If you could only pick one city in Germany to visit for a day or two, which one would it be and why?

Based on where I can fly into (& to maximize my time) Munich is the only logical choice too me. Direct flights, good train & local transport, good beer & plenty to do. I have actually stopped in Munich (coming or going, for a day or two) probably more than anywhere else in Europe, actually.

For a short visit as you are proposing, I would prefer a small town. Würzburg is my favorite, though I am sure that a good case could be made for many others.

In Würzburg, there is the Baroque Residenz and a couple good museums in the Festung (fortress) across the river. It is easy to find a good glass of wine and a good, reasonably-priced meal. Its altstadt is easily seen in a 1-2 days.

Regards, Gary

Yup, I agree that Wuerzburg is wonderful!

I suggest a visit to Rothenburg, an interesting medieval village with wonderful restaurants.

We enjoyed the night walk with the Village Watchman.

Rothenburg is surrounded by a wall which is fun to walk and very scenic.

Have Fun!

That's a very tough question. So many lovely towns in Germany. We tend to gravitate to smaller towns and villages, but even a few of the larger ones have been wonderful.

One of these is Tuebingen. Beautiful old university town on the River Neckar.

http://www.tuebingen.de/en/1559.html

Of course Berlin. It has the most to offer.

Heidelberg. 800,000 Japanese tourists can't be wrong.

A day or two isn't much. The choice also depends on where you are coming from. Most international flights fly into Frankfurt and some into Berlin and Munich. If these were my choices, I would pick Berlin or Munich. You won't have time to finish visiting these places. With such a short stay, you would be wasting time by going to a smaller town altho as others have pointed out, they are much nicer. If you can get a connecting flight with good timing and reasonable costs, then you can consider a smaller town.

Berlin so much to offer like 1959 says - so unique - so reeking of history.

I am night flying in internationally. This is part of my Europe hopping tour. I will be taking a train in from most likely Amsterdam.

I meant to say not* flying internationally.

You cannot begin to see Berlin in a day (or two). My vote would be Munich. However my real recommendation would be to re-think a plan that has you "hop" through an entire country in one day. But that's not what you asked

If it doesn't have to be a big city, I'd vote for Bamberg. It's a beautiful place, relaxed and warm-feeling. And a river runs through it.

From Amsterdam and for only a day, I'd pick Cologne (Köln).

When you are coming from Amsterdam and if you want to visit Berlin or München, the only option is to fly from Amsterdam. (Transavia flies from AMS to Berlin). The train from Amsterdam takes 6 hours to Berlin and 8 hours to München.

If you insist on taking the train I strongly second the recommendation to visit Köln. Köln has a gorgeous cathedral, romanesque churches, Roman ruins, world class museums (Roman-Germanic Museum, two art museums and a chocolate museum), a nice riverfront with old town.

The train from Amsterdam to Köln takes 2:38.

To answer traveler1959: the trip is going to be either taking place mid to late May or mid June. Still trying to decide on a month. I prefer to go in May but my travel companion prefers June. I do no insist on taking the train I just thought that was the easiest way to get from Amsterdam. Sounds like many people are suggesting Cologne. Plus it looks more on the route that I wanted to take. I think I'll look into that. Thank you everyone for your great suggestions!

Absolutely 100% do not go to Cologne. Most of the city was destroyed during the WWII, so everything is centered around a small area. There are more and better choices. This summer we're stopping over going Munich on the way to Athens - should be interesting. After being over 10 times in Germany I have some good memories about the smaller towns and big cities experiences are fading out, so it speaks for itself.

Kvilia: since you have been to Germany so many times and have such a dislike for Cologne, what would you suggest?

I'd vote for Koln, also. A wonderful cathedral right next to train station.

Another great city is Aachen, which borders the Netherlands and Belgium. A beautiful cathedral and a neat little city.

JameJamerz,
Have you been to Germany before? Are you looking for big-city nightlife or a smaller-town feel? For a bit of it all, I suggest Munich. It gives you the most bang for your buck - a bit of old-world Bavarian charm, plenty of interesting architecture, churches, and museums, great food and beer - in a relatively small package that can be easily enjoyed for a day or two.