The most beautiful cities in Germany
Germany’s most beautiful cities and towns stand among the best places to visit in the European Union. They span almost the full range of European variety.
- There are cities with Roman origins and remains such as Trier, Cologne, Regensburg and Mainz.
- Medieval cities such as Nuremberg, Erfurt, Bamberg and Worms and the half-timbered Harz region towns of Goslar, Quedlinburg and Wernigerode.
- Renaissance showpiece cities such as LĂĽbeck, Augsburg or Bremen.
- Cities with Baroque survivals, including Dresden, Heidelberg or Passau.
- Plenty of German cities have beautiful palaces on their streets or nearby, like Potsdam, Munich, Stuttgart, WĂĽrzburg and Weimar.
- The great cathedrals such as Cologne, Regensburg, Bamberg, Mainz, Erfurt, Worms, with countless other churches, sometimes in Romanesque but more commonly in the Gothic style. The mĂĽnster of Ulm has the tallest spire of them all.
- Museums of culture and art among world’s best, including Deutsches Museum, Deutsches Nationalmuseum, Alte Pinakothek and the Pergamonmuseum.
All these places can be reached by train and bus (Quedlinburg is on a branch line). All offer a range of hotels, hostels, guest houses and other types of accommodation. All are very walkable and, like most German towns and cities, are really best seen on foot. But trams and buses help get people to and from hotels or attractions and for the bigger centres, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Nuremberg, there are fast regular options in the form of S-bahn and U-bahn trains and light-rail transport.
Customs rules
Travellers are liable for heavy fines for breaking import limits for Germany. Customs (Zoll) is taken seriously and certain categories of controlled items are dealt with as below.
Entry requirements
For stays in Germany of less than 90 days over a period of six months, for the purpose of tourism, business or personal visits, travellers from EU and other Western countries do not normally require an entry visa. For stays beyond that time citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, the UK and the US can apply for a residency visa or work permit. Applications for stays of longer than 90 days can be made by visitors from these countries in Germany and a temporary residency permit may be issued while such applications are processed.
Visas are issued under Europe’s Schengen Agreement on border controls and are valid in most EU countries as well as Switzerland. Visas are available at German embassies or consulates-general for €80 (children 6-12 €40), although there is a list of discount and waiver categories – including young children – in English on the foreign ministry website. Visa applicants may have their fingerprints scanned.
Irish citizens need a passport to enter Germany and those wanting long stays are subject to EU provisions. The 2013 modification of the Schengen Agreement requires visitors to hold travel documents valid for three months after their intended departure date from Germany. Most other European countries have implemented similar provisions. Under the protocols travellers holding a Schengen visa may move between signatory countries without border checks and stay for a period up to 90 days.
Entry visas are required by citizens of Botswana, India, Jamaica and several Caribbean countries, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. A full list is at the foreign ministry website, where the provisions of the Schengen Agreement are outlined.
Tax refunds
The 19% Umsatzsteuer (value-added tax) paid on goods at purchase can be reclaimed by mail by non-EU residents on goods produced on departure from the EU within three months. Goods for which refund documents were completed at purchase should be accompanied by purchase receipts and the refund documents (signed by the trader). Endorsed forms, stamped in Customs at time of export, can be sent by mail to the trader to claim the refund. At purchase and departure the buyer’s passport will be required.
Importing currency
Cash imports into Germany from outside the EU exceeding €10,000 should be declared.
Importing goods
Jewellery and personal valuables imported by sea or air from outside the EU should not exceed €430 in value (€175 for travellers under 15 years). Such items imported on land should not exceed €300. All firearms and ammunition must be declared, but it is best to contact a German consulate to check beforehand on prohibitions. Narcotics and all but approved small fireworks are prohibited.
Media products considered to incite racial hatred or violence or to glorify war present a Customs problem. There is a particular sensitivity to material or symbols considered to glorify the Third Reich or the Holocaust, but acknowledged works of history are allowable. Pornography involving violence, bestiality or child abuse is banned and possession of the last is punishable by jail. Counterfeit or pirated media will be confiscated by Customs.
Strictly, all food should be declared if there could be a hazard but snacks and most drinks should not be a problem. For non-EU citizens, untaxed limits on items for personal use, including 200 cigarettes and one or two litres of strong spirits, are at the Customs website. For import within the EU, the figures are 800 cigarettes and 10 litres.
Pets & plants
Pets are loved in Germany but import is strictly controlled. Plants should be checked for restrictions before import.
Medicines
Certain medicinal substances are strictly controlled, including the common painkillers paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine (see also Health & medical care above). It is best to check before travelling and patients requiring such medications should carry the prescriptions. Mailing of pharmaceuticals from non-EU countries to Germany is prohibited.
A doctor's letter stating need is also a good precaution for travellers importing such medicines. Quantities need to be proportionate to the length of stay (up to three months will not usually be a problem). Packaging should be original, German labelling requirements must be met and in some circumstances a descriptive insert in German might be demanded.
The German Customs page English version and Bundesinstitut fĂĽr Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte page in English are useful sources.
