Discover Germany: The TV Travel Guide

Iron, steel and techno. The former ironworks is a World Cultural Heritage Site that also puts on festivals. The plant shut down in 1986, but now it's open to visitors and hosts art exhibitions and events like the Electro Magnetic festival.

They are popular with locals and tourists alike: Munich's beer gardens are the place to be during the warm summer months. And that's the way it's been for over 200 years - as much a Bavarian tradition as veal sausage and beer.

Wine connoisseur Alixe Winter recommends a stroll on the banks of the Dreisam River, gourmet restaurant Colombi and the panoramic view from Jesuitenschloss.

Berlin's reputation as a party capital draws a lot of young people to the city. Popular districts to meet, greet, eat, drink and dance include Mitte, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Neukölln.

Yusuf Turan visits the old Imperial castle, the medieval old town and its market square.

Green is the dominant color in the capital of the state of Lower Saxony. Lake Maschsee and the banks of the Leine river are popular spots for leisure and recreation. That's also true of the Herrenhausen Gardens, dating back to the 17th century.

Whether the Zugspitze, the Baltic Sea or Berlin – each episode highlights a unique part of Germany. Join guides Nicole Frölich and Lukas Stege on their exciting tours of discover.

Katja Birker takes in a jazz concert at the Media Harbor, discovers modern architecture and finds out what a Büdchen is.

Fermentology student Donatus Perez shows us his favorite party venues in Munich: the English Garden, Tap House and Kultfabrik.

Rollercoasters, carousels, and swing-boats: the Europa Park near Freiburg is Germany’s biggest amusement park. DW reporter Elisabeth Yorck checks out the park's highlights.

From Leipzig to Berlin and on to the Baltic on a tight budget. Two students take the challenge, using various alternative offers for hotel stays and rail tickets. Can they do it on 200 euros?

Organist Markus Uhl shows us his favorite places: the old university’s great hall, the main street in the old town and the Philosophers' Way.

Light artist Jörn Hanitzsch makes his recommendations for visitors to his hometown of Cottbus. Among his favorites are Branitz Palace, the Suppenbar restaurant and the Staatstheater.

Raquel Ramírez of Venezuela visits Paderborn and shows us the cathedral and the source of the Pader River.

Katja Birker from Canada takes in a jazz concert in MedienHafen, admires contemporary architecture and sculpture, and learns what a ”Büdchen” is from a pair of locals.

The Danube River flows along 600 kilometers of southern Germany. One of its most beautiful stretches is in Bavaria, passing Weltenburg Abbey and spectacular rock formations as it winds its way to Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dominik Preisner is one of the best wakeskaters in Germany. He recommends visits to Jahninsel, a classic Bavarian volksfest, and mountain biking along the Danube River.

A walk in the fog? Many people would rather stay home. But not in the Röhn region. There, it's become a tourist attraction to be taken on a hike without a view of the state of Hessen's highest peak. On the way, hikers are deliberately led astray - a guarantee of thrills and excitement.

You can take to the skies as a virtual pilot in Hangar 10 on the Baltic Sea Island of Usedom. Not only is it home to an unusual exhibition of vintage aircraft; it also features a number of flight simulators. And if all that flying works up a thirst, there's nothing to compare with a beer tapped in style from an airplane engine!

Jungwoo Kim from South Korea explores the old lanes and courtyards of Lübeck's old town, visits the Buddenbrookhaus literary museum and tastes Lübeck marzipan.

Fabian Frank shows us three of his favorite places in Munich: the banks of the Isar River, a shop called Sama Sama, which specializes in chocolate, and a restaurant, Zwickl.

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria for more than 700 years. Until 1918, Munich was home to the royal family. The influence their passion for architecture and for art had on the city is still visible to this day.

Grunewald forest in western Berlin offers an ideal respite from the hustle-and-bustle of the capital city. The beautiful and unspoiled surroundings make it a popular destination for a family day out. One of the most attractive destinations is the beer garden by the Grunewald tower.

Goldsmith Ira Dentler's recommendations for Ulm: the old quarter known as "Auf dem Kreuz", the Museum of Bread Culture, and the Botanical Garden.

The Ulm Minster boasts the highest church spire in the world. It's a major source of pride to locals, who have turned the area around the famous church into a beautiful architectural ensemble combining old and new.

We meet Hector Medrano and Margareth Schumacher de Medrano from Brazil as they travel by camper van along the Romantic Road from Bad Mergentheim to Würzburg.

Actress Anna Juliana Jaenner takes us to Charlottenburg Palace, the House of World Cultures, and the Marga Schoeller bookstore.

Berlin offers a number of hip districts, including Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and Neukölln. But they're losing popularity due to gentrification. Berliners are asking: what neighborhood will be en vogue next?

Verónica Ganún and Guillermo Pardo are visiting Frankfurt to see Goethe’s birthplace, the Römer city hall, the banking district and Sachsenhausen’s old town.

Cross-country ski guide Wolf Hockenjos recommends the Thurnerspur trail, the historic ski lift at Schollach and the traditional clocks at the St. Märgen Monastery Museum.

Baiersbronn has become a major destination for foodies. This town boasts three restaurants with a total of eight Michelin stars.

For years, Berlin was ridiculed as the home of curry-wurst and bouletten. But no longer. Today, Germany's capital is renowned for its world-class cuisine and top chefs.

Berlin is an El Dorado for shoppers who are looking for something unusual - for example, tours of upcycling shops. Here you'll find clothing and furniture made from used materials, and re-designed in exciting new ways.

Berlin has about 200 musuems, filled with unique treasures - including mummies, dinosaurs, and remains of the Berlin Wall. There are also exhibits devoted to Bauhaus design, lipstick, and currywurst.

Christiane Hoffmann, artistic director at the Görlitz theater, recommends the Baroque House, the bridge in the historic center, and the Destille restaurant.

Görlitz has long had a reputation as one of Germany’s loveliest cities. The historic center features about 4,000 architectural jewels from across the centuries.

Raquel Ramírez from Venezuela explores the city of Paderborn, where she pays a visit to the source of the Pader River and the city's cathedral.

Ski-maker Axel Forelle takes us to the Eibsee Lake at the base of the Zugspitze; the historic Ludwigstrasse in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and a traditional restaurant called the Zirbelstube.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a popular ski resort with stunning views and excellent pistes. Down in the valley, visitors can even build their own skis.

Reginald Wright spent five years of his childhood in Koblenz. 25 years later he revisits the Deutsches Eck, the Ehrenbreitstein fortress and the old town.

The days between Shrove Thursday and Ash Wednesday mark the highlight of Germany’s carnival season. Discover Germany takes you on a short tour of the carnival capitals Cologne, Mainz and Rottweil.

Baltimore-based Leonid Serebreni visits Berlin for a drop of science at the Technical Museum, the Animal Anatomy Theatre and the Natural History Museum.

Photographer Ralf Graner recommends the view from the Hochturm (High Tower), a stroll through the historic center, and the Kraftwerk, an industrial monument.

Gravenhorst Priory lies the middle of a forest near the northern German city of Osnabrück. It's a 13th century complex that has undergone many changes. Nowadays it houses a fascinating exhibition center for contemporary art and culture.

A tour through the small canals around the Alster, an artificial lake in the middle of Hamburg, is a special experience in winter as well as summer. Fortified with punch and cake, you can take a steamer on a journey to the past in Hamburg's city center.

Local historian Ulrich Berktold recommends the old-fashioned smithy, Kilian Lipp's gallery and a stroll along the Ostrach stream.

Anushka Baloina is in Heidelberg on a school exchange program. She visits the castle and discovers how sweet student life can be.

Breathtaking downhill slopes, relaxed family-friendly pistes, stunning cross-country trails, seemingly endless toboggan runs - the Allgäu has something to suit everyone. The ski area around the resort of Oberstdorf is the highest in the region. From Mount Nebelhorn you can ski 7.5 meters down to the valley. At weekends, Oberstdorf is a perfect place for a stroll and there are plenty of après-ski activities on offer. In nearby Bad Hindelang things are comparatively quiet. In the ski area on Mount Iseler, families and cross-country skiers will find everything they need. And if you like a thrill, ride a sled down the natural toboggan run.

Martin Ip and his mother Meiling Ming from Brisbane head to Munich where they discover the Deutsches Museum, the taste of Brezeln and the lure of Dirndls.

Star chef Ralf Haug creates visual, as well as culinary matserpieces. He shares his top three tips for Rügen: the Prora heritage centre, the Wreechen artistic site and the Mönchgut peninsula.

The Hanseatic city of Rostock on the Baltic coast and the UNESCO city of Stralsund offer fascinating insights into the history of maritime trade, as well as some stunning architecture. The spectacular chalk cliffs on the island of Rügen are a favorite among visitors too. Rostock is often described as the "gateway to the north." The city experienced its heyday in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries as a focal point of maritime trade. The gabled buildings and imposing brick churches are a reminder of the city's historic wealth. Stralsund, also a Hanseatic city, is a UNESCO world heritage site. In its old town, five hundred buildings spanning eight centuries are listed as heritage sites. The old city hall is considered a gem of northern German Brick Gothic - a style often characterised by shimmering red bricks. The seaside village of Binz on Germany's largest island of Rügen, boasts a beautiful vista of white villas. Its most famous feature are the chalk cliffs, which were immortalsed by artist Caspar David Friedrich.