Germany

The area of Bad Wimpfen was settled since the Bronze age. Celts are believed to name the place as well as the river Neckar, on which the town stands. Bad Wimpfen consists of two parts - the older one situates on the coast of the river, and another (also containing the town centre) sits on the hill. As a town Bad Wimpfen is known since 13th century, and turbulent winds of history has blown through it. One of the bloodiest battles of Thirty Year's War took place near town in 1622, thus known as "Battle of Wimpfen". Nowadays, town enjoys peaceful times, being an attractive spa resort and offering its visitors an eye candy of numerous preserved (and beautifully renovated) historical buildings.

The old Bavarian town of Bamberg is one of the jewels in historical region of Franconia. Since the middle of the 13th century and until 1802 the town was ruled by bishops, which had an impact on Bamberg's history and architecture. The only Pope buried to North of Alps, rests in Bamberg's cathedral. There are seven hills in town, each of which is crowned by a beautiful church. This fact alludes to Rome, which is also called a "city on the seven hills". The town itself is an untouched historical monument survived in World War II - this fact is emphasized by inscription of Bamberg into UNESCO World Heritage List. With its 11 breweries, Bamberg is famous for its beer traditions.

This place is all about Alps - Berchtesgaden is located so much to the South, that you need to drive 30km to the North to reach Austria's Salzburg! Three valleys to the South of the town are encircled by Austrian territory and host the National Park with the same name. Some natural wonders are short drive away: the Watzmann, third-highest peak in Germany, and Königsee, brutally beautiful glacial lake. The salt mine is not functional anymore, but is reopened as a tourist attraction and is completed with sound and light show. The area is favoured by climbers, skiers and snowboarders, and professional sportsmen compete on town's bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track.

When you first come to Garmisch-Partenkirchen by car, you might get confused by road signs that divide traffic to Garmisch and Partenkirchen. That is because these towns were separated for many centuries and still maintain their own identities. Administrative unification occurred in 1935, just before the Winter Olympic Games of 1936. That was the first Olympics to introduce alpine skiing, and the one that put newly unified towns to everyone's world map. Many decades after, the town remains home to sports venues and many athletes. Walls of old town buildings often look like living frescoes, and it's not unusual to get into the traffic jam caused by cows crossing the roads.

Old town of Koblenz was always shaped as a triangular - two sides of which are rivers Rhine and Mosel, while the third side was a line of fortifications. This strategic location was appreciated back in 8BC by Romans when they established a military post - thus, citizens celebrated 2000th of anniversary in 1992. Remains of Roman-built bridge can still be found. Most fortifications were gone after 1890 but citadel of Ehrenbreitstein still overlooks the town from another bank of the Rhine. The town is an important centre of the Mosel and Rhenish wine trade.

This beautifully preserved old German town (sometimes called a 'Cradle of Saxony') once grew out of a Slavic settlement on a small river, which is nowadays called Meisabach. A market town by 1000, it grew into an important trade centre and home to production of two famous products - Saxonian wine and fine pottery. Meissen porcelain is considered a first high quality china to be produced in the West. Both wine and pottery festivals take place every year. Town's cathedral is built on a very small plot of land, so it is one of the smallest cathedrals in Europe, but also one of the purest examples of Gothic architecture. There are also many Renaissance buildings in town.

One of the best-kept secrets in Germany despite being a UNESCO-listed heritage site, Quedlinburg is seriously amazing. Its old town is almost completely half-timbered, and many buildings in the old castle district are very, very old: the Romanesque Church of St Servatius dates to 1129, has a 10th century crypt and has collection of early Bibles. The castle and the cathedral still dominate town's skyline in the same way they did for centuries. Quedlinburg is located in less populated area and a bit far from major tourist cities, so it's a great destination off the beaten track.

One of the prettiest towns in Northern Germany, Schwerin is located in the area of many picturesque lakes. Its centre is a beautiful mixture of architectural styles of last five centuries. The real landmark of Schwerin is its castle that stands on the island on the biggest lake of the area. Besides lake and architecture, town offers tourists some fine museums, including State Art Museum that houses a remarkable collection of Dutch paintings. Despite of being capital and second largest city of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, Schwerin is still walkable, however you might need to walk for several days to explore all its sites.

This town is a must visit if only because of its proximity to Rügen - a large and beautifully shaped island, whose many lagoons, sandy beaches, peninsulas and open bays are huge attractions for sea-loving German vacationeers. Stralsund and Rügen are naturally separated by a narrow (max 3km) strait called Strelasund. There are two bridges and several ferry lines that are crossing Strelasund. The island is named UNESCO site because of its natural beauty, while Stralsund's old town is granted the same status for its architectural and cultural heritage.