is a white veal sausage which is served with sweet mustard and pretzels. And last but not least there is the yummy Schnitzel. I think Schnitzels are well known to everyone

Cost of Living in Germany:

The amount of money needed for a trip to Germany will depend on how long you wish to stay.
If you are living on a budget, you will need about €175 for a week in a hostel dorm and you will need about €15 a day for food (if you are not planning to eat in a restaurant). If you want to do some sightseeing, you will easily spend another €20 a day (depending on where you go).

One litre of unleaded fuel costs about €1.53, a coffee will cost between €2 and €3 and a dorm room in a hostel about €25 per night.
If you have a little bit more spending money and you would rather stay in a hotel, you will be paying about €40 to €50 for a single room and about €60 or higher for a double bedroom. If you want to dine a bit more up market, you will spend about €30 a day for one person.

A very good Internet page for booking journeys by train is www.bahn.de . This is the Homepage of the German rail. You can buy your train ticket online or direct at the desk in the train station in Germany too. You can often find better prices in the internet and some special offers too, for example they often have travel journeys through Germany for 29€. Traveling by Bus in Germany is not very common. The train is the first and most convenient choice, but unfortunately quite expensive. That’s why I would recommend everyone to buy their tickets online rather than at the train station.

Good web pages for affordable hotels are www.hotels.de or www.hotels.com or www.hotelclub.net . The hostel webpages www.hostelworld.com or www.hostelz.com also offer a range of hotels too, not only hostels.

Wieviel Geld man insgesamt in einem Deutschlandurlaub ausgibt hängt davon ab, wie lange man in Deutschland bleibt.

Für eine Woche braucht man ungefähr 175€ für ein Hostel in einem Dorm und ca 15€ für essen und trinken am Tag, wenn man ein schmales Budget hat. Wenn man auch noch ein paar Sehenswürdigkeiten anschauen will, dann kommt man schnell auf weitere 20€ am Tag (Je nachdem, wo man hingeht).

Der Preis für ein Liter Benzin beträgt 1,30€, ein Kaffee kostet zwischen 2 und 3€, ein Hostel in einem Dorm room ca 25€.

Falls man ein bisschen mehr Geld zur Verfügung hat und lieber in einem Hotel übernachten will, dann muss man für ein Einzelzimmer mit 40 – 50€ pro Nacht rechnen und für ein Doppelzimmer ab 60€. Wenn man dann auch noch lieber etwas netter essen gehen will, dann muss man auch mit ca 30€ am Tag pro Person rechnen.

Eine sehr gute Seite im Internet für Reisebuchungen ist www.bahn.de. Das ist die Internetseite der Deutschen Bahn. Man kann sein Zugticket dort online kaufen oder aber in Deutschland direkt am Schalter. Im Internet kann man mehr Sonderpreise der Deutschen Bahn finden und auch Aktionen wie für nur 29€ durch Deutschland reisen. Busse sind in Deutschland nicht so üblich zum Reisen. Der Zug ist Nummer 1 zum Reisen. Leider ist der Zug auch sehr teuer. Deshalb buche deine Tickets am besten im Voraus.

Gute Intenetseiten für preiswerte Hotels sind www.hotels.de oder www.hotels.com oder www.hotelclub.net . Auch die Hostel Seiten www.hostelworld.com oder www.hostelz.com bieten Hotels an und nicht nur Hostels.

Wo man in Deutschland gut einkaufen kann, hängt davon ab, wo man hin geht.  Ich persönlich finde Stuttgart, München oder Köln gut zum Einkaufen. Natürlich haben die anderen Städte auch ihre Reize und viel zu bieten.