From Wikitravel
|
| Location |
|
| Flag |
|
| Quick Facts |
| Capital | Berlin |
| Government | Federal Republic |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Area | 357,021 sq km |
| Population | 82,400,996 (July 2007 est.) |
| Language | German |
|
|
| Calling Code | +49 |
| Internet TLD | .de |
| Time Zone | UTC +1 |
Germany, (officially: the Federal Republic of Germany),[1](German:Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the largest country inCentral Europe. It is bordered to the north byDenmark, to the east byPolandand theCzech Republic, to the south byAustriaandSwitzerland, and to the west byFrance,Luxembourg,Belgiumand theNetherlands. Germany is a federation of 16 states, each with its own distinct and unique culture. Germany is one of the most influential nations in Western culture. Known around the world for its precision engineering, high-tech products, and modern economy it is equally admired by visitors for its old-world charm and "Gemütlichkeit", or guest-friendly-ness! If you have perceptions of Germany as simply homogeneous, it will surprise you with its many historical regions and much local diversity for its relatively small size.
[edit]Understand
[edit]History
[edit]From the Holy Roman Empire to Imperial Germany
The roots of German history and culture date back to the Germanic tribes and after that to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Since the early middle ages Germany started to split into hundreds of small states. It was the Napoleonic wars that started the process of unification, which ended in 1871, when a large number of previously independent German kingdoms united under Prussian leadership to form the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich). This incarnation of Germany reached eastward all the way to modern dayKlaipeda(Memel) inLithuaniaand also encompassed today´s regions of Alsace-Lorraine (France), a small portion of eastern Belgium (Eupen-Malmédy), a small border region in southern Denmark and over 40% of contemporary Poland. The empire ended in 1918 when Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate the throne at the time of Germany's defeat in World War I (1914-1918) and was followed by the short-lived ill fated Weimar Republic, which tried in vain to completely establish a liberal, democratic regime. Because the young republic was plagued with massive economic problems (such as hyperinflation) and disgrace for a humiliating defeat in the First World War, strong anti-democratic forces took advantage of the inherent organizational problems of the Weimar Constitution and the Nazis were able to seize power.
[edit]Hitler and Nazi Germany
The year 1933 witnessed the rise to power of the nationalistic and racist National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party and itsFührer, Adolf Hitler. Under the Nazi dictatorship, democratic institutions were dismantled and a police state was installed. Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, handicapped people, socialists, communists, unionists and other groups not fitting into the Nazi's vision of a Greater Germany faced persecution, and ultimately murder in concentration camps. Europe's Jews and Gypsies were marked for total extermination. Hitler's militaristic ambitions to create a new German Empire in Central and Eastern Europe led to war, successively, with Poland, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States - despite initial dazzling successes, Germany was unable to withstand the attacks of the Allies and Soviets on two fronts in addition to a smaller third front to the south of the alps in Italy.
It was "Stunde Null" or zero hour. Germany had destroyed itself and much of Europe and only had itself to blame. By April of 1945 Germany was in ruins with most major cities bombed to the ground. The reputation of Germany as an intellectual land of freedom and high culture (Land der Dichter und Denker) had been decimated and tarnished for decades to come. At the end of the war, by losing 25% of its territory, east of the newly Allied imposed Oder-Neisse frontier with Poland the occupied country was faced with a major refugee crisis with well over 10 million Germans flooding westward into what remained of Germany. Following the end of the war at the Potsdam conference the Allies decided the future of Germany's borders and taking a Soviet lead stripped her of the traditional eastern Prussian lands. Therefore, German provinces east of the rivers Oder and Neisse like Silesia and Pomerania were entirely cleared of its original population by the Soviets and Polish - most of it an area where there had not been any sizable Polish or even Russian minorities at all. Even more refugees came with the massive numbers of ethnic Germans expelled from their ancient eastern European homelands in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia.
[edit]Post-World War II
After the devastating defeat in World War II (1939-1945), Germany was divided into four sectors, controlled by the French, British, US and Soviet forces. United Kingdom and the US decided to merge their sectors, followed by the French. Silesia, Pomerania and the southern part of East Prussia came under Polish administration according to the international agreement of the allies. With the beginning of the Cold War, the remaining central and western parts of the country were divided into an eastern part under Soviet control, and a western part which was controlled directly by the Western Allies. The western part was transformed into the Federal Republic of Germany, a democratic nation withBonnas the capital, while the Soviet-controlled zone became the communist/authoritarian Soviet style German Democratic Republic (GDR). Berlin had a special status as it was divided among the Soviets and the West, with the eastern part featuring as the capital of the GDR. The western sectors of Berlin, (West Berlin) wasde factoan exclave of the Federal Republic, but formally governed by the Western Allies. On August 13, 1961 the Berlin Wall was erected as part of a heavily guarded frontier system of border fortifications. As a result hundreds of Germans trying to escape from the communist dictatorship were killed here in the years to come.
In the late 1960's a sincere and strong desire to confront the Nazi past came into being. Students' protests beginning in 1968 successfully clamoured for a new Germany. The society became much more liberal, and the totalitarian past was dealt with more unconcealed than ever before since the foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949. Post-war education had helped put Germany among countries in Europe with the least number of people subscribing to Nazi or fascist/authoritarian ideas. Willy Brandt became chancellor in 1969. He made an important contribution towards reconciliation between Germany and the communist states including important peace gestures toward Poland.
[edit]Reunification and the Berlin Republic
Germany was reunited peacefully in 1990, a year after the fall and collaspe of the GDR's Communist regime and the opening of the iron curtain that separated German families by the barrel of a gun for decades. The re-established eastern states joined the Federal Republic on the 3rd of October 1990, a day which is since celebrated as the German National Holiday (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). Together with the reunification, the last post-war limitations to Germany's sovereignty were removed and the US, UK, France and most importantly, the Soviet Union gave their approval. The German parliament, the Bundestag, after controversial much debate, finally agreed to comply with the eastern border of the former GDR, also known as the "Oder-Neisse-Line" thus shaping Germany the way it can be found on Europe's map today.
[edit]Economy
Germany is an economic powerhouse with the largest economy of Europe, and is the second largest exporting country of the world.
The financial center of Germany and continental Europe isFrankfurt am Main, and it can also be considered one of the most important transportation hubs in Europe. It features a modern skyline with many high-rise buildings, quite unusual forCentral Europeand has led to the city being nicknamed "Mainhattan". It is also the home of the European Central Bank (ECB), making it the center of the Euro, the supra-national currency used throughout the European Union. Frankfurt International Airport is the largest airport of the country, while the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE) is the most important stock exchange in Germany.
[edit]Politics
Germany is a federal republic, consisting of 16 states or federal-states,('Bundesländer'). The federal parliament ('Bundestag') is elected every four years in a fairly complicated system, involving both direct and proportional representation. A party will be represented in Parliament if it can gather at least 5% of all votes or at least 3 directly won seats. The parliament elects the Federal Chancellor ('Bundeskanzler', currently Angela Merkel) in its first session, who serves as the head of the government. There is no restriction regarding re-election. The 'Bundesländer' are represented at the federal level through the Federal Council ('Bundesrat'). Many federal laws have to be approved by the council. This can lead to situations where Council and Parliament are blocking each other if they are dominated by different parties. On the other hand, if both are dominated by the same party with strong party discipline (which usually is the case with CDU-CSU-FDP coalitions), its leader has the opportunity to rule rather heavy handedly, the only federal power being allowed to intervene being the Federal Constitutional Court ('Bundesverfassungsgericht').
The formal head of state is the President ('Bundespräsident'), who is not involved into day-to-day politics and has mainly ceremonial and representative duties. He can also suspend the parliament, but all executive power lies with the chancellor. The President of Germany is elected every 5 years by a specially convened national assembly, and is restricted to serving a maximum of two five year terms.
The two largest parties are the Christian Democratic Party ('Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU)') and the Social Democratic Party ('Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD)'). Due to the proportional voting system, smaller parties can also be represented in parliament. Medium-sized parties of relative importance are the Christian Social Party ('Christlich Soziale Union (CSU)', most important party within Bavaria, a kind of CDU subsidiary), Liberals ('Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP)'), the Green party ('Bündnis 90/Die Grünen') and, since summer 2005, the new Left Party ('Die Linke', most important party in the East), the result of a merger between the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) (legal successor of GDR's state party, SED (Socialist Unity Party)) and the Alternative for Work and Social Justice (WASG) (founded by SPD's ex-leader, Oskar Lafontaine, to accommodate SPD's former left wing creating an alternative to Gerhard Schröder's "Agenda 2010" policy). There have been some attempts by extreme right-wing parties (NPD - National Democratic Party / REP - Republicans) to get into parliament, but so far they have failed the 5% requirement (except in some State parliaments, currently Saxony and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania).
Being a federal republic, Germany is very much a decentralised country, which does justice to the cultural differences between the regions. Most travelers will perhaps only think of beer,Lederhosenand Oktoberfest when Germany comes to mind, but Germany's famous alpine and beer culture is mostly centered aroundBavariaandMunich. Here the beer is traditionally served in 1 liter mugs (but not in Kneipen (pubs) and Restaurants). The annual Oktoberfest isEurope's most visited festival and the world's largest fair. Germany's south-western regions, however, are well known for their wine growing areas (e.g. Rheinhessen andPalatinate) and Bad Duerkheim on the 'German wine route' organises the biggest wine festival worldwide with over 600,000 visitors annually.
The fall of the wall in 1989 and the subsequent German Reunification are the main events of recent German history. Today most Germans as well as their neighbours support the idea of a peaceful reunified Germany and while the eastern regions still suffer from higher unemployment and of brain-drain, the reunification process is overall seen as a success. October 3rd is celebrated as the day of "German National Unity" or "Reunification Day".
Cars are a symbol of national pride and social status. Certainly manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen (VW) are world famous for their quality, safety and style. This quality is matched by Germany's excellent network of roadways including the renownedAutobahnnetwork, which has many sections without speed limits that attract speed hungry drivers. There are actually speed tourists who come to Germany just to rent an exotic sports car and fly down the autobahn! Amazingly for its size Germany is home to the third largest freeway/motorway network in the world. Germany also features an extensive network of high speed trains - the InterCityExpress (ICE).
Most cities have a vibrant gay and lesbian scene, especiallyBerlinandCologne. The Berlin tourism agency and other tourism organisations have started campaigns to attract gay and lesbian travellers to their cities. In fact, some politicians (e.g. the Mayors ofBerlinandHamburg, and the foreign minister) and stars in Germany are homo- and bisexuals.
Germany was the host of theFIFA World Cup 2006.
[edit]Electricity
The electricity supply runs at 230V 50Hz. Almost all outlets use theSchukoplug, most appliances have a thinnerEuroplug. Adapters are widely available in electronics stores.
[edit]Regions
Germany is a federal republic consisting of 16 states (called "Bundesländer" or, shortened to, "Länder" in German). Three of theBundesländerare actually city-states: Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg. The states can be roughly grouped by geography as listed below.
| Central Germany(Hesse,Thuringia)
The green heart of Germany, with some of the most important historical and financial cities and the ancient Thuringian Forest. |
Brandenburg gate in Berlin.
Nuremberg old town, view from west
Germany has numerous cities of interest to tourists; these arenineof the most famous travel destinations.
- Berlin— the reunified and reinvigorated capital of Germany; known for its division during the Cold War, the Berlin Wall. Today a metropolis of diversity with elegant clubs, shops galleries and restaurants
- Hamburg— Germany's second-largest city, famous for its harbour as well as its liberal and tolerant culture. Don't miss the Reeperbahn with its night clubs and casinos
- Munich(München) — Bavaria's beautiful capital city, the site of the famousOktoberfestand the gateway to the Alps.
- Cologne(Köln) — this city was founded by the Romans 2000 years ago with its huge cathedral, Romanesque churches, and archaeological sites
- Dresden— Once called 'Florence on the Elbe', world-famous for its Frauenkirche and historic center that was destroyed during the war
- Dusseldorf(Düsseldorf) — Germany's capital of fashion that also offers a wide scale of fascinating new architecture. The "Altstadt" and the "Medienhafen" have a vibrant nightlife
- Frankfurt— Germany's metropolis with a magnificent skyline due to its role as leading financial center, transportation hub and the seat of the European Central Bank (ECB). It is also known for its multicultural population, world-class museums and theaters
- Bremen— one of the most important cities in northern Germany, its old town will be of interest to travellers who want a slice of history
- Nuremberg(Nürnberg) — its old town has been reconstructed, including the Gothic Kaiserburg Castle, and you can visit the. You can also visit the Nazi party rally grounds, the Documentation Centre and Courtroom 600 (the venue of the Nuremberg Trials)
[edit]Other destinations
Castle of Münster (today used by the University)
- TheBaltic Sea Coast(Ostseeküste) andNorth Sea Coast(Nordseeküste), with picturesque islands such asRügen, theNorthandEast(Ostfriesische Inseln) Frisian Islands.
- TheRhine Valley(Mittelrhein) betweenBonnandBingenand theUpper Rhine Valley(Oberrheinische Tiefebene) betweenBingenandBasel,Switzerland. Home to theRuhr area(Ruhrgebiet), part of the Rhine River is a UNESCO Heritage site, and the valley is famous for its wines.
- Franconian Switzerland(Fränkische Schweiz). One of the oldest travel destinations in Germany, it was called by Romantic artists who said its landscape was of the aesthetic beauty of Switzerland's.
- Black Forest(Schwarzwald) A region with wide mountain peaks, panoramic views, it is a haven for tourists and hikers.
- Lake Constance(Bodensee). An extremely beautiful corner of Central Europe, it boasts water sports and beautiful towns and villages to be seen by the visitor.
- TheBavarian Alps(Bayrische Alpen), home to the world famous Neuschwanstein castle, and Germany's best skiing and snowboarding resorts. Endless Hiking and mountain biking.
- Other smaller but notable, destinations in Germany include theOre Mountains(Erzgebirge),Bavarian Forest(Bayerischer Wald), theHarzMountains,Spreewaldand the ancient city ofHeidelberg.
- The Castle Road (Burgenstraße) is a theme route over 1000 km in length in southern Germany (inBavariaandBaden-Württemberg) and a small portion in theCzech Republic, betweenMannheimandPrague. It passes by many historical castles. Old World Europe alive and well!
[edit]Archaeological sites
- Heuneburg,Baden-Württemberg(seat of an important Celtic prince in the Late Hallstatt Period). edit
- Hochdorf and Hohmihele,near Ludwigsburg(tombs of Celtic princes). edit
- Limes,about 550 kilometers, from Regensburg to North of Mainz(Roman fortifications against the barbaric German tribes). edit
- Trier, (oldest German town with the best preserved Roman buildings north of the Alps). edit
- Xanten, (excavations of the Roman town Colonia Ulpia Traiana, rendering a complete picture of a Roman colonial town). edit
Germany is a member of theSchengen Agreement. For EU and EFTA (Iceland,Liechtenstein,Norway,Switzerland) citizens, an officially approved ID card (or a passport) is sufficient for entry. In no case will they need a visa for a stay of any length. Others will generally need a passport for entry.
There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But be careful: Not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty, and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union.
Airports in Europe are thus divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" sections, which effectively act like "domestic" and "international" sections elsewhere. If you are flying from outside Europe into one Schengen country and continuing to another, you will clear Immigration and Customs at the first country and then continue to your destination with no further checks. Travel between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen country will result in the normal border checks. Note that regardless of whether you travelling within the Schengen area or not, some airlines will still insist on seeing your ID card or passport.
Keep in mind that the counter begins once you enter any country in theSchengen Areaand isnotreset by leaving a specific Schengen country for another Schengen country, or vice-versa.
As of January 2010onlythe nationals of the following non-EU/EEA/Swiss countries donotneed a visa for entry into the Schengen Area:Andorra,Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina,Australia,Bahamas,Barbados,Bermuda,Brazil,Brunei,Canada,Chile,Costa Rica,Croatia,El Salvador,Guatemala,Honduras,Israel,Japan,Macedonia*,Malaysia,Mauritius,Mexico,Monaco,Montenegro*,New Zealand,Nicaragua,Panama,Paraguay,Saint Kitts and Nevis,San Marino,Serbia*/**,Seychelles,Singapore,South Korea,United States,Uruguay,Vatican City,Venezuela, additionally persons holding British National (Overseas),Hong KongSAR orMacauSAR passports. These visa-free visitors may not stay more than three months in half a year and may not work while in the EU.
Note that
- while British subjectswiththe right of abode in the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories citizens connected toGibraltarare considered "United Kingdom nationals for European Union purposes" and therefore eligiblefor unlimited accessto the Schengen Area,
- British Overseas Territories citizenswithoutthe right of abode in the United Kingdom and British subjectswithoutthe right of abode in the United Kingdom as well as British Overseas citizens and British protected persons in generaldo require visas.
However, all British Overseas Territories citizens except those solely connected to the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas are eligible for British citizenship and thereafter unlimited access to the Schengen Area.
Further note that
(*) Macedonian, Montenegrin and Serbian nationals need abiometricpassport to enjoy visa-free travel and
(**) Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Serbs residing in Kosovo)still do needa visa.
Authorized members of the U.S. military need to possess only a copy of their duty orders and their ID card to be authorized entry into Germany. The passport requirement, though, applies to spouses and dependents of military personnel, and they must obtain a stamp in their passports to show that they are sponsored by a person in Germany under the Status of Forces Agreement.
There are no land border controls, making travel between Germany and other Schengen states easier with the accession of Switzerland to the Schengen area in 2008. However, the German border police is known to have plain-clothes officers ask travellers for their ID especially on the border between Bavaria and Austria.
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States of America are eligible to obtain a residence permit, orAufenthaltstitel(authorizing a stay of more than 90 days and work permission), upon arrival in Germany, but before the end of the initial 90-day period of entry. Honduran, Monegasque, and Sanmarinese nationals can also obtain such a permit, but only if they will not work on the residence permit.
There are a number of ways to get into Germany. From neighboring European countries, a drive with the car or a train ride are feasible; visitors from further away will probably be using air travel.
[edit]By plane
The most important airports areFrankfurt(IATA:FRA),Munich(IATA:MUC) andDüsseldorf(IATA:DUS).BerlinSchönefeld Airport (IATA:SXF) and Tegel Airport (IATA:TXL),Cologne(IATA:CGN) andHamburg(IATA:HAM) serve some international flights as well.
Frankfurt is Germany's main hub and one of Europe's four major hubs, and the destination of most intercontinental flights. Munich is a secondary hub. Travellers can easily fly in from most places of the world and then connect with Germany's biggest and most respected airlineLufthansa[2]which is a member of theStar Alliance. Germany's second largest airline isAir Berlin[3].
Some German airports are connected to theInterCityExpressand other rail lines, as are most international airports (exceptBerlin-Tegel Airport). The others all feature some sort of connection to the nearest rail station as well as public transport to the central station of the respective cities. Lufthansa's passengers travelling from Frankfurt Airport have the option to check-in their luggage in Cologne or Stuttgart train stations and connect to the airport by ICE. If doing so, be sure to book the train journey like a Lufthansa connecting flight (i.e. in advance together with the flight), otherwiseyouare regarded responsible for a missed connection.
Budget Air Travel and minor airlines
There are budget flights to almost every city in Europe from Germany. If you are seeking a budget flight, you should first check with the nearest airport. Examples of budget airline hubs areBerlin SchönefeldandDortmundforeasyJet[4].Germanwings[5]andTuifly[6](formerly Hapag-Lloyd-Express and HapagFly), Air Berlin and WizzAir offer budget flights from many assorted airports across Germany and Europe.Condor[7], a major charter airline, may also offer budget flights to/from main tourist destinations throughout the world.Germania[8],Intersky[9]andOLT[10]have a limited number of international destinations.Ryanair[11]flies from London to Berlin Schoenefeld, Altenburg (Leipzig), Lübeck (near to Hamburg), Weeze (near Duesseldorf) and from some other European destinations to Hahn (usually advertised as "Frankfurt-Hahn" despite being about 120km from Frankfurt without a passenger rail connection!). Flying can be the cheapest way to get to Germany, especially if the flights are booked well in advance. A sample airfare on AirBerlin from Münster/Osnabrück to Vienna, Austria is €29 one-way including all taxes, only if booked far in advance.
Before booking a budget flight, compare carefully as their destinations are often a bit off the track and after adding all the fees, taxes, aditional bus tickets to get to their airports, you might end up at even higher prices than you would pay for a discounted Lufthansa ticket.
[edit]By train
Regular train services connect Germany with all neighbouring countries. Almost all neighbouring countries (especiallySwitzerland,Poland,Denmark,Czech RepublicandAustria) and even some non-neighbouring countries (e. g.Italy) are quite well connected with "EuroCity" trains. They are a little bit slower than the European high speed trains but reach nevertheless up to 200 km/h. They are a worthwhile way to travel--not only for budget travellers (although budget airlines might be cheaper) or landscape viewers (especially the Rhine valley lines).
There are also several European high speed trains to cross into or get out of Germany:
- TheThalys[12]brings you from Cologne (Köln) to Paris in approximately four hours and to Brussels in about two hours.
- TheICEbrings you at 330 km/h top speed from Frankfurt (3h 15), Cologne (2h 30) or Düsseldorf (2h 15) to Amsterdam. The train journey fromFrankfurttoParisusing theICEwill take about four hours; going fromHamburgtoPariscan take eight and a half hours. There is also anICEline from Frankfurt to Brussels via Cologne.
- BetweenStuttgartandMilan(via Zurich) the Cisalpino[13]offers several connections and is at the moment the only direct trans alpine train connection.
Standard rail fares are quite high, but there's a number of special fares and discounts available - see the "Get Around" section for more information. In particular, theBahncardreduction applies for the whole journey as long as it starts or ends in Germany.
[edit]By boat
International ferry services exist, notably toScandinavia. Some of the most popular connections are listed below:
- LübeckandSassnitzare connected toKaliningrad,Saint Petersburg,Russia. Sassnitz is also connected toRiga,LatviaandTrelleborg, Sweden.
- Kielhas connections toGothenburg, Sweden,Klaipeda,LithuaniaandOslo,Norway.
- Rostockhas connections toHelsinki(Finland),Trelleborg(Sweden),Liepaja(Latvia), andGedser(Denmark).
- Travemuendehas connections toHelsinki(Finland),Malmo(Sweden) andTrelleborg(Sweden).
- Puttgardenis connected toRødby,Denmark.
[edit]Get around
German transportation runs with German efficiency, and getting around the country is a snap — although you'll need to pay top price for top speed. The most popular options by far are to eitherrent a car, or totake the train.
[edit]By plane
The German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa[14]connects all major cities in Germany to each other and foreign destinations.
Domestic flights are mainly used for business, with the train being a simpler and often cheaper alternative for other travel. However, the boom of budget airlines and competition has made some plane flights price competitive with trains to some major cities. Make sure though, that you get where you want go to. Low-cost airlines are known for naming small airports in the middle of nowhere by cities 200 km away (e.g. "Frankfurt-Hahn" is actually inHahn, over two hours away by bus fromFrankfurtcity).
The following carriers offer domestic flights within Germany:
- Air Berlin[15](incl. LTU) is the second biggest airline and flies to most airports in Germany. Though primarily being a no-frills airline, its reputation has remained high as LTU used to be a major holiday carrier.
- Lufthansa[16]Flag carrier that flies all major routes on a nearly hourly schedule with hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. Within dedicated terminals / terminal areas, coffee, tea and a lavish assortment of newspapers are available freely even for economy class passengers.
- Cirrus Airlines[17]Focus on smaller business traveller routes within Germany and Europe. Close cooperation with Lufthansa on selected routes.
- OLT[18]Selected niche routes in Germany with base in Bremen, serving i.a. Borkum and Helgoland.
- TUIfly.com[19](formerly HapagFly and HLX) No-frills rival of Air Berlin serving several off-site airports.
- Germanwings[20]Lufthansa's no-frills subsidiary is based in Cologne, gradually replacing its parent company on low-profit routes.
- InterSky[21]Small but well-kept no-frills airline with few routes in Germany and Europe, based in Friedrichshafen (near Lake of Constance).
- Sylt Air[22]Shuttle between Hamburg and Sylt.
[edit]By train
Germany offers a fast and — if booked in advance — affordable railway system, which reaches many parts of the country. Unless you travel by car, rail is likely to be your major mode of transportation. Crossing Germany from Munich in the south to Hamburg in the north will usually take around 6 hours, while driving by car will take around 8 hours.
Almost all long-distance and many regional trains are operated byDeutsche Bahn("German Rail") , the national railway company. DB's website[23], also available in many other languages, is an excellent resource for working out transportation options not only in Germany (generally all modes except air travel, bus timetables being incomplete) but also pretty much anywhere in Europe (train only). An interesting gimmick is the carbon dioxide emission comparisons for different train journeys.
[edit]Long distance
Inter City Express (ICE).
All major cities are linked by DB'sICE(InterCity Express) and regular InterCity trains. ICE is a system of high speed trains that are capable of speeding with 330km/h, the condition of tracks and signals however allows top speeds of only 160 km/h (usual), 200 km/h (routes with special electronic equipment, called "Ausbaustrecke") or 250 km/h (designated high-speed tracks only, called "Neubaustrecke"). Although being significantly faster than by road (unless you are driving a Porsche), they are also expensive, with a one-hour jaunt (eg.FrankfurttoCologne, around 150 km) costing around €60. However when you book the ticket online in advance, you can get a considerable discount (seeDiscounts). Reservations are not mandatory but are recommended, especially when you travel on weekends or holidays. This means, that withInterrailorEurailpass you can use domestic ICE trains without supplement (but this doesn't apply for international ICE trains!)
The next tier are the regularInterCity(IC) andEuroCity(EC) trains. The latter connect the larger European cities and are virtually identical to the regular ICs. These trains are also fairly comfortable, even if they lack the "high-tech" feeling of the ICE.
On the major lines, an ICE or IC train will run each hour or so during the day. Before you shell out the money for the ICE ticket, you may want to check if it actually makes a significant time difference. ICE trains travel faster than other IC trains only on specially equipped "high speed" routes. There are also long distance trains operated by other companies than Deutsche Bahn, usually running over secondary routes. These are usually comfortable enough (although not as comfortable as ICE) and sometimes cheaper, but most of them stop at almost every station en-route.
[edit]Regional travel
Regional and local trains in Germany come in several flavors:
- IRE(InterRegioExpress). As fast as an IC, but with no surcharges.
- RE(Regional-Express). Semi-express trains, skips some stations. On many routes, this is the highest available train category.
- RB(Regional-Bahn). Stops everywhere, may skip S-Bahn stops.
- S-Bahn. Commuter network for a city or metropolitan area, but can travel fairly long distances. Only very few older S-Bahn trains offer the comfort of a toilet, which however often does not work.
Urban transportation systems are usually ran by local companies that are publicly held; these may include subways, city buses, light rail and even regional trains. In larger urban areas the local companies will often form aVerkehrsverbundorVB(integrated public transport system). This means that you will be able to travel in and between all participating cities using the same tickets and fares. These urban transport networks are often (but not always) integrated with the DB network and Verkehrsverbund tickets are valid in local trains.
[edit]Regular tickets
Old (keypad) and new (touchscreen) DB ticket machines
There are a few locations you can book your tickets:
- Online. The engine will automatically look up the cheapest possible fares according your requirements, including any applicable early-booking discounts. Pay online, print out your ticket, bring it along and you're set (attention: Youmustprint the ticket on paper, showing it on a computer screen is not acceptable).
- At a vending machine. If you're already at the station, find anew(touchscreen)ticket machine, tap the British/UK flag, and then navigate through the menus. Like the online engine, they will automatically suggest the best routes, and credit cards are accepted. The machines sell all DB train tickets including some international tickets,network ticketsand tickets for local VB. The new touchscreen machines accept credit cards, but the old ones do not. Ticket machines for the local Verkehrsverbund are yellow, white or gray. They can be used on all local transport in the area, including DB trains, but are not valid outside it. On secondary routes, vending machines placed inside trains are becoming a common sight, usually leaving smaller stations without vending machines. If a station is not equipped with a vending machine, this automatically means that you are allowed to buy your ticket inside the train. If there is no vending machine either, you are obliged to ask staff what to do — the same applies if the ticket machine is not working.
- At a manned ticket counter. Head to any major train station (Hauptbahnhof) and find theReisezentrum. You will need to queue and pay a small surcharge. In Germany it is quite uncommon to buy tickets at the counter, because ticket machines are situated at least at all medium-sized and large train stops.
- On the train. If you're really in a hurry, just run onto the train and grab any non-reserved seat, then buy a ticket from the conductor. This will cost you about 10% extra. Almost all conductors and at least every main conductor, called theZugchef("Train Boss"), speak English. However, tickets arenotsold on local trains, you need to buy them at the station. If in doubt, signs on the platform or on the train itself sayingEinstieg nur mit gültigem Fahrausweismean that you have to have a ticket before you board - without a valid ticket you'll be charged by €40. Drivers on buses and trams, though, usually do sell tickets, the assortment may be limited however.
Now, if you're traveling on local trains, things can gethideously confusingvery fast. The basic unit of confusion is theVerkehrsverbund (VB), or "tariff union", which is basically a region around a large city that has a single tariff system. Examples include VBB[24]aroundBerlinand RMV[25]aroundFrankfurt. Any travelwithina single Verkehrsverbund is "local", and usually quite cheap; but any travelbetweenVerkehrsverbunds requires either a special (within North Rhine-Westphalia) or the full DB fare, and will usually be considerably more expensive. The catch is that DB trains often merrily cross between Verkehrsverbunds with no warning at all, and your "local" ticket stops being valid the instant you cross the invisible line.
With many local machines and old DB machines, you'll need to figure out thefour-digit codefor your destination, found on a panel of densely packed print nearby. Poke the flag button to switch to English, punch in the code for your destination station on the keypad, then hit the appropriate button in the left ("adult") row below to pick your ticket — the first button is always one-way single (Einzelfahrausweis). A price will be displayed: feed in your money (quickly, since the timeout is quite fast!), and the machine will spit out your tickets and change. For new blue DB machines, select the local tariff union in the top menu, and the rest is easy.
If you buy a local VB ticket, you will usually have to validate it by timestamping it at the bright yellow punch machines located on platforms. If you have no valid ticket, or an unpunched ticket, you will be fined as a fare dodger. Ticket validity varies randomly from one VB to another: usually there is either a zone system (the further you travel, the more you pay), a time system (the longer you travel, the more you pay), or most commonly a combination of these two. Unlimited transfers between trains, buses etc are usually allowed as long as your ticket remains valid. Discounts may be given for return trips, and one-day tickets (Tageskarte) are usually cheaper and much less hassle that single tickets, although zone limits apply to them as well. You can often pick up brochures attempting to explain all this, usually with helpful maps and occasionally even in English, at a local Reisezentrum.
Regional train tickets are point-to-point, with the destinations written on the ticket. They are only valid on trains (in North-Rhine Westphalia also on certain other means of public transport), although for long-distance tickets, you may have the option to add on a local transport ticket at your destination for a few euro extra.
[edit]Discounts
As standard fares are relatively expensive, there is a sometimes confusing set of special promotions and prices the rail company offers at various times (tests showed that even many railway employees at ticket counters failed to find the best bargain). Your best course of action is to check theirwebsite, or to ask at a train station or their telephone hotline for current details. If you search a connection withonline timetable, it offers you automatically a most favorable discount for desired journey. Try several departure times as discount tickets are limited and may be sold out for your initial choice. If you plan to travel a bit more extensively, a rail pass may be the better choice.
- Sparpreis 25&50: If you buy a return ticket at least three days in advance you can get discounts of 25%. If you spend the night from Saturday to Sunday at the destination, the discount grows to 50%. However the discounted tickets are usually sold-out on peak days (Fri and Sun), so we recommend booking the tickets as soon as possible. Check also if there are discounted first class tickets still avaliable, if discounted second class tickets are sold out, as they may be cheaper than standard second class tickets. Unlike standard fare ticketsSparpreis tickets are only valid on the train booked, you cannot use them on an earlier or later train.
- Dauer-Spezialare a low-cost one-way tickets, that cost from €29. The actual price vary according to the demand on various days and relations. Valid only on the train booked for.
- Gruppe&Sparis a discount for groups of six or more people. Depending on the demand you can get 50%-70% discount. For short journeys thenetwork ticketscan be cheaper.
- Children up to fourteen years travel free when accompanied by at least one of their parents or grandparents.
- If you plan to travel by train a lot, you may consider getting aBahnCard, valid for 12 months (from the date of purchase), which gives you discounts on all ticket purchases. Long distance Bahncard tickets do include one single journey on public transport in many destinations (look out forCity ticket).
- TheBahnCard 25costs €57 (€114 for first class) and gives you a 25% discount on all further ticket purchases. Spouses and kids of BahnCard 25-owners can get additional cards for €5. Bahncard 25 discount can be combined with theSparpreis 25/50, totalling in a 32/62 % discount.
- TheBahnCard 50is €225 (€450 for first class) and gives you a 50% discount on all standard tickets. You can get this card for half the price if you're a pupil or student (up to 26 years of age), a pensioner of more than 60 years or disabled. If you are a student in Germany and under the age of 26, you can get the BahnCard50 for only €113.
- TheBahnCard 100is €3650 (€6150 for first class) and gives you a 100% discount on almost all tickets. An example for the exceptions is theAutoZug, which is a train that allows you to take your car along. You will have to pay some additional fare to use the night trains and theICE Sprinter.
[edit]Network tickets
The German network tickets are valid for one day in all DB local trains (S, RB, RE and IRE), local private trains and public city transport. They are often a cheaper alternative to single or return tickets, because on many shorter relations local trains are not much slower as long-distance trains (IC, EC, ICE). Check the travel time at theonline timetableand select the button "Only local transport".You can buy these tickets at the ticket machines.
- TheSchönes-Wochenende-Ticket(translated as 'Lovely Weekend Ticket') lets you travel anywhere in Germany on a Saturday or Sunday until 3AM the following day. If you have time on your hands, it is a very inexpensive option at just €37 for up to 5 people. It is not uncommon to be asked by fellow travellers at a major train station if you have such a ticket in order to travel as a group and share the costs. The Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket is potentially an ultra-cheap form of long distance travel: You can get from Munich to Hamburg for €7, taking 12+ hours, however it's still faster and more comfortable than taking the bus.
- If your travel is contained within a singleBundesland(state), then you can buy aLänder-Ticketvalid in one state, plus, usually, a few short links across the border. Time validity is from 9AM till 3AM following day on weekdays and from 0AM till 3AM following day on weekends. Tickets cost around €17 for 1 person and €27 for group up to five people.
- TheGerman Rail Pass,Interrail PassandEurail Passallow for unlimited travel throughout Germany and Europe on a select number of days. These tickets are available only from travel agencies outside Germany.
[edit]Carrying bikes
In manyVerkerhrverbunds you can carry a bike on a train with normal ticket without supplement at off-peak hours. For short journeys outsideVerkehrverbundyou can buy a bike supplement ticket for €4.50, valid on all local trains for one day. On long-distance trains you have to buy a reservation for the bike, it costs €9 for domestic journey, €10 for international journey and €15 for CityNightLine to France and Belgium.
On local trains you can carry bike usually in the open area near doors. Long-distance trains have special section with bike holders. Follow up the bike symbols near the car door. Bikes are not allowed on high-speed trains (ICE, Thalys, TGV).
[edit]Information for railway fans
There are several railways of special interest in Germany.
- the Rasender Roland on Rügen
- the Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli in Bad Doberan
- the Harzquerbahn
- the Harzer Schmalspurbahn
- Lössnitz Valley Railroad
- the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn inWuppertal, the world's oldest monorail
- the H-Bahn inDortmund
- the SchwebebahnDresden
- the Transrapid[26]maglev test track inEmsland
Cog railways are in Stuttgart, up Drachenfels, up the Zugspitze Mountain and up the Wendelstein Mountain.
For an almost complete list, seede:Sehenswerte Eisenbahnen in Deutschland.
[edit]DB subsidiaries
- Burgenlandbahn[27](Artern - Nebra - Naumburg, Zeitz - Teuchern - Weißenfels / Naumburg, Querfurt - Merseburg, Merseburg - Schafstädt)
- Usedomer Bäderbahn (Usedom/ Baltic Sea)
[edit]Other railway corporations
- ABELLIO[28](Bochum - Gelsenkirchen, Essen - Bochum - Letmathe - Iserlohn / Siegen)
- Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft[29](Bad Wildbad - Pforzheim, Bruchsal - Bretten - Mühlacker, several lines through Karlsruhe)
- Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster Eisenbahn[30](Eidelstedt / Norderstedt - Ulzburg - (Elmshorn - Altona / Hamburg) / Neumünster)
- Arriva Länderbahn Express[31](Hof / Praha - Schwandorf - München / Nürnberg, Lindau / Oberstdorf - Kempten - München)
- Bahnbetriebsgesellschaft Stauden[32](Gessertshausen - Fischach - Markt Wald, Günzburg - Krumbach)
- Bayerische Oberlandbahn[33](München - Lenggries / Tegernsee / Bayrischzell)
- Bayerische Zugspitzbahn[34](Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Grainau - Schneefernerhaus/Zugspitzplatt)
- Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn[35](Friedrichshafen Hafen - Aulendorf)
- Borkumer Kleinbahn und Dampfschiffahrt[36](on the North Sea island Borkum)
- Breisgau-S-Bahn-Gesellschaft[37](Freiburg - Breisach, Riegel - Endingen - Breisach, Riegel - Gottenheim, Freiburg - Elzach)
- Brohltal Schmalspur-Eisenbahn[38](Brohl - Engeln)
- Busverkehr Ober- und Westerzgebirge Bahn[39](Cranzahl - Oberwiesenthal, Radebeul Ost - Radeburg)
- Chiemseebahn[40](Prien(DB) - Hafen Stock)
- City Bahn Chemnitz[41](Chemnitz - Stollberg, Stollberg - St. Egidien - Glauchau, Chemnitz - Burgstädt, Chemnitz - Hainichen)
- Connex Sachsen[42](Cottbus - Görlitz - Zittau, Leipzig - Bad Lausick - Geithain, Görlitz - Bischofswerda - Dresden)
- Dessau-Wörlitzer Eisenbahn[43](Dessau / Ferropolis - Oranienbaum - Wörlitz)
- Döllnitzbahn[44](Oschatz - Mügeln - Kemmlitz, Nebitzschen - Glossen)
- NordWestBahn[45]
A few long distance bus lines exist within Germany, most of them orientated to/from Berlin. Besides, there is a very useful long distance bus line, the "Neun-Euro Bus". If booked in advance, you can end up paying just nine euro for any trip on the bus line connecting Hamburg (+airport), Hanover (+airport), Kassel, Frankfurt (+airport), Mannheim and Heidelberg. The bus runs during the night. For more information, check[46]
Apart from these, there is a very dense network of regional and local bus lines. In rural areas though, many lines run only once per day. Regional and local express bus line designators usually contain the letter(s) CE (local), E (regional around Hamburg; in other areas, E is used for special runnings), S (regional), SB (regional and local) or X (local within Berlin), city bus line designators may contain the letter(s) BB ("Bürgerbus", not integrated within tariff unions), C or O.Always check the departure boards carefully: sometimes - especially at night or in rural areas - you have to order your bus by phone.
Germany has a world-famous network of excellent roads and Autobahn (motorway) with no toll or fees for cars (trucks have to pay), but gasoline prices are kept high by taxation. As of April 2010 prices float around €1.40 per litre for petrol (91 and 95 octane), and around €1.20 per litre for diesel. Oddly, normal petrol and "super" is the same price in Germany. At petrol stations you'll have the choice between Diesel, Benzin (91 octane), Super (95 octane) and SuperPlus (98 octane) or Ultimate (100 octane). Also LPG (Liquid petroleum gas) is available with not so much problems on Highways. Here and there you might find "Erdgas", too; this is compressed natural gas not gasoline. In Germany, you may first fill up your tank and pay afterwards (only if the petrol station is staffed, of course). Some stations will not release the fuel to pump unless you pay first or at least hand over a credit card in advance.
[edit]Car Rental and Carpools
All German airports offer car hire services and most of the main hire firms operate at desk locations
Car hire and pool cars are also available in most cities, and one-way rentals (within Germany) are generally permitted with the larger chains without an additional fee. When renting a car, be aware that most cars in Germany have manual gearbox (stick-shift), so you might want to ask for a car with an automatic gearbox if that's what you're used to. Drivers with an endorsement in their licence that restricts them to driving automatic transmission vehicles only will not be allowed to rent a manual-transmission car.
Most car rentals deny having their cars taken to eastern European countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic. If you plan to visit these countries as well, you might chose to rent your car there, as those limitations do not apply the other way round.
Another great way to get around without your own car is using one of the popular car pool services. You can arrange many connections over their respecive websites if you speak some German or have a friend that can help you out. Making contact is free of charge and getting a lift is often the cheapest way to get around. The two most popular hosts are Mitfahrgelegenheit[47]and Mitfahrzentrale[48], for second one you have to pay an extra charge. If you have your own car, taking other people is also a great way of saving money and protecting the environment.Another very good site is[49]which compares different means of transportation.
[edit]Traffic rules
All foreign licences are accepted for up to six months (or 12 months for a temporary stay only), but a translation may be necessary (http://www.bmvbs.de/-,2119.963881/Validity-of-foreign-driving-li.htm). If you want to continue driving after this period, you must obtain a German licence. These rules do not apply to driving licences issued in EU member states.
- Traffic Lights: Turing right on red is not permitted,exceptwhen a small green right arrow is affixed to the traffic light. In that case you may carefully turn right, however you must still stop and make sure that there is no traffic or pedestrians approaching. Sometimes instead of a sign there's a light with the same symbol on it, you're allowed to turn right without stopping as long as the light is on; the same applies to left arrow lights.
In many areas traffic lights are not hung over the intersection, but instead placed at the corners. Do not creep into the intersection or else you won't be able to see the lights change. Some intersections (especially in bigger cities) use "self regulating" traffic lights. The inductive sensor device used to determine if there's a car waiting is under the thick white stripe in front of the traffic light. Be sure to stop right in front of (or very slightly on) that stripe or the sensor might not recognise you, the light will still turn green but you might have to wait quite a while longer.
Yellow lights are short in duration and are also used prior to the light turning green. If the yellow light is flashing this means the traffic light either is defective or switched off (for example late at night or during weekends), and you MUST STOP at the intersection as though you were at a stop sign (observe "right before left" or stop signs). Driving through the lights at red carries a fine (up to €200).
- Mobile phones: Using your mobile phone while driving is forbidden, unless you use a hands-free set. This includes using the mobile phone while stopped at a traffic light, etc. It does not matter if you use the phone for making a call or just reading the clock: If you pick it up, you are violating the rule. This also means that using a navigation software on a smartphone is not allowed, unless the phone is mounted in the car. The police are quite strict about this.
- Cyclists and road markings: Normal road markings are white. Yellow road markings invalidate any existing white markings, observe the yellow markings. Watch out for cyclists on sidewalk lanes, sometimes they are allowed to use the "wrong direction" lane (though many drive in "wrong direction" even if they are not allowed to do so). If a road crosses a bicycle lane (Radweg) it might have a red color where it interjects with the bicycle lane or other special markings, if that´s the case cyclists have right of way. If in doubt or there are no markings, its still a good idea to give right of way.
- Traffic Police: The police will show blinking signs reading "Polizei Halt" (police, stop) if they want to stop you. An audible "yelp-signal" is currently being introduced. Stay calm and friendly, hand over the driving license and car papers (if you rent a car, you will have a copy of the rental contract) when you are asked to. In most cases that is all that happens and if you respect traffic signs and speed limits it is very unlikely that you get stopped at all.
The police may routine check vehicle drivers foralcohol; controls will be especially heavy at national holidays or close to mass events where people may consume alcohol. It's illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.05% (0.5‰ (permille)). Even below that limit you may face severe fines if youseem unfit to drive. The limit iszerofor people under 21 and those who have held their license for less than two years. If your license was recently renewed, it might be a good idea, if possible, to have a copy of your previous license.
All accidents, no matter how small, must be reported to the police at the time. You will usually be asked to show your driving licence, some other form of ID and the car papers (Zulassungsbescheinigung- a long green card covered with numbers which is found in all rental cars). The police will fill out an accident report (which is usually needed by most car rental companies for insurance claims), stating where and when the accident took place and the vehicles involved in the accident. There is also usually a fine to pay (approximately €25 if the accident was caused in "stationary" traffic i.e. parking and can be up to €40 if the accident was caused in "moving" traffic) which must be paid either on the spot or at the nearest police station. The fine can be higher if there was an obstruction or hazard to other road users. Hitting-and-running, if caught, is punished with a heavy fine (the German police possess surprising efficiency when it comes to tracking down foreign cars caught breaking the traffic laws).
- Speed limitsare the following in Germany (unless otherwise shown):
- max. 7 km/h on "Spielstraßen" (marked by a blue/white sign showing playing kids)
- max. 30 km/h in most residential areas within cities (marked with a sign "30-Zone Wohngebiet", 20-Zone and 10-Zone also exist)
- max. 50 km/h inside towns and cities (including "Kraftfahrtstraßen" (marked by a sign showing a white car on a blue background))
- max. 100 km/h outside towns and cities
- There is no constant general speed limit on the "Autobahn" or on "Kraftfahrstraßen" if there is any kind of barrier between two or more lanes of different direction. However, it is not an entirely unrestricted roadway as there are sections that are periodically or permanently assigned lower rates of speed. The recommended maximum speed on the Autobahn is 130 km/h and if you drive on the Autobahn for your first time and are not yet used to the usual heavy traffic you should not exceed that speed. In addition, if you are legally travelling in excess of 130 km/h and are involved in an accident you can still be held liable for part or all of the damages, regardless of fault on your part.
Speed cameras are common in Germany (the country has one of the highest speed camera concentrations in Europe) and are found mostly in towns and cities. There are usually no speed cameras on the motorway, even when there is a speed limit in force, however do not abuse this fact. Temporary road works on the motorway are usually a favourite for the police, so obey the speed limit, which is clearly marked. Also be aware that all forms of radar jammers and radar detectors (including satellite navigation systems with a speed camera overlay) are illegal.
The following table gives an overview of the fines for speeding (the speeds below indicate the difference between the speed limit and the actual speed travelled after the 3 km/h allowance has been deducted)
Inside built-up areas
- up to 10 km/h €15
- 11-15 km/h €25
- 16-20 km/h €35
- 21-25 km/h €80 [1 point]
- 26-30 km/h €100 [3 points]
- 31-40 km/h €160 [3 points, 1 month driving ban]
- 41-50 km/h €200 [4 points, 1 month driving ban]
- 51-60 km/h €280 [4 points, 2 months driving ban]
- 61-70 km/h €480 [4 points, 3 months driving ban]
- over 70 km/h €680 [4 points, 3 months driving ban]
Outside built-up areas(e.g. motorway, country roads; also in road works)
- up to 10 km/h €10
- 11-15 km/h €20
- 16-20 km/h €30
- 21-25 km/h €70 [1 point]
- 26-30 km/h €80 [3 points]
- 31-40 km/h €120 [3 points]
- 41-50 km/h €160 [3 points, 1 month driving ban]
- 51-60 km/h €240 [4 points, 1 month driving ban]
- 61-70 km/h €440 [4 points, 2 months driving ban]
- over 70 km/h €600 [4 points, 3 months driving ban]
NB: There are extra fees of €23.50 for any fine over €40.
You have the right to appeal against any traffic violation, however this process is long, complicated and can cost a lot of money.
Vehicles with a maximum speed of less than 60 km/h arenot allowedon the "Autobahn" or "Kraftfahrstraßen".
- 'Green' Measures: All cars driving into anUmweltzone(pollution-free zone) need a special vignette (Feinstaubplakette) according to their pollution category. Signs at the start of pollution-free zones will show which vignette is needed to be allowed to enter (green, yellow, or red), and which cars are not allowed to enter. If a car does not have a vignette at all, its not allowed to enter a pollution-free zone. If you rent a car make sure to ask if it has aFeinstaubplakette.
[edit]Using the Autobahn
- German drivers tend to drive faster and more aggressively than you might be used to, especially on the parts of the highway system without a speed limit, which is taken literally.
- While most passenger vehicles only have a recommended speed limit of 130 km/h, vehicles with studded tires must not travel faster than 145 km/h, some buses generally have a speed limit of 100 km/h, and most vehicles towing a trailer, along with buses in general and non-passenger vehicles with a gross weight of greater than 3,5 tonnes, are limitedonly to 80 km/h. Some newer trailers have a speed limit of 100 km/h.
- Road signs on the Autobahn show possible destinations (mostly city names). They donotshow the direction of the road (e.g. east/west), like in some other countries. Signs at exits rather show the name of the next exit than destinations.
- You must use the right lane if it's free, even if everybody seems to prefer the left and middle lanes (where they exist). You may stay in the left/middle lane if there are occasional slow vehicles on the right. Overtaking on the right lane is not allowed and can be dangerous as other drivers may not expect it. You must always pass vehicles on the left side, except in a traffic jam (note that passing on the rightisallowed on other streets within city limits). Before using the left lane in order to overtake look carefully behind as there might bereallyfast cars coming.
- Autobahns have an emergency lane where you can stop only in case of a breakdown or when otherwise unavoidable. For everything else,alwaysuse the frequent service areas; it is illegal and dangerous to stop there for other reasons. Running out of fuel on the Autobahn may also incur a fine if the police happens to notice you, as this is considered to be avoidable. If you have to stop you must set up your warning triangle. The emergency lane is a dangerous place - you should leave your vehicle and stay off the road until help arrives!
- Arrows on the small posts along the Autobahn will guide you to the next orange emergency phone. These will automatically connect you free of charge with an emergency call center which will help you get the police, an ambulance or just a mechanic. These phones should be the preferred choice over using your mobile since they transmit your exact location.
- In some areas emergency tracks are used as extra lanes in times of heavy traffic. But this is always announced by electronic light signs.
In case of a breakdown you may also call theADAC, the world's largest automobile club. The number is +49 180 2222222 from fixed lines and 22 22 22 from mobile phones regardless of network. On the Autobahn, the ADAC must always come to you free of charge, and you don't have to become a member, either. In other situations, there may be costs involved if you're not a member. If you're a member of a foreign AA or automobile club, you may want to check if the ADAC honours your membership.
[edit]By recreational vehicle and campervans
German campgrounds (like most in Western Europe) usually offer a full range of amenities. You'll always have your own electricity hookup, and water and sewer hookups for each are common, too. Every campground has restrooms and showers as well as kitchens, washing-machines and a spin dryer.
The yellow pages of camping, or, if you like, the German camping bible, is theADAC Campingführer, a campground guide by Germany's largest automobile club ADAC. It lists almost all campgrounds along with prices, type of location, size, opening hours, amenities, you-name-it. Since the guide uses lots of symbols which are explained in a number of languages, it's suitable for travellers from abroad, too.
[edit]By thumb
It is possible tohitchhikein Germany and most Germans speak basic English, so you will be understood if you speak slowly. Drivers rarely expect you to give them any money for the ride. The first letters of the German number plate (before the hyphen) indicate the city in which the car is registered. If you know the code for your destination[50]it will increase your chances of stopping the right vehicle.
It is illegal to stop on theAutobahnitself, but hitchhiking from service areas or petrol stations is a good way of getting long rides (100-200 km). The hard part is getting onto the Autobahn, so it pays off to sleep near the gas stations if you are going far. At the gas stations you can get a free booklet calledTanken und Rastenwith a map of the Autobahn and its gas stations. When getting a lift, agree with the driver where to get off, and make sure there is a gas station. Try to avoid theAuto Hofs.
It is also quite common to arrangea ride in a private vehiclein advance through on offline agency or the Internet. Offline agencies like Citynetz[51]or ADM[52]do have offices in major cities, mostly near the city center or the main railway station. These offline agencies do charge a commission to the cost for fuel you need to pay for the driver.
In the recent years online services to arrange rides in private vehicles became very popular, as both parties do not have to pay the commission to traditional agencies. You need to contribute only towards fuel costs. (example fare: Frankfurt to Berlin €25). You can contact the driver directly by email, phone or sms. As the drivers need to be registered, it is safer than hitchhiking. Hitchhikers[53]is a comparable service, multilingual and free. Mitfahrgelegenheit[54]and Mitfahrzentrale[55]are other well known players with plenty of rides in their databases. Mitfahrzentrale even operates all over Europe. Raumobil[56]is a new player in the market but a more private-run affair. Mitflugzentrale[57]arrangesrides in private planes.
Another form ofhitchhikingavailable in Germany is on the trains. People purchase a Wochenende-ticket (weekend ticket) which allows them to take up to four other people with them on the regional transports for the entire weekend. To hitch a ride with these travelers, first figure out which regional transportation you will need to take in order to reach your destination. You may figure that out online at the German train website[58], making sure to check "regional transportation only", or train stations in major cities have computer terminals in which you can do the same. Then just hop on the train that is going your way. Always, within one car you will find someone willing to let you tag along. "Haben Sie ein Wochenendeticket?"Do you have a weekend ticket?"Darf ich bei Ihnen mitfahren?"May I travel with you?. Just make sure it is the right train and the weekend.
The official language of Germany isGerman. The standard form of German is called "Hochdeutsch" (High German). This is accent-free or better dialect-free German, the "official" form of the language. It is understood by all and spoken by almost all Germans. However, every region has its historical dialect, which might pose a challenge sometimes to those who speak even good German - and even to native speakers as well. This is usually only noticeable in the south and rural areas of the north and east. Thus when traveling in Bavaria, Saxony and Baden you are stepping foot in places where dialect remains a strong part of the local identity. The general rule of thumb is, south of the Main River divides north Germany from the south in both language dialects and local culture.
All Germans learnEnglishat school, so you should be able to get by with English in most places. Many people--especially in the tourism industry and higher educated persons--also speakFrench,RussianorSpanish, but if you can't speak German, English remains your best bet. Even if one member of the staff doesn't speak English, you are likely to find someone who does and is more than willing to help you. In the southeastern part of that area, a small Slavic community of 50,000 also speak the Sorbian language, the least spoken modern Slavic language today, but widely protected from near-extinction since 1945.
If you address a German with English, always ask "Do you speak English?" or its German translation "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" It is considered a sign of politeness.
Germans less fluent in the English language often answer questions very briefly (one or two words) because they feel uncertain how to create a complete English sentence. This might sometimes appear impolite but it is not at all meant this way. Germans less fluent in English also often say "become" instead of "get" because the German word "bekommen" ("get") is phonetically so close to "become". Since it's polite to reply "Bitte" if someone thanks you, Germans may literally translate this with "please" instead of "here you are" or "you're welcome". Another source of confusion is that Germans call mobile (cell) phones a "Handy" and many of them regard this as an English word.
While Germany uses the 24 hour format for times, people very often use 12 hour times in conversations. There is no real suffix like "AM/PM", though you can add "vormittags" (before noon) and "nachmittags" (after noon) when it's not clear from the context. Another difference is that when saying the time is 7:30 the English would say "half past seven" where as the Germans say the time half to eight, or "halb acht." In addition, Germans say two-digit numbers "backwards": instead of "twenty-two" they say "two and twenty." Numbers below 20 are said the same way as in English. This becomes especially important when you inquire for prices, although most who speak English with you should use the correct form. It is still better to double-check what is really meant.
See also:German phrasebook.
Germany offers virtually every activity you can imagine. Most Germans are members of a sports club and visit cultural events less often. Due to the federal structure every region has its own specific activities.
Due to its size and location in central Europe, Germany boasts a large variety of different landscapes, offering many activities related to nature, from hiking in the forests to exploring the picturesque islands off the northern coasts!
- Seacoasts: Germany's north has coasts to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The landscape, especially along the North Sea shore is very flat, the climate is rough with strong winds and mild, chilly temperatures. Due to the south-easterly winds that press water into the German Bight, tidal variations are exceptionally high, creating the "Wattenmeer": Vast areas of the seabed are uncovered twice a day, allowing one to walk from one of the numerous islands to another. The North Sea islands just off the coast are very picturesque, although mostly visited by the Germans themselves. Most of the north sea islands are free of car traffic and guarantee a silent holiday. Out in the German Bight lies the country's only off-shore island, Helgoland. Thanks to the strong winds, Wind-Surfing is possible all year round. Do not expect Hawaiian temperatures, though.
- Forests: Germans are fanatic about their forests. While they are much smaller now than they used to be in medieval times, they are still huge compared to forests in other, especially western and southern European countries and only thinly populated. Among others, theBlack Forestand the Bayrischer Wald have been declared national heritage and will, over the course of the next centuries, slowly return into a wild state. Although Germans love to go for long walks and hikes in these dark and humid woods, there's space enough for everyone to get lost. If you take one of the smaller paths you may not meet another person for the rest of the day (this in a country of 230 people per square kilometer). Especially the more remote areas are of an almost mythical beauty. It is no wonder the brothers Grimm could collect all those fairytales among the dark canopies, and a large part of the German poetry circles around trees, fog and those lonely mountain tops. Even Goethe sent his Faust to theBrockenfor his most fantastic scene. Today, wild animals, although abound, are mostly very shy, so you might not get to see many. While a few wolves in Saxony and a bear in Bavaria have been sighted, their immigration from Eastern Europe caused quite a stir. In the course of events "Bruno" (the bear) was shot, and while the wolves are under heavy protection local hunters have been suspected of killing them illegally. The most dangerous animal in Germany's forests is by far the wild boar, especially sows leading young are nothing to joke about. Wild boar are used to humans, since they often plunder trash cans in villages and suburbs and their teeth can rip big wounds. If you see one, run.
Königsee nearby Berchtesgaden, Bavaria St. Bartolomä
- Mountains: The centre half of Germany is a patchwork of the so-called "Mittelgebirge": Hilly rural areas where fields and forests intermix with larger cities. Many of these hillranges are tourist destinations. Most noteably are the Bayrischer Wald (Bavarian Forest), theBlack Forest, theHarz, the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) and Elbsandstone Mountains. In the extreme south, bordering Austria, Germany contains a small portion of theAlps, Central Europe's highest elevation, rising as high as 4000m (12,000 ft) above sea level, with the highest summit in Germany being theZugspitze, at 2962m (9717 ft). While only a small part of the Alps lie in Germany, they are famous for their beauty and the unique Bavarian culture. A lot of people go there or further south into neighboringAustria,SwitzerlandandLiechtensteinfor skiing in the winter and hiking and climbing in the summer.
- Lake Constance: Lying along the country's south-western border with Switzerland and Austria,Lake Constanceis Germany's largest fresh-water lake. The area around the Lake and up the lower Rhine valley has a very mild, amenable climate and fertile grounds, making it the country's most important area for wine and fruit growing.
- TheRomantic Road(Itinerary): is the most famous scenic route in Germany. It starts in Würzburg and ends in Füssen. Most important points to visit on the Romantic Street are the cities: Würzburg, Harburg, Donauwörth, Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Definitely recommended--the best preserved Medieval city in Germany by far, with its original, complete city walls and no modern construction--if you can stand the crowds of tourists that have taken over the town, see this city. Some areas of the old city are less picturesque but very residential in character, including the high street. Be aware that the city closes extremely early, and the last triains leave around 20:00, or 8pm), Landsberg am Lech and Augsburg. Most notable wider areas are: Taubertal, Nördlinger Ries and Lechrain. (For cyclists there's a special route available called "Radwanderweg Romantische Straße".)
Germany is crazy about football (soccer to North Americans) and the German Football AssociationDFB[59]is the biggest FA association in the world with 6.35 million members (8% of the German population) in more than 25,000 clubs. Every village has a club and the games are the main social event on weekends. Participation is strongly encouraged.
In the winter many people go skiing in the Alps inBavariaclose toMunich.
Almost every middle-size German city has a spa (often called "Therme") with swimming pools, water slides, hot tubs, saunas, steam baths, sun roofs etc. The sauna areas are coed and people are nude there.
[edit]Cultural Events
Germany has world class opera houses (especiallyBerlin,Bayreuth, andMunich) and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra[60]is known as one of the Top3 orchestras in the world. Several theatres in bigger cities play outstanding classical and contemporary plays. Germanys prides itself in the wide varierty of cultural events and every city works out a cultural agenda.
[edit]Musicals
Musicals are popular in Germany. Although there are some touring productions from time to time, most shows stay in a specific city for a few years. Most shows belong to the company called "Stage Entertainment". The main 'musical cities' are Hamburg, Berlin, Oberhausen, Essen, Stuttgart, Bochum and Cologne.
[edit]Currency
Germany is part of theEuropean Unionand the Eurozone; as such it replaced German marks with theeuro(symbol: €) in 2002. If you have marks remaining from previous trips, they can still be exchanged at certain banks: inquire first before you attempt to convert your marks.
Do not expect anybody to accept foreign currencies or to be willing to exchange currency. An exception are shops and restaurants at airports and also - more rarely - fast-food restaurants at major train stations. These will generally accept at least US dollars at a slightly worse exchange rate. If you wish to exchange money, you can do so at any bank, where you can also cash in your traveller's cheques. Currency exchanges, once a common sight, have all but disappeared since the introduction of the euro. Again, international airports and train stations are an exception to this rule. Swiss Franc can sometimes be accepted near the Swiss border.
While German domestic debit cards (and, to a lesser extent, PIN-based Maestro cards) enjoy almost universal acceptance, this is not true for credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express) or foreign debit cards (VISA Debit/Electron etc.), which are not as widely accepted as in other European countries or theUnited States.
Don't be fooled by seeing card terminals in shops or other people paying with cards - these machines may not necessarily be programmed to accept foreign cards, so it is best to inquire or look out for acceptance decals before shopping or fuelling your car.
Hotels, larger retailers, chain gas stations and nationwide companies accept credit cards; supermarkets, discount stores or small independent shops tend not to. Some places impose a minimum purchase amount (typically 10 euros) for card payments. Most ATMs will allow you to withdraw money with your credit card or foreign debit card, but you'll need to know your card's PIN for that.
[edit]Tipping
Unlike in some other countries, service staff is always paid by the hour (albeit not always that well). A tip is a matter of politeness and shows your appreciation. If you didn't appreciate the service (e.g. slow, snippy or indifferent service) you may not tip at all.
Since the introduction of the Euro, a tip (Trinkgeld, lit. "drink money") of about 5-10% is customary if you were satisfied with the service. Nonetheless, service charge is already included in an item's unit price so what you see is what you pay.
Tipping in Germany is usually done by mentioning the total while paying. So if eg. a waiter tells you the bill amounts to "€13.50", just state "15" and he will include a tip of €1.50.
Tipping in other situations (unless otherwise indicated):
- Taxi driver: 5%-10% (at least €1)
- Housekeeping: €1-2 per day
- Carrying luggage: €1 per piece
- Public toilet attendants: €0.30-0.70
[edit]Shopping
In common with most other Western European languages (but unlike English), in German a comma is used to indicate a decimal. For example, 2,99€ is two euros and 99 cents. The "€" symbol is not always used and may be placed both in front or after the price. A dot is used to "group" numbers, so "1.000" would be one thousand.
- Taxes: Retail prices are reasonable and lower than in northern European countries but the value added tax, V.A.T., "Umsatzsteuer" (official, but even politicians use this rather sparsely) or "Mehrwertsteuer" (most Germans use this word) has been increased to 19% from 2007 onwards and therefore prices will slightly rise. Fuel, sparkling wine, spirits and tobacco are subject to even higher taxes, the first of those excise taxes - the "Branntweinsteuer" (spirit tax) - first being imposed on Nordhäuser Branntwein (the ancestor of Nordhäuser Korn) in 1507, the certainly most ridiculous of them - the sparkling wine tax - being introduced by Emperor Wilhelm II to finance the Kiel Canal and his war fleet. Some German brands of high end goods such askitchen utensils,stationery, andhiking gearare considerably cheaper than abroad. V.A.T. is always included by law in an item's pricetag (only exception is for goods that are commercially exported but then duties might apply). There exists a reduced V.A.T of 7% i.a. for hotels (but not for edibles consumed within), edibles (certain items considered luxury goods, e.g. lobster, are exempted from this reduction), print products, public transport (short-distance only) and admission price for opera or theatre.
- Supermarkets: Many Germans rather look for prices than for quality when shopping for food. As a result, the competition betweenfood discounters(which might be the cause of this very specific behaviour) is exceptionally fierce (in fact, WalMart had to retract from the German market because it failed at competing on price) and results in very low food prices compared to other European countries (though not compared to North America or the UK - as a general rule, a discount German supermarket will have similar quality compared to a North American discounter, but at mid-range prices). The chains "Aldi", "Lidl", "Penny" and "Plus/Netto" are a special type of supermarket (don't call it "Supermarkt" - Germans call it "Discounter"): Their range of products is limited to the absolute necessities of daily life (like vegetables, pasta, UHT-milk, eggs, convenience foods, toiletries etc.), sold in rather simple packaging for tightly calculated prices. While quality is generally surprisingly high (at least in relation to price levels), do not expect delicatessen or local specialties when you go to shop there. Many Germans buy their daily needs there and go to the more "standard" supermarket (like the chains Rewe, Real, Tengelmann/Kaisers, Globus, Famila or Edeka) to get more special treats. These however, are few in number, often far outside of town, and don't offer the selection of a Sainsbury's, Tesco, or Wal-Mart, but their personnel is trained to be especially helpful and friendly. Don't blame discounter personnel for being somewhat harsh; although they are paid slightly better than usual, they have to cope with a grim working atmosphere and a significantly higher workload than colleagues in "standard" supermarkets and therefore are certainly not amused about being disturbed in getting their work done. Beside those major chains, Turkish supermarkets which can be found in townships with predominantly Turkish population can be a worthwhile alternative since they combine the characteristics of discounters (low price levels but limited assortment) with those of "standard" supermarkets ((Turkish) specialties and usually friendly personnel).
- Similarly it applies toclothes; although competition on this market is notthatfierce and quality varies, cheap clothing of sufficient quality might be bought at C&A, but don't expect designer clothes though. During the end-of-season sales you should also compare prices of conventional stores since they may be even cheaper than the discounters. H&M sells cheap, stylish clothing, but with notoriously awful quality.
- You can find supermarkets and certain other stores (only major chains) at kaufda.de[61].
- Be prepared to bag your own groceries and goods as well asprovide your own shopping bagsfor doing so. While most stores provide plastic as well as canvas shopping bags at the checkout, you are charged for them. The Germans think it is more environmentally-friendly to re-use bags rather than get a new one each time. It's a good reminder to also keep a euro coin handy for the buggys/shopping carts. They all require a euro to use the cart but you get it back once your shopping is done.
- If you are looking fororganic products, your best bet is to visit a "Bioladen" or "Biosupermarkt". (Bio-generally meansorganic.) There are also many farmers selling their products directly ("Hofladen"), most of them organized in the "Bioland" cooperative. They offer reasonable food at reasonable prices.
- Factory Outlets: Germany has only about 6 Factory Outlet Centers, but approximately up to 1000 Factory Outlets called "Fabrikverkauf".
- Local Products: You can find local food products (not necessarily organic) in most places at thefarmer's market("Wochenmarkt" or simply "Markt"), usually once or twice a week. While you your chances on finding english-speaking sellers there may be somewhat reduced, it's nevertheless quite fun to shop there and mostly you will get fresh and good quality food for reasonable prices. Most winemakers sell their products either directly or in "Winzergenossenschaften" (winemaker cooperatives). These wines are almost always superior to the ones produced by German wine brands. Quality signs are "VdP" ("Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter", symbolized by an eagle) and "Ecovin" (German organic winemaker cooperative). Wines made of the most typical German wine varieties are usually marked with "Classic".
- Souvenirs: Germanhoneyis a good souvenir, but only "Echter Deutscher Honig" is a guarantee for reasonable quality. Along the German coasts,smoked eelis quite a common delicacy and a typical souvenir.
- Recycling: Germany has an elaborate and confusing beverage container deposit ("Pfand") system. Reusable bottles, glass and plastic, usually cost between 8 and 15 centsPfandper bottle depending on size. AdditionalPfandis due for special carrying baskets matching the bottle measures. ThePfandcan be cashed in at any store offering that brand of beverage. Nonreusable bottles and cans cost 25 CentsPfandand can be cashed in at every large and most small stores. Exempt fromPfandare liquors, wine, milk and juices as well as containers considered "ecologically beneficial"; as a rule of thumb that is every container which is not a traditional can or bottle. There are also a few other instances wherePfandis due, for example for standardized gas containers.Pfandon glasses, bottles and dishware is also common at discotheques, self-service bars or public events.
- Cigarettesare easily available in most kiosks, supermarkets and newsagents. Cigarette machines are often dotted around towns and cities (be aware you will need an EU driving licence or a debit card with an electronic chip to "unlock" the machine). As of July 2009, a pack of 17 costs around €4.20 and a pack of 24 costs around €5.70. The legal age to smoke in Germany is 18. Many Germans buy paper and tobacco separately as this is cheaper.
[edit]Opening hours
Due to a federal reform, opening hours are set by the states, therefore opening hours vary from state to state. Some states likeBerlin,HamburgandSchleswig-Holsteinhave no more strict opening hours from Monday to Saturday (however, you will rarely find 24 hours shops other than at petrol stations). Sunday and national holidays (including some obscure ones) is normally closed for shops everywhere in Germany, including pharmacies. However single pharmacies remain open for emergencies. Information can be obtained here[62]. Shops are allowed to open on Sundays on special occasions called "Verkaufsoffener Sonntag", information on open Sundays may be found here[63].
As a rule of thumb:
- Supermarkets: 8 or 9AM – 8PM
- big supermarkets 8AM - 10PM
- Shopping centers and great department stores: 10AM - 8PM
- Department stores in small cities: 10AM - 7PM
- Small and middle shops: 9 or 10AM – 6.30PM (in big cities sometimes to 8PM)
- Petrol stations: in cities and along the "Autobahn" usually 24h a day
- Restaurants: 11.30AM – 11 or 12AM(midnight), sometimes longer, many closed during afternoon
Small shops are often closed from 1 to 3PMIf necessary in many big cities you will find a few (sometimes more expensive) supermarkets with longer opening hours (often near the main station). Bakeries usually offer service on Sunday mornings (business hours vary) as well. Also most petrol stations have a small shopping area.
In some parts of Germany (likeBerlin,Cologne,Düsseldorfand theRuhr area) there are cornershops called "Kiosk", "Trinkhalle" (drinking hall) or "Büdchen" (little hut) that offer newspapers, drinks and at least basic food supplies. These shops are often run by Arab or Turkish immigrants and are, depending on the area, open till late night.
Basic supplies can usually be bought around the clock at gas stations. Gas station owners work around opening hour restrictions by running 7-Eleven style mini marts on their gas station property. Be aware that prices are usually quite high. Another exception to this law are supermarkets located in touristy areas. Towns designated as a Kurort (health resort) are allowed to have their stores open all week during tourist season. Just ask a local for those well-kept secret stores.
German food usually sticks to its roots and a typical dish will consist of meat with some form of potatoes and gravy, accompanied by vegetables or salad. The modern German cuisine has been influenced by other European countries such asItalyandFranceto become a bit lighter. Dishes show a great local diversity and it might be interesting to discover those. Since most bigger employers have a canteen for their employees, you will find few sandwich shops and takeaways and eating out culture in Germany is dominated by the Gasthaus/Gasthof and Restaurants to have proper food. Putting places to eat in 6 categories gives you a hint about the budget/taste. Starting from the lower end, these are:
'Schnellimbiss' means quick snack, and is what you will see on the sign of German stalls and small shops that sell primarily sausage (Wurst) and fries (Pommes Frites). Sausages will include Bratwurst, which is fried and usually a boiled pork sausage. A very German variant is Currywurst: sausage chopped up and covered in spiced ketchup, dusted with curry powder. Beer and often harder liquor are available in most.
'Döner Kebab' is Turkish lamb or chicken stuffed into bread, similar to Greek Gyros and Arab Schawarma. Even though considered Turkish, it's actually a speciality which originated in Germany. According to its legend, it was invented by Turkish immigrants in West-Berlin during the 1970s. In fact, the 'Döner' is Germany's most beloved fast food. The sales numbers of 'Döner' exceed those of McDonald's and Burger King products by far.
Nevertheless, fast food giants like McDonald's, Burger King and Pizza Hut are in most towns. Nordsee is a German seafood chain, they offer 'Rollmops' - soussed herrings - and many other fish and seafood snacks. However, many independent seafood snack-bars (most common along the German shores) offer slightly better and slightly cheaper seafood.
[edit]Bakeries and butchers
Germans have no tradition for sandwich shops but you will find that bakeries / butchers sell quite nice take away food and are serious competition for the fast food chains. Even the smallest bakeries will sell many sorts of bread or rolls, most of them darker (for example, using wholemeal or more rye flour) than the white bread popular around the world and definitely worth a try. Even if they don't already have it prepared, almost all butchers will prepare a sandwich for you if you ask. Some butchers even prepare meals for you. This butcher 'imbiss' is mainly popular in southern Germany, and the quality and freshness of food is usually high.
[edit]Biergarten
Here you will get the obvious drink. In traditional beergardens inBavariait is possible to bring your own food if you buy drinks. Most places will cater simple meals. A very good place for beer and bavarian food is the Biergarten of "Kloster Andechs" close to the Ammersee (round 40km south of Munich).
[edit]Brauhaus
Microbreweries sell their products straight to the customer and sometimes you will find some nice food there as well.
[edit]Gasthof/Gasthaus
Probably 50% of all eating out places fall into this group. They are mainly family-run businesses that have been owned for generations comparable to taverns/pubs in the UK. You can go there simply for a drink, or to try German food (often with a local flavor). Food quality differs significantly from place to place but the staff will usually give you an indication of the standard; regulations require restaurant owners to indicate certain possibly harmful ingredients (e.g. glutamates/MSG) by footnotes - a menu containing lots of such footnotes usually indicates low quality; if a cheap "Gasthaus" / restaurant is overcrowded with Germans or Asians, this indicates at least sufficient quality (unless the crowd is caused by an organized coach excursion).
[edit]Restaurant
Germany has a wide range of flavors (e.g. German, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Polish, Indian, Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, Turkish) and almost all styles of the world are represented.
Turkish cuisine in Germany ranges from simple "Döner" shops to mostly family-run restaurants offering a wide variation of usually very cheap (in relation to German price levels) Turkish home cooking.
You will rarely find restaurants catering for special needs within Germany (e.g. kosher restaurants are common only in cities with a notable Jewish population like Berlin), although most restaurants will prepare special meals or variants for you if they are neither relying on convenience foods only nor too fancy. Most restaurants have at least some vegetarian meals. For muslims it is recommended to stick to Turkish/Arabic restaurants. At some Turkish or Arab food stalls vegetarians might find falafel and baba ganoush to suit their tastes. For not-so-strict Jews the halal Turkish food stalls are also the best option for meat dishes.
In most restaurants in Germany you can choose your own table. You can make reservations (recommended for larger groups and haute cuisine on Saturday nights) and these are marked by reservation cards ("Reserviert"). In expensive restaurants in larger cities you will be expected to make reservations and will be seated by the staff (who will not allow you to choose your table).
Restaurants in commercial areas often offer weekday lunch specials. These are cheap (starting at €5, sometimes including a beverage) options and a good way to sample local food. Specials tend to rotate on a daily or weekly basis, especially when fresh ingredients like fish are involved.
[edit]Table manners
Atveryformal events and in high-end restaurants, a few deviations of German customs from western standards should be noted:
- It is considered bad manners to eat with your elbows resting on the table. Keep only your wrists on the table.
- When moving the fork to your mouth, the curved end should point upwards (not downwards as in Great Britain)
- When eating soup or other food from your spoon, hold it with the tip towards your mouth (not parallel to your lips as in, again, Great Britain). Spoons used to stir beverages, e.g. coffee, should not be put in the mouth at all.
- If you have to leave the table, it is fine to put your napkin (which should have rested, folded once along the center, on your lap until then) on the table, to the left of your plate, in an elegant little pile -- unless it looks really dirty, in which case you might want to leave it on your chair.
[edit]Typical dishes
Hearty
Bavarianfood on a fancy plate. Left to right:
Schnitzel, pork belly (
Schweinebauch) with red cabbage (
Rotkohl),
Weißwurstwith mashed potatoes (
Kartoffelpüree),
Bratwurston sauerkraut
Rinderroulademit Rotkraut und Knödeln: this dish is quite unique to Germany. Very thin sliced beef rolled around a piece of bacon and pickled cucumber until it looks like a mini barrel (5cm diameter) flavoured with tiny pieces of onion, German mustard, ground black pepper and salt. The meat is quick-fried and is then left to cook slowly for an hour, meanwhile red cabbage and potato dumplings are prepared and then the meat is removed from the frying pan and gravy is prepared in the frying pan. Knödel, Rotkraut and Rouladen are served together with the gravy in one dish.
Schnitzelmit Pommes frites: there are probably as many different variations of Schnitzel as there are restaurants in Germany. They have in common a thin slice of pork often covered in egg and bread crumbs that is fried for a short period of time and it is often served with fries (that's thePommes fritespart). Variations of this are usually served with different types of gravy: such as Zigeunerschnitzel, Zwiebelschnitzel, Holzfäller Schnitzel and Wiener Schnitzel (as the name suggests, an Austrian dish – the genuine article must be veal instead of pork, which is why most restaurants offer aSchnitzel Wiener Art, orViennese-style schnitzelwhich is allowed to be pork). In the south you can often get Spätzle (pasta thatSwabiais famous for) instead of fries with it. Spätzle are egg noodles typical of south Germany – most restaurants make them fresh. It is very common to find Schnitzel on the menu of a German restaurant, it might even be the most common dish in German restaurants.
Rehrückenmit Spätzle: Germany has maintained huge forests such as the famous Black Forest, Bayrischer Wald and Odenwald. In and around these areas you can enjoy the best game in Germany. Rehrücken means venison tenderloin and it is often served with freshly made noodles such as Spätzle and a very nice gravy based on a dry red wine.
Wurst“sausage”: there is no country in the world with a greater variety of sausages than Germany and it would take a while to mention them all. “Bratwurst“ is fried, other varieties such as the Bavarian “Weißwurst“ are boiled. Here is the shortlist version: “Rote” beef sausage, “Frankfurter Wurst” boiled pork sausage made in the Frankfurt style, “Pfälzer Bratwurst” sausage made in Palatine style , “Nürnberger Bratwurst” Nuremberg sausage – the smallest of all of them, but a serious contender for the best tasting German sausage, “grobe Bratwurst”, Landjäger, Thüringer Bratwurst, Currywurst, Weißwurst ... this could go on till tomorrow. If you spot a sausage on a menu this is often a good (and sometimes the only) choice. Often served with mashed potato, fries or potato salad.
Koenigsberger Klopse: Literally "meatballs from Koenigsberg", this is a typical dish in and around Berlin. The meatballs are made out of minced pork and are cooked and served in a white sauce with capers and rice or potatoes.
Matjesbrötchen: Soussed herring or "roll mops" in a bread roll, typical street snack.
[edit]Local specialities
Starting from the north of Germany going south you will find a tremendous variety of food and each region sticks to it origins.The coastal regions are fond of seafood and famous dishes include “Finkenwerder Scholle”, going south to the region of Cologne you will find Sauerbraten (a roast marinated in vinegar), if made really traditionally it's from horse meat.
Labskaus(although strictly speaking not a German invention) is a dish from the north and the opinions about this dish are divided, some love it, others hate it. It is a mash of potato, beetroot juice and cured meat decorated with rollmops and/or young herring and/or a fried egg and/or sour cucumber and/or beetroot slices on top. The north is also famous for itslamb dishes, the best type of lamb probably being "Rudenlamm" (lamb from Ruden, a small island in the Baltic Sea; only a few restaurants in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania serve this), the second best type being "Salzwiesenlamm" (salt meadow lamb). The Lueneburger Heide (Lueneburg Heath) is famous not only for its heath but also for its Heidschnucken, a special breed of sheep. Be aware that a lot of restaurants import their lamb from New Zealand though because it is cheaper. Crabs and mussels are also quite common along the German coasts, especially in North Frisia.
A specialty of Hamburg is "Aalsuppe" which - despite the name (in this case "Aal" means "everything", not "eel") - originally contained almost everything -except eel(today many restaurants include eel within this soup, because the name led tourists into confusion). At the coast there's a variety of fish dishes. Beware: if a restaurant offers "Edelfischplatte", the fish may be not fresh and even (this is quite ironical) of poor quality. Therefore,it is strongly recommended that, for eating fish, you visit specialised(or quality)restaurants only. A fast-food style restaurant chain serving quality fish and other seafood at low prices all over Germany is "Nordsee", though you will rarely find authentic specialties there.
Pfälzer Saumagen: known for a long time in Palatinate, but difficult to find outside of this area. The dish became well known to the general public in Germany as then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s favorite dish, especially when this was enjoyed by him and the Russian president Mikhail Gorbatchev on a State visit in Germany inDeidesheim. Pictures of the feast are shown in the restaurant “ Deidesheimer Hof” in Deidesheim. Literally this is pig stomach filled with a mash of potato and meat, cooked for 2-3 hours and then cut in thick slices often served with sauerkraut.
Swabia is famous for Spätzle (a kind of noodle), "Maultaschen" (noodles stuffed with spinach and mince meat, but lots of variations, even veggie ones, exist).
In Bavaria this may be Schweinshaxe mit Knödeln (pork's leg with knödel, a form of potato dumplings), "Leberkäs/Fleischkäse mit Kartoffelsalat" (kind of meat pie and potato salad), "Nürnberger Bratwurst" (probably smallest sausage in Germany), Weißwurst (white sausages) and "Obatzda" (a spicy mix of several milk products).
The south is also famous for its nice tarts such as the "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte" (tart with lots of cream and spirit made from cherries).
A delicacy in Saxony isEierschecke, a cake made of eggs and cream similar to cheese cake.
A specialty of the East is "Soljanka" (originating from Ukraine, but probably the most common dish in the GDR), a sour soup containing vegetables and usually some kind of meat or sausages.
[edit]Seasonal specialities
White “Spargel” (asparagus) floods the restaurants in April/June all over Germany and it is delicious especially in and around Baden-Baden and the small town of Schwetzingen ("The Spargel Capital"), near Heidelberg, in an area north and north-east of Hannover (Lower Saxon Asparagus Route"), as well as in the area southwest of Berlin, especially in the town Beelitz and along the Lower Rhine, especially "Walbecker Spargel" (Walbeck is a suburb of Geldern). Many vegetables can be found all around the year and the are often imported from far away. Whereas asparagus can be found only for 2 months from mid April to mid June and is best enjoyed freshly after harvest it stays nice for a couple of hours or till next day. The asparagus is treated very carefully and it is harvested before it ever is exposed to daylight and only then it remains white. When exposed to daylight it changes its color to a green and it might taste bitter. Therefore, white asparagus is considered to be better by most Germans.
The standard Spargel meal is the spargel stalks, hollandaise sauce, boiled potatoes, and some form of meat. The most common meat is ham, smoked preferred; however you will find it teamed with schnitzel (fried breaded pork), turkey, beef, or whatever is available in the kitchen.
White asparagus soup: one of the hundreds of different recipes that can be found with white asparagus is soup. Often it is made with cream and has some of the thinner asparagus pieces.
Lebkuchen: Germany has many nice Christmas biscuits and gingerbread. The best known are produced in and aroundNuremberg.
Stollenis a kind of plaited bun during the Advent season and yuletide. Original Stollen is produced only inDresden,Saxony, however you can buy Stollen everywhere in Germany (although Dresdner Stollen is reputed to be the best (and - due to the low salaries in Eastern Germany - comparatively cheap)).
Around St. Martin's day, roasted ducks and geese ("Martinsgans") are quite common in German restaurants, usually served with "Rotkraut" (red cabbage) and "Knödeln" (potato dumplings).
[edit]Miscellaneous
Germans are very fond of theirbread, which they make in many variations. This is the food that Germans tend to miss most when away from home. Most people like their bread relatively dark and dense and scorn the soft loaves sold in other countries. Bakeries will rarely provide less than twenty different sorts of bread and it's worth trying a few of them. In fact, many Germans buy their lunch or small snacks in bakeries instead of takeaways or the like. Prices for a loaf of bread will range from 0.50 € to 4 €, depending on the size (real specialties might cost more).
[edit]Vegetarian
Most restaurants have one or two vegetarian dishes, but there aren't many places which are particularly aimed at vegetarian or vegan customers, except some places in big cities like Berlin. If the menu does not contain vegetarian dishes, do not hesitate to ask for.Vegetarian restaurant guides can be found at[64](german) or[65](VEBU restaurant list, the restaurants are not necessarily vegetarian in general). Be aware when ordering to ask whether the dish is suitable for vegetarians, as chicken stock and bacon cubes are a commonly "undeclared" ingredient on German menues.
However, there are usually organic food shops ("Bioladen", "Naturkostladen" or "Reformhaus") in every city, providing veg(etari)an bread, breadspreads, cheese, icecream, vegan cream topping, tofu and seitan. The diversity and quality of the products is great and you will find shop assistants that can answer special nutritional questions profoundly.
[edit]Allergy & Celiac Sufferers
When shopping for foods, the package labeling in Germany is generally reliable. All food products must be properly labeled including additives and preservatives. Be on the look out for "Weizen" (wheat), "Mehl" (flour) or "Malz" (malt) and "Stärke" (starch). Be extra cautious for foods with "Geschmacksverstärker" (i.e. flavour enhancers) that may have gluten as ingredients.
- Reformhaus[66]- a 3.000 strong network of health food stores in Germany and Austria that has dedicated gluten-free sections stocked with pasta, breads and treats. Reformhaus stores are usually found in the lower level of shopping centres (i.e. PotsdamerArkaden, etc.)
- DM Stores[67]- the CWS/Shopper's Drug Mart equivalent in Germany has dedicated wheat and gluten free sections
- Alnatura[68]- natural foods store with a large dedicated gluten-free section
[edit]Smoking
The German federal-states started banning smoking in public places and areas in early 2007, however the laws vary from state to state. Smoking is generally banned in all restaurants and cafes. Some places may provide separate smoking areas but it is best to esquire when booking. A loophole in these laws allows clubs and bars to advertise as a "Raucherclub" or "smoker's club", and therefore allow patrons to smoke, though sometimes charging an entrance fee. These establishments are often smoke-filled and extremely unpleasant. Savvy travelers ought to avoid them. Otherwise smokers should be prepared to step outside if they still want to light up. Smoking is banned on all forms of public transport including on railway platforms (except in designated smoking areas, which are clearly marked with the word "Raucherbereich" [smoking area]). The laws are strictly enforced.
Legal drinking age is 18 for spirits (drinks containing distilled alcohol) and 16 for everything else (e.g. beer and wine).
For centuries, beer-making in Bavaria has been governed by theReinheitsgebot(purity law) that was made national policy with the unification of Germany in 1871, which states that German beer may be made only from hops, malt, yeast and water. The Reinheitsgebot has come down with the European integration, but German breweries still have to stick to it since for them, national law applies.
The domestic beer market is not dominated by one or a only a few big breweries. Even though there are some big players, the regional diversity is enormous, and there are over 1200 breweries with most of them serving only local markets. Usually bars and restaurants serve the local varieties that differ from town to town. When sitting in a GermanKneipe, a local beer is always a option, and often the only option.
Specialities includeWeizenbier(or Weissbier in Bavaria), a refreshing top-fermented beer which is popular in the south,Alt, a kind of dark ale that is especially popular in and aroundDüsseldorf, andKölsch, a special beer brewed inCologne. "Pils", the German name for pilsner is a light-gold colored beer that is extremely popular in Germany. There are also seasonal beers, which are made only at different times of the year (such as Bockbier in winter and Maibock in May, both containing a greater quantity of alcohol, sometimes double that of a normal Vollbier). Beer is usually served in 200 or 300ml glasses (in the northern part) or 500ml in the South. In Biergartens in Bavaria, 500ml is a small beer ("Halbe") and a liter is normal ("Maß" pronounced "Mahss"). Except for in Irish pubs, pints or pitchers are uncommon. For Germans, a lot of foam is both a sign of freshness and quality; thus, beer is always served with a lot of head. (All glasses have