GERMANY

Germany is officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany.  In addition to having port access to the North Sea, Germany is bordered by Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.   As part of the Economic Union, travelers can now pass these borders without visas or customs inspections. Germany has a population of over 80 million.  The capital and largest city is Berlin.  The Rhine River flows from the Alps, north-northwest through Germany until it reaches the sea in the Netherlands.  The Rhine is popular for river crusing, as is the Moselle River.

Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollern Bridge, Germany, © Can Stock Photo Inc. / pzurek

Germany was founded by Germanic tribes around 100AD.  It was subsequently part of the Roman Empire and later was a center for Protestant Reformation.  After the end of Hitler's domination of Europe in 1945, the country was divided.  It was reunified after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.   Germany is now one of the economic leaders in the world.  The climate near the sea is moderated, being cool in summer and not extremely cold in winter.  Areas to the east experience more more variation in temperatures, while to the south the Alps generate the most extreme variation between summer and winter.  As with the rest of Europe, the summer months are the most popular for tourism.

First Stop - Cologne

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