Family Holidays in Germany

As well as the car museums, Stuttgart is home to the quirky Schweinemuseum (Pig Museum) as well as a Planetarium that whisks youngsters into outer space. On the doorstep is the Black Forest, with zip lines, kayaking, swimming and Europa-Park, Germany's largest theme park.

The region of Bavaria is straight out of a storybook. As well as being the location for Schloss Neuschwanstein, it is also the home of Munich and Nuremberg, both of which have plenty of family-friendly activities. In Munich, children can explore the intriguing Marionettentheater or Puppet Theatre, while Nuremberg's Playground of the Senses is an interactive education in nature, the human body, and physics.

Driving the Fairy Tale Road is a great idea for a family holiday in Germany. Nearly 400 miles long, it starts in Frankfurt and finishes in Bremen. On the way, children can hike in Little Red Riding Hood's forest or climb Rapunzel's Tower. There are 50 towns along the route, almost all of which offer family-friendly activities such as puppet shows, parades, children's concerts, and statues of favourite fairy tale characters.

From the Legoland Discovery Centre for toddlers to the Computerspielemuseum for teens, Berlin doesn't disappoint with family-friendly activities. Other highlights include Madame Tussauds and the Science Center Spectrum, but a must for any family visit is Tropical Islands. This is the largest indoor water park in the world, featuring the world's biggest indoor rain forest. Its dome, which also houses a beach and endless supply of water slides, dominates the landscape just outside Berlin. You can even stay the night here!

This wilderness park lies between Stuttgart and Heidelberg, and is a huge area of outdoor space for children to enjoy with high rope areas and a zoo with over 50 different wildlife species, including wolves and bears. The nature reserve is also home to Tripsdrill. Opening in 1929, this was Germany's first theme park.