Germany is a country of strong regional capitals rather than one dominant center. Berlin trades on twentieth-century history and museums, Munich on Bavarian tradition and proximity to the Alps, Hamburg on port and canals, Cologne and Düsseldorf on the Rhine corridor, and Dresden and Leipzig on rebuilt baroque cores in the east.
The guides here cover Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Nuremberg and other cities, plus a countrywide overview. Rail connections between them are dense enough that a trip can be built entirely without a car. Seasonality is worth planning around in two directions: Christmas markets run from late November through December in most city centers, while Oktoberfest fills Munich hotels from mid-September, and prices in the city rise accordingly.