Often overlooked as a holiday destination in favour of some of Europe’s hotter spots, Germany provides a wonderful choice of scenery, culture, history and gastro delights.
My wife Jean and I were lucky enough to spend an entire month in the country recently, and we were hugely impressed. At the time of our trip, September 2021, some Covid restrictions were still in place, but entry to Germany was fine when we travelled there via the Netherlands.
Perfect cycling country
Dating back to Roman times, the amphitheatre and Aldstadt (old town) in our first stop, Xanten, were interesting ways to learn about the past, and being so close to the Netherlands, the cycle ride from our campsite to town was mercifully flat!
Cyclists are treated with equal status to walkers in Germany – more so sometimes – and superbly waymarked national routes are a great example of investment in the infrastructure. Lessons to be learned here in the UK, perhaps?
Stopping off overnight
The excellent network of overnight parking sites, Stellplätzen, are very popular, and with good reason. Yes, you take your chances of getting in (we saw people queuing for a spot at 8am in one place), but if you can bag a place, you benefit from being near to your day’s end-point – they are often situated close to a town or city centre.
