Boutique hotels in Germany

Germany's small hotels are often more interesting than its big ones, and many of the best are in historic buildings: Hanseatic merchant houses, Rhine castles, Baroque palaces and half-timbered inns. Berlin and Hamburg lead on contemporary design, while Bavaria, the Black Forest and the Rhine have a strong tradition of family-run country hotels with serious restaurants.

Cities

Berlin, Munich and Hamburg are the main urban bases. Berlin has the most inventive design hotels, in former zoo-side buildings and Mitte townhouses. Munich has elegant townhouse hotels near the Residenz and Viktualienmarkt, and Hamburg's best sit by the Alster lake and in the HafenCity harbor district. Dresden, Leipzig, Cologne and Frankfurt have grand rebuilt hotels and a few modern boutique stays.

Romantic Germany and the countryside

Heidelberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Bamberg are among the most beautiful old towns in the country, with small hotels in half-timbered houses. The Black Forest, the Moselle and the Rhine valley are wine and walking country, while Baden-Baden is a spa town of Belle Epoque grandeur. On the coast, Sylt and Rügen offer sea-view hotels with thatched roofs or white seaside architecture.

When to go

May to September is the best season for the Rhine, the Moselle and the coast. Christmas markets make December a busy time in Nuremberg, Dresden and Rothenburg, and the Alps are best from June to October or in winter for skiing.