Germany for Kids

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Germany’s geography is varied. As a rule, the farther south you go, the more mountainous the landscape becomes. The northern part, where the cities of Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck and Rostock are located, is flat, with many lakes, heaths and moors. Since the sea is close by, there are also beautiful beaches and islands such as Sylt in the North Sea or Rügen in the Baltic Sea. Berlin is also located in northern Germany, about 100 miles form the Polish border.

In central and southern Germany, there is more heavy industry, including some famous German car makers, for instance Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche and DaimlerChrysler. Along Germany’s many rivers, such as the Rhine, Mosel and Main, grapes are grown to produce German wines. Also in central Germany is the Thuringian Forest, an area thick with pine trees and deep valleys. To the east is the Sächsische Schweiz (“Saxon Switzerland”), an area that includes dramatic sandstone formations along the riverbanks of the Elbe.

In the southwest corner of Germany is the well known Black Forest, a large hilly area covered with tall pines, dotted with small villages. The rest of southern Germany is mainly rolling farm country. Farthest south, on the border of Austria, is Bavaria. Some of Germany’s most famous castles are located there. At the border is a series of lakes left behind by retreating glaciers. This is where the Alps, the grand mountains of Europe, begin.

Many people in the U.S. don't know that Germany has a long coastline with beautiful beaches and many islands on both the North and Baltic seas. The beach chairs that dot the beaches and provide shelter from the stiff sea breezes are a hallmark of the German coast.

The North Frisian Islands of Sylt, Foehr and Amrum are a vacationer's paradise; the same is true of the resorts on the Baltic Sea, such as Timmendorfer Strand or Warnemuende. Germany's largest island is Ruegen: its white chalk cliffs have been extremely popular among tourists and artists ever since they were depicted by the famous German painter Caspar David Friedrich in the 19th century. Nature lovers are drawn to the tidal mud flats of the Wattenmeer National Park on the North Sea. One special attraction are the holms (Halligen). These tiny flat islands are home to very few people and are often flooded by the sea. However, in summer, they are great starting points for walks through the fascinating mud flats. Altogether, there are 18 islands and 10 holms in the German North and Baltic seas.

For more information go to:
http://www.wattenmeer-nationalpark.de (in German only)
http://www.ruegen.de
http://www.nordfriesische-halligen.de (in German only)
http://www.sylt.de (in German only)
http://www.timmendorfer-strand.de

At the opposite end of the country, on its border with Austria and Switzerland, Germany touches the spectacular peaks of the Alps. Here you will find the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak (2,962 meters). In winter, it offers fantastic skiing, snowboarding and sledding; in summer, the mountains are a hiker's and biker's paradise.

Some of Germany's most famous castles are located in this region. Maybe you've heard of Neuschwanstein castle, built by Bavaria’s King Ludwig II in 1868? It looks like something straight out of a fairytale (it was the primary inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World in Orlando, Florida) and it is one of the great tourist attractions in Germany. Germany’s Alpine foothills are home to some of the country’s most exquisite lakes, such as the Chiemsee and the Koenigssee in Bavaria, and Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

For more information go to:
http://www.zugspitze.de
http://www.schloesser.bayern.de
http://www.bodenseeferien.de (in German only)

The Rhine river flows all the way from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, and is one of the world's busiest waterways. It is especially famous for its romantic scenery along the stretch where it snakes through the mountains between the town of Ruedesheim and the city of Bonn. Castle ruins sit atop high cliffs along this stunning stretch of the river, and the steep hillsides are carpeted with vineyards. Near the town of Bingen, there is a rocky outcropping known as the Lorelei. Legend tells of a mysterious maiden whose sweet singing lured sailors to her, causing them to wreck their ships on the rocks below. The Rhine river valley is also known around the world for the delicious wines produced there.

For more information go to:
http://www.loreleyvalley.com

The Black Forest, which lies in the southwest corner of Germany, is known for its deep valleys, dark evergreens and delicious foods, such as the ham and chocolate-cherry cake that both take their names from the region. The highest peak among the Black Forest’s rolling hills is the Feldberg, which rises nearly 1493 meters above sea level. Lumbering and woodworking were long the region's main industries. Logs cut from the Black Forest were once transported by river to Holland and used for shipbuilding.

Today, people come to the Black Forest to relax at lakeside resorts and to enjoy winter sports like skiing and snowboarding. The region was named for its dense forests, which really do look black in gloomy weather.

For more information go to:
http://www.schwarzwald-tourist-info.de

The Lueneburger Heide, which lies between the Elbe and Aller rivers in northern Germany, is located in a nature preserve of vast stretches of open land carpeted with heather. The people who live in this starkly beautiful region take great care to preserve the unique natural environment that surrounds them.

Heather, a low-growing shrub, flourishes in the region's thin soil, but if left to itself, could be taken over by hardier trees or plants. To keep the heather blooming, a special breed of sheep, known as Heidschnucken, are raised. These sheep can live on the shrubs that grow on the Lueneburger Heide, and their grazing helps these plants to spread and bloom. Heidschnucken also eat the seedlings of tree that might otherwise dominate the area.

Beekeeping is another important tradition on the Lueneburger Heide. As bees move from one clump of heather to another gathering nectar, they spread pollen and help the plants thrive. They also make delicious honey!

Each spring when the heather blooms into carpets of yellow, lilac and cream, visitors flock to the Lueneburger Heide to explore the landscape on foot, by bike, on horseback or even by horse-drawn carriage.

For more information go to:
http://www.lueneburger-heide.de

Southeast of Berlin, in the state of Brandenburg, lies one of Germany's most unusual regions. As the Spree river flows through this area, it widens into a broad wetland that floods nearly every year. In the Spree Forest, people travel from place to place by boat instead of car. Towns and villages are connected by waterways rather than roads and boatloads of tourists glide along these canals. So do mail boats and barges piled high with farm products. Even the police travel by water; locals call them "duck police." In all, about 3,000 canal boats ply the waters of the Spree Forest. The boats are built by hand, and are propelled through the water by punters using long poles.

The Spree Forest is known for its colorful local customs. People in the region form one of Germany's many ethnic minorities: the Sorbs. They are of Slavic heritage and speak Sorbic, a language related to Czech and Polish as well as German.