Germany borders nine other countries, the most of any country lying wholly in Europe.
Its land neighbors, listed clockwise from the north, are Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This position makes Germany a central bridge between northern, western, and central Europe.
The wording “lying wholly in Europe” matters. Russia has more international borders overall, but its territory spans Europe and Asia. Germany’s count refers to its land borders; it also has maritime boundaries with Sweden and the United Kingdom.
A common mix-up is confusing the number of neighboring countries with Germany’s border length. The Czech Republic and Austria account for two of its longest frontiers, while Luxembourg is a much smaller neighbor. Germany’s nine-country total is therefore a count of distinct sovereign states, not a measure of distance.