Germany

In 2016 I visited Germany. I had never visited this country prior to this trip, so it was an all new experience for me. I flew into Frankfurt Airport from Orlando USA, then took a train straight to Berlin. Berlin is a vast array of culture and history. There is so much to see and do: beautiful old buildings and historic monuments such as the Brandenburg Gate, The Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Pergamon Museum, The Berlin Cathedral, Reichstag Building, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Some of these attractions are quite sobering, but I would highly recommend them because they really do offer a fantastic insight into the past, no matter how terrible. You will need at least 4 days in Berlin to see all the major attractions. You will also need to be reasonably fit, as a lot of these attractions are quite spread out and a lot of walking is involved. In terms of accommodation, it probably doesn't particularly matter where you stay because you'll likely be near an attraction anyway!

(^The Berlin Wall)

After Berlin I travelled back to Frankfurt by train - this was my last stop in Europe before flying back home to Australia. Frankfurt feels very different to Berlin; if the language wasn't the same I would have wondered if I was still in the same country. The CBD buildings are modern, clean and bright. A highly pleasant city to walk around and explore as it felt very safe and all the locals are very friendly. There are SO many shops in Frankfurt. As this was right at the end of the trip and I felt I had seen and explored so many museums I decided to treat myself and go on a huge shopping spree. Frankfurt CBD offers such a variety of shops, there is a multi level mall (MyZiel?) with a restaurant on the roof, which was the highlight of the day for me. The view from up here was marvellous (see image below). I have fond memories of my time in Germany, and will definitely travel there again as there are still many places I'm yet to explore! I would certainly like to visit Munich and Hamburg, as well as the German countryside.