Facts for the Traveler
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.
Health risks: The cost of medical
care -
come with insurance
Time: GMT/UTC plus one hour (two
hours ahead
in summer)
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: 17 million visitors
per year
When to Go
The German climate is variable
so it's best
to be prepared for all types
of weather throughout
the year. That said, the most
reliable weather
is from May to October. This
coincides, naturally
enough, with the standard tourist
season
(except for skiing). The shoulder
periods
can bring fewer tourists and
surprisingly
pleasant weather. There is no
special rainy
season.
Events
From pagan harvest romps to black
tie opera
galas, Germans are keen to party.
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.
Most towns in Bavaria have festivals
devoted
to beer and they're much nicer
than Oktoberfest.
Christmas fairs are embraced
wholeheartedly
by German families, including
those in Munich,
Nuremberg, Lübeck, Berlin, Münster
and Heidelberg. |
