The Goethe House at 23 Grosser Hirschgraben in the old town of Frankfurt was the residence of the Goethe family until 1795. The family's most notable personality, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, was born there in 1749, lived there till the age of 16, and returned sporadically throughout his life. The house stands next to the Goethe Museum (on the right).

The Eurotower (on the left) and Commerzbank Tower in the bankenviertel (financial district) of Frankfurt. The skyscapers were constructed 20 years apart, 1977 and 1997, respectively.

The Operturm (Opera Tower) in Frankfurt was opened in 2010 and is named after the Alte Oper (Old Opera House) that it faces, a corner of which may be glimpsed in the very center of the photo.

Inaugurated in 1880, the Alte Oper (Old Opera House) in Frankfurt still serves as a major concert hall, as well as a site for plays. Operas, however, are performed in the new Oper Frankfurt (Frankfurt Opera).

Fin de siecle architecture at the Alte Oper (Old Opera House) metro stop in Frankfurt.

An eccentric office building weaves its way through the financial district of Frankfurt.

An architectural sandwich in Frankfurt.

The Chamber of Commerce Building in Frankfurt. The city has been Germany's financial center for centuries, and it is the home of a number of major banks and brokerage houses. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is Germany's largest and one of the most important in the world.

Monument honoring Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of mechanical movable type, in the Rossmarkt (old Horse Market) of Frankfurt. His invention in the mid-15th century launched the printing revolution and is regarded as one of the key developments of modern history.

An 18th century archway of the Palais Thurn und Taxis and 21st century skyscrapers (Nextower) provide for an interesting architectural juxtaposition in Frankfurt.

Located at the edge of the Hauptwache plaza is St. Catherine's Church, the largest Lutheran church in Frankfurt. Construction of the baroque church was completed in 1681. Destroyed by World War II bombing, it was rebuilt between 1950 and 1954.

An area of the Hauptwache plaza in Frankfurt. In the background is St. Catherine's Church.

The city of Heidelberg lies in Baden-Wurttemberg on the River Neckar. A Roman fortress and settlement in the area was abandoned in A.D. 260. A new settlement began in the 5th century and came to be called Bergheim. Monastic estates were set up in the area over subsequent centuries. By 1196, the first reference to Heidelberg is recorded; this is considered the founding date of the city. The University of Heidelberg - Germany's oldest - was established in 1386.

Heidelberg Castle as viewed from a town square.

Heidelberg Castle was first a fortification built around 1398-1410. During the 16th and 17th centuries the fortress was turned into a castle with Gothic and Renaissance features. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Today the Castle is used for banquets, balls, theater performances, and classical concerts. The structure is surrounded by a park.

Heidelberg Castle as seen from the rear.

A few "air conditioned" rooms in the ruined section of Heidelberg Castle.

The Heilliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) in Heidelberg is first mentioned in 1239. It was the third church to be built on the market place site and it took some 150 years to construct. From about 1706 to 1936 the church was divided by an internal wall that allowed both Catholic and Protestant services to be held within at the same time. In 1936 the wall was removed and the church became exclusively Protestant.

The Old Bridge in Heidelberg is a nine-arch stone bridge erected between 1786 and 1788 to replace earlier wooden structures. Parts of it were destroyed in 1945 by the retreating German army, but it was restored within two years.

View of Heidelberg and the Castle from the tower of the Church of the Holy Spirit.

Another view of Heidelberg and the Old Bridge from the tower of the Church of the Holy Spirit.

Flower boxes overlook a street in Ottweiler, a town in the Saarland region that dates back to the late 14th century. In the second half of the 18th century Ottweiler was renowned for its fine white porcelain, but the industry closed and today Ottweiler porcelain is some of the rarest in the world.

A duke's hunting lodge and rose garden, called the Pavilion, were constructed in the 18th century and today are one of the highlights of Ottweiler.

The basilica of Sankt Wendel (St. Wendel) in the eponymous town near Trier. The site was originally named Basonevillare (Baso's farm) after the feudal lord who owned it. The Bishop of Verdun bought the town in the mid-7th century, and erected a church over the grave of a very popular hermit Wendelin who died near Basonevillare. The church became such a popular pilgrimage destination that eventually a new church had to be built and Wendelin's remains were transfered there. The area around the new church became a marketplace and a town called Sankt Wendel.

Trier was founded by the Romans no later than 16 B.C.; it eventually became the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. It is the oldest city in Germany and the oldest seat of a Christian bishop north of the Alps. The Porta Nigra (Black Gate) in Trier is the best preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps. It was built between A.D. 186 and 200 and guarded the northern entrance to the city. After 1035, the Porta Nigra was converted into a church. During the Napoleonic Wars - when Trier was occupied by the French - Napoleon ordered the Porta Nigra to be restored back to its Roman form.

The Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Trier is one of the most important early Gothic cathedrals in Germany. It was built over a Roman double church and completed in 1260. Its shape is in the form of a Greek cross and its floor plan resembles a 12-petaled rose, symbol of the Virgin Mary.

In 1615, the Elector Lothar von Metternich began to construct a Rococo-style palace in Trier; Archbishop Johann Philipp von Walderdorff completed the structure in 1756. Today the palace - considered to be one of the most impressive Rococo buildings in the world - houses the Trier city government offices.

Red dots mark the locations of fires burning in countries south and east of the Baltic Sea in this early April image. The scattered fires were probably set to clear land for agricultural purposes. The Scandinavian countries, Norway and Sweden, and Finland to the north of the Sea, are still blanketed in snow. From the left, the countries lining the Baltic on the south are Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia (Kaliningrad), Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia. Belarus forms the lower right corner of the image. Photo courtesy of NASA.

This satellite photo shows Northwest Europe. Visible are the Republic of Ireland (top leftmost), the United Kingdom (top left), France (middle left), Belgium (middle), the Netherlands (top middle), Germany (right), Denmark (top right), Luxembourg (between France, Germany, and Belgium), Switzerland (bottom middle), Italy (bottom middle), and Austria (bottom right); the latter three all cloud covered. Image courtesy of NASA.

Looking down an old street in Wittenberg to the Schloss Kirche (Castle Church) where Luther nailed his 95 Theses in 1517 sparking the German Reformation. The church, completed in 1509, contains the tombs of Luther, Melanchton, and Frederick the Wise.

The Market Place of Wittenberg with the Stadt Kirche (City Church) - also known as Marienskirche (St. Mary's Church) or Mother Church of the Reformation - in the background. Luther did most of his preaching in the church, some parts of which date to the 13th century.

Albrechtsburg Castle and the Meissen Cathedral overlooking the city of Meissen, the "cradle of Saxony" and the capital of the Margraves of Meissen. The castle, designed in late Gothic style, was constructed in the 15th century as a residence. It is now a museum with murals illustrating the history of Saxony Meissen. The Gothic Meissen Cathedral, begun in 1260 on the same hill as the castle, is one of the smallest cathedrals in Europe.

Looking down on the roofs of Meissen with the Church of Our Lady in the background. The Gothic church, located next to Market Square, was built between 1460 and 1570 and was the first to have tunable chimes of porcelain bells in its tower.

Dresden, the capital city of Saxony, was completely destroyed in World War II. The 40 years of urban development under East Germany considerably changed the face of the city. Since reunification in 1990, some restoration work has helped rebuild parts of the historic inner city.

The original Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, a Baroque Lutheran place of worship, was built in the 18th century. The distinctive structure was completely destroyed by the bombing of 1945. Reconstruction was begun in 1993, after German reunification, and completed in 2005. Today the church serves as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies and is a hugely popular tourist destination.

The altar of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, displaying a relief of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, survived essentially intact after the bombing in 1945.

The painted dome of the Frauenkirche in Dresden had to be completely reconstructed after the bombing in 1945.

The Baroque Zwinger Palace in Dresden was constructed between 1710 and 1728 for Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony. Leveled by bombing in 1945, it was rebuilt and today houses a number of museums.

Some sculpted highlights on the wall pavilion at the north end of the Zwinger Palace in Dresden.

The Fuerstenzug, located on the outside wall of the Residence Palace in Dresden, depicts the rulers of Saxony over 1,000 years. It is the largest (and longest) porcelain picture in the world, composed of ca. 25,000 porcelain tiles (only the concluding section is shown here). The dimensions are 102 m by 9.5 m (957 sq m).

A scene in Saxon Switzerland National Park near Dresden where old castles abound and visitors go to rock climb.

The town of Oberrathen along the Elbe River as seen from the Bastei, a rocky sandstone prominence.

A view showing the town of Rathen on the Elbe River. Niederrathen (Lower Rathen) on the left connects to Oberrathen (Upper Rathen) on the right by ferry.

Houses along the banks of the Elbe River.

Flowers blooming in an overlook at Saxon Switzerland State Park.

Some good climbing peaks in Saxon Switzerland State Park.

An alpine lake in the foothills of the Alps near Munich.

Neuendorf bei Wilster is a tiny park just north of Hamburg with a historic flood level pole and an information board that identifies the site as being Germany's lowest point (-3.54 m).

The black and gold cross that marks Germany's highest point on its tallest mountain, Zugspitze.

View from the top of Zugspitze looking towards Austria.

A view of the colorful houses in Dinklesbuehl captured from a church tower. The city is surrounded by medieval walls and towers.

Bridge over the Pegnitz River in Nuremberg.

Colorful flower boxes along the Pegnitz River in Nuremberg.

Overlooking the Pegnitz River as it flows through Nuremberg.

River view of the half-timbered Weinstadel (former wine depot) on the Pegnitz River flowing through Nuremberg.

Part of the Hangman's Bridge (Henkersteg; built 1457) in Nuremberg. The city executioner used to live in the tower and the roofed walk above the River Pegnitz. Considered a "persona non grata," the hangman was avoided by the citizens of the city.

The half-timbered Weinstadel (former wine depot) is one of Nuremberg's most famous buildings. Built between 1533 and 1544, it originally served as a house for lepers, but today is a student dorm.

Winter view of Neuschwanstein Castle as seen from the Marienbruecke (Mary's Bridge). This castle is the best known of the three royal palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The design and decoration of the castle pay homage to various medieval legends.

Another view of Neuschwanstein, this time from the walking path below the castle.

The story of Hansel and Gretel is depicted on this traditionally painted home in Garmisch.

The US Army Checkpoint (Checkpoint Charlie); the former crossing point between East and West Berlin.

A preserved portion of the Berlin Wall. The wall was begun in 1961 and completely encircled West Berlin. The beginning of the end of the wall came in 1989 when the East German regime allowed East Berliners to visit West Berlin. The former wall is marked in some places by cobblestones.

Part of Schloss Cecilienhof where the Potsdam Conference - which established post-World War II order in Europe - took place in the summer of 1945.

The terrace at Sanssouci, the former summer palace of Frederick II of Prussia, at Potsdam, near Berlin.

The Hessisches Landesmuseum (Hessian State Museum) in Darmstadt is a museum of contemporary art.

The Evangelische Christuskirche (Evangelical Christ Church) in Mainz.