The lowlands in the north of Germany stretch from the Netherlands to Poland, skimming southern Denmark where it bridges the North and Baltic seas. The industrialised central belt cinches Belgium and Luxembourg to the Czech Republic’s western prong. The Rhine and Main Rivers, long crucial for inland shipping, power through the troughs and gorges which cut through the Central Uplands. To the south, the Danube River drains the Bavarian highlands from the Black Forest, near the French and Swiss borders, to Munich. The southern reaches of the Bavarian Alps give way to Austria.

German forests – studded with beech, oak, birch, chestnut (mostly the nonedible horse-chestnut variety), lime, maple and ash trees – are beautiful places to escape the madding crowds and relax. Mixed deciduous forest carpets river valleys at lower altitudes, and coniferous species grow thicker as you ascend. Waldfrüchte (berries) are particularly colourful and, for the most part, poisonous. The same applies to mushrooms, which are essential for the development of healthy root systems in trees, especially in deciduous forests. Chanterelle (Pfifferlinge) mushrooms are one of the seasonal culinary delights.

Alpine regions burst with wildflowers – orchids, cyclamen, gentians, pulsatilla, alpine roses, edelweiss and buttercups. Meadow species colour spring and summer, and great care is taken these days not to cut pastures until plants have seeded. Visitors should stick to paths, especially in alpine areas and coastal dunes where ecosystems are fragile. In late August, heather blossom is the particular lure of Lüneburg Heath, northeast of Hanover.

The pesky but sociable racoon, a common non-native, scoots about eastern Germany, and soon lets hikers know if it has been disturbed with its shrill whistle-like sound. Beavers can be found beavering around wetlands near the Elbe River.

In the Alps, the alpine marmot inhabits the area below the tree line, while the wild goat lives in the area above. The snow hare, whose fur is white in winter, is fairly common in this neck of the woods, as is the chamois, which also populates pockets of the Black Forest, the Swabian Alps and Elbsandsteingebirge (south of Dresden). A rare but wonderful Alpine treat for birdwatchers with patience is the sighting of a golden eagle – Berchtesgaden National Park staff might be able to help you spot one. The jay, with its darting flight patterns and calls imitating other species, is easy to sight in the foothills; look for flashes of blue on its wings.

Lynx died out in Germany in the 19th century. They were reintroduced in the 1980s, only to be illegally hunted to extinction again. Today, a few populate the Bavarian Forest national park, although chances of seeing one in the wild are virtually zero. They have also been sighted in upland regions of eastern Germany. The wild cat, another indigenous feline, has returned to forest regions, including the Harz Mountains. Wild cats often breed with domestic cats, making it hard for the untrained eye to distinguish between the two.

Seals on the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts are common, especially on sandbanks in northern Germany’s Wattenmeer. The Wattenmeer also lures migratory birdlife, particularly from March to May and from August to October when several species stopover to feed on the region’s rich marine life. Summertime sandpipers can be identified by their rust-brown back and dark stripes on a white breast, while the shelduck has a green head, a broad white stripe around the neck and a red beak. Marsh geese and eider are other frequent visitors.

Sea eagles, practically extinct in western Germany, are becoming more plentiful in eastern Germany, as are falcons, white storks and cranes. The east of the country also sees wolves, which regularly cross the Oder River from Poland, and European moose, which occasionally appear on moors and in mixed forests. Forests everywhere provide a habitat for a wide variety of songbirds, as well as woodpeckers.

With reunification, eastern Germany’s original (pre-1952) states (Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia) were reestablished. These are often called neue Bundesländer (new states). Berlin became a separate city-state. The alte Bundesländer (old states) are Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, the Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein.