22. More on the Major German Speaking Countries

22. More on the Major German Speaking Countries 

The central regions of Germany are a little more 'hilly' than the northern parts of the country and there are many many cities, towns and villages. One of the things that strikes an Australian tourist is the short distance between the next township/village/city. Far greater distances between towns is the norm in our country. On this point, the visitor to the German speaking countries will notice that many of the towns' names end in Stadt (city), Dorf (village), Heim (home), Berg (mountain), Burg (castle / fortress), or Hafen (harbour). Many of their names also start with Bad (spa / spring).

One of the other features of the central region is the great number of 'large' cities with over a million people. This is especially so in the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr River area) where much of Germany's heavy industry is concentrated around the Ruhr and Rhine Rivers. Nonetheless, there are many beautiful towns and villages scattered throughout with their own unique architectural styles. Towns such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Celle, Goslar, Trier, Heidelberg are meccas for tourists. The Black Forest (Schwarzwald), the Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) and the Moselle & Rhine River Valleys also offer the tourist much to enjoy by way of romantic and scenic value. In truth, there are far too many places to mention here but suffice it to say, Germany is exceptionally popular with tourists from all over the world and Central Germany makes a great contribution here.

Further south we come to the alpine region. Die Alpen stretch almost right across the southern border areas of the country and divide German from Austria and Switzerland. The highest mountain in Germany is the Zugspitze which is just under 3000 metres. The Alps are particularly well known for their scenic beauty, along with the fabulous lakes and skiing areas. If you get a chance to take the cable car to the top of the Zugspitze and its weather station, you will get an incredible view of the snow covered mountain chain that goes on 'forever' into the distance. The major cities / towns in the area are Munich (München), Berchtesgaden (more of that later!), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberammergau, and Lindau on the shores of Lake Constance (Bodensee). These locations can be found in Germany's largest state of Bavaria (Bayern) and Baden-Württemberg. Both of these areas are deserving of special mention in the near future.

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