Germany Travel Guide: What to Do in Germany

Hamburg’s most unique museum is the Miniatur Wunderland, or Miniature Wonderland, spanning two vast floors of what was once a brick maritime warehouse. The largest model railway layout in the world is just one of the marvelous theme worlds here, which also include mini-reproductions of Hamburg, Germany’s Harz Mountains, and parts of Scandinavia, Switzerland and the United States. Watch the lights go on at night in Las Vegas; see a cable car ascend the Alps; watch a plane taxi and take off; check out miniature firefighters dousing a blaze. With the push of a button you can see performers go into action at a rock concert, a ropeway ascend at a ski resort or a soccer game go under way. More than 385,000 lights, 260,000 figurines, 900 trains and 10,000 cars bring all of this to life, and the exhibits are still growing.

For current hours and information, see Miniatur-Wunderland.com.

This verdant nature area, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, has an amazing 40 lakes and ponds and more than 170 miles of waterways to be explored by kayak, canoe or excursion boat. Spreewald is famous for its gardens, as well as wildlife, which includes some 500 strutting storks. The area was formed millions of years ago when glaciers leveled the land so much that the Spree River overflowed its banks.

An excellent place for a few days of relaxation, the area has hotels, campgrounds and a number of farms that take guests. For information, see Spreewald.de.

Baiersbronn, population 16,000, may well be Europe’s most unexpected dining mecca. This unheralded town hidden away in the Black Forest has not one but two small restaurants with rare three-star Michelin ratings — as many winners as London! Harald Wohlfahrt, chef of the Schwarzwaldstube restaurant at the Hotel Traube Tonbach, was a pioneer in upgrading German cuisine to Continental levels, and has maintained his three-star rating for two decades. George Clooney, the Clintons and the Dalai Lama are among those who have made pilgrimages to Baiersbronn to taste his menus. His fellow chef Claus-Peter Lumpp, at the Bareiss restaurant, won his third star in 2008, leading to a delicious rivalry. There’s a two-star restaurant in town to consider as well (the Schlossberg at the Hotel Sackmann). A half-hour drive away is a two-star winner, Le Pavillon at the Hotel Dollenberg in Bad Peterstal-Griesbach, adding up to an amazing 10 Michelin stars in the vicinity.

If you’re inspired, you can sign up for cooking lessons at the Hotel Traube Tonbach, learning to make classic German dishes such as chanterelles in cream sauce with dumplings or Black Forest tortes. For restaurant menus and cooking schedules, see Traube-Tonbach.de. For Bareiss menus and information, see Bareiss.com.