No doubt there’ll be some commentators who will say that Germany, already a sophisticated, wealthy country, doesn’t need such an accolade. The likes of Sri Lanka, where many people are still living in substantial poverty, make more worthy recipients.

So why now? Why has Germany been recognised this time round? Lonely Planet justifies its choice by picking out the 100^th anniversary of the Bauhaus movement, which will be celebrated next year, particularly in Weimar, the epicentre of everything Bauhausian.

I would suggest, however, that a slightly obscure (as far as most of the world is concerned) movement in architecture and design is not the whole story, but just the last bit of heat that finally brought the kettle to the boil.

Germany’s recent resurgence as a tourism destination properly began back in 2006, when it hosted the World Cup. The press descended on the host cities, as did huge numbers of people who wouldn’t normally choose to visit Germany, and they found a destination that conformed to the stereotype of efficiency, but was also hospitable, good looking and good value.

That, combined with the enormous success of Berlin as a trendy post-Wall citybreak destination, gave visitor numbers a healthy boost. Since then two other major factors have chimed in: the boom in river cruising (Germany has three of the greatest cruise rivers, the Rhine, the Danube and the Elbe), and the steady rise of tourism to Christmas markets. Both have introduced travellers to the sort of German towns which weren’t massively damaged by bombs in World War II.

Quite what effect the Lonely Planet nomination will have remains to be seen, of course, but Germany’s tourism figures have been rising inexorably, year by year, for the last decade, so that direction of travel will certainly continue.

The Rhine

The Rhine is a major transport artery, 766 miles long, and its waters sustain lots of boats and wildlife. Grand cities, including Düsseldorf, Cologne, Bonn and even Strasbourg, on the eastern tip of France, hang close to the river. There are also beautiful little riverside settlements along the way, which typify what people mean when they talk about the beauty of rural Germany.

This sense of the rural is accentuated by the numerous vineyards peppered along the Rhine valley. On most cruises, you can stop along the way and visit a vineyard or two, tasting their wines and trying the local food — which is about as authentic a German experience as you can get.

The best bit of the Rhine is undoubtedly the UNESCO-registered section between Koblenz and Rüdesheim, where the steep valley walls are topped with forest and dotted with crag-topping castles and half-timbered towns, each of which has its own river landing.

The Main

The Main isn’t as big as the Rhine, but at 327 miles it is still huge when compared to many other European rivers. Where the Rhine flows from south to north, the Main flows from east to west, through the heart of Germany. And it intersects with the Rhine near Frankfurt, just upstream of the latter’s UNESCO-registered section mentioned above.

Idyllic castles and countryside provide the gorgeous backdrop to a Main river cruise. Most routes pass through Frankfurt, allowing you the opportunity to spend some time in this vibrant city, but also to see it from afar. Its beautiful skyline has earned it the nickname ‘Mainhattan’, as it has some of the most impressively tall and elegant buildings in Europe.

There are also vineyards along the Main, so a comprehensive German wine tour of the Rhine and the Main might be on the cards for the die-hard wine enthusiasts.