The most beautiful destinations in Germany

"We live in a paradise! We have a beautiful country and that fact becomes very clear when you see it from a helicopter." That's what Franz Beckenbauer said four years as he flew back and forth over summertime Germany during the FIFA World Cup.

Luckily, the pleasures of our numerous vacation and travel regions can also be enjoyed on the ground. In a representative online study, Germans were asked to name their favorite travel destinations in their own county over the last few years. The Baltic Sea landed in first place, followed by Bavaria, the North Sea, Hamburg and Lake Constance.

When you enjoy something, you are happy to recommend it. Online portals that allow people to rate places they have visited are good sources of information because they provide access to other people's experience. However, you should generally approach these kinds of reviews with equanimity and a fair amount of scepticism. Not every assessment holds up and it is a good idea to uses several sources to get a balanced picture.

Qype is one of the largest cross-industry portals. The topic of travel can be found under the Arts & Entertainment heading:
http://www.qype.co.uk/de/categories/4-freizeit-kunst-und-kultur

Ciao provides reviews for travel in Germany:
http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Germany_5296728_3

Holidaycheck gives vacationers a chance to rate hotels and other places to stay:
http://www.holidaycheck.com

Homepage of the German National Tourist Board (Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V. (DZT)):
http://www.germany-tourism.de/index_ENG.htm

Travel destinations in Germany, presented by the Federal Foreign Office:
http://www.deutschland.de/Reise_und_Ausflugsziele.108.0.html

Regional search engine for hiking trails, tips and much more from the Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine e.V. (Association of German Mountain and Hiking Clubs):
http://www.wanderbares-deu
tschland.de

Up-to-date schedule for markets and festivals in German cities:
http://veranstaltungen.meinestadt.de/deutschland/maerkte/alle

Travel tips and Länder-tickets (regional tickets) from Deutsche Bahn – Discounts and special offers for regional travel by train:
http://www.bahn.de/regional/view/regionen/ueb.shtml

Car pooling – ride share central for older people:
http://www.50mobil.de