Germany Travel Guide

Germany offers many attractions that kids enjoy. Perhaps your main concern with having children in tow is pacing yourself with enough museum time. Of course, many museums in Germany, especially in Munich, have exhibitions that fascinate children of all ages.

Our suggestion is to spend 1 week in Germany as follows: 2 days in Berlin, 2 days in Munich, and the final 3 days visiting towns and castles that your kids will swear were created by Walt Disney himself -- namely, Ludwig's fairy-tale castles in Bavaria; Rothenburg, a medieval city along the Romantic Road that looks like a stage setting; and, finally, everybody's favorite German town, Heidelberg, with its famous castle and other attractions.

Days 1 & 2: Berlin: Your Gateway to Germany

On Day 1, arrive as early as possible to get in a full day of sightseeing, as time is rushed. Before launching any specific sightseeing, take yourself and your kids to the Brandenburger Tor or Brandenburg Gate, a gate that is the very symbol of Berlin. After a look around, head down Berlin's major boulevard, the famous Unter den Linden, filled with great Prussian architecture and world-class museums.

Unter den Linden turns into Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, leading into Alexanderplatz, the heart of old East Berlin in the Cold War days. You can take your kids for an elevator ride on the Fernsehturm, or TV tower, the second-highest structure in Europe, for a panoramic view of the united city.

Before lunch, pay a visit to the Pergamon Museum on Museumsinsel, where your kids are likely to be awed by such famous displays as the Pergamon Altar.

Secure the makings of a picnic lunch and head for the 167-hectare (412-acre) Tiergarten, the former hunting grounds of Prussian rulers.

After lunch, hop over to see the multimedia extravaganza, The Story of Berlin, telling in pictures and films the saga of the 8 centuries of the city's turbulent history. Allow 2 hours for a visit.

To cap the afternoon, take your brood on a boat tour of the River Spree that cuts across the once-divided city. Have dinner that night in a typical Berlin restaurant.

On Day 2, visit the Reichstag for a climb up its dramatic dome. Arrive before 8:30am to beat the crowds. After your assault on this monument, head for the Zoologischer Garten Berlin, Germany's oldest zoo housing some 13,000 animals, many of them quite rare and all in open natural habitats. You can also visit the adjoining aquarium.

After lunch, take an afternoon visit to Potsdam on the Havel River. Potsdam is only 24km (15 miles) southwest of Berlin. It's reached by frequent trains, taking 23 minutes from the Bahnhof Zoo. You can spend the rest of the day exploring Sans Souci Palace and its adjacent gardens. There is something here for everyone to see, even kids who bore easily. Head back to Berlin on the train for your final night before taking an early morning flight to Munich.

Days 3 & 4: Munich: Gateway to Bavaria

On Day 3, head for the Marienplatz in the center of Munich, where if you arrive at the right hour you can treat your kids to a miniature tournament staged with enameled copper figures on the town's clock tower, Glockenspiel. Later, head for the Deutsches Museum, the German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology on an island in the Isar River. The largest technological museum in the world is a very hands-on museum with buttons to push, levers to crank, and gears to turn -- kids will love it. Allow 2 hours for a visit and plan to have lunch on-site at the museum's affordable restaurant.

In the afternoon, plan a family visit to Schloss Nymphenburg, the summer palace of the Wittelsbachs. Children delight in the fantasy coaches and sleighs of Ludwig II and enjoy walks through the 200-hectare (500-acre) park. Return to Munich for the night.

In the morning of Day 4, take the kids to the Bavaria Film Studio, Europe's largest filmmaking center. Children love the Bavaria Action Show with its simulated fistfights and fire stunts. Allow 1 1/2 hours for a tour.

Follow this with a visit to the fabled royal Residenz, where the Wittelsbachs lived from 1385 to 1918. Some very young children might be a bit bored with these stately halls, but as an adult you wouldn't want to visit Munich without seeing it.

After a stroll through the Englischer Garten, treat yourself and your kids to a lunch of Weisswurste, those little white sausages for which Munich is known. The best ones are served at Donisl.

In the afternoon, visit Münchner Stadtmuseum, where children are entertained by an array of carousel animals, marionettes, and hand puppets from around the world. That can be followed with a visit to the Hellabrunn Zoo in Tierpark Hellabrunn, lying 6km (4 miles) south of Munich and reached by U-Bahn to Thalkirchen. Hundreds of animals roam here in their natural habitat.

To cap your visit to Munich, take the entire family to Zum Alten Markt, a moderately priced restaurant, on a small square off Munich's largest outdoor food market. In summer, tables are set outside, and it makes for a festive evening as you bid farewell to Munich.

Day 5: Ludwig's Castles

On Day 5, rent a car in Munich and set out south, deep into Bavaria, to explore the fairy-tale castles of "Mad" King Ludwig: Neuschwanstein (a must) and Hohenschwangau (if time remains). Kids find that Neuschwanstein evokes a Disney architectural fantasy and delight in touring its lofty precincts, especially when it's reached by horse-drawn carriage. In the afternoon, the 12th-century Hohenschwangau can also be explored. This is where Ludwig spent a "joyless" childhood. You can return to Munich for the night or else find lodgings in Füssen.

Day 6: Rothenburg

The next morning, Day 6, from your base either in Munich or Füssen, drive north or northwest, respectively, to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the most glorious stopover along the Germany's Romantic Road. This is the best-preserved medieval city in Europe. With your kids in tow, you can wander for hours along its ancient streets, stopping in at the Kriminalmuseum or visiting the picture-book Rathaus (town hall). Rothenburg is encircled by ramparts, and kids delight in walking along them, taking in the medieval tower gates. At some point along the way, stop at one of the kiosks selling Schneeballen (snowballs). These are round pastries covered with sugar and sold all over town as a local specialty. Spend the night in Rothenburg.

Day 7: Heidelberg

On Day 7, journey west to the city of Heidelberg. You can arrive in time to tour the Altstadt or old town, beginning at Marktplatz, the main market square. Allow at least 1 1/2 hours to walk about the ancient streets and count yourself lucky if you're here on one of the market days (either Wed or Sat), as the entire city is more festive then.

After a lunch in one of Altstadt's student taverns, head up the hill to Heidelberg Castle for its stunning views and exploration, allowing about 2 hours for the entire jaunt. In the remaining part of the afternoon, take a boat ride on the Neckar River. Overnight in Heidelberg.

You can drive to such transportation hubs as Munich in the east or Frankfurt in the north for your return flight.