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It’s hard to believe, but 2013 is just around the corner, so it’s time to make a list of things you don’t want to miss out on while being here in Germany. Don’t let time pass without making the best of your stay. So here is a selection of fun ideas.
The biggest carnival party parade — Rosenmontagsumzug — takes place at 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 11 (Rose Monday) at the Severinstor in Cologne. This is what you can expect: a 6.5-kilometer parade route, more than 10,000 participants, 350 horse riders, 117 bands, 140 tons of sweets, 74 decorated floats and thousands of dressed up carnival revelers celebrating together. Learn about Cologne Carnival online at www.cologne.de/events/cologne-carnival.
No visit to Germany is complete without a trip to a real Bavarian beer garden. What’s so special is that you actually bring your own food in some places. It’s the perfect way to relax and have a taste of Bavaria like in Kloster Andechs (Andechs monastery) where the monks brew their own beer. Here is a list of the most famous places with pictures and addresses. Visit www.manfredwirth.de/biergarten.htm.
When in Germany, do as the Germans do. So, as they are ardent soccer lovers, try to get a ticket for a match of a local team. Be with the fans, celebrate each goal frenetically, suffer any counter goal and sing with up to 80,000 new friends. Just one little piece of advice: Most fans are passionate but friendly. Just avoid wearing the wrong fan scarf in the stadium. Dortmund, Berlin and Munich have the greatest arenas, but you won’t feel lonely in Kaiserslautern’s Fritz-Walter-Stadium (€49.78 seats) either. For ticket information, visit www.fck.de.
Experience Germany on an island! The East Frisian Islands (Ostfriesische Inseln) are a chain of islands in the North Sea. They are rather small; most of them don’t allow cars, which brings a great calmness to the islands. As there are no bridges, visitors have to use ferries for access and go by bike or foot to see the island. A speciality of the region is the “Watt,” a huge mudflat area and unique nature reserve. Observing the tides, visitors are allowed to do “wattwandern,” tours across the Watt, along certain safe paths. Endless skies, grass-covered dunes, jaunty lighthouses, the fresh smell of sea weed and the cries of sea gulls — if you want to break away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, this is your place to vacation. Learn more
about Baltrum, Greetsiel, Norderney, Wangerooge, Föhr, Husum or Juist online at www.
waddensea-worldheritage.org. For information on accommodation and travel offers, visit www.die-nordsee.de.
It is both a reminder of sad memories and great joy — the Berlin Wall. For 28 years, this symbol of the Cold War divided a nation. People were killed in their efforts to overcome this 155-kilometer-long means of oppression with its death strip, watchtowers, patrols and electric fences. But contrary to all expectations, the Wall came down on Nov. 9, 1989, (1989 NBC coverage of the event can be found online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK1MwhEDjHg&feature=related.) and a nation reunited. Today, there are tours, a memorial, a museum and a short section of the original Wall that can be visited to experience this monument of history. More information about the wall can be found online at www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en.
There is no way around it — Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria is just one of those places you don’t want to miss, even if it’s just to say you’ve been there. The fairytale castle, which inspired Disney’s classic “Sleeping Beauty,” keeps attracting millions of visitors every year. Seemingly old, the castle was only built in 1869 by King Ludwig II, and there is no overlooking the fact that the royal hired a theatrical set designer instead of an architect. While outrageous at the time, it is now a much beloved attraction that keeps inspiring the fantasy of young and old. More information can be found online at www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/tourist/index.htm.
A visit to the German Alps should be on your list. For one, you pay a visit to Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2,962 meters high!). Highly commercialized, the Zugspitze offers something for everybody, from gala dinners by moonshine to adventure trips around the peak. Cable cars run up regularly, so there’s no need for walking shoes. Get the view online at www.zugspitze.de/en/summer/index.htm.
One of the most romantic and extraordinary events of the year is Rhine in Flames. Between May and September, fireworks and Bengal lights illuminate the Rhine River between Rüdesheim and Bonn, creating a unique atmosphere. Sailing down the Rhine River on an illuminated boat is the best way to enjoy this unforgettable event. Meanwhile, wine festivals take place on the river banks and attract thousands of visitors. Get all the details at www.loreley-info.com/eng/
rhein-rhine/rhine-in-flames.php.
This one is easy, but maybe the most German item on your list. Just go out and have a currywurst at a street-corner snack stall. Currywurst made of fried, pork sausage cut into slices and seasoned with warm curry ketchup and loads of curry powder. The wurst, traditionally served with a bread roll or french fries, dates back to 1949. Though not the healthiest option, the wurst remains Germany’s No. 1 dish. More than 800 million servings are sold every year and some street vendors are said to have made a fortune with it. Apart from taste and serving speed, it is simplicity and stubborn opposition to elaborate star cuisine that has caused the wurst to become the symbol of the “common man’s” food. For more information, visit www.currywurstmuseum.de.
