Germany is located in north-central Europe. The country's expansive land mass, the seventh largest in Europe, is connected to several European nations. To the east lie Poland and the Czech Republic. South are the countries of Switzerland and Austria, and west lie France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Denmark, flanked by the Baltic and North seas, lies north.

Today, Germany is considered one of the more prosperous countries in the European Community, maintaining a thriving export industry, particularly in machinery and automobiles, and supporting an outstanding arts and cultural program (Germany gave birth to Beethoven and Bach). Divided in16 states and dotted with heavily populated cities, such as Dusseldorf, Bonn, Stuttgart, Cologne, and the country's capital Berlin ( with 3.4 million residents), population (denser in the northwest) is up around 83 million. More than 40 cities have 200 thousand plus residents.

Despite the devastation of wars and bombings, historic sections in many of the cities remain standing. Old buildings, ornate cathedrals and stone fortresses miraculously survived and painstakingly and proudly preserved.

Highlights in Germany are Christmas markets, beer festivals, cuisine, landscape, shopping and people.