Destination
Germany
Europe · Berlin
Safety advisory
Exercise normal safety precautions
Traveller safety tips
Germany is a very safe country. Crime rates are low and the rule of law is strictly enforced. Violent crimes (murders, robberies, rapes, assaults) are very rare compared to most countries. Pickpockets may sometimes be an issue in large cities or at events with large crowds. Begging is not uncommon in some larger cities, but to no greater extent than in most other major cities and you will rarely encounter aggressive beggars. If you're staying in certain parts of Berlin or Hamburg around 1 May (Labour Day) expect demonstrations that frequently degenerate into clashes between the police and a minority of the demonstrators. Take the usual precautions and you will most likely not encounter any crime at all while staying in Germany. Emergencies The nationwide emergency number for the police, fire and rescue services is 112 (same as in all EU countries) or 110 for police only
…When to go
Seasonal calendar — from climate data and curated definitions.
Public holidays
National holidays — closures and days off.
German Unity Day
Tag der Deutschen Einheit
October 3, 2026
Sat · in 4d
Christmas Day
Erster Weihnachtstag
December 25, 2026
Fri · in 87d
St. Stephen's Day
Zweiter Weihnachtstag
December 26, 2026
Sat · in 88d
New Year's Day
Neujahr
January 1, 2027
Fri · in 94d
Good Friday
Karfreitag
March 26, 2027
Fri · in 178d
Easter Monday
Ostermontag
March 29, 2027
Mon · in 181d
Labour Day
Tag der Arbeit
May 1, 2027
Sat · in 214d
Ascension Day
Christi Himmelfahrt
May 6, 2027
Thu · in 219d
UNESCO sites
55UNESCO World Heritage sites in this country.
- The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee2025Cultural
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Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps in the very south of Germany, near the border with Austria. It is located in the Swabia region of Bavaria, in the municipality of Schwangau, above the incorporated village of Hohenschwangau, which is also the location of Hohenschwangau Castle. The closest larger town is Füssen. The castle stands above the narrow gorge of the Pöllat stream, east of the Alpsee and Schwansee lakes, close to the mouth of the Lech into Lake Forggensee. Since 2025, the castle has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee". According to Guinness World Records, at 65 metres, it is the tallest castle in the world.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Cologne Cathedral1996Cultural
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Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 6 million people a year. At 157 m (515 ft), the cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the third tallest church in Europe after Sagrada Família and Ulm Minster, and the tallest cathedral in the world.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Frontiers of the Roman Empire1987Cultural
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Hadrian's Wall is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Running from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west of what is now northern England, it was a stone wall with large ditches in front and behind, stretching across the whole width of the island. Soldiers were garrisoned along the line of the wall in large forts, smaller milecastles, and intervening turrets. In addition to the wall's defensive military role, its gates may have been customs posts.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Aachen Cathedral1978Cultural
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Aachen Cathedral is a Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the cathedral of the Diocese of Aachen.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin1999Cultural
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The Museum Island is a museum complex on the northern part of Spree Island in the historic heart of Berlin, Germany. It is one of the capital's most visited sights and one of the most important museum sites in Europe. Originally built from 1830 to 1930, initially by order of the Prussian Kings, according to plans by five architects, the Museum Island was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 because of its testimony to the architectural and cultural development of museums in the 19th and 20th centuries. It consists of the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode-Museum and the Pergamon Museum. As the Museum Island designation includes all of Spree Island north of the Karl Liebknecht Boulevard, the historic Berlin Cathedral is also located there, next to the open Lustgarten park. To the south of Liebknecht Boulevard, the reconstructed Berlin Palace hous
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Wartburg Castle1999Cultural
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The Wartburg is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. At an elevation of 410 metres (1,350 ft) in the state of Thuringia, Germany, it is situated on a southwest-facing precipice and overlooks the town of Eisenach to the north. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the place where Martin Luther translated the New Testament of the Bible into German, the site of the Wartburg festival of 1817 and the supposed setting for the possibly legendary Sängerkrieg. It was an important inspiration for Ludwig II when he decided to build Neuschwanstein Castle.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Speyer Cathedral1981Cultural
Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae is a historical religious building in Speyer, Germany. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer and is suffragan to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamberg. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer and St. Stephen is generally known as the Kaiserdom zu Speyer. Pope Pius XI raised Speyer Cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church in 1925.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe2007Natural
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Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is a transnational serial nature UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassing 93 component parts in 18 European countries. Together, the sites protect the largest and least disturbed forests dominated by the beech tree. In many of these stands, especially those in the Carpathians, beech forests have persisted without interruption or interference since the last ice age. These sites document the undisturbed postglacial repopulation of the species.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps2011Cultural
Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps are a series of prehistoric pile dwelling settlements in and around the Alps built from about 5000 to 500 BC on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. In 2011, 111 sites located variously in Switzerland (56), Italy (19), Germany (18), France (11), Austria (5) and Slovenia (2) were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. In Slovenia, these were the first World Heritage Sites to be listed for their cultural value.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) - Monastic Island of Reichenau2000Cultural
Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance in Southern Germany. It lies almost due west of the city of Konstanz, between the Gnadensee and the Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance. With a total land surface of 4.3 km2 (1.7 sq mi) and a circumference of 11 km (6.8 mi), the island is 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long and 1.5 km (0.93 mi) wide at its greatest extent. The highest point, the Hochwart, stands some 43 m (141 ft) above the lake surface and 438.7 m (1,439 ft) above mean sea level.
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Car rental & driving
Whether your licence is recognized, and which side traffic drives on — per the UN road-traffic conventions.
Set your passport to see whether your licence is accepted.
Local norms
Culture & etiquette
Culture The Germans have earned a reputation for being stiff and strict with rules but also hard-working and efficient. If you are caught breaking the rules or seen doing something wrong, this will be readily pointed out to you by someone. The main exception in Germany seems to be speed limits. A quintessentially German action is waiting at a red traffic light at 02:00 with all streets empty. More importantly, the German sense of "politeness" differs significantly from the Anglo-American concept of courteous remarks, small talk and political correctness. Germans highly value honesty, straight talking, being able to cope with criticism and generally not wasting other people's time. For instance, while the answer to "How is your day?" is a standard pleasantry like "It's going very well" in the Anglosphere, Germans will feel obliged to answer the question honestly when asked
…Health
Bringing a pet
Standard set: microchip · rabies shot · health certificate
All requirements
- ISO microchiprequired
- Rabies vaccinationrequired
- Veterinary certificaterequired
- Rabies antibody (titer) blood testconditional
- Import permitnot required
- Quarantinenone
- ·Titer test only when arriving from a non-listed country.
- ·Animal health certificate (AHC) valid for 10 days.
- ·Entry only via a designated travellers' point of entry.
Rules may depend on the country of departure and change — always verify with an official source before travelling.
Internet
Connectivity on the road: coverage, data price, access.
Ride-hailing: Bolt, Uber
Food delivery: Wolt
Prices
Entry & borders
There are a number of ways to get into Germany. From neighbouring European countries, a drive with the car or a train or bus ride are perhaps the easiest and most comfortable options; visitors from further away will probably be using air travel. Entry requirements Germany is a member of the Schengen Agreement. See Travelling around the Schengen Area for more information on how the scheme works, what countries are members and what the requirements are for your nationality. In summary: • There are normally no immigration controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty; there may be such controls temporarily, such as in connection with important events and various crises. • The operators may carry out identity checks before passengers board international flights, ferries or trains, even between Schengen countries
…About the country
- Capital
- Berlin
- Continent
- Europe
- Population
- 82,927,922
- Area
- 357,021 km²
- Currency
- Euro · EUR
- Time zone
- 14:42UTC+2
- Sockets
- CF
- Emergency
- 110police112universal
- Calling code
- +49
- Languages
- German
230 V · 50 Hz