Germany, OK I'll try this again

I would put Berlin and Munich on the itinery, however they are fairly far apart so depending on the length of trip you may only have time for 1 of them.

My first choice would be Berlin but I love Munich as well.

BTW - You should expand your post with more details such as length of trip and your interests, you will get a better more detailed response that way.

Get Rick's Germany guidebook. There is so much to see in Germany; I can hardly scratch the surface.

IM(NSH)O, Munich is the center of the best things to see. There is enough to see in the city for at least two, maybe three days. Salzburg and Hohenschwangau (Neuschwanstein), maybe Nürnberg, Würzburg, and Burghausen, are suitable for day trips. You might also want to make an overnight trip to Rothenburg and/or Berchtesgaden.

I'm going to vote for Berlin. It's a wonderful city. How long will you have? You could go open jaw, start in Berlin, and then go either south to Munich and the Bavarian Alps or west to the Rhine Valley. What are your interests?

Pam

you're going to have to give more detail about what interests you in order to get more targeted replies. Are you interested in the medieval period? 20th century? Cold War? Politics? Visiting the countryside? Visiting mountains? Museums? Art? River areas? Are you traveling by car or public transit?

Start with a guidebook. Personally, I think Rick Steves skips over too many areas of this rather large country to makes his guidebook the first choice (otherwise, you might end up tempted to stay in Reutte, one of the most ordinary ho-hum towns in the Alps). Go with Lonely Planet, the Rough Guide or Eyewitness guide as your primary source, and use Rick Steves for hotel recommendations in specific areas. I could recommend my favorites in Germany, but then your trip would be Tom's "must-sees" (I hate that term because of the blind herd mentality it implies), not Darrell's.

Darrell,

It would help if you could provide further information on what sights you're interested in seeing in Germany. What prompted your interest in visiting there? Also, what is the duration of your trip there?

As the others have suggested, have a look at some Guidebooks for ideas on cities that might interest you. There are LOTS of flights to Frankfurt (it's a main hub) so that allows easy access to both the north and south of Germany.

If you've only got a couple of weeks, you might want to focus on either the north or south this visit, and plan to return on a future occasion. For a good sample of the "traditional" Germany, Bavaria (Munich) would be a good start. You could also make a few stops along the "Romantic Road" and visit Rothenburg ob der Tauber (be sure to take the Night Watchman's tour - it's very entertaining!). Other choices in that area are Ludwig's Castles in Fussen or Dachau (if you're interested in history). Your route could also include stops along the Rhine & Mosel rivers and the Black Forest. From that area you could also take side trips for a few days to Berchtesgaden, Salzburg or Hallstatt (Austria). There are an enormous number of possibilities!

If you have a PBS station in your area, check to see if any of Rick's shows will be airing in the near future. Actually seeing the destinations is often a good way to get some ideas on where to visit.

Happy travels!

Darrell,

Since this trip is your first to Germany, how long is it? If you have at least 4 full weeks, you're in business. Get hold of Rough Guide,as has been suggested, and Let's Go Germany. Between the 2 you have a lot of information to draw from.

About the must-sees I would tell you to head north(i.e., north of Frankfurt) and east; first priority, go to Berlin..that's a must-see in every aspect, see Dresden, Potsdam, Magdeburg, Leipzig, Aachen, Bonn, Hamburg, Cologne, Lubeck, Erfurt, Bremen, Marburg, and in the south, Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart, Bamberg. To answer your question as to which city has the most to see, I say BERLIN and a day trip or two to Potsdam. Neither place should be rushed.

It all depends what your main interests are to be covered on this first trip to Germany. There are a lot more places, mainly in the north and the east that I've not mentioned, that are worth your while as a day trip or at least 3 full days.

Another vote for Berlin and the northern part of Germany. There are towns up there that will rival Rothenburg or anything in the south. Luebeck and Quedlinburg are UNESCO sites, so they really should be in Ricks books as "must sees". Hamburg is becoming very popular as a tourist destination as it has lots of interesting sights to see. Potsdam with its' Sans Soucci palace and park is gorgeous, Dresden should be on anyones list. For interesting scenery, it doesn't need to be the Alps or Black Forest. Try the Spree Wald or the Harz Mountains or the North Sea. These places are very beautiful in their own right and you won't be run over by the tourist buses, like you get down south in many places in Bavaria.

Please do post your interests though. We might recommend medieval churches but you might want to go to art galleries.

Wuertzburg, Heidlburg, Munich and Salzburg. Fly into Frankfurt and out of Munich. This itinerary sticks to cities that have some great history, churchs and museums.

You can add sites along the route that interest you.

Any town or city you visit in Germany will be full of history. History is thick over here, you almost have to wade through it. Depends on what kind of history someone is interested in. Early Neanderthal, Celtic, Roman, Franks, Crusades, Medieval, Baroque, Modern, Jewish, Church, Wars or the nazis. Take your pick.