Central Europe
Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein sit geographically in the middle of the European continent.
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Explore Places in Central Europe
Countries + Cities
Nymphenberg Palace, Munich
Photo by Ali Giaudrone
Germany
Situated north of the Alps between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Deutschland (in German) bridges Eastern and Western Europe with over two millennia of history. Prussia originated in 1525 as its former kingdom that was taken over by Nazis after its defeat in World War I. After World War II, the country was divided into West and East Germany until the general collapse of communism in 1990 when the country was united. Today, Germany is the most populous country in Europe after Russia.
16 regions comprise Germany. The capital of Berlin is an eastern city along with Leipzig and Dresden. Berlin is an urban expanse, second in size to the western Ruhr area cities of Duisburg, Essen, and Dortmund, north of Düsseldorf. Hamburg and Hanover are northern cities. Frankfurt is a major international airport hub. Münich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart are southern cities.
See the official Germany Tourism pages.
Geneva, Switzerland
Photo by Ali Giaudrone
Switzerland
Land-locked Schweiz (in German) or La Suisse (in French) is bordered by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south. 7000 lakes fill basins below the rugged, snow-capped mountains. With 26 official Swiss cantons, the capital city, Bern, and Zürich are German-speaking while Geneva (Genève) is French-speaking in the west.
See the official Switzerland Tourism pages.
Innsbruck, Austria
Photo by Ali Giaudrone
Austria
In the eastern Alps, Österreich (in German) was once central to the Hapsburg Empire and then the Nazi Reich until the end of World War II. A federation of nine states with its capital in Vienna. Near the German border and backed by the Alps, Salzburg was the birthplace of Mozart. Innsbruck sits in the Alps of Tyrol, north of Italy. In the southeast, Graz sits along the River Mur with a Renaissance and Baroque old town.
See the official Austria Tourism pages.
LIECHTENSTEIN
Castle Vaduz, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Photo by Henrique Ferreira on Unsplash
Liechtenstein
A small sovereign monarchy in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein was a principality created in 1719 within the Holy Roman Empire, which is economically linked with Switzerland. Vaduz, the capital and the seat of the reigning prince, is located on the Rhine River.
See the official Liechtenstein Tourism pages.