Despite two devastating wars in the 20th century, Germany today is the richest and most populous nation in Europe, with 83 million citizens, including large Turkish and Yugoslav minorities. The cities of Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf are economic powerhouses, Berlin and Hamburg are vibrant, edgy cultural centres and Munich offers top art, architecture and good beer.
Historical sites include the university town of Heidelberg, medieval Lübeck in the far north, proud Cologne, baroque Dresden in the east and several quaint towns dotted around the countryside. Many castles and palaces have been converted into hotels, hostels or museums. The country attracts 17 million visitors a year.
The capital, Berlin, remains a symbol of the 1990 reunification of east and west; partly under reconstruction, it is exciting, gritty and on the move. While heavy investment has led to vast improvements in the east, the differences are still tangible. Environmental concerns include air and water pollution from heavy industry, acid rain and the use of nuclear power.
· German tourist board Get the basics.
· Black Forest All you need to know about the Schwarzwald.
· Oktoberfest Find out what happens when a lot of people get together and drink an awful lot of beer.
· The CIA World Factbook - Germany
· The Foreign Office travel advice
If you only do three things
News and current affairs
Germany's online publications from the world news guide.
German; English is widely spoken.
Temperate, with distinct regional differences in temperature and rainfall. January temperatures can fall to under -6C (21F) in the mountains and 1C (34-27F) elsewhere. Average temperatures in July are 16-20C (61-68F). Winter is wet, especially in the south, but snow doesn't usually last long except in the high country.
No vaccinations needed. Insect repellent should be worn when walking in forests or rural areas as some ticks carry Lyme disease and a form of encephalitis.
While traditional German cuisine is very meat oriented (sausage, sliced meats, stews and schnitzels), health-food and vegetarian restaurants exist in most western cities. Vegetables, chips, rice or dumplings usually accompany the generous helpings of meat. Fish is a feature on the north coast and in riverside towns. Migrant influences have brought Italian, Turkish, Greek and Balkan restaurants, and, in the east, Russian, Hungarian and Czech food. Beer lovers will be in heaven: 5,000 beers from 1,200 breweries are available on tap around the country. Schnapps is another favourite tipple.
January to February: Weimar: International Dance Theatre Days; highly acclaimed dance-theatre performances.
February: Dusseldorf Carnival Parade; Berlin International Film Festival. June: Berlin Christopher Street Day: gay pride march and festival up there with celebrations in London, San Francisco and Amsterdam.
July: Berlin: The Love Parade - huge street party started in the 90s with DJs, dancing and colourful floats.
September to October: Munich: Oktoberfest; beer, beer and more beer - all German of course.
Embassies and visas
UK: Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany 23 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PZ (020 7824 1300).
Germany: The British Embassy Wilhelmstrasse 70-71, 10117 Berlin (+49 030 204570). Consulates in cities around the country.
Visa requirements: EU and US citizens do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to three months.
£1 buys approx. 1.45 euros.
Live rates: currency converter
GMT +1. Daylight saving time (GMT +2) from March to October.
Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin are the main arrival points by air. The national airline is Lufthansa (0845 7737 747). Frequent train and bus connections to all of western Europe and much of eastern Europe. DFDS Seaways (08705 333 000) links Harwich in the UK to Hamburg, and ferries also operate from northern Germany to Scandinavia and St Petersburg.
Perfume, Patrick Suskind: Crime novel from the 80s; the central character is a murderer who wants to be the greatest perfumier of all time.
Simple Stories, Ingo Schulze: Contemporary novel written 10 years after the reunification of Germany, tracing the human impact of the reunion on the lives of the characters.
The Tin Drum, Gunter Grass: Nobel Prize-winning novel that takes a satirical look at Germany and the second world war through the eyes of Oskar, an eternal child.