May to June or September to October is the best time to visit Germany, with mild weather and fewer crowds than peak summer. June to August brings the warmest weather but the busiest crowds, and September sees a further peak in Munich around Oktoberfest. There are highlights year-round: white asparagus season brings festivals and farm-fresh menus across the country every spring, Cologne's Karneval fills the streets with costumes and parades in the run-up to Lent, and classic Christmas markets spring up in cities, including Berlin, Nuremberg and Cologne, from late November.

The best things to do in Germany include exploring Berlin's history and culture, touring Bavarian castles, and hiking the Black Forest.

• Exploring Berlin's Museum Island, Cold War history at the Berlin Wall Memorial in Mitte, and the nightlife of neighbourhoods like Kreuzberg

• Touring Neuschwanstein Castle and other Bavarian landmarks, including Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Frederick the Great's Rococo summer retreat

• Hiking the Black Forest, and riding the scenic Black Forest Railway through the region

• Wandering the medieval old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, walking its 14th-century city walls, and joining the after-dark Night Watchman Tour

• Wine tasting in the Rhine and Moselle valleys

• Visiting Dresden's rebuilt old town and the nearby Saxon Switzerland National Park, where a sandstone footbridge crosses towering rock formations at Bastei

• Riding the cable car or cogwheel train to the summit of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, with views into four countries

• Surfing the standing wave at Eisbachwelle, a permanent river wave in the middle of Munich's English Garden

Germany is reachable from London via Eurostar to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam, connecting onward into Germany by high-speed rail link via Cologne, Stuttgart, Zurich, or on the direct train from Amsterdam. Within Germany, an extensive high-speed ICE network connects major cities including Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg.