If you didn't see road signs with words like "Ausfahrt" (exit ramp), you might think you're in the United States when you drive down a German autobahn. That's not to say that Germany is an extension of the U.S.--it's very much its own country--but you feel like you're in a highly developed place where you don't have to wonder if you'll find something you want from the local supermarket.

On the other hand, pull into a town like Wurzburg and you'll know you're in Germany. The half-timbered buildings with their bright flowers, the sauerkraut and the friendly people leave you wanting more and more and more. Then drive through the Black Forest in Bavaria and peer from afar at the towering Alps. There's nothing lacking in Germany.

Germany lies on the far western edge of the Baltic Sea.	The German flag consists of three stripes: black, red and gold.

 
 
In a Nutshell...