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The Autobahn is Germany's national highway system, a huge network of limited access freeways that stretch over 6,800 miles. The Autobahn is designed to connect all of Germany's major metropolitan areas. As this brief introduction from an online travel resource called The German Way points out, the Autobahn was inspired by a tollway in Northern Italy that was completed in 1923. The foundation of the Autobahn was designed and built during the early 1930s under the Third Reich. Adolph Hitler viewed it as both a military advantage and a source of employment for the shattered German economy. Recently, the German government has focused on absorbing and upgrading the
East German Autobahn, which was poorly maintained under Communist rule. It's important to note that the Autobahn is not a single stretch of fast-moving cars, but rather a sprawling collection of distinctly regulated roads. A common myth associated with the Autobahn is that it lacks speed limits. In fact, many heavily trafficked sections of the freeway have speed limits in the 50 to 75 mph range. The suggested speed for the unlimited sections is 81 mph, though this is routinely broken by various Porsche and BMW owners. The Autobahn is much heralded for its beautiful scenery and range of amenities. Gas stations and cafeterias are interspersed at 20 to 30 mile intervals, traffic
lanes are spacious, curves are gentle, and the medians are well-manicured. It's a worldwide tourist attraction for drivers who like to stay in sixth.
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