Europe is home to many globally renowned destinations, each of them with their own histories, cultures, quirks, and natural attractions. What is particularly intriguing is that Regardless of if you are eagerly awaiting your Germany Schengen visa appointment in London or updating your passport to ready yourself for the trip of a lifetime, Germany has so much to offer and is so underrated. From towering alps to abandoned theme parks and the fractured Berlin Wall, Germany is home to a perfect combination of manmade successes and failures, and natural beauty and wonder. If you have not yet gone, go. If you wish you had seen some of the less popular aspects of Germany, go back. Everyone should experience Germany at least once.
In 2016, Germany was declared the world’s best nation. One of the show stoppers and tourist favourites in the country is Berlin. The German capital has gone through many an evolution. What makes Berlin so special is that, through the continuous evolutions, it has somehow been able to maintain its old-world magic, indie spirit, and the contagious, ever-spreading energy that has made it so popular a destination. Berlin is home to the infamous Berlin Wall, and to truly understand how it feels to see the wall, you simply must experience it for yourself. The sections of the wall that are still standing are colourful and powerful all at once, broken fragments of Berlin’s history that somehow could withstand the test of time.
Auschwitz-Birkenau is just one of Germany’s many concentration camp sites. Harrowing in their history and painful reminders for millions, it may seem surprising to suggest visiting a place of such sorrow. Alas, you should take the time to go to at least one of the concentration camp sites, to pay your respects, to learn more of the history behind Germany’s darkest hour. One of the most important parts of learning about and experiencing a country is doing out very best to understand the history that made it the place that it is today. For Germany, it is places like Auschwitz and Berlin that carry most of the history on their backs.
As well as being an area abundant with rich cultural history, Berlin is home to abandoned wonders as well. Spreepark is the abandoned theme park that was once hugely popular, running successfully from its opening day in 1969 until 1989, when East and West Berlin reunified. After attendance dropped, the theme park closed in 2002, leaving behind a ghost town full of carnival rides and muted colours that tell stories of days long past. in 2011, the park was reopened for guided tours, allowing tourists and locals alike to experience the afterlife of the once-famous theme park.
To the south of Munich (sitting east to the Austrian border) are the Bavarian Alps. Unique in themselves and yet strangely familiar, the alps perfectly encapsulate the epitome of what it means to be awe-inspired. Towering alps made up of forests, brooks, and rivers make up the foundation that the monumental mountains exist upon, the Bavarian Alps will transport you to the happiest of places, and breathe new life into you.
The world’s fourth-largest economy is home to spirited culture, architectural grandeur, and natural wonders galore. With so much on offer, there truly is something for everyone in Germany. The charm of the cities and towns is entirely unique and somehow manages to seamlessly coincide with the natural beauty of the country. Go and see it. In all its harrowing history and its current beauty, go and see it.