A transport hub for Europe, Frankfurt is the financial and geographical centre of Western Germany. Its inhabitants produce a disproportionately large part of Germany's wealth, and over 10% of the city's taxes are devoted to culture; here you'll find the richest collection of museums in the country. The Städel Museum boasts a world-class collection of works by artists from the Renaissance to the 20th century. The Museum of Modern Art also houses a magnificent collection. Frankfurt's music scene is lively and the jazz is of especially high quality. An hours drive north of Frankfurt is the charming town of Marburg, a bustling university town with a happening café scene and a raucous pub culture that spills onto the cobbled streets at night.

The northern Rhine valley is very industrialised and densely populated, especially around Dortmund, Dusseldorf and Cologne, however the Rhine's most evocative scenery lies between Mainz and Koblenz. Here you'll find dramatic landscapes with fertile vineyards clinging to steep hills, numerous imposing castles and dreamy wine-producing villages. Every little village has at least one wine festival per year, with the most famous being the 'Rhine in Flames' series of festivals, when water, lighting and fireworks are combined to spectacular effect. Although mostly ruined during the bombing of WW II, these towns do still retain restored medieval buildings such as the impressive Dom in Colgne and a superb castle in Heidelberg.

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