Germany’s best festivals take place in the summer, when the country’s temperate climate is most likely to cooperate. Well-stocked with grassy fields and car-free city centers, the country was practically designed for outdoor spectaculars.

Many of these events are devoted to the sound of music. Germany, after all, is the birthplace of great musicians like Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and, of course, Rudolf Schenker of The Scorpions. After the jump, check on the Zeitguide to Germany’s best summer music festivals by genre, including jazz, metal, goth, rock, and classical.

Rock

Rock am Ring & Rock im Park

June 1-3, 2012

Rock fans take over a racetrack (Rock am Ring) and a field (Rock im Park) in Nuremberg for three days of guitar solos and head nodding. With acts like Metallica, Linkin Park, Marilyn Mason, Soundgarden and Die Toten Hosen, tickets go fast. Three-day passes for the 2012 edition of Rock am Ring and Rock am Park are already gone.  (Day tickets will be available closer to the date.) Historic side note: Rock im Park takes places on the Zeppelinfeld, a massive field where Nazi rallies took place; it has been the site of heavy metal and rock concerts since the 1980s.

Goth

Wave-Gotik-Treffen

May 25-28, 2012

Bach’s birthplace stages one of the world’s most important goth gatherings.  Thousands (as many as 20,000) black-clad lovers of dreariness travel to the eastern German city of Leipzig to take part in the three-day shindig.  In addition to live goth music performances, the festival features academic lectures and museum tours. Venues include a church, a cemetery (of course), and a handful of the city’s art museums. The best part, however, are the outfits. The most creative goth get-ups integrate spider webs, gas masks, military-inspired helmets, white face paint, and leather bustiers.

Heavy Metal

Wacken Open Air (W:O:A)

August 2-4, 2012

The population of the bucolic northern German town of Wacken swells by more than 80,000 in early August, when the country’s largest heavy metal festival takes over one of its fields for a long weekend. What started out in the 1990s as a local festival has evolved into Europe’s premiere head-banging ho-down. This year, Amon Amarth, Cradle of Filth, Endstille and more than 70 other acts will rev up the sold-out crowd. Locals love it; the Wacken Firefighters band opens the festival every year with oomp-pah renditions of metal classics.

Jazz

ElbJazz Festival

May 25-36, 2012

The French aren’t the only Europeans who love jazz. Germany hosts nearly 100 jazz soirees each year. There is even a festival devoted to Dixieland.  Though only two days long, Hamburg’s Elbjazz Festival is the best of the bunch.  Ten stages set against the port city’s stunning Elbe river harbor host 50 acts. This year, the German-born jazz singer Helge Schneider is headlining.  But musicians hail from all parts of the world. Tickets for both days cost €64.

World

Africa Festival Würzburg

May 25-28, 2012

Rolling vineyards and the Main river form the backdrop of Europe’s largest Africa-themed festival. This music-heavy event established in 1989 spotlights different countries or genres each year. In 2012, it’s Senegal, Cape Verde, and reggae. Bob Marley’s Grammy-winning son, Stephen Marley, will perform.  Daytime open-air performances are free, but the nightly shows cost about €30. Special exhibits and lectures—not to mention late-night dance parties—round out the festivities.

Classical

Händel-Festspiele

May 31-June 10, 2012

Halle-an-der-Salle has feted the prolific composer George Frideric Handel, born in the eastern German city in 1685, since the 1920s.  The festival lineup pays tribute to the composer’s diverse masterpieces, which include operas, oratorios, and organ concerts. Notably, the festival has staged most of his 42 operas, some of which had never been performed.  Lectures, walking tours, and other special events fill the program. The music-making unfolds in a contemporary performance center built for the festival and a historic opera house.  Unfortunately, there is a reason why Halle calls itself the Handelstadt (“Handel City”). Other than an interesting architectural moment or two, Halle doesn’t have much else going for it—unless you’re a fan of slipshod GDR architecture.

Photo of Wacken Open Air by Kona E.

Every February, in the midst of Berlin’s icy winter doldrums, the city’s most prestigious cultural event sends another kind of shiver through its streets. The star-studded Berlinale Film Festival (www.berlinale.de, February 9-19) serves up a smorgasbord of  world premieres (10 this year) and lots of opportunities for celeb sightings. Established in 1951, shortly after Berlin was split into East and West, the festival is enmeshed in the city’s tumultuous history.

Today, industry and avant-garde types from all corners of the globe jet into Berlin for two weeks of frantic hobnobbing in and around Potsdamer Platz, and morning-to-night screenings throughout the city. (Here’s a list of the venues.) Their goal is to sell or buy the next sleeper hit at the European Film Market (closed to the general public)–or at private meetings on the sidelines.

To kick-start this wheeling and dealing, long-time Berlinale Film Festival director and local celebrity, the bespeckeled Deiter Kosslick, selects films that offer daring political themes that don’t shy away from controversial issues.  He also appeals to the more glamorous aspects of the industry by selecting films starring Hollywood A-listers like George Clooney, Kate Winslet, and Brangelina.

Unlike Berlin’s French (Cannes) and Italian (Venice) counterparts, the Berlinale doesn’t shun the average movie-goer. Though there are plenty of events and screenings that are off limits to non-industry festivel-goers, the public is free to attend most Berlinale screenings–as long as they shell out between 8-12€ for a ticket.

Will you be there? The Zeitguide to the Berlinale Film Festival tells you everything you need to know about ticket-buying, star-gazing and eating between screenings.

The Films

This year’s films are organized among 11 sections: Competition, Berlinale Shorts, Panorama, Forum, Generation, Perspektive Deutsches (German) Kino, Berlinale Special, Retrospective, Homage, and Culinary Cinema. The Competition section is the biggest draw, but the Panorama section also offers a particularly interesting selection of films with its 34 films (shorts and feature length) from 33 countries.

The Stars

The Berlinale never fails to draw big names. The star-studded international jury, the group of professionals who determines the winner of the Golden Bear for best film (among other prizes), always guarantees big names. This year’s jury includes the actor Jake Gyllenhaal, the director Mike Leigh, the actress Charlotte Gainsbourg and the director François Ozon. Meryl Streep will also be in town to receive an honorary Golden Bear award.

Other big names expected to attend include Angelina Jolie (In the Land of Blood and Honey) and her ex-husband Billy Bob Thorton (Jayne Mansfield’s Car), both of whom helmed films in the line up. Actors Christian Bale (The Flowers of War), Diane Kruger (Farewell my Queen), Isabelle Huppert (Captive), Tom Hanks (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) and Robert Pattinson (Bel Ami) will also likely make appearances to support their films.  Keanu Reeves will attend the festival to promote Side By Side.

Potsdamer Arkade. Photo by: comzeradd

The Tickets

Scoring tickets (8-12€) to Berlinale screenings requires some strategy. Here are the basics.

• Ticket sales start online and at the three main ticket counters on February 6 at 10 a.m.
• Online tickets must be purchased with a credit card. The processing fee is 1.50€.  You have to pick them up well ahead of time at the Potsdamer Arkaden ticket counter. There is almost always a line, so don’t wait until the last minute to pick them up.
• If you buy the tickets at three official ticket counters, bring cash with you. They don’t accept credit cards–only EC cards.
• You can buy tickets for Competition films four days in advance. For films in all other sections, you only have a three-day lead time.
• Sometimes same-day tickets are available as late as half an hour before a screening. They are 50% off.

Confused yet? Don’t worry! If you scan these rules and follow the tips below, you’ll be sure to catch a screening or ten.

Plan ahead

Tickets to the feature films go quickly. If you want to make it to one of this year’s 15 Competition films, buy your tickets as soon as possible. Save time (but not money) by purchasing the tickets online. Otherwise, you risk waiting in line to buy tickets to a sold-out film.

Know your competition

Local moviegoers, who make up the bulk of the audience, tend to prefer films from the U.S., Germany and the rest of Western Europe. So it’s easier to score tickets to films without big names from obscure countries. Tickets to films with after-work show times are the first to go—the last to go are morning or mid-afternoon showings.

Pay attention to the venue

Festival films unspool in 14 venues throughout the city. Go for films at bigger venues to increase your chances of securing a seat. The single-screen Friedrichstadt-Palast, with its more than 1,700 seats, is a good pick. Films in the Competition, Panorama Special and Berlinale Special Gala sections will be shown there.

The Food

Eating during a film is a bit of no-no at the Berlinale. These films, after all, aren’t meant to be entertainment but art. If you want to fit in with the film crowd, grab a bite before or after the screening. Unfortunately, Berlinale central, Potsdamer Platz, offers a particularly unappealing mix of food court stands, chain restaurants (Dunkin’ Donuts and Tony Roma’s), and expensive high-end eateries. Here’s a rundown of the most decent restaurants, cafes and bars in the area.

Quick and cheap

The best option for a quick meal is the food court in the basement of the Potsdamer Arkaden.  It’s home to sushi, pizza, sausage and other decent fare. Other speedy options include the cafeteria-style Vapiano, which serves above-average pizza, pasta and salads, and the health-focused Weilands Wellfood. The tricky-to-find Sushi Express in the underground walkway connecting the Sony Center to the S-bahn station serves up inexpensive and tasty rolls and nigiri.

Splashing out

Eat like an A-lister at Facil in the Mandala Hotel. The six-course tasting menu features fanciful creations by chef Michael Kempf. A short taxi ride away from Potsdammer Platz, Tim Raue’s eponymous restaurant is the city’s latest hotspot.  It recently won a Michelin star for its adventurous Asian-meets-German dishes. Back on Potsdamer Platz, the more casual Brasserie Desbrosses in the Ritz-Carlton serves traditional French fare–and fantastic french fries.

Chin-Chin

Nightlife options in Potsdamer Platz are seriously lacking, so don’t expect more than a drink and conversation.  Dip into Le Bar in the Maritim Hotel for award-winning cocktails. Or grab a house-brewed beer at the touristy Lindenbräu. (The beer with a shot of banana juice–Bananen-Weiße–is better than you think.)

Coffee klatsch

If you want to discuss the film over an afternoon coffee, head to the marble-bedecked Restaurant Gropius, the café-restaurant in the Martin-Gropius Bau or the second-floor cafeteria in the Gemaldegalerie.

Killing Time Between Screenings

For a run-down of what to see and do, shell out a mere $2.99 for Zeitguide Berlin & Brandenburg. Download it instantly for in-depth and insidery coverage of pretty much everything to see and do in Berlin.

Photo: Resident on Earth.

Berlin’s Top Five Tourist Traps

Currywurst Museum

Sorry Wallpaper magazine. We know you named this museum one of Germany’s Fab 40. But we think that the information conveyed in the exhibits is as empty as the calories in the street food it chronicles. A visit to one of the city’s famed Currywurst slingers—Konnopke’s Imbiß or Curry36—should sufficiently quench any curiosity you have about this cult-like snack.

East Side Gallery

This 1.3-kilometer stretch of the original Berlin Wall adorned with paintings by more than 100 artists was an exciting symbol of the fall of the Wall. But the paintings, which had fallen victim to the weather and graffiti, were recently restored or re-painted.  In the process, the magic of this open-air gallery was somehow lost.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

You’re really going to pay money to see lifeless figurines of German celebrities that you have never heard of (except for maybe Heidi Klum)?

Museum the Kennedys

This museum offers an extensive collection of Kennedy memorabilia, documents, and photographs. But few of these have anything to do with Berlin—only a handful of exhibits hail from the president’s trip to the city. You’re better off (time- and money-wise) visiting the Rathaus Schöneberg (City Hall) where the popular president delivered his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech.

Deutsche Guggenheim Museum Berlin

Don’t be seduced by the famous name. This small space run by the famous art empire is devoted to obscure contemporary artists that rarely merit the entry fee.

Berlin’s Top Five Guilty Pleasures

Alexanderturm

Why pay to go to the top of Berlin’s famously ugly Berliner Fernsehturm (television tower) when you can see the architectural monstrosity from all corners of the city, anyway? Because the view of sprawling Berlin from the top is fantastic and the rotating restaurant is retro (without trying).

Check Point Charlie

We want to be cynical and scoff at the ‘Disneyfication’ of this historic gateway between East and West Berlin. We know it’s cheesy that they replaced the original Checkpoint with a tacky replica. But the weight of the events that took place at this corner of the city still hangs heavy in the air and captures our imagination—despite the proliferation of souvenir shops and the tour bus crowds.

Nikolaivertel

This network of “medieval” streets that the East German government built in the 1960s is undeniably hokey. But its quiet, cobblestone lanes and the pleasant museums make it worth an hour or two.  We don’t even object to Zur Letzten Instanz, the very touristy but tasty restaurant that claims to be the city’s oldest.

Spree Rundfahrt

In the summertime, the Spree river is chock full of tour boats manned by taped or live guides that bark heavily scripted factoids about Berlin at its occupants. But these tours provide a glimpse of the city that landlubbers miss. You’ll appreciate a boat tour even more if you save it for that hour of the day when your dogs are barking.

KaDaWe

The Kaufhaus des Westens is Europe’s biggest department store. Always crowded and confusing to navigate, it doesn’t offer many items that you can’t find in the U.S. (Thanks, globalization.) But the expansive food hall and the opportunity to browse thousands of items always draws us back—especially when the weather is lousy.

For more information about these sights, buy Berlin & Brandenburg here. It’s only $2.99!

Photo by Loozrboy.

The biggest and most-visited markets are in Nuremberg (famed for its Lebkuchen, spiced cake, and Nürnberger Rostbratwürste, or small sausages) and Dresden (known for its Stollen, a bread-shaped cake). Munich, Berlin and Hamburg also host well-trodden markets. With their parades, ice-skating rinks and other festive bells and whistles, these big city markets are often packed tight. (Like U.S. shopping malls during the holiday season, they are best visited on a weekday—not the weekend or after work.)

Avoid the Christmas market sardine effect altogether by heading to one of the smaller, cozier markets highlighted after the jump.

Niedersachen

The sleepy state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) is an under-the-radar Christmas market haven.  Studded with little towns and villages, this bucolic state is well known for its smattering of half-timber houses, many of which date back to medieval times. Most of the markets in this region are like its towns–klein aber fein (small but nice). Spread out in front of its medieval and baroque Rathaus (City Hall), the market in Lüneburg is the coziest, but Celle, Braunschweig and Göttingen also host adorable markets. For more information, see Dresden & Greater Saxony.

Mosel River Valley

Bypass the crowded Rhine river valley Christmas markets and head to the Mosel region instead. Best known for its Riesling wines, this corner of Germany also specializes in quaint Christmas markets. Magnificent Roman-era ruins form the backdrop to the regal Christmas market in Trier.  Browse for hand-crafted gifts at the market’s 95 stalls or listen to nightly choir performances. The smaller, but no less picturesque market in the river-side town of Cochem is well-known for its locally-crafted Glühwein (hot, spiced wine). For more information, see Rhineland Palatinate & Saarland.

Erzgebirge

If Santa Claus lived in Germany, he’d settle in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains). The towns and villages that stud this mountain range in Saxony are famous for Holzkunst (hand-carved wooden ornaments)—from Räuchermanner (incense burners) to multi-tiered Weihnachtspyramide (windmill pyramids), so it only makes sense that the region’s Christmas markets are among the country’s most magical. The Christmas market in the region’s largest town, Annaberg-Buchholz, revolves around a miner’s parade that pays tribute to the region’s silver mining past, but it is the smaller market in Seiffen, famous for its Holzkunst, that most resembles a winter wonderland.

Photo by Dimitry B.

From Prestige Projects to Plattenbauten

In the 1950s, after the GDR was founded, a construction boom transformed the country’s cities into modern metropolises. Buildings and squares inspired by the Stalinist (neoclassical) architectural style emerged from World War II rubble, symbolizing the country’s ‘brand-newness’ and emphasizing its sharp contrast with ‘old’ West Germany.  During this time, the Communist Party propaganda machine used construction (and labor) as a metaphor for the emergence of a new country with a radically new economic and social system. East German films of the time, including the excellent Spur der Steine (Traces of Stone, available on Netflix), emphasized these themes. Likewise public artwork including murals and statues in the preferred Eastern bloc style—Socialist Realist—glorified the common worker with bold images of triumphant farmers, factory workers, and builders. It is easy to imagine that these images of re-building and starting afresh must have been inspiring to everyday East Germans still living among World War II destruction.

One of the first GDR cities to get a facelift was East Berlin. The Communist party’s lead architect, Hermann Henselmann, transformed the east-west thoroughfare of Karl Marx Allee, which was soon renamed Stalinallee, into the Champs-Élysées of the East. Since this was the part of East Berlin that westerners—and tourists—would see, the East German government wanted to make it a shining example of the country’s modernity. Thousands of workers were hired to widen the avenue and then line it with creamy white, Stalinist apartment buildings—hewn in the so-called Wedding Cake style—as well as movie theaters, stores and restaurants. Fast-forward to today, and the avenue still exudes a decadent if decaying air.

But as East Germany’s economy slowed, so, too did its building boom. Low production costs trumped prestige projects and the era of Plattenbauten emerged. These pre-fabricated, cookie-cutter apartment buildings were cheap to produce and easy to assemble. Their primary purpose–most of which were apartment buildings built in the outskirts of historic city centers–was to replace buildings destroyed in the war and deliver the GDR promise of housing for all. Indeed, each high-rise had (and still has) the capacity to house hundreds of families in cramped quarters.

East German designers also provided a set of mass-produced furniture that made the best use of these cramped accommodations. One such piece of furniture was the Multifunktionstisch (multi-functional table), Mulfuti for short, a folding table that could be raised and folded to become a coffee table and a dining room table. (Visit the website of the popular film Sonnennalle and click on “Mufuti” in the top right corner to see the table.) Dishes, tea sets and other everyday products were likewise mass-produced. You can find these iconic, in-demand objects in eastern Germany’s flea markets.

Historic Preservation in the GDR

In addition to building new structures, GDR architects were also charged with the task of rebuilding and restoring historic landmarks throughout East Germany that had been damaged during World War II. In some cases, the GDR razed historic monuments to make room for new, modern buildings. For examples, dozens of churches fell victim to GDR bulldozers. (Ideology also played a part in their destruction.) The loss of Leipzig’s Universitätskirche (University Church) was a particularly painful episode that continues to inspire controversy among Leipzigers (see Dresden & Greater Saxony).  The government didn’t destroy historic structures, however. Officials, aware of the prestige–and tourism—tied to their historic cities, preserved dozens of landmarks, including baroque buildings in Dresden (see Dresden & Greater Saxony), neoclassical palaces in Weimar (See Frankfurt am Main, Hesse & Thuringia) and historic university buildings in Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, where religious leader Martin Luther lived (see Dresden & Greater Saxony).

The GDR government preserved Quendlinburg's halftimbers. Photo by Susan Buzzelli.

In many cases, mostly due to lack of funds, GDR architects left the historically-significant centers of smaller, less economically important towns alone. For this reason, Quedlinburg, a sleepy backwater on the Bode river, in the Harz Mountains (see Dresden & Greater Saxony) retained its priceless ensemble of untouched Fachwerkhäuser (half-timber houses), some of which were even restored during the GDR by Polish experts. There is only one GDR-era building in the historic center, and it was designed to blend in with its historic surroundings. Indeed, GDR architecture wasn’t all modern and there are dozens of GDR-era buildings that mimic historic styles to prove it. The port city of Rostock (see Baltic Sea Coast), where red brick East German buildings blend in with Steingotik (gothic red brick) gems is just one of many examples.

Traces of the East Today

East German architecture still defines eastern German cityscapes today. The easiest-to-find and most prevalent structures are the Plattenbauten that ring the historic centers of cities and towns like dominoes. Though many of these apartment buildings have been retrofitted with new facades to fit contemporary tastes, they continue to imbue the eastern half of the country with Communist architectural sensibilities. Wondering where else you can pick up traces of East German history? The following list points to the most prominent GDR architectural monuments–and products–throughout the country.

Alexanderturm & Alexanderplatz, Berlin

Almost as famous as the Brandenburg Gate, the soaring Fernsehturm (TV tower) that rises above massive Alexanderplatz is one of the only inner-city television towers in Europe. Designed to be an in-your-face demonstration of East German technology might, the tower projected state-run East German television stations into all of Berlin’s homes. Most East Berliners, however, preferred the television waves that they were able to pick up from the West. Other examples of GDR-era architecture rings and studs Alexanderplatz, including the World Time Clock, pictured above.

Rosa Luxembourg Theater, Berlin

The hulking, rotund theater in the heart of Berlin’s Mitte district, only steps away from Alexanderplatz, would have probably impressed the ancient Romans. Hewn from thick slabs of concrete, the massive theater announced to the world that the GDR had a vibrant cultural scene. Indeed, many of East Germany’s talented playwrights, including Heiner Müller and Völker Braun, debuted their widely-appreciated work at the still-running theater.

Trabants

One of the most famous East German designs is a tiny four-seater car with a two-stroke, two-cylinder engine that could hit a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour. Produced in a Zwickau factory, residents would wait up to 14 years for the opportunity to drive a flimsy plastic-lined Trabi. Today, you can take a Trabi Safari in Berlin or Dresden to experience, first hand, just how sub-par these iconic cars were.

Eisenhüttenstadt

Built from the ground up in the 1950s, this factory town was also designed to be a model workers’ community. A maze of Plattenbau apartment buildings–not to mention a massive, still-in-operation steel mill–the city is an open air display case of GDR architecture. With its steadily diminishing population, the city is closer to a museum than a living, breathing city.

Halle Neustadt

Like Eisenhüttenstadt, this massive, inner city jungle of high-rise Plattenbau apartment buildings along the western edge of Halle’s historic center was designed to serve as the ideal Communist community.  Buildings with between six and eleven floors–some without elevators–had close access to tram and S-bahn lines. Today, it is a graffiti-covered, half-abandoned testament of the impersonality of GDR architecture.

Ostprodukte

Spreewaldhof pickles, Persil laundry detergent, Rotkäppchen Sekt (sparkling wine) and a small handful of East German products have survived reunification. Accustomed to these everyday, household items, eastern German consumers ensured that they didn’t disappear into oblivion along with the Berlin Wall. You can find a wide variety of these products in the few remaining Ostprodukte (eastern product) shops, which are also referred to as Ossiladen (eastern shops). You can even order products online at Ostprodukte Versand.

Pure History
Invented in Persia and refined in Egypt, the art and craft of beer brewing had already made its way to Europe by the 1st century, when the tribes that occupied present-day Germany drank beer, in contrast to their wine-drinking contemporaries south of the Alps. Brewing eventually became the domain of monks, who perfected beer-making in the monasteries that studded the German countryside. They used only the purest ingredients–water and yeast, as well as hops, barley or wheat–to produce the beverage that was consumed on a daily basis instead of water, which was unsafe to drink.

Since the early 16^th century, beer-brewers have had to follow the strict Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Laws) that dictate that all beer brewed in German can only contain water, barely and hops. Since then, wheat and cane sugar has been added to the short list of acceptable ingredients. The goal of the original law was to forbid brewers from using questionable ingredients–from nettles to mushrooms–and to prevent battles between bakers and beer-brewers over limited supplies of wheat and rye; brewers, however, have been making wheat-based beer for centuries regardless of the rules. Some beer purists insist that only those beers that stick to the original, 1516 rules are true German beers. Though the Reinheitsgebot has been officially replaced by the Vorläufiges deutsches Biergesetz (Provisional German Beer Law), it still plays a central role in the country’s bier lore.  Every year on April 23, beer brewers celebrate Tag des Deutschen Bieres (German Beer Day)–the day the Reinheitsgebot became a law.

Ales vs. Lagers
Like beer around the world, German beer falls into two general categories–ale and lager–that are distinguished by their ingredients and the type of yeast used in the fermentation process. Ale is made from barely or wheat and top-fermenting yeast, which means that beer is fermented at higher temperatures and particles rise to the top of the beer.  The end result is a fruitier, cloudier and more filling beer. Examples include: Altbier (from Düsseldorf),  Berliner Weissbier (from Berlin),  Dunkelweizen, Gose (from the Harz Mountains),   Hefeweizen,  Kristalweizen, Kölsch (from Cologne) and  Weizenbock.  Some ales, including the wheat-based Hefeweizen, Kristalweizen or Weissbier  are served with a slice of lemon. Due to its clear, pale color, the barely-based Kölsch is one of the most distinctive and popular ales in Germany.

Lager, one the other hand, is brewed with hops and bottom-fermenting yeast that ferments at lower temperatures. After it is brewed it is stored (lagern means to store in German) and cooled, which allows some of the particles to clear. Examples of the crisper, lighter and sometimes more bitter beer include: Bock and  Doppelbock, Eisbock, Pilsener,  Helles, Rauchbier (particular to Bamberg) and Schwarzbier. The most popular beer in Germany is Pilsner, Pils for short and the most popular brand is Becks.

Bavarian Beer
Beer is produced in all corners of Germany, but Bavaria has the hundreds upon hundreds of brewers to prove that it is Germany’s beer capital. There are more than 600 breweries in the state, which means that more than half of all of the country’s some 1,200 breweries are located in Bavaria. Indeed, the state has had the Rheinheitsgebot, which is calls the  Bayerische Reinheitsgebot, on its books since the 15^th century–an entire century earlier than the rest of Germany. Of the 40 varieties brewed in Bavaria, the most popular are the wheat-based Weissbier and Hefeweizen and the lager Helles. Of the 4,000 different brands, the largest and most powerful labels include Augustiner Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner Brauerei, Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu  and Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München. Inter-brewery competition is fierce; whenever a new restaurant opens in Bavaria, the breweries aggressively campaign to convince the owner to serve their brand of beer. Events like Oktoberfest (September/October), Strong Beer Season (March), Bavarian Beer Week (April) and Christmas Festbier Season (Dec.) are all fun and games for participants, but they mean serious business to breweries, who depend on the sentence “Ein bier, bitte” (A beer, please)–or even better “Noch eine Runde (another round)–for their yearly profits.

Beer Varieties
Though Germans are sticklers about beer ingredients, they don’t mind mixing beer with other juices, colas or flavors. A classic mix, ideal for hot summer days is lemon-flavored cola mixed with a lager. In Munich and Bavaria, it’s called a Radler; in Hamburg and the north, it goes by Alsterwasser. Another old-fashioned mix is beer and cola; it is bottled under the Mezzo Mix label. Other varieties of bottled, mixed beer have become popular in the past couple of years as beer makers try to attract young, stylish drinkers who increasingly prefer Mojitos and Rioja to old-fashioned German beer. Becks leads the market with the lighter Beck’s Gold, Beck’s Ice (with lime and mint flavors), Beck’s Chilled Orange and Beck’s Green Lemon. The company also tries to cash in on the youth market with Beck’s Level 7, which has a caffeine extract.

Photo by: roger4336.

Shortly after World War II, the East German government tore down the Berliner Schloss (Berlin Palace), the domed, baroque edifice that the Hohenzollern clan built in the 15^th century as its base. In its place, the East Germans built a palace of their own: the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), a massive multipurpose government building sheathed in bronzed glass and concrete.

After Germany’s reunification, activists tried to save the historically significant but brutally ugly and asbestos-infested building from destruction. They lost their uphill battle, and Berlin started the long, drawn-out demolition of the controversial East German landmark in 2006.

In 2008, the same year that the Palast der Republik finally disappeared from the cityscape, Berlin held an international architecture competition to determine who would rebuild the Berliner Schloss in its original location.  The winner was the Italian architect Franco Stella. The choice of this non-Berliner was met with controversy and a lawsuit—but the city eventually rallied behind the new design and construction on the Humboldt Forum has begun.

The building, which integrates baroque and contemporary facades, will house an exhibition space for collections from the city’s Ethnology Museum, Asian Art Museum, Humboldt University, and central library.

Since the project won’t be completed until 2016, the city built the Humboldt Box to house information about (and build excitement for) the new construction. With its own exhibition space, the multi-story space with a lookout point and a restaurant is a destination in its own right.

But like the Berliner Schloss and the Palast der Republik that came before it, the Humboldt Box is only a temporary addition to Unter den Linden’s storied collection of architectural landmarks.

Major Holidays

January 1 – New Year’s Day

January 6 - Epiphany (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt)

March 21 - Good Friday

March 24 – Easter Monday

May 1 – Labor Day

May 1 – Ascension Day

May 12 – Whit Monday

May 22 – Corpus Christi (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland. In some parts of Saxony and Thuringia)

August 15 – Ascension of the Virgin May (Bavaria and Saarland)

October 3 – Day of German Unity

October 31 – Day of Reformation (Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia)

November 1 – All Saints Day (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland)

November 19 – Repentance Day (Saxony)

December 25 – Christmas Day

December 26 – Boxing Day

Have you ever spent a holiday in Germany? Comment on this post to share your experience.

Organization

Germany’s constitution, the Basic Law, was first enacted on May 23, 1949. It defines the roles of the  two leaders of the Berlin-based Bundesregierung (federal government, www.bundesregierung.de)–the Bundeskanzler (federal chancellor) and the Bundespräsident (federal president).  It also establishes the rules of the two legislative bodies, the Bundestag (federal parliament) and the Bundesrat (federal council), and the Bundesverfassungsgericht (federal constitutional court, www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de). The Basic Law also lists the rights of each German citizen. The document’s cornerstone is human dignity: One of its most important declarations is that “human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.”

Bundeskanzler & Bundespräsident

Modeled after Great Britain’s prime minister, the Bundeskanzler is the executive leader of the federal government. In addition to assigning cabinet ministers who overlook the country’s many agencies, which include ministries responsible for Foreign Affairs, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, and Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, the chancellor sets the country’s domestic and international agenda. Angela Merkel, who replaced Gerhard Schröder in 2006 to serve as the country’s first woman chancellor, has served two terms. The next election will take place in September or October of 2013.  The Bundespräsident, who serves a five-year term, is an official figurehead who works with the country’s foundations, hands out official prizes, and serves as a liaison between government bodies. Christian Wulff is the current president. While the Bundeskanzler works in the contemporary Bundeskanzleramt (Chancellor Building), the president works in the historic Schloss Belvedere (Belvedere Palace).

Bundestag & Bundesrat

The German government’s two legislative bodies, the Bundestag, which meets in the Reichstag, and the Bundesrat, which meets in an elegant Leipziger Strasse palace, are composed of elected officials. Not all representatives are directly elected by voters, however: Of the 598 representatives who make up the more powerful body, the Bundestag, only 299 officials are directly elected. The rest are named by their respective political parties, which include those groups that received at least five percent of the vote. The Bundestag elects the Bundeskanzler and helps the chosen chancellor to iron out policies and pass laws. If, at any time, the Bundestag no longer believes that the chancellor is a competent ruler, the body can call for a vote of confidence. Members of the Bundesrat represent each Land (federal state); depending on its population, each state gets between three and six representatives. The primary task of this body is to deliberate on and vote for new laws—especially those that impact state governments.

Bundesländer

Germany is divided into 16 Bundesländer (federal states), including three independent city-states: Baden-Württemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse (Hessen), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Mecklenburg Vorpommern (Mecklenburg–Lower Pomerania), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine–Westphalia), Rhineland Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Sachsen (Saxony), Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia. Like U.S. states, each Land has its own state capital, where the Ministerpräsident (state president) and state parliament work, and the power to set its own laws that govern education and schooling. In many cases, states act in their own interest when promoting trade and business abroad. For more information and links to each state’s website, visit the information-packed Das Deutschland Portal (Germany Portal, http://www.deutschland.de/)

Political Parties

The dozens of political parties that take part in Germany’s political system represent diverse—and sometimes offbeat—interests: the Deutsche Familienpartei (Family Party of Germany), Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz (Humanity, Environment and Animal Protection), and the Partei für Soziale Gleichheit (Social Equality Party) are among the many parties that champion special interests. Only six parties, however, dominate the country’s vibrant political scene: the center-right Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU, Christian Democratic Union) and its partner party, the Christlich Soziale Union (CSU, Christian Social Union); the center-left Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD, Social Democratic Party), the liberal economic Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP, Free Democratic Party), the environmentally minded Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), and the leftist Die Linke (The Left). It is very rare for one party to dominate the government; rather, power-sharing alliances and coalitions between or among parties share leadership. For example, all parties involved in the coalition get a share of federal cabinet posts. Currently, the CDU/CSU and FDP have a ruling agreement. In most cases, parties with extreme views, such as the far right Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD, National Democratic Party of Germany) and the far left Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands (Marx and Lenin Party, MLPD) play only a marginal role in the national government.

Your chance of fine weather increases in the sunny southwest (between the Rhineland Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg)—on average, the region is five degrees warmer and almost always sunnier than the rest of the country. Freiburg and Ludwigslust (in that order) are Germany’s warmest, sunniest cities, and the Rhine and Moselle river valleys have the grapevines, lemon trees, and fig trees to prove their gentler climes. In contrast, Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony, huddled in Germany’s northeast corner, tend to be chillier, foggier, and overcast. If you ascend the Alps, expect the temperatures to drop with the rise in altitude. Even in the dead heat of summer, it is brisk at the top of the Zugspitze. Don’t visit Hamburg, Lübeck, and other coastal cities without an umbrella and a rain jacket. Rain is so common that residents don’t bat an eyelash when it starts to drizzle—or pour. Winters in northern, coastal areas are warmer on average than in the south, where it snows earliest and heaviest. If you’re visiting a Christmas market and want to have a winter wonderland backdrop, head to the mountains: The Alps and Erzgebirge usually deliver wintertime snow.