http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Germany

these are the bundesländer, bundesländer are not european countries, i am confused by what you are saying

I failed, but I thought you meant bundesländer as a place.
Don't worry I'll take a Banana sticker off myself.

i once went to germany in a lancaster bomber. it was a blast!

I just got back from a 6 week trip to Europe, and I was in Germany for 4 of those weeks. I went to a handful of amazing cities and took about 2000 pictures. Germany is gorgeous, but the people are very harsh and cold; if you can speak some German they will be more polite. Germany can be very expensive, especially in some of the more popular cities like Berlin and Munich, but if you get a monthly bus/train ticket and book trips to great cities in advance, you can get great deals.

Some tips:

* ALWAYS BUY A TICKET FOR THE CABLE CAR/TRAIN. The Deutsche Bahn workers don't patrol much, but if they do, and you are caught without a ticket, they charge you a 40 Euro fine. I learned this the hard way.
* Almost everything is closed on Sundays.
* There are ICE and IC (bullet) trains that go around 250 miles an hour that can take you all across Germany and even to nearby countries like France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Denmark within a few hours.
* Stay in youth hostels, as they are the cheapest accommodation in Germany. A room in a dorm will run you at 15 - 35 Euro per night. Hotels are extremely expensive.
* I have included a price guide. A single $ sign is cheap. $$ is good. $$$ is expensive. $$$$ is a fortune.

Now for pictures of the cities I visited: Düsseldorf, Köln (Cologne), Koblenz, Berlin, München (Munich), and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.


Düsseldorf[/u] - 4.5/5 stars

In the North Rhine-Westphalia state. A gorgeous city in Germany, known as the "little Paris." The Rhine River runs all around and along it, and is home to one of the biggest airports in Germany. It is also home to the Benrath Palace, and it is only a half hour away from Köln, a cool little city that is home to the huge Köln Dom. You can also see the old town in Düsseldorf. It is only a ferry ride away, and it has a charm all its own. Düsseldorf can be expensive, especially at restaurants, but if you look far and don't go near or in the main train station, you can find good deals. I suggest taking a ferry boat on the Rhine River. It is gorgeous.


Düsseldorf City overlooking the Rhine River.


Sunrise in Düsseldorf.


The old town castle.


The Benrath Palace.

Food: $$ - $$$
Hotels: $$$ - $$$$, Hostels: $ - $$
Transportation: $$, To other cities: $$ - $$$


Köln (Cologne)[/u] - 3.5/5 stars

In the North Rhine-Westphalia state. Only 30 minutes away from Düsseldorf by IC or ICE train, Köln is nice to visit just to see the monstrous Köln Dom. It is relatively cheap here, but there is not much to do except see the gigantic castle.


About 1/8th of the Köln Dom.


Some architecture in Köln

Food: $ - $$
Hotels: $$, Hostels: $
Transportation: $$, To other cities: $$ - $$$


Berlin[/u] - 5/5 stars

Berlin is the capital of Germany, and has some of the most interesting architecture, landscape, and culture I've come across. You can go to Park Sanscoussi, a park with about eight different palaces, each you can explore inside for a hefty price, but the best things are free, and those are the views. Berlin has the Tiergarten/Berlin Zoo, which are all very beautiful and home to thousands of species of animals, especially birds. Berlin is kind of expensive, but it is worth every cent.


Berlin Tiergarten.


Berlin Zoo.


Cool architecture near the Tiergarten/Zoo.


One of the palaces in Park Sanscoussi.


Park Sanscoussi.


The "New Palace."


Another large palace.

Food: $$$
Hotels: $$$ - $$$$, Hostels: $$
Transportation: $$, To other cities: $$$


Koblenz[/u] - 5/5 stars

In the Rhineland-Palatinate state. Not very well known, but it should be. Koblenz is affordable, beautiful, and has the most amazing views from the Rhine River. The finest attraction is Stolzenfelz Castle high in the mountains. Definitely, definitely take a ferry boat ride across the Rhine River, as it has some of the most interesting sights across the Rhine. Only two hours away from Düsseldorf and Köln.


Stolzenfelz Castle.


At the top of Stolzenfelz Castle with a view of the Rhine River.


Taken from a Rhine River ferry boat ride.


People love to jet-ski on the Rhine.

Food: $ - $$
Hotels: $$, Hostels: $ - $$
Transportation: $$, To other cities: $$ - $$$


München (Munich)[/u] - 4/5 stars

In the state of Bavaria. One of the biggest tourist cities in Germany, I also think it is overrated. It is a fortune to stay and eat here unless you book well ahead in advance and eat cheap take-away food, and some of the best attractions, like the Olympia Tower, Schloss Nymphenburg, and the Deutsche Museum are insanely priced. Souvenirs are also beyond the normal price range. But Munich is still a charming and interesting place, especially the Olympiapark. The views from the tower are incredible. You can take a train to the Bavarian Alps, probably some of the most beautiful green mountainside in the world. For a price, of course.


Schloss Nymphenburg, home to many birds, with a lot of swans. It is huge.


A view from the top of Schloss Nymphenburg.


Some enchanting scenery in the Olympiapark.


The Olympia Tower.


View of the Olympia Stadium and Munich from the Tower.


View of BMW Museum from the Olympia Tower.

Food: $$$ - $$$$
Hotels: $$$ - $$$$, Hostels: $$ - $$$
Transportation: $$, To other cities: $$


Rothenburg ob der Tauber[/u] - 5/5 stars

In the state of Bavaria. Two and a half hours away from Munich. In my opinion, this is the most gorgeous village in the state of Bavaria. Rothenburg is a medieval old town with crazy cool architecture and buildings, and you can get some extraordinary views of Rothenburg, Bavaria, and the Bavarian Alps if you go to the top of a tower (there are a couple.) There is a fun and large Christmas shop that will delight young and old. The food in Rothenburg is delicious Bavarian cuisine. While it is beautiful, it is also extremely affordable - everything from souvenirs, food, admissions to the top of a tower, and hotels are very cheap, and since it is so beautiful, you will want to stay for a while.


A view of Rothenburg, a forest and the Bavarian Alps from a tower.


View of Rothenburg from a tower.


You can go to the top here (a rough trek, however) to get incredible views.


Some of the great and medieval buildings in Rothenburg.


The town gate.


The most popular street in Rothenburg.

Food: $$
Hotels: $$
Transportation: WALKING, To other cities: $$ - $$$


Hope this helps, man! 

Rothenburg looks like being inside an RPG

Edit: The Elder Scrolls: Rothenburg

That pic with the birds is pretty awesome!

ARTICHOKE that is probably the most well-known building in Berlin and you have it labeled "oldcastle.jpg" .K.A.I.S.E.R. .W.I.L.H.E.L.M. motherf*er
also inside the new one: http://photos.igougo.com/images/p57379-Berlin-Kaiser_Wilhelm_Gedaechtniskirche.jpg

idk I have some nice pics of Dresden and Neuschwanstein but who knows if I would post them

I only go to Germany to buy cheap liquor.

nah that's not it in this case. its just I would have to find my sister's webshots and I didnt think summoner was really asking for photos anyway

you are like steelpaladine circa 2004.

so many replies but im going with *folds arms, raises eyebrow quizzically*

its ridiculous how none of my friends had a digital camera for a very long time.

Isn't this the beginning of a Counterstrike level?? 

yeah that's cs_italy right there

wow. Rothenburg looks amazing. Considering I lived in Poland for many years and visited three times, it's pathetic I haven't gone there yet.

I spent like a day in Trier this summer. We didn't do much though, we just basically walked around the town ( Porto Negro or something like that?) and ate some fish in this restaurant.

Yeah I went to Trier as well...it was very nice from the pictures I saw in my travel guide, so I traveled an hour from Koblenz to go there.

Thanks for everything guys.  I definately will be traveling alot.

Any tips on actually living there?   because I will for the next 2 years probably

Learn German, seriously. A lot of Germans don't know English, and treat you with less respect if you can't utter much German. Uh it rains a lot, so bring an umbrella all the time, even if the sky looks fine; it just starts raining all of a sudden. That's what happened to me in Berlin and in Munich.

Learn German, seriously. A lot of Germans don't know English, and treat you with less respect if you can't utter much German. Uh it rains a lot, so bring an umbrella all the time, even if the sky looks fine; it just starts raining all of a sudden. That's what happened to me in Berlin and in Munich.

if it's obvious that you PUT AN EFFORT into it it means a lot. but you should def know greetings/salutations, basic phrases and words etc. it's not a big deal if you aren't even semi-fluent in the language.

also pretty much all young/educated germans know english but that doesn't mean you should rely on it.

and german isnt really that difficult

if you have a good grasp on your english grammar it will not be difficult to pick up german after a couple months of immersion. granted if you're on base you might not be using it every day or be completely surrounded by it, but german is a very logical and precise language that isnt really that difficult to learn if you understand how the grammar of your own language works