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Eyewitness Travel Guides

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Germany

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DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Germany takes you by the hand, leading you straight to the best attractions this country has to offer, from its beautiful castles and cathedrals to its popular beer halls, festivals, and Christmas markets to walks and hikes through the countryside. Experience Oktoberfest in Munich, ski down the Alps, and cruise or hike along the Rhine to see romantic castles and vineyards.

Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Germany .

+ Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance.
+ Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights.
+ Floor plans and guided visitor information for major museums.
+ Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area.
+ Area maps marked with sights.
+ Detailed city maps of Berlin and Munich include street finder indexes for easy navigation.
+ Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights.
+ Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations.

With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Germany truly shows you this country as no one else can.

Recommended: For a pocket guidebook to Berlin, check out DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Berlin , which is packed with dozens of top 10 lists, ensuring you make the most of your time in the city.

Series Overview: For more than two decades, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have helped travelers experience the world through the history, art, architecture, and culture of their destinations. Expert travel writers and researchers provide independent editorial advice, recommendations, and reviews. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide.

Awards:

Wanderlust Travel Awards 2009 - 2015

Reviews:

"Known... for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way." - Chicago Tribune

"The best option... Color photos, maps, and diagrams bring the place to life." - The Philadelphia Inquirer

584 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

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D.K. Eyewitness Travel

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5 stars
233 (46%)
4 stars
167 (33%)
3 stars
85 (17%)
2 stars
13 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Diz.
1,861 reviews138 followers
August 18, 2021
The good point of this guidebook is that every page has at least one color photograph or illustration, so you get to see some of the things that the guidebook is presenting, which can help you decide whether you want to visit a place or not. The actual text of the guidebook leaves a lot to be desired, though. Most entries just tell when a place was built, who built it, and then declares it as "one of the best" of whatever it is. In other words, most entries just include data and a platitude. There really isn't any judgement on whether a site is worth visiting or not. For a guidebook to be useful, it needs to be more critical, and it should explain why certain places are worth visiting.
Profile Image for Julie Suzanne.
2,175 reviews84 followers
December 27, 2018
I read the whole first section about the history of Germany and general travel info such as cultural considerations, advice based on season of travel, etc., and it was pretty useful. I then read all of the information about the particular region in which we're staying, and for general points of interest, it's pretty good. However, I disagree with the accuracy of their claim "all you need to plan your travel."

We arrived in Germany on Sunday, 2 days before Xmas. On Sundays, everything is closed. Everything. Then on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas, EVERY THING IS CLOSED. Had we known that we'd be hotel-bound for 4 days, we'd have chosen different days to travel here. It is a well-known fact, according to multiple blog posts I read, but it is NOT mentioned in this guide in which is says that December is a time for festivals and outdoor festivities. Yeah. No. So....I recommend checking this out from your library instead of buying it, and then spend a lot of time looking at travel blogs for the real deal.
Profile Image for Monika.
153 reviews27 followers
December 16, 2020
Bent tokiais būdais galima pakeliauti šiais laikais.
Profile Image for Louisa Mead.
79 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2025
Really comprehensive travel guide which covers not just the most well known parts of Germany but areas - especially in the north and east - that even as someone quite familiar with the country I didn’t know much about.
As always with DK, lots of excellent photos, clear descriptions and this has now given us dozens of ideas for holidays and short breaks
Profile Image for Terri Lynn.
997 reviews
January 30, 2016
If you are planning to go to Germany or if it is something you are dreaming of, sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of tea and curl up with this stunning full color book that will show you the the things you won't want to miss.
Profile Image for Lori Lindsey.
97 reviews4 followers
May 21, 2025
This was a very comprehensive and interesting summary of travel in Germany and the areas you might wish to visit. As someone who lived in Germany for almost 6 years, I still found lots of amazing and interesting facts in this book. My only regret is that they didn’t explore more kid friendly destinations and talk about cheaper stay alternatives and food alternatives. Otherwise this was very informative and would be great to have on hand for your German travels.
Profile Image for Durval Menezes.
351 reviews5 followers
November 4, 2017
This is an excellent reference/guide book for travelling into Germany. My wife and I used it for our 2011 trip and it helped a lot.
Profile Image for Rd.
475 reviews1 follower
October 29, 2024
Awesome. I'll never get there but this book makes me feel like I've been!
Profile Image for Sophie Crane.
5,211 reviews178 followers
December 23, 2021
I have only visited Germany a couple of times in the past on the way to Austria and a day trip from Alsace-Lorraine in France but over the next 2 or 3 years I’m hoping to do a lot more exploring particularly in the Black Forest area. Hence when I was offered this Dorling Kindersley guide to Germany to review I jumped at the chance.

As usual with all Dorling Kindersley books this one is sumptuously illustrated with photos, maps, plans, exploded diagrams of architecture and buildings etc. It is a beautiful book.

The first 40 odd pages is an introduction to Germany with itineraries of the sort of place you would go to, reasons to love Germany am and what you might want to see there and a brief history. The bulk of the book is split into 4 sections: eastern Germany, southern Germany, western Germany and northern Germany. And in each one of these areas is split down to between 3 and 5 separate areas.

There is just such a wealth of information here from what to see in each region, city, town and village to when things are open, there web address and just such a huge amount of information on anything and everything you could possibly want. Is the “need-to-know” section which says about transport and what you need to know before you go the usual sort of stuff about money, passports, travel safety, customs information, insurance, vaccinations, money, booking accommodation, travellers with specific needs, language, closures, public holidays, how to arrive by air or train etc. I can’t really fault this Dorling Kindersley book and will enjoy using it on my travels in the next few years.
Profile Image for Strangerealms.
162 reviews15 followers
January 16, 2010
This particular serie of touristic books is called "Voir" or in English "See". And indeed in this book there are tons of photos, plans and it's a very visual book. It talks about every aspects of the country from history, culture, food, customs, geography, etc. It contains as well a few maps of cities and addresses like for restaurants. The book is fully in color with glazed paper, the book is a bit too heavy but at the same time it's not too big, obviously it's the glazed paper that is making it heavy. I think it should fit in a medium/big handbag. I've seen books that were more complete in term of having more addresses and full maps of cities, but this serie is the only one that has so many pictures and makes it a visual pleasure, you're always like "Wow! Wow! Wow!" the whole time you read it and it gives you even more the taste to visit the country.
Profile Image for Julia.
292 reviews7 followers
June 11, 2008
Hmf. I mean, the basics are alright, but I don't need so many goddamn pictures. I'm going to SEE the country, alright? I would rather they expand the "about the region" section and shrink the silly colorful maps. I borrowed this from a friend, and usually get guide books from the library instead of buying, but yeah...either way, I think different companies do a much better job (Lonely Planet is still my reigning fave, although I'm eager to try another Hidden Planet guide after my experience with their Yucatan edition).
Profile Image for Tatjana.
335 reviews14 followers
February 10, 2011
Pretty good. I use it weekly, since I live in Germany at the moment.
I like the pictures as a clear reference (I've very visual), though some of them are misleading. One thing I very much like is that all parts of Germany are equally treated. That is unusual. Most books concentrate disproportionately on Bavaria and The Rhein River Valley. Don't get me wrong! They are breath-taking; however, this book actually recommends some of the little gems found elsewhere.
It's not the kind of travel book that recommends accommodation or food. Just the sites and the facts.
Profile Image for Greg.
561 reviews143 followers
January 31, 2016
If you've never been to Germany or only spent a short time in some part of the country and want to travel there, this is a great book to get a quick, cursory overview to plan a trip. Great photos and graphics, nice vignettes to spur on greater study of places that interest you, and organized in an accessible, easily navigated style. And it comes in a variety of languages. Recommended for people who are familiar with and like DK's approach to travel and informational books. As I do. And it's available in a variety of languages.
Profile Image for Sannie.
331 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2010
As someone who lives in Germany, this is a helpful guide for whenever I'm going on a short trip to other cities. It has a very good overview of the main sites that you have to see, but not much is offered in terms of off-the-beaten-path. I wouldn't take any of the suggestions for hotels because they're on the expensive side and typical tourist traps. But I suppose that's what would happen when a lot of people use this book.
Profile Image for Jim.
438 reviews67 followers
January 28, 2014
Not a terrible guide book but just a little too heavy and repetitive on the castles and churches. Didn't feature enough unique elements of each city. I would have probably been better off with guides for individual cities but I hadn't decided where I was going yet and had hoped that this would inform that decision. Proved to be fruitless in that regard.
Profile Image for Wolfgang.
4 reviews1 follower
January 20, 2015
I can really recommend it! One of the best travel guides, especially if one is interested in history. It includes many cutaways, floor plans and reconstructions of the castles and other historic buildings, plus street maps of all the fascinating cities and towns, and region-by-region; very many detailed illustrations and fantastic photos. :)
Profile Image for Joanna.
137 reviews
April 4, 2008
I love this book for planning day-trips and knowing what the highlights are in a given city. As one would expect, it has loads of photos, maps of major cities, top attractions, a brief history of the country, and a practical appendix dealing with food, transportation, accommodation, and so forth.
Profile Image for Karin.
1 review
June 14, 2012
this is a very useful guide for someone who often travels to Germany. It gives enough information on what to see around the country,and where to eat, stay, and how to get around using public transportation (I never rent a car overseas)
12 reviews
July 3, 2012
Pretty decent book on a country with so much to do.
Profile Image for Peggy.
321 reviews10 followers
April 20, 2017
Best travel book I have found for Germany so far! Great layout, beautiful pictures, well organized information and maps.
Profile Image for Kazumy.
4 reviews27 followers
January 20, 2015
Well, this a book u need if u wanna goto germany especially Berlin..u gonna need this!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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