Area: 357,021 sq km
Population: 82.43 million (2005)
Capital City: Berlin
People: Predominantly Caucasian, with a significant Turkish minority.
Germany has also absorbed many refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
Language: German
Religion: 34% Protestant, 34% Catholic, 4% Muslim, 28% unaffiliated
or other.
Visas: EU citizens can enter on an official identity card.
Americans, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Japanese just need a
valid passport (no visa). Unless you're a citizen of a developing country,
you can probably stay up to three months.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Dialling Code: 49
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
When to Go
Germany is a fine destination year-round, but most people visit between
May and September when sunny skies are most likely and much of life moves
outdoors. Beer gardens and cafes bustle at all hours; outdoor events and
festivals enliven cities and villages; and hiking, cycling and swimming are
popular pursuits – at least as long as the weather plays along. Remember
that rain is a possibility in any month. The flipside of summer travel is,
of course, larger crowds at museums and other attractions. Accommodation
needn't be hard to come by unless you're drawn to beach and mountain resorts
popular with German holiday-makers.The shoulder seasons (from March to
May and from October to early November) bring fewer tourists and often
surprisingly pleasant weather. In April and May, when flowers and fruit
trees are in bloom, it can be mild and sunny. Indian summers that stretch
well into autumn are not uncommon.
With the exception of winter sports, activities between November and
early March are likely to focus more on culture and city life. In these
months, skies tend to be gloomy and the mercury often drops below freezing.
On the plus side, there are fewer visitors and shorter queues (except in the
winter resorts). Just pack the right clothes and keep in mind that there are
only six to eight hours of daylight. In December the sun (if there is any)
sets around 3:30pm.
Events
Germans love to party, and kick up their heels at everything from pagan
harvest romps to black tie opera galas. The Winter Carnival (Fasching)
season occurs throughout Germany, with big cities such as Cologne (Köln),
Munich and Mainz erupting into commotion just before Ash Wednesday.
Germany's rich musical heritage is showcased in a plethora of festivals.
Some towns concentrate on a particular composer, such as the Thuringian Bach
Festival in March or the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth each July,
whereas others focus on a particular style. The jazz festivals in Stuttgart
(April) and Berlin (November) are lively and popular. Autumn is a great time
for harvest-inspired mayhem, especially in the Rhineland, where the Rhine in
Flames frolics feature barges laden with fireworks. Mention must be made of
Oktoberfest, Munich's annual lager frenzy, but it's a bit like being stuck
in a nightmarish soccer crowd and is more an example of tourism at its
lowest ebb than a display of German culture. Christmas fairs are embraced
wholeheartedly by German families; they occur in Munich, Nuremberg, Lübeck,
Berlin, Münster and Heidelberg, amongst other places. |
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