Picture Germany and Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, Munich's
lively beer hall tradition and creamy Black Forest gateau spring
to mind. But there's more. Slip under Germany's skin to find
storybook villages, rich culture and hearty food.    Discover
the rich variety of Germany's 16 states: from Rhineland
Palatinate's castle-dotted vineyards in the west to the north
coast's rolling dunes, thrashed by the North Sea. In summer,
hike the Black Forest's velvety woodlands streaked with purple
heather. Down south, the first snow lures skiers to the pointy
Bavarian Alps, grazing the Austrian border.    After you've
experienced Berlin's stellar art collections and pulsating
nightlife, go east to Dresden, where Baroque residences cluster
around the domed Frauenkirche cathedral. In Munich, sample
Bavarian hospitality to the sound of an oompah-pah band in the
Hofbruhaus traditional beer hall. Germany's financial heart
beats in Frankfurt, where skyscrapers create a dramatic horizon.
See Hamburg's harbour lights twinkle b