Germany is located in the heart of Europe. It forms the link between maritime Western Europe and the continental east, between the warmer south and the cool north. Germany is a triad of lowland plains, upland hills and mountains. From the Alps in the south, Germany stretches via the forested central highlands and river valleys to the shores of the North and Baltic Seas. Its highest point is the Zugspitze in Bavaria (9,718 ft).
Germany borders Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.