As the German region prepares to mark the 125th anniversary of the death of its most famous royal, ANDREW EAMES visits Ludwig II's fairytale creations

Stock up on gifts, sample delicious local food and fill yourself with yuletide spirit by heading abroad for some atmospheric shopping experiences, says WILL HIDE

As the 50th anniversary of the first Beatles gig in the city approaches BRIAN PEDLEY traces the musical roots of the then not-so-fab five

JAMES ELLIS casts his eye over the world's newest v iewing platform, opened in the Bavarian Alps last w eek, and some other equally dramatic lookouts

Author MARY-ANN GALLAGHER takes her pick of some of the spectacular places to visit from her new book including Bavaria and Beijing

WHEN YOU think of holidaying in Germany it would be hard to find a place that is less of a traditional tourist attraction than the Ruhr.

COLOGNE is not the German city of choice for Brits, but ANDREW EAMES finds its unconventionality exciting and refreshing

Every 10 years for four centuries, the people of the Bavarian village of Oberammergau have put on a medieval Passion Play that has entranced the world. KATHY ARNOLD goes behind the scenes

BRAVE the cold weather to visit the capital of Germany, Berlin.

NOT the most glamorous destination, Germany. Tell friends you’re off to Munich or Cologne for the weekend and they’ll hardly keel over in a fit of jealousy. Berlin, though…well that’s different.