Germany wears its riches well: elegant big-city charm, small picture-postcard
towns, pagan-inspired harvest festivals, a wealth of art and culture
and the perennial pleasures of huge tracts of forest, delightful castles
and fine wine and beer are all there for the savouring.
Deep in the heart of Europe, Germany has had a seminal impact on Continental
history. From Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire to Otto von Bismarck's
German Reich, Nazism and the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, no other
nation has moulded Europe the way Germany has - for better or worse.
Germany's reunification in 1990 was the beginning of yet another chapter
in its complex history. The cultural, social and economic divide formed
over 40 years of separation will take some time to bridge; nevertheless,
the integration of the two Germanys is proceeding apace.
The German climate is variable so it's best to be prepared for all types
of weather throughout the year. That said, the most reliable weather
is from May to October. This coincides, naturally enough, with the standard
tourist season (except for skiing). The shoulder periods can bring fewer
tourists and surprisingly pleasant weather. There is no special rainy
season.
Germans love to party, and kick up their heels at everything from pagan
harvest romps to black tie opera galas. The Winter Carnival (Fasching)
season occurs throughout Germany, with big cities such as Cologne (Köln),
Munich and Mainz erupting into commotion just before Ash Wednesday.
Germany's rich musical heritage is showcased in a plethora of festivals.
Some towns concentrate on a particular composer, such as the Thuringian
Bach Festival in March or the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth each
July, whereas others focus on a particular style. The jazz festivals
in Stuttgart (April) and Berlin (November) are lively and popular. Autumn
is a great time for harvest-inspired mayhem, especially in the Rhineland,
where the Rhine in Flames frolics feature barges laden with fireworks.
Mention must be made of Oktoberfest, Munich's annual lager frenzy, but
it's a bit like being stuck in a nightmarish soccer crowd and is more
an example of tourism at its lowest ebb than a display of German culture.
Christmas fairs are embraced wholeheartedly by German families; they
occur in Munich, Nuremberg, Lübeck, Berlin, Münster and Heidelberg,
amongst other places.
Of strategic importance since it first straddled the Spree River in
the 13th century, Berlin never hogged centre stage quite like it did
this century. Today the city, restored as the nation's capital, is the
focus of the mammoth project of reunification and the barometer of Germany's
moods.
Berlin is a veritable motherlode for lovers of art, architecture and
artefacts. Its great clusters of museums will keep the most dedicated
culture addict happy. The layers of the city's history, from war and
violent division to imperial fancy, exist in fascinating proximity to
its dynamic present.
accommodation
germany holiday
