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Tourist information for eastern Germany:
East Germany is now emerging from the austerity of its isolation
during the Cold War and revealing its many treasures as a tourist region. As
well as some superb castles and palaces set amongst spectacular scenery, the
great cities of Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden are complemented by numerous
beautifully preserved medieval towns. The scenery varies from the holiday
resorts and flat plains in the north through the lovely central lakes to the
almost chocolate box beauty of the Harz mountains and the wilder grandeur of the
Zittau range in the south.
The north of eastern Germany borders the Baltic Sea and is a very popular summer
holiday destination, as is the large island of Rugen. The town of
Wismar makes a good base to explore the coast and has a beautiful medieval
centre. The main seaside resorts - Bad Doberan, Heiligendamm and
Kuhlungsborn - are linked by a scenic narrow gauge railway. Eastwards
from the ferry port of Rostock the coast becomes more rugged, and sand
dunes abound. Stay in lovely Straslund and take a day-trip or longer to
popular Rugen, an island with beautiful sandy beaches, forests, imposing chalk
cliffs, rolling hills and woods. The holiday island of Usedom has some
excellent beaches.
In the west of the northern province of Mecklenburg is the ancient city
of Schwerin, beautifully situated among ten lakes. From here, explore the
Mecklenburg Lake District, a lovely and largely undiscovered area of rolling
farmland amongst 650 lakes, teeming with wildlife.
Map of East Germany
Berlin is one of the essential tourist destinations of the world. There's
something for everyone; historic monuments, stunning architecture, major museums
and galleries, concert halls and venues galore, lovely parks, sophisticated
shops, wonderful restaurants, excellent bars, a famously lively nightlife. Add
to this its recent history as a divided city and its symbolic importance as the
place where the Wall fell, and Berlin is truly a city worth travelling to. Arm
yourself with a good guide and enjoy yourself. If you've got the time visit the
nearby town of Potsdam, with its superb formal gardens and palaces. 50
kms further west is Brandenburg, enjoying a lovely position on three
islands and boasting some fine old buildings. The countryside for 100 or so kms
to the north and south east of Berlin is a beautiful land of lake-strewn
forests, and is an added bonus when you visit this part of Germany.
In the province of Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg has one of the finest
churches in Germany, as well as other worthwhile sights. The church at
Havelberg, an inland fishing port, contains a stunning choir screen, and the
crooked streets of the old town give glimpses of the riverfront. Be sure to
visit Wittenberg and its famous university where Martin Luther lectured.
See the beautiful parkland, palace and lakes at Worlitz. Dessau's
fame is as the birthplace of Bauhaus architecture, and many examples are
scattered throughout the town. The main tourist draw in the province is the
Harz mountains in the south-west, a beautiful region of wooded slopes,
verdant valleys and spectacularly well-preserved old towns such as
Halberstatdt, Quedlinburg, Blankenberg, Wernigerode and
Stolberg. The whole area is served by narrow gauge railways, and is
superb for walking amid stunning scenery, and in the winter you can try the
skiing.
The province of Thuringia is largely forested, and the Thuringian Forest
in the south-west offers some of the finest walking in Germany. Stay in either
Friedrichroda or Schmalkalden and take the numerous marked trails
for all levels, but none too strenuous. The main city of Thuringia, Weimar,
is famous for the role it has played as a centre of artistic and cultural
excellence, and is particularly associated with Schiller and Goethe. A sad
reminder of the Nazi past is the concentration camp at Buchenwald,
outside the town. In the north-west of the province are the Kyffhauser
mountains, largely uninhabited but with excellent and numerous marked trails.
Stay at the small spa town of Bad Frankenhausen.
Leipzig is perhaps the livliest city in Saxony and a famous
cultural centre. To the south is the town of Colditz of war-time fame,
and the pretty valley which leads to Zwickau via the picturesque towns of
Rochlitz, Wechselburg and Rochsburg. Zwickau itself retains
an interesting medieval centre. Dresden, although horribly bombed in the
last war, has enough left of its former glory to make it well worth visiting,
especially the Zwinger Palace, the Semperbau (with its galleries of old
masters equal to the world's best), the Hofkirche, the Albertinum and, on the
outskirts the twin palaces of Schloss Pillnitz. 25 kms north-west is Meissen,
home of Dresden china, with an impressive castle and church. South of Dresden is
Saxon Switzerland, where the Elbe cuts its way through dense woods and rocky
crags - excellent walking country centred on Bad Schandau. The Zittau
mountains in the east are wild, wooded and rocky.
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