Germany - 16 Destinations You Must Visit

Germany's third largest state. Most of the major cities of Baden-Württemberg straddle the banks of the Neckar River, which runs downstream (from southwest to the center, then northwest) through the state past Tübingen, Stuttgart, Heilbronn, Heidelberg, and Mannheim.

Bavaria has a unique culture, largely because of the state's former Catholic majority and conservative traditions. Bavarians have traditionally been proud of their culture, which includes a language, cuisine, architecture, and festivals. The state also has the second-largest economy among the German states by GDP.

Capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media and sciences, and its economy is based on high-tech firms and the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, media corporations and convention venues.

In late medieval and early modern times, Brandenburg was one of seven electoral states of the Holy Roman Empire, and, along with Prussia, formed the original core of the German Empire, the first unified German state.

Bremen is Germany's smallest state. Two distinct enclaves form the state of Bremen. One is Bremen the state capital, and the other is Bremerhaven the city. Bremen is known for its rich cultural life with many theatres, libraries, archives, museums, and galleries.

One of Germany's 16 federal states, Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and the 7th largest city in the European Union with a population of over 1.84 million. The city's metropolitan region is home to more than five million people. Hamburg has Europe's third-largest port and it is a major European science, research, and education hub.

Situated in west-central Germany, The state of Hesse is bordered by six German states. Most of the population of Hesse lives in the southern part, in the Rhine-Main Area. The countryside is hilly and has numerous mountain ranges. Hesse is the greenest state in Germany, as forest covers 42% of the state.

It is the second-largest state by land area, with 47,624 km2 (18,388 sq mi), and fourth-largest in population (7.9 million) among the 16 states of Germany. Most of the state's territory was part of the historic Kingdom of Hanover. Agriculture, strongly towards the livestock sector, has always been a very important economic factor in the state.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is located on the north coastline of Germany and has 1.94% of Germany's population. Its capital is Schwerin, and Rostock is the largest city. The big cities in the state include Stralsund, Wismar, Neubrandenburg, Greifswald, and Güstrow. The state was established in 1945 by the merger of Prussian Western Pomerania and Mecklenburg.

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populated state in the country, with 17,912,134 people representing 21.5% of the population. It is located in western Germany, covering an area of 34,084 km, which makes it the fourth largest state out of 16 states in Germany.

With 42% of its area covered by forests, it is the most forested state of Germany along with Hesse.

Saarland is a southwestern German state in the border of France and Luxembourg, with an area of 2,570 km2 representing 0.72% of the German landmass and a total population of 990,509. It is named after the Saar River. Saarbrücken is the state's capital, the largest and most populated city in the state. Due to the Saarland location near France, a large part of the population can speak French.

A landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. The history of Saxony spans more than a millennium. It has been a medieval duchy, an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, a kingdom, and twice a republic.

Saxony-Anhalt is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony. Almost all of Saxony-Anhalt lies within the North European Plain, and its landscapes exhibit impacts from successive eras of glaciation. One of the beautiful states in Germany which were blessed with natural beauty.

Schleswig-Holstein is a northwestern state of Germany. The state is known for its history, culture, and architecture. There is a river called Eider which forms the historic border between Schleswig and Holstein.

Thuringia is known for its quartet of magnificent ancient cities and Wartburg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of its vast mountainous and forested region, it is also designated as "the green heart of Germany".