GERMANY is a country of diverse attractions, making it a perfect tourist destination for visitors of all ages. With its fairy tale towns and castles, its links with the Brothers Grimm, a wealth of historical and cultural pearls, captivating cuisine and impressive scenery, tourists are sure to find something that appeals.

Here are some recommendations.

Fairy tale tour

Most children grow up hearing Grimms' fairy stories, often as bedtime tales that transport little ones into dreamland.

The German Fairy Tale Route is a dreamlike tourist trail where visitors can visit the sources of their childhood tales.

The 600-kilometer route from Hanau in central Germany to Bremen in the north is dotted with locations where the Brothers Grimm lived and worked, as well as regions linked to the fairy tales found in the Grimms' collection - such as Bremen, the city where the animal musicians of the tale are traveling.

In Alsfeld, a picturesque medieval town in the center of Hesse region, the fairy tales almost come to life. It is in these dark and brooding forests and rolling hills that kings, princes, dwarfs and knights started their magical journeys to combat witches, monsters and the sinister.

Numerous film productions of Grimm tales, such as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Cinderella," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel," have been set in this area.

Among attractions are the Maerchenhaus (Fairy Tale Museum), dedicated to preserving the tales of the Brothers Grimm through displays of famous characters. If visitors are lucky enough, they may catch professional storytellers telling Grimm's fairy tales to children and adults.

Side trips include the spa town Bad Wildungen, which claims to have been home to the dwarfs of Snow White fame, and Sababurg Castle in Reinhardswald Park, which is often referred to as Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Historical and cultural attractions

If you are looking for something more serious, then visit Berlin and Weimar as they offer a completely different cultural experience.

The story of Berlin's rich history is found in its architecture. The Brandenburg Gate, a former city gate rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neoclassical triumphal arch, is one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered.

The gate consists of 12 Doric columns, six to each side, forming five passageways. Its design is based upon the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the gate symbolized freedom and the desire to unify the city of Berlin.

The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting in 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and East Berlin. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded in October 1990.

Some other historical spots in Berlin include Checkpoint Charlie, the Fernsehturm television tower, the Holocaust Memorial, the Rotes Rathaus city hall and the DDR Museum.

Weimar, in eastern Germany, is a town of timeless appeal renowned for its cultural heritage.

The list of major figures of literature, music, art and philosophy who were born or lived in Weimar includes Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Johann Gottfried Herder, Christoph Martin Wieland, Friedrich Nietzsche, Johann Sebastian Bach, Peter von Cornelius, Walter Gropius, Paul Klee and Johannes Itten.

Goethe and Schiller, two of Germany's most famous German poets and writers, created the literary genre known as Weimar Classicism. Goethe's residence is a baroque house on Frauenplan. Today, the house looks largely as it did during the writer's lifetime.

Schiller spent the last few years of his life in a town house on what was then the Weimar esplanade. Nowadays, the house is furnished with period furniture, some of which is original, while a permanent exhibition entitled "Schiller in Thuringia" gives an insight into his life and work.

The Bauhaus Museum provides an insight into the work of the world-renowned State Bauhaus School of Design, founded in Weimar in 1919.

Romantic Road

The Romantic Road, a trade route during the middle ages, still retains much of its medieval character. The road winds through forgotten sections of countryside, connecting romantic castles, walled towns and picturesque villages.

The dreamlike Neuschwanstein Castle (New Swan Castle), one of the most iconic of German castles, is a must-see.

A 19th-century Romanesque revival palace on a rugged hill, the castle was paid for out of Ludwig II of Bavaria's personal fortune and extensive borrowing. It was designed by Christian Jank, a theatrical designer, rather than an architect.

Ludwig II, the "Fairy Tale King," was a great admirer and supporter of composer Richard Wagner. The castle was built in his honor and many rooms were inspired by Wagner's characters. The name of the castle itself derives from one of Wagner's opera characters, the Swan Knight.

The palace was intended as a retreat for the reclusive king, but was opened to the paying public immediately after his sudden death in 1886.

However, Ludiwg slept only 11 nights in the castle, while Wagner died before its completion.

The castle's location in the Alps in Bavaria in a magnificent landscape reinforces its otherworldly appeal.

It has a beautiful inner garden surrounded by a walled courtyard and even boasts an artificial cave. Though only 14 rooms were finished before Ludwig's death, these were majestically decorated.

The Romantic Road name was coined by travel agents in the 1950s to describe the 350 kilometers of highway in southern Germany. In addition to the castle, visitors can see well-preserved medieval towns, medieval timber-framed architecture and magnificent stately buildings.

This route leads through the Liebliches Taubertal region, the Nordlinger Ries, in the heart of a giant crater, the picturesque Lechfeld plain and Pfaffenwinkel in the foothills of the Upper Bavarian Alps.

Nature

Time seems to pass slowly in the Black Forest wooded mountain range in southwestern Germany, bordered by the Rhine Valley to the west and south. Its name - which comes from the dense growth of conifers that blocked out most of the light - conjures up images of leisurely walks or cycling amid beautiful scenery.

The region is also known for cuckoo clocks, traditional village life, hefty half-timbered farmhouses, hills, sandstone churches, wine estates and picturesque towns.

Foods

Germany is famous for its hearty fare, with sausage, crispy pork knuckle and sauerkraut, some of the best-known specialties.

Other favorites include wiener schnitzel, a breaded and fried piece of veal, and for those with a sweet tooth, Black Forest gateau, composed of a sponge cake, cherries and whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Pork, beef and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, with pork most popular. Meat is usually pot-roasted.



(Compiled by Hu Min)