Tourism in East Germany

[1] Independent travel was permitted within the GDR, with motoring or taking a railway trip through the country being the most popular options.

More complicated excursions would be arranged before arrival, and the formalities involved with a holiday in the GDR (such as the visa, any hotel bookings, advice on currency exchange, etc.)

There were four basic types of visas: Additional rules applied to diplomats, journalists, business travellers, and other non-tourist visitors.

All of the four basic visa types could, in theory, be arranged at the Reisebüro offices at the main border crossings.

Visitors not on non-stop transit visas were required to change a minimum of DM25, or its equivalent in other hard currency, into GDR marks every day of their stay at the standard rate of 1:1.

[citation needed] In addition to visas, travellers to the GDR staying overnight (or longer) were required to register with the Volkspolizei (The People's Police).

Potsdam was also heavily promoted by the East German government, particularly Sanssouci and the surrounding gardens, which was the former summer palace of Frederick the Great.

The East German government developed a series of beach resorts for Western tourists along the coast in the districts of the state nowadays called Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

[5] The Erzgebirge Ore Mountains contained the GDR's highest point, Fichtelberg (1,214 metres (3,983 ft)).