Which region in Germany is best? ...?

Question

...for a student from Australia who wants to intern there for a few months from august/september to late november?

I'm interested in history, scenery, christmas markets and architecture. Not Oktoberfest or biergartens, as i don't drink. :)

@tm i'm favouring the Baden-Wurttemberg and Bayern regions, for their scenery and proximity to France, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic.

anyone who's been over there?

Answer 1

you would love the Saarland then...

here is a list from all the Christmas market in Germany!

http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.d...

Answer 2

Hi there from Düsseldorf, Germany. Your question is good, the given answers are like you ask somebody where to go in Australia and they say Sidney and Melbourne, but Australia is more than that, right?

The reason why many people refer to Bavaria (Munich etc.) is, because after WWII the Americans were in this part of Germany, and now every tourist thinks, all Germans would wear leather pants, drink beer and always eat Sauerkraut and Bratwurst. This is nonsense, of course. What I would do if I were you is:

Go to see bavaria, to see those famous castles and the beautiful mountains. www.bayern.de    www.muenchen.de

Go to Berlin to visit our capital with most famous buildings. Don't miss to visit checkpoint charly and it's museum, where you can see how people from the former eastern part of germany tried to escape, it's a real unique museum (besides others in Berlin). www.berlin.de

Go to Hamburg to meet one of Germanies most beautiful cities with most famous harbour and the "Fischmarkt".   www.hamburg.de

Go to Dortmund when you ever want to inhale the magnificant atmosphere of a soccer match in one of Europe's most famous stadiums. www.dortmund.de   www.borussiadortmund.de

Go to Freiburg to see the wonderful Blackwood Forest and to see the so called "Dreiländereck", where the borders of France, Switzerland and Germany meet at 1 point, also visit the "Rheinfall von Schaffhausen", which is a small "Niagara Fall" of the Rhine River   www.freiburg.de  www.schwarzwald.de

A must is to see either Cologne (Köln) or Dusseldorf, go there and visit the old city.   www.duesseldorf.de   www.koeln.de

You can easily purchase a ticket at www.bahn.de   when you are a tourist and want to go all the ways by train (which is nice, too) or make an exact schedule and go on www.airberlin.de  or  www.dba.de   or www.germanwings.de  - those airflight companies always have special offers to jump from one city to the other for very cheap money (like 19 euros a flight - incredible but true).  If you need any help regarding hotels, do not hesitate to contact me, or just go on www.hotel.de

I would strongly suggest not always to go to those tourist areas, just find nice places and find out, how the real Germany is. It's beautiful and people are as friendly as Australians (those I know...lol)

Have fun!

Answer 3

To be quite honest, the things you're looking for--history, scenery, christmas markets, architecture--can be found in every corner of Germany and every German state can offer its own unique experience to you.  It sounds as though you prefer the south, if you are thinking of Bayern and Baden-Wurttemberg; both have quite a lot to see.  Consider also Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz, to the northwest, too; they're still within reasonable proximity to France, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic, but also offer a closer proximity to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, all of which are worth visiting.  I live in Wiesbaden, capital of Hessen, which is very very close to Frankfurt, and to Mainz (itself the capital of Rheinland-Pfalz).  From here in Wiesbaden, you'd be about a five-hour drive from Paris, Prague, Berlin, Bern, Salzburg... four hours would get you to Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Pilsen, Basel, Bremen, Konstanz... three hours would get you to Luxembourg, Erfurt, Nurnberg (Nuremberg), Metz... two hours or less would be Koln, Strasbourg, Trier, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Wurzburg, Karlsruhe... there's plenty more, of course, within all of those ranges.  I find it to be a highly desirable and centralized location ;)  Within minutes of here you can drive along the Rhein (as well as the Mosel) river, see more castles than you can count, sample local wines and brandies... and Christmas Markets?  Ha!  Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Frankfurt all have their own Christmas markets every year.  Koln has several, since it's a bigger city, although the most famous (and most crowded) is at the foot of Koln's cathedral.  Around here, Rudesheim and Nurnberg in particular are famous for their Christmas markets... pretty much every large town or city in Germany has one, at the city center, and even some of the small towns.  Whether you come to Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Wurttemberg, or Bayern, do be sure to find time to see Austria, Switzerland, France, and the Czech Republic, as you said... and if there's time, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Netherlands.  I doubt you'd be sorry for seeing any of them... and yes, even tiny Liechtenstein has a few things to offer beyond a souvenir stamp in the passport, which is all most visitors seem to bother getting.  If you have more specific questions about any of the places I've mentioned, ask away... cuz I've been to all of them :)

Answer 4

Heidelberg in Baden-Wurttemberg is def a must see!

Answer 5

You don't drink and you're going to Germany? You should at least try the beer, not to get drunk, just to enjoy the finest beer in the world!

Answer 6

Visit Hannover and Niedersachsen go when the Lueneburger Heide is in bloom, (lower saxony), Bayern ist also great, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the christmas markets in Hannover, Nuernberg are a must see. Bamberg is a nice city.

Koeln and don't forget Berlin, its full of statues and just so much history. Have a good Trip.

Answer 7

Bavaria is a good choice. Munich has an excellent Christkindlemarkt, and great arcitecture. Walt Disney based his famous castle on a castle near Munich (Neuschwanstein). It's close to Lake Constance (der Bodensee) and the Black Forrest. You must also visit Switzerland while you are there, too. Other countries that you could visit easily on a weekend include Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Lichtenstein, France, Luxembourg. Just be aware that the "Bayerish" can be difficult even for the northern Germans to understand at the average Bavarian drinks 33% more alcohol (mainly beer) than the average German.

Answer 8

Lake Constance (Bodensee)

Answer 9

rheinland - pfalz- the best region ever.

there you can see hills and rivers and beautiful landscapes...

it´s were i live and it is sooooooooo perfect

Answer 10

just at first, lower saxony is not really known anymore as an region, you should look for the different federal states and as i m german i would advise you so to go to the north, its not the warmest part but its rich of tradition too.also berlin is very cool, if you like partying!!!;)

Answer 11

Bayern without a doubt, I lived for a few years in Munich, and used it as  convenient base to travel around Europe.

To be honest I loved the area so much I was always very happy to return.

The transport system is excellent and the Alps and many lakes are easily accessed.

Any excuse and a tent goes up with music and parades.

Whatever your choice in the end, mix with the people and the whole picture will be enhanced

Enjoy!

Answer 12

I think Bavaria is a nice place. Try to get to Augsburg. It's so familiar and also a big city. One of the best Christmas-markets.

If you are interested in history, Berlin is a popular place to stay. But if you are in northern of Germany, it's not so easy to go to Austria or Switzerland. But you could go to Sylt (a nice island of Germany).

Have fun, whereever you go to.

Answer 13

you must visit lower Saxony. it is in the north of germany and their is a lot of history, scenery, christmas markets and architecture.

examples:

history: teuteburger wald - the battle of varus (romans were fighting against teutons...)

scenery: harz, lüneburgerheide, helgoland, nordsee ...

christmas markets: the best is in nürnberg but it isn't in lower saxony :( but the christmas market in hanover is also great.

architecture: a lot of old german houses are still existing! hameln, göttingen, hanover are some good examples i think

Answer 14

The Thuringen Wald (wood) In the region of Thuringia is quite attractive, good Prussian atmosphere and while your there you can visit Buckenwald (beech wood) concentration camp and decide for your self if the holocaust is fact or fiction, later.

Answer 15

hessen and bevaria and nurinburg

even if you dont party there is still a weath of history and shopping over here