Germany is a Western European country boarding France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Its population of 83 million speaks German.
One of the top 10 most visited countries in the world, Germany draws tens of millions of yearly visitors who come to experience its varied landscape, exceptional history, and iconic culture. The most populous Schengen country, Germany also has one the largest and strongest economies in Europe, where it is a pillar of the E.U. Divided into two states after the Second World War, East Germany and West Germany united into the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. Today, the country comprises 16 semi-independent states, each with its own distinctive culture. Its capital, Berlin, is a diverse and international city increasingly influenced by a growing immigrant population. Berlin combines historic and modern architectural and cultural wonders, including the renovated Reichstag building, the seat of the German Parliament, and the iconic Brandenburg Gate, built in 1791. Travel to the top of the Berlin Television Tower, Europe’s tallest building, for 360° views of the city. Visit Museum Island, a UNESCO Heritage Site containing five of the city’s most significant museums, which collectively hold some of the world’s most significant collections of antiquities and 19th century paintings and sculptures. Berlin also includes a number of sobering yet essential museums and monuments dedicated to keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust and its Jewish victims. Sample its varied cuisine, influenced by decades of Turkish and (more recently arrived) Arab immigrants, and dominated by doner kebab and falafel. A world-wide center for techno and electronic music, Berlin is known for its intense clubbing scene. Outside the capital, Bavaria, Germany’s largest state and Catholic heartland, draws millions of visitors to its yearly Oktoberfest, a celebration of Bavarian culture grounded in beer drinking and the wearing of traditional dirndl costumes. Munich, Bavaria’s elegant capital and Germany’s third largest city, is a popular destination for business and tourism alike. The city hosts some of the largest companies in Europe, including Allianz and Siemens AG, as well as BMW. The neighboring BMW museum is a top draw, as is the Deutsches Museum, the world’s largest museum dedicated to technology and science. Sample traditional Bavarian cuisine, including pretzels, bratwurst, and Knödel (potatoes) at Munich’s elegant restaurants, and visit the massive 17th century Nymphenburg Palace. Outside Munich, the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle (perhaps Germany’s most famous of its thousands of castles and palaces) draws over a million visitors a year. Further south, Germany’s alpine region offers hiking and skiing.
One of the original signatories to the Schengen Agreement, in 1985, Germany became part of the official Schengen area in 1995.