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.

The history of the town dates back to at least the year 1024. For centuries it functioned as the capital of several Russian principalities. After a decline in political importance, the town rose in prominence as a religious center with numerous monasteries and a remarkable ratio of churches to citizens: at one point, forty churches for four hundred families. Today, the town operates as an important tourist center, featuring many fine examples of old Russian architecture—most of them churches and monasteries. Walking through the town, one might get the feeling that every third building is a church. Although having over ten thousand residents, Suzdal still retains a rural look with streams and meadows everywhere and chicken and livestock a common sight on the streets, some of which remain unpaved. This juxtaposition of stunning medieval architecture with its pastoral setting lends Suzdal a picturesque charm and in the summer artists and easels are a common sight. ~Wikipedia

Angers is the historical capital of Anjou and was for centuries an important stronghold in northwestern France. The old medieval centre is still dominated by the massive château of the Plantagenêts, home of the Apocalypse Tapestry, the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the World. Angers is also both at the edge of the Val de Loire, a World Heritage Site, and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional natural park.

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.

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.