 | COVID-19 inligting:Amptelike COVID-19 inligting van die Duitse regering, insluitend toegangsbeperkings, kwarantynvereistes en ander reëls. |
| (Inligting laas op 26 April 2021 opgedateer) |
Duitsland (Duits: Deutschland), amptelik die Bondsrepubliek Duitsland (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is die grootste land in Sentraal-Europa. Duitsland is polities, ekonomies en kultureel invloedryk, en is die grootste Europese Unie lidstaat volgens bevolking en ekonomiese produksie. Regoor die wêreld bekend vir "Duitse ingenieurswese" sowel as wêreldwye toonaangewende bank- en versekeringsmaatskappye, word besoekers ewe bewonder vir sy ouwêreldse sjarme en Gemütlichkeit (geselligheid). Gooi enige persepsie van Duitsland as net homogeen weg, en daar wag 'n land met verrassende streeksdiversiteit.
Streke
Duitsland is 'n federale republiek wat bestaan uit 16 politiek-magtige state (genoem Bundesländer - verkort tot Lande) wat soms ooreenstem met historiese streke wat voorafgegaan het aan 'n verenigde Duitse staat, terwyl hulle soms heelwat verskillende volke in dieselfde toestand gooi, terwyl hulle hulle van hul soortgelyke familie oor staatslyne skei. Drie hiervan Bundesländer is eintlik stadstate: Berlyn, Bremen en Hamburg. Die state kan ongeveer gegroepeer word volgens geografie soos hieronder gelys, alhoewel daar ander groeperings is. Die kulturele verdeling tussen noord en suid was lank die belangrikste, maar vanweë die nalatenskap van die Koue Oorlog is die skeiding tussen oos en wes deesdae meer opvallend.
| Noord-Duitsland (Bremen, Hamburg, Nedersakse, Mecklenburg-Wes-Pommere, Sleeswyk-Holstein) Windverwaaide heuwels en die gewilde vakansiebestemmings aan die Noordsee en die Baltiese See |
| Wes-Duitsland (Noordryn-Wesfale, Rynland-Palts, Saarland) Wynland en moderne stede skerp gesny deur die asemrowende Midde-Ryn en Moselle valleie |
| Sentraal-Duitsland (Hesse, Thüringen) Die groen hart van Duitsland, met van die belangrikste historiese en finansiële stede en die antieke Thüringer Woud |
| Oos-Duitsland (Berlyn, Brandenburg, Sakse, Sakse-Anhalt) Die eksentrieke en historiese hoofstad van Berlyn, en die herboude historiese Dresden, "Florence aan die Elbe" |
| Suid-Duitsland (Baden-Württemberg, Beiere) Swartwoud, Alpe en Oktoberfest. Die Duitsland van Lederhosen, Dirndl, prentkaartkaartuitsigte en hoëtegnologiese ondernemings. |
Stede
Duitsland het talle stede wat interessant is vir besoekers; hier is net nege van die bekendste reisbestemmings. Hulle is meestal die groter stede van Duitsland. Sommige, soos Berlyn en Hamburg, staan soos stedelike eilande in meer landelike landskappe, ander, soos Düsseldorf en Frankfurt, is saam met ander stede deel van metropolitaanse gebiede.
- 1 Berlyn - Die herenigde en herlewende hoofstad van Duitsland; 'n metropool van diversiteit met van die wêreld se bekendste klubs, winkels, galerye en restaurante. As gevolg van die feit dat dit gedurende dekades gedurende die Koue Oorlog in twee verdeel is, spog Berlyn nou met meer operahuise en museums per capita as die meeste ander plekke in die wêreld.
- 2 Bremen - Die ou mark, die Schnoor, die Böttcherstrasse, die Viertel en die maritieme inslag daarvan maak Bremen 'n wonderlike stedelike ervaring.
- 3 Keulen (Köln) - Gestig deur die Romeine 2000 jaar gelede en bekend vir sy enorme katedraal (tweede grootste in die wêreld), Romaanse kerke, argeologiese terreine en die lewendige ou stadsdeel. Die Keulen-karnaval is 'n groot trekpleister rondom Februarie.
- 4 Dresden - Eens genoem "Florence aan die Elbe", bekend vir die Frauenkirche (die mooiste barokkatedraal buite Italië) en sy historiese Altstadt, wat albei herbou is nadat dit tydens die Tweede Wêreldoorlog vernietig is. Die Zwinger en Residenzschloss is wêreldbekende museums.
- 5 Düsseldorf - Duitsland se hoofstad van winkels wat ook 'n wye verskeidenheid fassinerende nuwe argitektuur het. Die "Altstadt" -kwartier en die Rynwalle het 'n lewendige naglewe.
- 6 Frankfurt - 'n Pragtige skyline, finansiële en vervoersentrum van Europa, hoofkwartier van die Europese Sentrale Bank (ECB) en 'n belangrike handelsbeurs. Klein gerekonstrueerde sentrum met vakwerkhuise, belangrike museums en galerye regoor die land Museumsufer soos die Schirn Kunssaal, die Städel en die Senckenberg Natuurmuseum.
- 7 Hamburg - Duitsland se tweede grootste stad is bekend vir sy hawe, sy talle kanale en brûe, die Speicherstadt, die Michel-kerk en die nuwe konsertsaal Elbphilharmonie, die bedrywige naglewe rondom St. Pauli met die Reeperbahn, sy musiekblyspele en die Hafengeburtstag-fees.
- 8 München (München) - Duitsland se derde grootste stad en bloeiende hoofstad van Beiere is bekend vir die Oktoberfest, die Hofbräuhaus, sy menigvuldige kulturele aanbod, waaronder opera's, teaters en museums, 'n bruisende naglewe, baie musiekfeeste, sy biertuine en rivierbranderry, en om die poort na die Alpe.
- 9 Neurenberg (Nürnberg) - 'n Voormalige Reichsstadt met 'n middeleeuse aanraking, is die ou stad gedeeltelik gerekonstrueer na ernstige bomaanvalle in die oorlog, waaronder die Gotiek Kaiserburg en die groot kerke. U kan ook die saamtrekgronde van die Nazi-party besoek, die Dokumentasiesentrum en die Hof 600, waar die Nurembergse oorlogsmisdaadverhore gehou is.
Ander bestemmings
- 1 Baltiese Seekus (Ostseeküste) - Sodra die speelplek vir bekroonde koppe begin is, kom hierdie streek weer tot sy reg nadat die Koue Oorlog baie daarvan afgesluit het van die breër wêreld. Terrein van die beroemde Strandkorb prentjie van die G8-beraad in 2007.
- 2 Beierse Alpe (Bayerische Alpen) - Duitsland miskien op sy mooiste, maar ook mooiste; lekker ski in die winter, stap in die somer en Schloss Neuschwanstein is net die mees voor die hand liggende besienswaardighede.
- 3 Swart Woud (Schwarzwald) - U sal waarskynlik "koekoekhorlosie" of kersietert dink, en u sal vergewe word, maar daar is veel meer in hierdie streek as dit.
- 4 Oos-Friese Eilande (Ostfriesische Inseln) - Onder die gewildste somervakansie-plekke in Duitsland, sien die grotendeels motorvrye eilande in die Waddensee steeds minder internasionale besoekers as wat hulle verdien.
- 5 Frankiese Switserland (Fränkische Schweiz) - Hierdie karststreek is 'n gunsteling by digters uit die vroeë 19de eeu wat 'n naam gegee het wat vas is, en is wêreldbekend vir sy klim en het 'n paar pragtige grotte.
- 6 Harz - Die Harz is lankal vergete vanweë die Duitse afskorting, en trek vandag toeriste met wonderlike staptogte aan en die mistieke romantiek van die Brocken-berg wat bekend is om hekse te lok (soos genoem in Goethe's Faust).
- 7 Bodenmeer (Bodensee) - Duitsland se grootste meer, die "Swabiese Oseaan" (soos dit grappenderwys is) bied gelyktydige alpiene panorama en wateraktiwiteite.
- 8 Midde-Rynvallei (Mittelrheintal) - 'n Deel van die Rynrivier is 'n UNESCO-erfenisgebied tussen Bingen / Rüdesheim en Koblenz; die vallei is bekend vir sy wyne.
- 9 Noord-Friese Eilande (Nordfriesische Inseln) - Kalm eilande met oorde aan die Noordseekus, veral Sylt is bekend vir sy luukse gaste en die ongerepte landskap.
Verstaan
Geskiedenis
Romeinse Ryk
- Sien ook: Romeinse Ryk
In die eerste eeu nC, na 'n reeks militêre veldtogte, kon die Romeine die grootste deel van Wes- en Suid-Duitsland verower deur die Germaanse en Keltiese stamme wat daar gewoon het. Die grense van die Romeinse ryk is gekenmerk deur die "Limes". Die gedeelte wat die ryk van die Germaanse stamme skei (Limes Germanicus) was 568 km lank en strek vanaf die monding van die Ryn tot by die Donau naby Regensburg. Afdelings van die verhoogde bank kan steeds gesien word en saamgestap word. In die Romeinse tyd was die Limone egter allesbehalwe 'n rigiede grens, en handel en af en toe Romeinse militêre ekspedisies het die grootste deel van wat tans Duitsland is, beïnvloed tot ten minste die vierde eeu nC.
Verskeie stede wat vandag nog in Duitsland belangrik is, is deur die Romeine gestig as militêre basisse en later as nedersettings, insluitend Mainz, Wiesbaden, Keulen en Bonn. Baden-Badense fonteine is ook baie waardeer deur die Romeine, wat badkamers gebou het waarvan die oorskot onder die gepaste naam genoem kan word. Römerplatz (Romeinse plein). Die indrukwekkendste Romeinse oorskot in Duitsland kan gevind word in Trier, die oudste Duitse stad. Dit sluit die Porta Nigra, die grootste Romeinse stadspoort noord van die Alpe, en die Trier-amfiteater in.
Die Heilige Romeinse Ryk en die Middeleeue
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Karel die Grote, koning van die Frankies, is op eerste Kersdag 800 n.C. deur Pous Leo III as eerste keiser van die Heilige Romeinse Ryk gekroon. Karel die Grote word dikwels met Frankryk verbind, maar sy ryk was groot; sy hoofstad was in Aix la Chapelle, vandag in Duits bekend as Aken. Oorblyfsels van Karel die Grote se keiserlike paleis (die Kaiserpfalz) kan gesien word in die stad Ingelheim. Die wortels van die moderne Duitse geskiedenis en kultuur dateer uit die post-Karolingiese Heilige Romeinse Ryk.
Vanaf die vroeë Middeleeue het Duitsland in honderde klein state begin verdeel, met sterk streeksverskille wat tot vandag toe voortduur, byvoorbeeld in Beiere. Gedurende hierdie tydperk het die mag van plaaslike vorste en biskoppe toegeneem, waarvan die erfenis die vele skouspelagtige kastele en paleise soos die Kasteel Wartburg in Eisenach, Thüringen. Van die 1200's af het die handel met die Baltiese gebied aanleiding gegee tot die Hansebond en ryk stadstate soos Lübeck en Hamburg. Ander stede het ook bekendheid verwerf vanaf binnelandse handelsroetes, soos Leipzig, Neurenberg en Keulen.
Namate die Duitse samelewing geleidelik verander het van 'n feodale struktuur na 'n merkantilistiese stelsel, gildes of Zünfte van vakmanne is gevestig en het 'n belangrike faktor in die Duitse ekonomie en samelewing geword. Sommige Middeleeuse gildesale staan nog steeds en kan vandag besoek word. Hierdie periode het ook die opkoms van bankgesinne soos die Fugger, waarvan die skuldenaars pase en keisers ingesluit het, toegeneem, en die groei van stede soos Augsburg.
In die Middeleeue en vroeë moderne tye het die Heilige Romeinse Ryk (waarvan die meeste vandag Duitsland, Oostenryk, Hongarye, die Tsjeggiese Republiek en dele van omliggende lande is) bestaan uit ongeveer 2000 semi-onafhanklike gebiede wat almal min of meer tegnies ondergeskik was. aan die keiser. Die Heilige Romeinse Ryk was - soos die beroemdheid van Voltaire uitgedink het - nie 'n Romeinse of 'n heilige of 'n ryk nie. Terwyl sommige klein-hertogdom nie veel meer as 'n paar gehuggies was nie, het belangrike stede die status gekry Reichsstadt (of Reichsstädte in meervoud) wat hulle basiese stadstate slegs aan die keiser self onderwerp het. Hul voormalige rykdom is nog steeds te sien in plekke soos Rothenburg ob der Tauber en Nördlingen. Alhoewel daar van die 15de tot vroeë 17de eeu 'n ernstige poging tot modernisering was, het die Heilige Romeinse Ryk uiteindelik die sentrale politieke mag behalwe die mees nominale verloor. En in die kwynende jare kon dit nie eens die vrede hou tussen sy twee magtigste kiesers destyds, Oostenryk en Pruise, waarvan die wedywering die grootste deel van die 19de eeu die lot van Duitssprekende gebiede sou oorheers.
Vroeg-moderne Duitsland
'N Tydperk van godsdienshervorming en wetenskaplike ontdekking word gekenmerk deur die publikasie van Martin Luther se 95 proefskrifte in 1517 Wittenberg, wat die begin het Protestantse Hervorming. Luther het die Bybel in die Wartburg in 'n Sentraal-Duitse volksmond gaan vertaal. Hy het veel gedoen om Duits te standaardiseer en noordelike dialekte as 'Nederduits' of 'Nederlands' uit te sluit. Die Heilige Ryk het verdeeld geraak tussen Katolieke en verskeie takke van Protestante, terwyl streeksmoondhede uit die meer verenigde gebiede van die Katolieke ontstaan het. Beiere en Protestant Sakse en Brandenburg (later bekend as Pruise). Die Protestant-Katolieke konflik het 'n hoogtepunt bereik in die Dertigjarige Oorlog, wat baie Duitse gebiede verwoes het. Dit het 100 jaar geduur totdat Duitsland se bevolking weer tot die vooroorlogse vlakke gegroei het. Die heersers van Sakse (maar nie die bevolking daarvan nie) het hulle tot die Katolisisme bekeer tydens die regering van Augustus die Sterke, wat dit gedoen het as voorwaarde om koning te word van Poleen sodoende die vooraanstaande posisie onder Duitse protestante aan Pruise verloor.
Die heersers van die meer welvarende hertogdom en koninkryke van die Duitse Ryk het die ontwikkeling van kuns en wetenskap ondersteun, soos die werke van Johann Sebastian Bach, in diens van die keurvors van Sakse, of die werke van Goethe en Schiller, wat albei 'n hoë betaalde versekering gehad het Weimar gedurende hul produktiefste jare as skrywers. Richard Wagner (wat in Sakse gebore is) het 'n gewillige beskermheer in Ludwig II van Beiere gevind, wat ook baie paleise laat bou het wat nou deur toeriste geliefd is, maar sy persoonlike finansies bankrot gemaak het. Opvallende wetenskaplikes was onder andere Daniel Fahrenheit, Alexander von Humboldt, Carl Wilhelm "baie geluk" Scheele, en in die wiskunde het Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in albei groot vordering gemaak Leipzig en Hannover.
Gedurende die barokperiode in kuns en argitektuur het baie van die Duitse heersers statige koninklike wonings geskep en hul hoofstede herbou om hul mag en smaak te weerspieël. Pragtige skeppings van daardie tydperk sluit in Dresden en Potsdam.
Keiserlike Duitsland
- Sien ook: Eerste Wêreldoorlog
Die Napoleontiese oorloë die laaste skyn van 'n Duitse staat beëindig toe die Romeins-Duitse keiser Franz II in 1806 besluit het om uit te tree. Die verskillende Duitse state is later saamgebind deur 'n konfederasie wat in wese 'n militêre alliansie was met minder "federale" magte as die huidige EU. Hierdie konfederasie is oorskadu deur die konflik tussen 'n liberale bourgeoisie en 'n reaksionêre aristokrasie enersyds en tussen Pruise en Oostenryk andersyds. In 1848 het een van die spanninge uitgebreek toe die liberale nasionalistiese opposisie en enkele elemente links daarvan 'n meer gesentraliseerde Duitse staat gevra het om 'n parlement en samestellende vergadering in die Paulskirche in Frankfurt. Die rewolusie het misluk omdat die rewolusionêres baie tyd daaraan bestee het of Oostenryk deel van die nuwe Duitsland ("großdeutsch") moes wees of nie ("kleindeutsch"). Uiteindelik is die titel van die Duitse keiser aangebied aan die Pruisiese koning Friedrich Wilhelm IV, maar hy het die aanbod van die hand gewys omdat dit "besmet" is deur die bourgeoisie, nie sy "gelykes" in rang nie. Meer radikale elemente het tot 1849 geveg en sommige rewolusionêre het hul lewens verloor, maar die meer gematigde elemente het vrede gemaak met die owerhede en sou later die Pruisies-gedomineerde Ryk ondersteun, terwyl die meer geradikaliseerde elemente toenemend getrek het na sosialisme en radikale opposisie teen alle dinge. monargies. Nie 'n te klein minderheid het ook ballingskap gekies nie, meestal in die Verenigde State, waar 'veertig-eighters' soos Franz Siegel en Carl Schurz onder die mees entoesiastiese ondersteuners van die Noorde in die Amerikaanse burgeroorlog en van die eerstes wat hulle vir emansipasie beywer.
In 1866-1871 (na beslissende oorloë met Oostenryk en Frankryk) het Pruise onder leiding van Bismarck Duitsland verenig as 'n volkstaat genaamd die Duitse Ryk (Deutsches Reich, of Kaiserreich). Dit was 'n federale georganiseerde staat wat die enkele state met hul konings, hertogte en vorste onderhou. Sommige state, soos Beiere of Württemberg, het selfs hul eie leërs, spoorweë en posdienste gehou. Die state en hul wonings was steeds belangrike kulturele sentrums. Die Ryk het tradisionele instellings soos die monargie gekombineer met elemente van 'n moderne demokrasie soos 'n demokraties verkose parlement (Ryksdag) en politieke partye. Daar was universele stemreg vir volwassenes op Reichsvlak, maar individuele state kon stemreg - of die gewig van stemme - aan die eiendomsvereistes bind, wat Pruise vir alle staatsverkiesings gedoen het. Verder het gerrymandering en regsvervolging die aktiwiteite van politieke partye wat in konflik was met Bismarck en / of die Kaiser, belemmer. Eers val die toorn van die regime op politieke katolisisme met eksplisiete wette wat politieke preke teen die regering verbied, maar later word sosiaal-demokrate en sosialiste uitgesonder. Bismarck het 'n skerp 'wortel en stok' gevolg met betrekking tot die werkersklas. Enersyds word werkklubs wat verdink word van linkse leunings - selfs al was dit 'net' sosiale klubs wat toegewy is aan atletiek, sang of sokker, deur die polisie verbied of geteister, terwyl Bismarck terselfdertyd die mees gevorderde en dwarsdeur die land gedwing het. tydsgewye wetgewing oor sosiale sekerheid. Staatsgewaarborgde pensioene, gesondheidsversekering en uitbetalings in geval van siekte, besering of dood dateer alles uit hierdie tyd, en hoewel die primêre doel daarvan was om die opstand in die kiem te smoor, het dit die groeiende stedelike proletariaat aansienlik verbeter. Desondanks het die sosiaal-demokratiese party sy deel van die stemming vergroot, en Wilhelm II het Bismarck afgedank en vervolging gekelder. Gevolglik het die sosiaal-demokrate van 'n radikale en rewolusionêre party verander na 'n "lojale opposisie". Die party het in 1914 ten gunste van lenings om die Eerste Wêreldoorlog te finansier, gestem om hul patriotisme te bewys. Wilhelm se jubelende "Ich kenne keine Parteien mehr, ich kenne nur noch Deutsche" (ek ken geen partye meer nie, ek ken net Duitsers) toe hy gehoor het dat nuus nog steeds bekend is in Duitsland.
Namate handelsversperrings geleidelik geval het, was Duitsland 'n middelpunt van die latere periode van die Industriële Revolusie en het hy hom as 'n belangrike industriële moondheid gevestig. Gedurende hierdie tydperk is groot ondernemings gestig, waaronder sommige wat tot vandag toe oorleef, en tegnologiese innovasie het op verskillende terreine plaasgevind, wat beklemtoon is deur die vervaardiging van die motor deur Karl Benz en Gottlieb Daimler in Baden-Württemberg. Vanaf die stigting van die 'Bismarck-ryk' tot die eerste Wêreldoorlog het die Duitse vervaardiging 'n ontwikkeling ondergaan van goedkoop massa-goedere van lae gehalte (waarvoor die Britte die 'waarskuwingsteken' ontwikkel het) Gemaak in Duitsland) van die beste goedere in sy onderskeie velde, 'n reputasie wat baie industriële produkte van Duitsland tot vandag toe geniet. Duitsland het ook na die eerste plek in die natuurwetenskap en medisyne begin klim, met die Nobelprys tot die Tweede Wêreldoorlog wat byna net so gereeld na Duitsers gaan as wat dit vandag vir Amerikaners gaan. Name soos Paul Ehrlich (medisyne), Max Planck (kwantumfisika), Robert Koch (kiemteorie) of Albert Einstein (wat egter in Switserland gewoon het) annus mirabilis 1905) is steeds wêreldwyd bekend en verskeie navorsingsinstitute met goeie reputasie is na hulle vernoem.
Miljoene Duitsers het oorsee geëmigreer, veral na die Verenigde State, waar hulle die dominante etniese groep geword het, veral in die Ou Weste. Terwyl die Duits-Amerikaanse identiteit tydens die wêreldoorloë vervaag het, bly dit sigbaar in Amerikaanse kookkuns met geregte soos die hamburger en Wienerwors (ook bekend as Frankfurter). Kanada het 'n stad met die naam Berlyn gehad in 'n gebied van swaar Duitse immigrasie; dit is herdoop Kitchener, na 'n Britse generaal, in 1916. Australië het ook 'n groot aantal Duitse immigrante ontvang; 'n gelokaliseerde weergawe van die schnitzel is aanvaar as standaard Australiese kroeg-tarief, terwyl Duitse immigrante 'n groot rol gespeel het in Australië se bier- en wynbedryf. Duitse immigrasie het ook in Latyns-Amerikaanse lande voorgekom, en hoewel dit nie altyd talryk was nie, het dit dikwels 'n spoor agtergelaat in die ekonomiese of kulinêre geskiedenis van die bestemmingslande.
Die Weimar Republiek
Aan die einde van die Eerste Wêreldoorlog (1914-18) is keiser (Kaiser) Wilhelm II gedwing om te abdikeer. 'N Revolusionêre komitee het verkiesings voorberei vir 'n nasionale vergadering in Weimar wat die Reich 'n nuwe, republikeinse grondwet gegee het (1919). Die oorgangstydperk word die 'November-rewolusie' genoem, en die republiek word later gewoonlik 'Weimar-republiek' genoem. Duitsland het egter tot 1945 die 'Duitse Ryk' gebly, die eerste artikel van die Weimar-grondwet wat die debat oor die vraag of die nuwe grondwetlike orde 'Duitse Ryk' of 'Duitse Republiek' sou noem, op die kompromisformule 'Die Duitse Ryk is 'n Republiek' gebring het. ". Tydens die rewolusie het dit kort voor lank gelyk asof Duitsland 'n sosialistiese / kommunistiese staat sou word soos Rusland twee jaar tevore gehad het, maar die sosiaal-demokrate het uiteindelik 'n algemene saak gemaak met konserwatiewes en reaksionarisse uit die Kaiserreich-era om enigiets links van hulle te stamp en moord op prominente mense te vermoor. sosialiste Rosa Luxemburg en Karl Liebknecht in die proses. Hierdie gewaande verraad het baie kommuniste verbitter, en anders as in Frankryk of Spanje, het magte aan die linkerkant van die sosiaal-demokrate nooit 'n saak met demokratiese partye gemaak om die opkoms van die fascisme te stop nie. In plaas daarvan het die KPD (die kommunistiese party) en NSDAP (die Nazi-party) gereeld in konsert gestem oor mosies van wantroue en populistiese, maar onrealistiese wetsontwerpe.
Die jong republiek was geteister deur massiewe ekonomiese probleme wat voortspruit uit die oorlog (soos die hiperinflasie van 1923), veral as gevolg van die herstelwerk wat Duitsland aan die Geallieerdes moes betaal as gevolg van die Verdrag van Versailles, sowel as skande vir 'n vernederende nederlaag in die Eerste Wêreldoorlog. Nog 'n probleem was dat baie elites (regters, staatsamptenare en selfs politici) openlik monargisties was en op hul beste 'n "wag-en-kyk" -benadering ten opsigte van die nuwe stelsel gevolg het, wat gelei het tot 'n regstelsel wat beroemd was op politieke geweld van regs en drakonies as dit kom by kommunistiese opstand. Soos die linkse skrywer Kurt Tucholsky dit gestel het: "The Republic was blind in her right eye". Om net een voorbeeld te gee, het die jaar 1923 'n regse staatsgreeppoging gelei deur Adolf Hitler en die Eerste Wêreldoorlog-generaal Erich Ludendorff en 'n kommunistiese opstand in Hamburg. Terwyl Hitler 'n kort gevangenisstraf opgelê is, is Ludendorff vrygespreek. Die kommunistiese opstandelinge het nie so geluk gehad nie - harde tronkstraf of selfs doodsvonnisse is opgelê. Individuele politieke sluipmoorde was nie anders nie en verskeie beroemde figure in die regering en ekonomie - baie van hulle sentristiese of selfs sentrumregse en 'n buitensporige aantal van Joodse afkoms - is deur regse vleuel vermoor. Freikorps en Organisasie konsul met virtuele straffeloosheid. Bekende slagoffers sluit in die minister van finansies, Matthias Erzberger (Sentrumparty, polities-Katoliek), die nyweraar en minister van buitelandse sake, Walter Rathenau (Duitse Demokratiese Party, liberaal), wat instrumenteel was in die organisering van die oorlogsbedryf in die Eerste Wêreldoorlog en verskeie politici van die gematigde tot heel links.
Inflasie en politieke onrus het gelei tot die groei van radikale partye, veral die KPD (die Kommunistiese Party) en regs die NSDAP (die Nazi-party). Terwyl die staatsgreeppoging van 1923 die Nazi's - ten minste buite Beiere - skynbaar in diskrediet gebring het, en die KPD steun verloor het tydens die ekonomiese goeie tye tussen die einde van die hiperinflasie en die Groot Depressie, het die verkiesing in 1930 die terugkeer van beide radikale partye in volle mag en 'n virtuele ineenstorting van die politieke sentrum-regse (die Sosiaal-Demokrate, terwyl hulle stemme verloor het aan die Kommuniste, het daarin geslaag om relatief bestendig te wees) sowel as die optel van stemme van voormalige nie-kiesers het gelei tot toenemende winste vir NSDAP en KPD tot daar was geen moontlikheid om 'n meerderheid in die Reichstag te vorm sonder die stemme van kommuniste of Nazi's nie. 1930 is ook die laaste keer dat die Weimar Republiek 'n regering gehad het wat op die positiewe meerderheid in die Reichstag kon staatmaak voor die opkoms van Hitler. Al die kaste tussen destyds en 1933 was afhanklik van die uitgebreide "nood" -magte van die Reichspräsident (wat kanseliers op eie spreekbuis kon aanstel of afdank sonder om die Reichstag te raadpleeg) en die parlement het toenemend 'n plek geword vir die vyande van die demokrasie om hulle op te stel. teater eerder as die middelpunt van politieke debat en mag. Die Reichstag het nooit sy reg op 'n wantrouestemming verloor nie, en Hindenburg moes inderdaad die Reichstag ontbind en nuwe verkiesings verklaar (wat hy weer op eie uitspraak kon doen) om te keer dat 'n mosie van wantroue teen die kanselier verbygaan.
In die betreklik goeie ekonomiese klimaat in die middel van die 1920's het baie banke en ondernemings relatief goedkoop korttermynlenings aangegaan om langtermynbeleggings te finansier, wat die ekonomie baie blootgestel het tydens die Wall Street-ongeluk van 1929. Alhoewel die herstel van die Die Duitse ekonomie as gevolg van Amerikaanse beleggings, het die Groot Depressie gelei tot die onttrekking van hierdie belegging. As gevolg hiervan was die ekonomie van Duitsland verlam en het die deflasionêre beleid van die regering sowel as 'n wêreldwye neiging tot proteksionisme die situasie net vererger. Dit het sterk anti-demokratiese magte (soos die KPD en NSDAP) in staat gestel om voordeel te trek uit die inherente organisatoriese probleme van die Weimar-grondwet. En vanaf die 1930-verkiesing was daar nooit weer 'n pro-demokratiese meerderheid in die Reichstag nie.
Die Nasionaal-Sosialistiese party (dikwels net na verwys as 'Nazi's') het beheer oorgeneem deur 'n veelvoud van ontnugterde Duitse kiesers te wen wat verandering wou kry. In die vroeë 1933 het die destydse 84-jarige Reich-president Paul von Hindenburg - 'n hoë generaal tydens die Eerste Wêreldoorlog - die Nazi-hoof Adolf Hitler as kanselier geïnstalleer. Hindenburg het ook sy presidensiële magte gebruik om Hitler se opkomende diktatuur te ondersteun. Historici redeneer steeds oor Hindenburg se motiewe. Hy het Hitler moontlik onderskat of ten minste gedeeltelik simpatie gehad met Hitler se outoritêre styl. Toe Hindenburg in 1934 sterf, verklaar Hitler homself tegelykertyd president, Führer en kanselier, 'n duidelike oortreding van die letter en die gees van die grondwet, en van daar af onbeheersd en op sy eie regeer.
Die Nazi-era
Die jaar 1933 was getuie van die opkoms van die nasionalistiese en rassistiese Nasionaal-Sosialistiese Duitse Werkersparty (Nazi) en sy Führer, Adolf Hitler. Onder die Nazi-diktatuur is demokratiese instellings afgebreek en die polisiestaat verbeter. Jode, Slawiërs, sigeuners, gestremdes, homoseksuele, sosialiste, kommuniste, vakbondlede en ander groepe wat nie inpas by die Nazi's se visie op 'n Groter Duitsland het vervolging in die gesig gestaar nie, en is in slaankampe of slawerny vermoor. Die Jode en Sigeuners van Europa is gemerk vir algehele uitwissing. Die terrein van die eerste Nazi-konsentrasiekamp in Dachau sowel as verskeie ander is nou gedenktekens.
Hitler se militaristiese ambisies om 'n nuwe (derde) Duitse Ryk in Sentraal- en Oos-Europa te skep, het gelei tot die Tweede Wêreldoorlog, wat Nazi-Duitsland verloor het en wat 'n plegtige stempel op die kontinent en veral Duitsland gelaat het. Vanweë die twee vorige 'Duitse ryke' word die Nazi-era in Duits dikwels ''verdrink Reich"(derde ryk) onder andere benoemings.
Hitler se buitelandse beleid het toenemend militaristies en aggressief geword. Die leiers van Frankryk en veral Brittanje was egter versigtig vir nog 'n Europese oorlog, en omdat Duitsland tussen 1919 en 1933 deur middel van diplomasie baie toegewings gekry het, het sommige nie eens die probleem gesien om Hitler te laat wegkom met die uitdaging of verbreking van die Verdrag van Versailles. Historici debatteer nog steeds of Hitler 'n groot meesterplan gehad het en of hy elke keer net gedobbel het om te sien hoe ver hy kon gaan, aangemoedig deur nooit gestop te word nie, maar die eindresultaat bly dieselfde. Duitsland het die Volkebond verlaat (1933) geannekseer die Saargebied nadat 'n volksbesluit ingestem is voordat Hitler se bewind (1935) die Rynland remilitariseer (1936), die nasionalistiese (Franco) se kant gehelp het in die Spaanse burgeroorlog, ondanks 'n Volkebond. ooreenkoms om uit die oorlog te bly (1936-1939), insluitend 'n Duitse lugmagbomaanval Guernica (1937). Duitsland het Oostenryk ook geannekseer en binnegeval (1938) en 'n aggressiewe houding teen Tsjeggo-Slowakye ingeneem, wat gelei het tot die nou berugte München-ooreenkoms (1938) waarin Tsjeggo-Slowakye gedwing is om die Sudetenland prys te gee sonder om in die saak geraadpleeg te word. Toe Duitsland Pole op 1 September 1939 aanval en 'n blatante valse Poolse aanval gee as hul regverdiging, het Frankryk en Groot-Brittanje uiteindelik gebind gevoel deur hul alliansieverbintenis en op 3 September oorlog teen Duitsland verklaar, maar in die weste het min aanstootlike optrede plaasgevind. tot die 1940-offensief deur die Nazi's wat gelei het tot die val van Frankryk en die onttrekking van Britse troepe via Duinkerken. Toe Hitler sy voormalige bondgenoot Stalin verraai en die Sowjetunie binneval, het die "Blitzkrieg" misluk omdat nie Moskou of Leningrad is gevang, en uiteindelik het die Sowjets daarin geslaag om die gety te laat draai met verskriklike verliese aan beide kante, insluitend grusame menseregteskendings en bloedbad, veral deur SS en Wehrmacht op burgerlikes in die binnegevalle gebied. In 1944 het die Geallieerdes (veral Amerika, Brittanje en Kanada) in Normandië geland terwyl Hitler steeds geglo het dat dit 'n vuurpunt was met die hoofkrag wat via Calais sou kom, en die Sowjetunie het geleidelik gevorder, met 'n hoogtepunt met die inname van Berlyn in April 1945 , die oorgawe van Mei 1945 (onderskeidelik gevier as 8 Mei of 9 Mei) en die inname van die laaste Nazi-posisies in Sleeswyk Holstein later daardie maand. Nazi-oorlogsmisdadigers is tereggestel in Neurenberg alhoewel baie mense die oordeel vrygespring het en in die Arabiese wêreld, Latyns-Amerika of selfs Duitsland self beland het, soms in hoë regerings-, akademiese of industriële posisies.
In die latere fase van die oorlog het geallieerde bomaanvalle byna elke groter Duitse stad vernietig (soos die Duitse lugmag in die vroeëre stadiums van die oorlog met Rotterdam, Warskou, Londen, Coventry en ander stede gedoen het). Nadat die oorlog verlore gegaan het, het die besette land die grootste deel van sy oostelike gebiede verloor en het hulle voor 'n groot vlugtelingkrisis te staan gekom, met miljoene Duitsers wat weswaarts oorstroom het in wat oorgebly het van Duitsland, en uit ander lande waar belangrike Duitse minderhede die militêre en politieke invloed vryspring. van die oorwinnende Sowjetunie.
Na die oorlog
- Sien ook: Koue Oorlog Europa
Na die verwoestende nederlaag in die Tweede Wêreldoorlog (1939–45), is Duitsland in vier sektore verdeel, beheer deur Britse, Franse, Sowjet- en Amerikaanse magte. Die Verenigde Koninkryk en die VSA het besluit om hul sektore saam te smelt, gevolg deur die Franse. Met die begin van die Koue Oorlog het Duitsland toenemend verdeel in 'n oostelike deel onder Sowjet-beheer en 'n westelike deel wat deur die Westerse Geallieerdes beheer is. Die westelike deel is omskep in die Federale Republiek Duitsland (FRG of BRD vir sy Duitse naam), 'n kapitalistiese, demokratiese land met Bonn soos die de facto hoofstad, wat dikwels Wes-Duitsland genoem word.
Die Sowjet-beheerde sone het die Duitse Demokratiese Republiek (DDR) in die kommunistiese / outoritêre Sowjet-styl geword, wat gewoonlik Oos-Duitsland genoem word. Dit het die hedendaagse omvat Lande van Sakse, Sakse-Anhalt, Thüringen, Brandenburg en Mecklenburg-Wes-Pommere. Berlyn, which was geographically left in East Germany, had a special status as it was divided among the Soviets and the West, with the eastern part serving as the capital of the GDR and the western sectors of Berlin (West Berlin) being a de facto exclave of the Federal Republic.
The fates of East and West Germany differed markedly, in political and economic development. The East saw heavy demontage - for example very close to every rail line lost its second track and electrification in the immediate postwar era, some having never regained them - and only a gradual switch to economic aid by the occupying power. Thanks to Western aid, the economy and industrial base in West Germany was quickly rebuilt, resulting in the Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle). The East became a socialist, centrally-planned economy with almost all of its economy nationalised, and increasingly lagged behind the West as this system proved much less efficient or conducive to growth. The limitations of personal freedoms, ever-present censorship and secret police led many of the East's citizens to attempt to flee to the West. However, compared to the other Soviet Bloc countries like Czechoslovakia, Pole, Hongarye, or even the Soviet Union itself, the East Germans were (on average) wealthier.
In 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected around West Berlin as part of a heavily guarded frontier system of border fortifications to deter inhabitants from East Berlin from defecting to the more prosperous West. Today some remnants of the era are now museums, such as the former prisons in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen or Bautzen. While many pieces of the Berlin Wall were destroyed outright or sold to enthusiasts around the world, parts have been preserved in their original location as monuments or art installations. The most widely known such installations is the eastside gallery in central Berlin. If you want to avoid the tacky Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, Bernauer Straße (the street which had windows walled shut, as the houses were in the East and the street in the West) is more accurate — if chilling — with its museum and monument.
United Germany
Germany was reunited peacefully in 1990, a year after the fall and collapse 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 3 October 1990, a day since celebrated as a national holiday (Tag der Deutschen Einheit, day of "German national unity", or "Reunification Day"). The united Berlyn became the capital of the unified Germany again, and with all federal government branches gradually moving there in the 1990s, the city saw a continued construction and economic boom, putting the city among the European hotspots.
Reunification meant that the affluent West helped the East rebuild its economy, while also accepting the willing migrants freely. This has not been without social and political tensions, but ultimately reunification is regarded as a success, with many cities of the East regaining their former glory (e.g. Dresden) and industrial might (e.g. Leipzig). The legacy of the GDR is still palpable in a slightly higher unemployment, a slightly lower standard of living and a more even distribution of wealth in some areas of the East, and with numerous mementos to socialism like the huge statue of Karl Marx in the city of Chemnitz, which was called Karl-Marx-Stadt during the period of communist rule. Die DDR museum in Berlin offers a way to experience the peculiar, and sometimes absurd, life in the erstwhile East Germany.
While the major cities of the East are once again growing, rural areas and minor towns have been hit hard, and some appear to be on a terminal decline, having lost half their inhabitants to the big cities since 1990, with only elderly people remaining. However, even some places in the West are beginning to encounter problems once characteristic of the post-reunification East, such as dilapidated public infrastructure, empty municipal coffers and shrinking population figures. The overall downward trend was reversed - at least for the short term - due to the influx of refugees in 2015 and there seems to be a trend of re-urbanisation driving up housing costs in major cities, but the decline of rural areas seems to be only getting worse.
In the years after reunification Germany faces challenges such as the climbing average age of its population and partially the integration of inhabitants who immigrated recently. Germany enjoys the benefits of European cooperation and the digital revolution. A very visible modern development are the wind turbines, praised for providing sustainable energy and criticised for their impact on the landscape.
Economy
As one of the 10 biggest economies in the world by total GDP Germany is regarded as an economic powerhouse not only within Europe, but also globally. Much of Germany's economic reputation stems from the export orientation of many of their companies, both those who grew to be large multinationals, but also mid-sized enterprises. Germany is known as an exporter of various kinds of machinery and technology, be it consumer goods like automobiles, and all kinds of machinery for all branches of industry, mining and agriculture. Creative industries, high-tech start-ups and the service sector also play an increasing role for Germany's economical output.
A pretty unique feature of Germany's economy is the relative decentralization: you will find large companies headquartered in many different German cities and Länder, not only in or around the capital as in many other European centres. The result of that is not only the widespread relative wealth and high living standards, as well as elegant and tidy appearance of both large cities and small towns, but also the additional tourist opportunities. You can visit the factories and company museums of BMW in München or Mercedes and Porsche in Stuttgart. More and more factories are also built to be more than manufacturing plants, but also experience centres, like the BMW and Porsche plants in Leipzig of die gläserne Manufaktur of VW in Dresden, the latter now builds electric cars.
The global importance of the German economy and its geographically distributed nature has its reflection in the transportation network of the country. Frankfurt lughawe is an important air traffic hub for Europe and the main one for Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa. That said, many other airports have numerous intercontinental connections, as well as busy intra-European and domestic traffic, including those in Berlyn, München, Düsseldorf, Keulen en Hamburg. The somewhat unsatisfactory airport situation in the capital - in part a legacy of partition - was finally remedied by a new "Berlin Brandenburg International Airport", after it had a laughing stock due to numerous delays and problems with planned openings in the early 2010s before finally opening a decade late and several times over budget in autumn 2020. There is also a dense network of railway lines within Germany and to neighbouring countries, many of which have been upgraded to high-speed standards (served by Germany's state operator Deutsche Bahn's Inter-City-Express treine). Die Autobahn (motorway) network is world-famous for its quality and comprehensiveness, as well as the lack of speed limits on certain stretches. Unlike most of its neighbours, Germany does not have any tolls (for cars, that is) for the vast majorities of its highways yet. The Autobahnen are also used by many bus companies, which offer a low-cost alternative to airlines and railways.
Politiek
Germany is a federal republic, consisting of 16 federal states (Bundesländer). The federal parliament (Bundestag) is elected every four years in a fairly complicated system, involving both direct and proportional representation. The parliament elects the Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler), who serves as the head of the government. Die Bundesländer are represented at the federal level through the Federal Council (Bundesrat). Many federal laws have to be approved by this council and this can lead to situations where council and parliament block each other if they are dominated by different parties. The Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) has the right to pass judgement on the constitutionality of laws.
The head of state is the Federal President (Bundespräsident). He or she is not involved in day-to-day politics and has mainly ceremonial and representative duties. There is a tendency to nominate elder statesmen to the role which (as of 2020) is filled by former vice-chancellor and minister of the exterior Frank-Walter Steinmeyer. While the president lets his party membership "rest" during his time in office and the office is supposed to be non-partisan, all but one (Joachim Gauck) had had a clear party-affiliation prior to taking the office.
The two largest parties are the centre-right CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union, Christian Democratic Union) and the centre-left SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, Social Democratic Party of Germany). Due to the proportional voting system, smaller parties are also represented in parliament. They cover a full spectrum of political views from free market economy, environmentalism to far left socialism. Still, the number of different parties is relatively low because a party is only represented if it gained at least 5 % at the elections. While Germany for a long time did not have a far-right populist party at the federal level - unlike most of the rest of Europe - the "Alternative für Deutschland" (AfD) now fulfills this role to much controversy.
Germany is subdivided into sixteen states which retain a great deal of political power, including education, setting the closing hours of stores and local rail traffic.
Demographics
Being a federal republic, Germany is very much a decentralised country, which does justice to the cultural differences between the regions. Some travellers will perhaps only think of beer, Lederhosen and Oktoberfest when Germany comes to mind, but Germany's famous alpine and beer culture is mostly in Bavaria en München. The annual Oktoberfest is Europe'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 en Palatinate) and Bad Dürkheim on the "German wine route" (Deutsche Weinstraße) organises the biggest wine festival worldwide with over 600,000 visitors annually.
Immigration has also played a large part in Germany over the past 50 years, with approximately 20% of the total population being either foreign or of a 'migrant background' (Germans and non Germans who moved to Germany after 1949 or have at least one parent that did). Many cities have large communities of Turks, Poles, Italians as well as people from Southern and Eastern Europe or the Middle East. Immigration of various types also played a role before that, but in most cases descendants of e.g. refugees from the former German territories east of Oder and Neisse or descendants of French Huguenots are distinguished from other Germans by little more than their last name if that. Although the Jewish community was virtually wiped out by the Nazis, high levels of immigration from the former Soviet Union since its collapse in 1991 have resulted in a large number of Soviet Jews settling in Germany, and Germany now once again has one of the world's largest Jewish communities, and the fourth largest in Europe after France, the United Kingdom and Russia.
Many cities have a vibrant LGBT scene, especially Berlyn en Keulen. Berlin's tourism agency and other tourism organisations actively attract gay and lesbian travellers to their cities. Laws legalising gay marriage were passed and implemented in 2017. Homosexuality is widely accepted in society. Open homosexuals have attained high political office, including the mayorships of Berlin and Hamburg, vice-chancellor and foreign minister and even some rural and conservative places have elected openly gay mayors. Views on homosexuality have traditionally been more negative in rural areas and among blue collar workers, but even here acceptance is increasing, as is visibility. Some people of Middle Eastern descent - including urban youth - also have more negative views of homosexuals and homosexuality as do people on the extreme political right.
Elektrisiteit
Electricity is supplied at 230 V and 50 Hz and power failures are very rare. Almost all outlets use the Schuko socket, and most appliances have a thinner but compatible Europlug. Travel adapters of all kinds are widely available in electronics stores, but they are often rather expensive.
Praat
- Sien ook: Duitse frase
The official language of Germany is Duits (Deutsch). The standard form of German is called "Hochdeutsch" (High German). It's understood by all and spoken by almost all Germans. However, every region has its own dialects, which might pose a challenge even to those who speak German well, even native speakers. This is usually noticeable only in the south and rural areas of the north and east. Dialect remains a strong part of the local identity in Bavaria, Saxony, southern Rhineland and Hesse, Württemberg and Baden. The general rule is that the Main River divides north Germany from the south in both language dialects and local culture. Dialects are losing ground to various extent throughout Germany, not least because of unsavoury associations of ruralness, lacking education and the prejudice that dialect as the home language would impede acquisition of "proper" standard German in school.
'Sie' or 'Du'? Politeness in German is important, and you should generally refer to other unacquainted people with the formal and polite form of 'you' which is "Sie". The informal version of 'you' is "du" and can be used if both of you are already very familiar, or if the person is a child. These days younger people, roughly below the age of 30, can use "'du'" between complete strangers, except in some professional contexts. Verb endings will also change depending upon which you use. |
Many Germans have learned some Engels at school (a compulsory subject in the West since the 1980s), so you should be able to get by. However, while many Germans claim to speak it fairly well, actual proficiency varies tremendously across most social, generational, and even geographic dimensions; some Germans have near-native fluency on par with the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, while others maybe barely utter a few sentences. Generally speaking, people in large and cosmopolitan urban areas such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart speak very good English, whereas people from more industrial regions, such as much of Rhine-Ruhr, smaller urban areas (Hanover, Kiel, Münster), rural areas, and most of east Germany may not possess as much fluency. Furthermore, younger people will usually be able to converse in English, whereas older generations tend to not speak any English at all.
Since language ability is a measure of social standing it may be difficult to persuade many Germans to speak German to you if they know you are a native English speaker. Saying that you are (even if pretending to be) a non-native English speaker can get around this situation. That said, Germans who are actually truly fluent and confident in English usually have no issue speaking German with you.
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Germans tend to be direct, and will often answer in English with short responses. 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".
Other languages are spoken in Germany as well. A surprising number of Germans speak Frans, often with really good proficiency. In parts of Eastern Germany, a small Slavic community of 50,000 also speaks Sorbian. Many people who grew up in the formerly communist East Germany were taught to speak Russian and there's a sizable community of former residents of the Soviet Union who immigrated after 1990 and tend to speak Russian. Turkish is spoken by many in the large ethnic Turkish community. Due to immigration, it is becoming more common to find other foreign languages such as Italiaans, Polish, Spanish and various Yugoslav languages, although many do not speak the language of their parents or grandparents, let alone on a native level.
Virtually all movies, in addition to foreign shows broadcast on German TV are dubbed into German. If you wish to watch the newest movies in English, they may be shown without dubbing at select theatres at the biggest cities for a little premium fee. Look for the symbol OmU of OmengU (Original with subtitles). An even rarer treat is the cinema showing movies in their original version sonder subtitles - those usually only exist in cities of half a million or more. Niche films and shows shown on high-brow channels like arte (a French-German channel) or 3sat (a German-Swiss-Austrian channel) may sometimes be shown with their original audio and subtitles due to the cost of dubbing niche media, but those are rare even on these niche channels.
Gaan in
Toelatingsvereistes
Germany is a member of the Schengen Agreement.
- There are normally no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. This includes most of the European Union and a few other countries.
- There are usually identity checks before boarding international flights or boats. Sometimes there are temporary border controls at land borders.
- Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed en implemented the treaty.
- Please see Travelling around the Schengen Area for more information on how the scheme works, which countries are members and what the requirements are for your nationality.
Recognised refugees and stateless persons in possession of a valid travel document issued by the government of any one of the above countries/territories (e.g. Canada) are exempt from obtaining a visa for Germany (but geen other Schengen country, except Hongarye, The Netherlands en België, and for refugees, Slowakye) for a maximum stay of 90 days in a 180-day period.
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the US are eligible to obtain a residence permit, or Aufenthaltstitel (authorising a stay of more than 90 days and permission to work), upon arrival in Germany, but before the end of the 90-day period of visa-free entry. Before obtaining such status, they are not allowed to work, with the exception of some specific occupations (such as artists). Nationals of Honduras, Monaco and San Marino can also obtain such a permit, but this is issued only if they may not work on the residence permit. Other nationals will need to obtain a visa before if they intend to stay in Germany for longer than the 90-day period, even if they are visa-free for that period for a stay in the Schengen area, or if they intend to work.
Authorised members of the British and US military need to possess only a copy of their duty orders (NATO Travel Order) and their ID card to be authorised 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: travel between Germany and other Schengen states, including Switzerland, is easy. However, plain-clothes officers of the German border police are known to ask travellers for their ID especially on the border between Bavaria and Austria.
When crossing a border in an international Eurocity train (especially to/from the Czech Republic and Poland) you will almost always be asked for ID.
There are a number of ways to get into Germany. From neighbouring European countries, a drive with the car or a train or bus ride are perhaps the easiest and most comfortable options; visitors from further away will probably be using air travel.
Met die vliegtuig
Major airports and airlines
The most important airports are Frankfurt (FRA IATA), München (MUC IATA) en Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER IATA). Düsseldorf (DUS IATA), Keulen (CGN IATA), Hamburg (HAM IATA) en Stuttgart (STR IATA) also have many international flights.Frankfurt is Germany's main hub (as well as one of Europe's main hubs) and the destination of most intercontinental flights. Munich is a growing secondary hub. Travellers can easily fly into Frankfurt and Munich on Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa, which is a member of Star Alliance.
Flag carriers usually have - at the very least - flights from their main hub to Frankfurt Airport and all main airline alliances codeshare and cooperate for flights to one of more of Germany's major airports. Few countries are more than one connection away.
The airports of Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Köln/Bonn are on the InterCityExpresshigh-speed rail netwerk. Berlin Airport is served by local trains, S-Bahn and Intercity trains (on the Rostock-Berlin-Dresden route) but while the station is capable of accommodating an ICE it does not do so as of late 2020. Leipzig Halle airport (LEJ IATA) is served by both local and Intercity trains. Most other airports are either connected via the urban public transport network or have their own commuter rail station. However, this is not always the case with lesser "regional" airports, frequently used by no frills airlines, with "Frankfurt"-Hahn being a particular example having no rail connection and a bus that takes about 2 hours to Frankfurt as the only mode of public transport.
Lufthansa passengers travelling from Frankfurt Airport have the option to check in at Cologne or Stuttgart train stations and travel to Frankfurt airport by ICE, dropping off their luggage immediately at Frankfurt airport long distance railway station. If doing so, be sure to book the train journey as a Lufthansa connecting flight (i.e. in advance together with the flight); otherwise, jy are responsible for any missed connection. All major German airports and most airlines also offer rail&fly, a program that allows you to get a ticket to/from the airport and anywhere on the German rail network. Most of the time this has to be bought at the same time as the plane ticket, but some airlines allow you to buy it in addition to the plane ticket later on. For more see spoorwegalliansies.
Minor and budget airlines
- Sien ook: Flying on a budget
Flying can be the cheapest way to get to Germany and from there to other European countries. Before booking a budget flight, compare carefully as their destinations are often a bit out of the way and after adding all the fees, taxes, additional bus tickets to get to their airports, you might end up at even higher prices than you would pay for a discounted Lufthansa ticket. Also according to a 2013 VCD (Verkehrs Club Deutschland) study, inner-European flights are more expensive than a train ticket booked on the same day as the flight would be in over 80% of the time.
Die major airports for budget airlines is Berlin Brandenburg Airport (particularly its "Terminal 5" which has seen better days) (BER IATA), "Frankfurt"-Hahn (HHN IATA) and Weeze (NRN IATA) as well as smaller airports with fewer choice of destinations like Memmingen (FMM IATA) (110 km (68 mi) from Munich). Some of the smaller airports are former military airports from the cold war era. They are far away from urban centres. Don't be tricked by the name: Frankfurt-Hahn is actually 130 km (81 mi) from the city of Frankfurt. Düsseldorf-Weeze was forced by a court decision to change its name, as Düsseldorf is 85 km (53 mi) to the south east. No frills airlines are notorious for changing the airports they serve at short notice and several airports that used to have dozens of flights daily have reverted to slumbering general aviation fields.
There are budget flights from almost every city in Europe to Germany. Die major budget airlines in Germany are easyJet, Ryanair, Eurowings, en Wizz Air (for flights from Eastern Europe) which all offer several connections to many countries throughout Europe. The main hubs for easyJet are Berlin-Brandenburg and Dortmund, for Ryanair Hahn and Weeze and for Eurowings Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart. Most of those airlines also fly into and out of other airports but usually with a more limited choice of connections.
For budget flights from European holiday destinations, for example around the Mediterranean, some of Germany's other carriers are Kondor (also from main tourist destinations throughout the world) and TUIfly. The classical "holiday charter" airlines offer a number of - often seasonal - connections largely from Mediterranean destinations. While they still sell most of their seats as parts of package deals as the name indicates, almost all of them sell tickets unbundled and if they want to get a plane that would otherwise be half-empty full, you can get some amazing deals indeed. Antalya (Turkey) has several daily connections even to relatively minor German airports during the holiday season.
Met die trein
- Hoofartikel: Rail travel in Germany
Regular train services connect Germany with all neighbouring countries. Almost all neighbouring countries (especially Switserland, Pole, Nederland, Denemarke, Tsjeggiese Republiek en Oostenryk) and even some non-neighbouring countries (e.g. Italië en Hongarye) are quite well connected with "EuroCity" trains. They are a little bit slower and sometimes slightly less comfortable than the European high-speed trains but nevertheless reach up to 200 km/h. They are a worthwhile way to travel – not only for budget travellers (although budget airlines might sometimes be cheaper) or landscape viewers (especially the Rhine valley lines). When booked in advance Deutsche Bahn offer baie competitive prices to many European destinations under their "Europa-Spezial" brand, with tickets starting at €39 (or less for short "hops" across the border) one way (you can usually book no earlier than 180 days in advance); however, you cannot change the train or date of travel and refunds are limited. If you miss the train that usually means the ticket becomes worthless.
Several European high-speed trains cross into and out of Germany:
- Die ICE brings you at 300 km/h top speed from Frankfurt (3.25 hr), Cologne (2.5 hr) or Düsseldorf (2.25 hr) to Amsterdam. The train journey from Frankfurt aan Parys (320 km/h) using the ICE will take about four hours; going from Hamburg aan Parys can take eight and a half hours. There is also an ICE line from Frankfurt to Brussels via Cologne.
- Die Thalys brings you from Cologne (Köln) to Paris in approximately four hours and to Brussels in about two hours.
- Die TGV brings you from Marseille, Lyon en Strasbourg to Frankfurt, and from Paris, and Strasbourg to Munich.
- Tussen Stuttgart en Milaan you can travel with one stop in Zurich, the fastest trans alpine train connection. The Italian and German lines feeding into the Gotthard Base Tunnel (which opened in late 2016) are being upgraded. The German and Swiss railways plan to introduce new services along this route for the 2018 schedule.
Standard rail fares are quite high, but there are a number of special fares and discounts available – see the "Get Around" section for more information. In particular, the Bahncard reduction applies for the whole journey as long as it starts or ends in Germany. If you have some time on your hand taking local trains to the border on a domestic ticket might actually be cheaper, especially to/from the Czech Republic and Poland.
Per boot
Ferries
International ferry services exist, notably to Skandinawië. Some of the most popular connections are listed below:
- Lübeck en Sassnitz are connected to Kaliningrad, Saint Petersburg, Rusland. Sassnitz is also connected to Rønne, Denemarke en Trelleborg, Sweden.
- Kiel has connections to Gothenburg, Sweden, Klaipeda, Litaue en Oslo, Noorweë.
- Rostock has connections to Helsinki (Finland), Trelleborg (Swede) en Gedser (Denemarke). Germany's busiest cruise port is at Rostock-Warnemünde.
- Travemünde has connections to Helsinki (Finland), Malmö (Swede), Trelleborg (Swede), Ventspils en Liepaja, Latvia
- Puttgarden is connected to Rødby, Denemarke. This ferry also takes the ICE to Copenhagen.
There are also ferries crossing Bodenmeer to and from Switserland.
Vaarte
Rostock is by far the most important cruise port in the country. Other ports also see some cruises, including Hamburg en Kiel, the latter mostly for cruises passing through the Kiel Canal.
River cruises along Ryn en Danube also cross international borders. Die Main Donau Kanal is popular with river cruises as it allows easy access to both Rhine and Danube and makes Nuremberg reachable by boat.
Met die bus
The German intercity bus market has grown and changed significantly since it was fully liberalised in the 2010s. Most operators have folded and Flixbus dominates both the German domestic market and international routes. Intercity buses in France were legalised shortly after Germany and it is France-based "Blablabus" that became the first serious challenger to Flixbus after they cornered the market. Most operators from Central and Eastern Europe that predate liberalisation still exist but have mostly been pushed aside by the rapid growth, so you are unlikely to see them advertised much. Newer non-German entrants to the market include Student Agency/Regiojet from the Czech Republic. New routes appear and disappear quickly, so don't take outdated information from other sources for granted.
Met die trem
Germany is served by two foreign tram systems with connections across the border. Die Basel tram has one line to Weil am Rhein, whereas the Strasbourg tram system has a line to Kehl. As both Switzerland and France are part of the Schengen Area, there are no border controls. However, when going to/from Switzerland, you pass a customs border as Switzerland is not in the EU and thus there may be a customs inspection.
Kry rond
On the whole transportation is efficient and fast, though last minute tickets can be a bit on the expensive side. All modes of transportation are up to a high modern standard, including a dense network of airports, high speed rail services connecting most major cities and regional trains reaching almost every settlement of any size, one of the densest and best maintained highway networks on earth (with stretches where the speed limit is shrug emoji), and intercity bus services introduced in 2013.
Met die vliegtuig
Given the size of Germany, there are few routes where flying makes sense. Business travellers are increasingly drawn to high speed rail services as they offer better overall travel times on all but the longest routes and flights are almost never cheaper than other options. That said, most airports have at least flights to Frankfurt airport and any one of either Hamburg airport, Munich airport, Cologne-Bonn airport or Berlin airport, mostly as feeder flights for their long distance services or catering to business travellers.
Domestic flights are also more prone to cancellation or weather delays. Strikes are at least as common on airlines as they are on the railways and when only some flights have to be cancelled, domestic flights are invariably the lowest priority. Don't worry though, you might be given a voucher for a train to complete your journey regardless.
Lufthansa or its subsidiaries are the only airlines on many domestic routes. Because of a fast connection by train from Berlin to Munich offering travel times competitive with aviation, and the Coronavirus in 2020, Easyjet has withdrawn and Lufthansa scaled back its domestic flights. DB meanwhile is increasing its frequencies on many busy routes — Hamburg Berlin will see a train every half-hour starting December 2020 — and can sometimes charge "premium" fares for business travellers with few other options.
The picture is a bit different for Germany's islands, but with the exception of Sylt none of them see service from any airport much farther away from the coast than "their" harbour.
- Lufthansa Germany's former flag carrier has greatly reduced its domestic network. Some routes were turned over to subsidiary Eurowings to be run on a "no frills" basis, whereas some feeder flights have been replaced by trains, bookable through Lufthansa if you are booking an international flight with them
- Eurowings Lufthansa's no-frills subsidiary is based in Düsseldorf and also serves some domestic routes in Germany
Some islands, such as Sylt or some East Frisian islands have small airports of which Sylt is also served by Lufthansa and Eurowings. Other operators include:
- Sylt Air mostly flies Hamburg-Sylt
- OFD (short for Ostfriesischer Flugdienst; East Frisian flight service) flies from Northern Germany to several islands, mostly the East Frisian islands
Met die trein
- Hoofartikel: Rail travel in Germany
Germany's railway system is usually fast, on time and reliable and if you book tickets in advance (180 days before departure at the earliest) it can be surprisingly affordable. Regional trains are now run by a variety of private operators as well as Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, but they can all be booked through bahn.com. Long distance trains on the other hand are almost all run by Deutsche Bahn. Those few that aren't have to be booked through the operating company. To give you a hint of just how dense the German railway system is: the biggest town without any rail service has barely over 60,000 inhabitants and you've probably never heard of it.
Long distance
All major cities are linked by DB's ICE (InterCity-Express) and regular InterCity trains. ICE is a system of high speed trains that are capable of speeds up to 330 km/h. They can be expensive, with a 1-hr trip ( Frankfurt aan Keulen, around 180 km) costing around €67 one-way (normal price "Flexpreis" without any discount). However, unlike high-speed trains in most other countries (e.g. France), taking the ICE on a "Flexpreis" fare does not require a reservation or bind you to a particular train.
If you want to save money, try for discounted "Super Sparpreis"of"Sparpreis" tickets, starting at €19.90 or €29.90, respectively regardless of distance. As those tickets are sold mainly to attract people to use less popular routes and times, you should try looking for them on off-peak times (Tuesday at noon is the time when trains are emptiest, according to statistics). You cannot change the train or departure time with the "Super Sparpreis" tickets and you will incur a change fee (plus fare difference) for changes to a "Sparpreis" ticket. However, if you miss a train due to a delay on another train you can use the next train, if you have a confirmation for the delay. With a BahnCard 25 or a BahnCard 50 you will get a 25% discount on the Sparpreis (reduced fare) tickets.
"Sparpreis" and "Flexpreis" ICE tickets include a DB City-Ticket, which gives passengers access to most local public transport networks to allow them to get to the station where they will commence their main train journey and from the station where they terminate their main train journey to their final destination (e.g. hotel). This is particularly useful if your actual origin and final destination are not covered by DB's railway network.
Seat reservations are not mandatory but are recommended, especially when you travel on weekends or holidays. This means that with an Interrail of Eurail pass you can use domestic ICE trains without supplement (except for international ICE trains)
Next are the regular InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (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. The rolling stock used for IC services varies widely with both old coaches from the 1970s and 1980s and much newer ones - sometimes on the same train - as well as bilevel (Doppelstock or Dosto in German) multiple units that only entered service in 2015. Most older rolling stock, including the first two generations of ICE (dating to the 1990s) have since undergone extensive refurbishment. Eurocities on the other hand are often composed of cars from several different countries with the style and quality difference that implies.
On the major lines, an ICE or IC train will run each hour or so during the day, and even certain minor cities of touristic importance like Tübingen of Heringsdorf are connected on a daily or weekly basis. 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. Virtually all of them are marketed by Flixbus under its Flixtrain brand. Other than that international trains such as Thalys or TGV serve stations in Germany and sometimes even domestic routes to an extent. However, a number of operators have announced plans to offer some train service, especially in the sleeper train business, as DB has abandoned that service completely. Usually DB only sells tickets for other operators if a cooperation exists or if forced to by law (e.g. all regional trains). DB tickets are not usually sold by other operators either.
Regional travel
Regional and local trains in Germany come in several flavours:
- IRE (InterRegioExpress). The same as RE, but goes between two regions (Bundesland).
- RE (Regional-Express). Semi-express trains, skips some stations. On many routes, this is the highest available train category.
- RB (Regional-Bahn). Stops everywhere except that it may skip some S-Bahn stops.
S-Bahn station Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof tief- S-Bahn. Commuter network for a city or metropolitan area but can travel fairly long distances. S-Bahn trains do not offer a toilet, with the exception of those in Bremen, Dresden, Hanover, Leipzig, Nuremberg and some S-Bahn Rhein-Neckar trains.
Within a region (Bundesland), it is often possible to get a budget (Länderticket) valid for one day. It can be used for RE, RB, most S-Bahn and some bus connections within the Bundesland, some local urban rail networks are included as well, though not necessarily all. It is available as a single or group ticket. Prices for Ländertickets vary from region to region, but start generally at about €23-27 for one person and usually between €3 and €5 for any additional member of your group up to a party of five. More information is provided at the Website of Deutsche Bahn as well as in the get around section of most Bundesländer.
While regional trains are more and more operated by companies other than Deutsche Bahn and carrying a livery other than DB red, in practice this makes little to no difference as almal streektreine is onderhewig aan franchisewerk, en die staat skryf alles voor, van roosters tot rollende materieel, en die ondernemers wat subsidie ontvang, sowel as die kaartjieprys. U kan kaartjie-masjiene of toonbanke sien vir verskeie streeksoperateurs op stasies wat hulle bedien, maar Deutsche Bahn is saam met baie beperkte uitsonderings - gedwing om ook 'n kaartjie daarvoor te verkoop, en Ländertickets sal ook daar aanvaar word. Terwyl baie nie-DB-operateurs die bostaande skema volg, het sommige verkies om hul dienste iets anders as RB of RE te noem, maar hulle sal steeds 'n onderskeid volg tussen (semi) "express" en "local".
In die algemeen het plaaslike treine geen kos- of drankdienste aan boord nie, maar soms gaan 'n verkoopspersoon deur die sitplekke om drankies en versnaperinge (gewoonlik te duur) te verkoop. Sommige lyne en operateurs - soos Metronom - het ook vendingmasjiene aan boord van hul treine.
Groepstreinkaartjies
Dit is moontlik om goedkoop met streektreine rond te kom as u 'n klein groepie bymekaar kry. Daar is 'n paar voorbehoude:
- Die prys van die kaartjie hang gewoonlik af van die aantal reisigers met 'n relatief hoë basisprys en 'n klein aanvulling vir elke ander lid van die groep tot vyf. As u groep uit meer as vyf mense bestaan, kontak Deutsche Bahn oor spesiale aanbiedinge vir groter groepe.
- Daardie kaartjies is enigste geldig op streeks treine (RE, RB en S-Bahn) en 'n paar plaaslike vervoer (metro-spoorweg en bus), afhangende van die stad. Die neem van 'n ICE of IC met so 'n kaartjie is nie moontlik nie.
- Sommige deelkaartjies is beskikbaar vir die eerste klas (mits u ekstra betaal), maar dit is slegs geldig vir die tweede klas, tensy anders vermeld.
As u u reisplan ken, kan u 'n groep op die internet reël, 'n kaartjie koop en aan die gang kom. Groepkaartjies kan gekoop word via die DB Navigator-app. Alle kaartjies is geldig vanaf 09:00 op weeksdae en vanaf middernag op Saterdag en Sondag. Hul geldigheid eindig gewoonlik om 03:00 die volgende dag.
Met die bus
- Sien ook: Langafstandbusreise in Duitsland
Daar is tientalle daaglikse dienste vanaf die meeste groot stede, wat dikwels aansienlik goedkoper is as treine. Die meeste busse bied geriewe soos WiFi en kragstasies, en sommige kan selfs fietse vervoer.
Afgesien hiervan is daar 'n baie digte netwerk van streeks- en plaaslike buslyne. In landelike gebiede loop baie lyne egter net een keer per dag. Streek- en plaaslike snelbusaanwysers bevat gewoonlik die letters CE (plaaslik), E (streek rondom Hamburg; in ander gebiede word E gebruik vir spesiale ritte), S (streek), SB (streek en plaaslik) of X (plaaslik binne Berlyn) kan stadsbusaanwysers die letters BB ("Bürgerbus", nie geïntegreer in tariefverbindings nie), C of O bevat. Kontroleer altyd die vertrekborde sorgvuldig: soms, veral in die nag of in landelike gebiede, moet u u bus per telefoon.
Met die motor
- Hoofartikel: Ry in Duitsland
Duitsland het 'n wêreldberoemde netwerk van uitstekende paaie en die Autobahn (snelweg) sonder tol of fooie vir motors. Alhoewel openbare vervoer in Duitsland uitstekend is, sal diegene wat kies om te bestuur, die padnetwerk ook vinnig en doeltreffend vind. Soos in die grootste deel van Europa ry Duitsland aan die regterkant.
Kyk vooraf of u nie-Duitser is bestuurslisensie is geldig in Duitsland. Andersins kan u 'n swaar boete of tot een jaar tronkstraf waag. Vir langer verblyf is die meeste buitelandse lisensies nie geldig nie, ongeag u verblyfstatus. As u van plan is om langer te ry ('n paar maande of jare), probeer dan om 'n Europese bestuurderslisensie te kry wat gewoonlik in die hele Europese Unie geldig is.
Respekteer rooi verkeersligte, maar daar is 'n uitsondering: jy kan regs draai as 'n klein groen regterpylbord op die verkeerslig aangebring is, langs die rooi lig - nogtans moet jy stilstaan, kyk en oplewer voordat jy regs draai.
Spoedbeperkings word ernstig opgeneem, met 'n groot aantal spoedkameras. Spoedbeperkings is:
- Loopspoed op die "Spielstraßen" (gemerk met 'n blou / wit bordjie wat kinders sien, voetgangers het voorrang)
- 30 km / h (19 mph) in die meeste woongebiede in stede (gemerk met 'n teken "30-Zone Wohngebiet", 20-Zone en 10-Zone bestaan ook, alhoewel die borde vir 10-zone slegs raadgewend is)
- 50 km / h (31 km / h) binne stede (gemerk met inskrywing met geel dorpsnaambord) en bevat "Kraftfahrstraßen" (gemerk deur 'n bord met 'n wit motor op 'n blou agtergrond)
- 100 km / h (62 mph) buite dorpe en stede
- Daar is geen konstante algemene spoedbeperking op die "Autobahn" of op "Kraftfahrstraßen" vir motors en motorfietse wat nie 'n sleepwa sleep nie. Dit is nie heeltemal onbeperk nie, want daar is gedeeltes met periodieke of permanente spoedbeperkings en die aanbeveel die maksimum spoed op die Autobahn is 130 km / h (81 mph), en u moet probeer om daarby te hou as u nie vinnig wil ry nie. Sommige "spoedtoeriste" kom egter net na Duitsland om 'n eksotiese sportmotor te huur en die Autobahn-netwerk, wat die derde grootste snelwegnetwerk in die wêreld is, af te breek.
Autobahns, veral dié met enkelsyfergetalle (wat groter streke oor langer afstande verbind) of in of naby stedelike gebiede (bv. Rhein / Ruhr) baie stampvol vanaf Vrydagmiddag of die somervakansie. Gewilde deurpaaie wat suid na Italië of Noord na die Baltiese en Noordseekus lei, ervaar 'n sekere drukte aan die begin van elke vakansiedag se skoolvakansies. Kyk na die begin van skoolvakansies wanneer u u reis beplan, en probeer vermy om die dag of die naweek daarop te ry. In die wintervakansie (Kersfees en Karnaval) kan die strate wat na die ski-oorde in die Alpe lei, ook ietwat druk raak, wat selfs slegte sneeuval vererger - veral as dit die eerste sneeu van die seisoen is.
Parkering is gewoonlik maklik om te vind, maar gratis parkering word al hoe skaarser. Sommige buurlande sal selfs lag oor die hoogste parkeertariewe in Duitsland, maar die aanbod van goedkoop parkeerplek is aansienlik laer as in die Verenigde State. Een soort gratis parkeerplek wat nog algemeen beskikbaar is, is parkeerterreine (bekend onder P&R in Duitsland). aangrensend aan gewoonlik openbare spoorwegverbindings. Sommige van die erwe word soggens vol en bly beset tot die aand pendel, maar hulle kan naweke amper leeg wees. Winkelsentrums en supermarkte het gewoonlik gratis parkeerplek vir klante vir die duur van hul verblyf, maar dwing toenemend parkeerskendings af soos nie-klante wat hul motor op hul grond bêre of motors wat ure aaneen op die erf gelos word.
Ride-sharing (Carpooling) is gewild in Duitsland en die tarief vir 'n rit is dikwels goedkoper as per trein. Blablacar is 'n gewilde webwerf vir die reël van gedeelde ritte. Internasionale reise kan ook met behulp van die webwerf gereël word.
Huurmotors duur is en aanvaar dikwels net kontant. Die voorwaardes word gewoonlik nie op die motor geskryf nie, so vra die bestuurder. Die tariewe word deur plaaslike owerhede bepaal.
Met ontspanningsvoertuie en kampeerwaens
Duitse kampeerterreine (soos die meeste ander in Wes-Europa) bied gewoonlik 'n volledige reeks geriewe. U het altyd u eie aansluiting by elektrisiteit, en water- en rioolverbindings vir elkeen is algemeen. Elke kampeerterrein het toilette en storte, asook kombuise, wasmasjiene en 'n droogtang.
Die geel bladsye van kampeer, of, indien u wil, die Duitse kampbybel, is die ADAC Campingführer, 'n kampgids deur ADAC se grootste motorklub in Duitsland. Dit bevat byna alle kampeerterreine, asook pryse, tipe ligging, grootte, ure, geriewe, noem maar op. Aangesien die gids baie simbole gebruik wat in 'n aantal tale uiteengesit word, is dit ook geskik vir reisigers uit die buiteland.
'N Algemene snelheidsbeperking is van toepassing op RV's en enigiets wat sleep - selfs op stukke van die Autobahn sonder 'n geposde limiet. Gewoonlik sal daar 'n plakker aan die agterkant wees, of u papiere of huurkontrak sal dit uitspel.
Per elektriese voertuig (EV)
Die meeste laaistasies in Duitsland word op die webbladsye van www.goingelectric.de ('n netwerk van EV-drywers) onder die punt '' Stromtankstellen ''. 'N Amptelike webwerf is die' 'Ladesäulenkarte'' van die Duitse owerheid Bundesnetzagentur.
Deur te hik
Dit is moontlik om hitchhike in Duitsland en die meeste Duitsers praat basiese Engels, dus jy sal verstaan word as jy stadig praat. Bestuurders verwag selde dat u hulle geld sal gee vir die rit. Die eerste letters van die Duitse nommerplaat (voor die koppelteken) dui die stad aan waarin die motor geregistreer is. As u die kode vir u bestemming ken, verhoog dit u kans om die regte voertuig te stop.
Dit is onwettig om op die Autobahn, maar ry vanaf bedieningsareas of vulstasies is 'n goeie manier om lang ritte te kry (100–200 km). Die moeilike deel is om op die Autobahn te klim, dus dit is die moeite werd om naby die vulstasies te slaap as u ver gaan. By die vulstasies kan u 'n gratis boekie kry Tanken und Rasten met 'n kaart van die Autobahn en sy vulstasies. As u 'n hysbak kry, moet u met die bestuurder ooreenkom waar u moet afklim en seker maak dat daar 'n vulstasie is. Probeer om die Autohofs.
Dit is ook baie algemeen om te reël 'n rit in 'n privaat voertuig vooraf deur op die regte pad agentskap of op die internet. Vanlyn agentskappe soos Citynetz of ADM het kantore in groot stede, meestal naby die middestad of die hoofstasie. Hierdie vanlyn agentskappe hef 'n kommissie op vir die koste van brandstof wat u vir die bestuurder moet betaal.
Aanlyndienste om ritte in privaat voertuie te reël, is baie gewild, aangesien geen van die partye 'n kommissie aan tradisionele agentskappe betaal nie. U moet slegs bydra tot brandstofkoste (byvoorbeeld: Frankfurt aan Berlyn € 25). U kan die bestuurder direk per e-pos, telefoon of sms kontak. Aangesien die bestuurders geregistreer moet word, is dit veiliger as om te ry.
Rylopers is 'n vergelykbare diens, veeltalig en gratis. Blablacar is 'n ander bekende speler met baie ritte in sy databasis.
Met die fiets
- Sien ook: Fietsry in Europa
Duitsland is oor die algemeen fietsvriendelik, met baie fietsbane in stede. Daar is ook 'n aansienlike netwerk van goed onderteken, langafstandfietsroetes. Die Duitse fietsnetwerk (Radnetz Deutschland) bestaan uit twaalf amptelike roetes (D1-12). U kan GPX-snitte gratis aflaai vir elk van die afdelings op die webblad.
Daar word van fietsryers verwag om dieselfde te volg padreëls as motorvoertuie. Terwyl fietsryers in teorie onderhewig is aan baie van dieselfde padreëls as mense in motors of op motorfietse, is die handhawing geneig om sagter te wees en byvoorbeeld is die DUI-limiet baie hoër (met 1,3 per meul) as die 0,5 promille vir motoriste. Om 'n selfoon te gebruik terwyl u fietsry, is ook goed, maar nie so hoog soos met 'n motorvoertuig nie. As daar 'n fietspad parallel met die pad is met wit-op-blou "fiets" -borde (sien regs), ry fietsryer moet gebruik dit. Hierdie fietsweë is oor die algemeen eenrigting, tensy uitdruklik anders aangedui, en u kan beboet word omdat u in die verkeerde rigting gaan. In sommige dorpe word fietsrybane gekenmerk deur donkerrooi plaveistene in die hoofwandelarea. Wees egter versigtig, want fietsryers en voetgangers is geneig om oor hierdie grense te dryf. Fietsry op die sypaadjie is nie toegelaat nie, tensy dit as 'n fietspad gemerk is (daar is uitsonderings vir kinders jonger as 10).
Die meeste treinstasies, winkelareas, hotelle en sakepersele het fietsstaanders (sommige bedek) met 'n plek om u eie fietsvergrendelingsketting vas te maak.
Op streeksgebied treine daar is gewoonlik een wa waarmee jy jou fiets aan boord kan bring. InterCity-treine kan ook 'n fiets neem, maar ICE's doen dit nie. Om 'n fiets saam te bring, vereis gewoonlik 'n aparte kaartjie en / of bespreking. Vir meer besonderhede, sien Treinreise in Duitsland # Fietse.
As u u fiets op 'n langafstandbus U moet 'n paar dae vooruit bespreek en miskien nie suksesvol wees nie, aangesien die berging vir fietse baie beperk is (slegs twee of drie per bus).
Verskeie Duitse stede bied dit nou aan fiets-deelprogramme, die meeste word bestuur deur een van die twee volgende fiets of 'n filiaal van Deutsche Bahn 'n fiets noem. Dit is 'n uitstekende manier om kort afstande binne 'n stad te gaan, maar nie die beste opsie vir langer toere nie, want die maksimum huurtyd is gewoonlik 24 uur. Klassieke fietsverhurings bestaan steeds in baie stede, sowel as in kleiner dorpies naby die kus met baie toeriste. Hulle benodig dikwels 'n deposito of ID-kaart om te huur.
Per e-bromponie
In 'n aantal groter stede soos Berlyn, München en Keulen; met die regte app gelaai, kan u 'n uittrekbare bromponie optel wat in die strate versprei is. Bestuur deur 'n aantal maatskappye, insluitend Sirk, Vlak, Voël en Kalk. U moet ouer as 14 wees om te ry en is onder dieselfde voorskrifte as 'n fiets; wat nie op sypaadjies / sypaadjies gebruik kan word nie (slegs die gebruik van fietspaaie of paaie) en as u die alkoholperk oorskry, sal dit u bestuurslisensie-status beïnvloed. Hulle is beperk tot 20 km / h, maar dit is nogtans 'n algemene oorsaak van ongelukke sedert hul bekendstelling.
Sien
Kulturele en historiese besienswaardighede
As ons aan Duitsland dink, bier, lederhosen en Alpiene hoede kom vinnig by my op, maar hierdie stereotipes hou meestal verband met Beiers kultuur en verteenwoordig nie Duitsland as geheel nie. Duitsland is 'n uitgestrekte en uiteenlopende land met 16 kultuur-unieke state wat eers 'n politieke unie vorm sedert 1871. Selfs binne state is daar dikwels aansienlike kulturele diversiteit. Die regering van Beiere praat byvoorbeeld graag van die drie 'stamme' wat in die staat woon; "ou Beiere", Franconiërs en Swaben. Veral die voormalige twee hou daarvan om omtrent net soveel soos Engels en Skot saamgevoeg te wees.
As u nog op soek is na die cliches, kan die Romantiese Weg is 'n beroemde skilderagtige roete langs romantiese kastele en skilderagtige dorpies. Met sy sprokiesagtige voorkoms het die Kasteel Neuschwanstein kan beskou word as die mees ikoniese Duitse kastele. Die ommuurde stad van Rothenburg ob der Tauber het 'n pragtige middeleeuse sentrum wat onaangeraak deur die verloop van tyd lyk. Sommige soortgelyke Duitse dorpe kan elders in die land gevind word, soos: Augsburg, Bamberg, Celle, Heidelberg, Lübeck, en Quedlinburg. U prentkaartkaartbesoek aan Duitsland sal voltooi word met 'n besoek aan die biersale van München en 'n blik op die Alpe na Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In Ulm u kan die hoogste kerkspits ter wêreld besoek - die Ulmer Münster. U kan ook na die lieflike, maar selde besoekte Middeleeuse stad gaan Schwäbisch Hall. Die Duitse toerismeraad het 'n aanbeveling vir diegene wat aanhangers is van die Grimm's Fairy Tales, wat baie bekendes insluit, soos Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White en The Pied Piper. Sprokiesroete wat u neem na plekke waar die broers Grimm gewoon het, asook dorpe wat in die Grimm's Fairy Tales verskyn het.
Duitsland is 'n moderne industriële nasie, en die Wirtschaftswunder word die beste verteenwoordig deur die industriële erfenis van die Ruhr. Hamburg is nog 'n ekonomiese kragstasie met die tweede besigste hawe op die vasteland. Frankfurt is die finansiële sentrum van Duitsland, en van Europa as geheel, aangesien dit die basis van die Europese Sentrale Bank is. Sy skyline kom naby dié wat aan die ander kant van die Atlantiese Oseaan gevind word. Die modestad van Düsseldorf, mediabedryf van Keulen, en motorondernemings in Stuttgart elkeen verteenwoordig 'n bloeiende sektor van die Duitse ekonomiese wonderwerk.
'N Heeltemal ander ervaring kan gevind word in Berlyn, 'n stad wat waarskynlik nie elders op die planeet gevind sal word nie. Alhoewel dit argitektonies 'n vreemde wanverhouding is tussen gesteriliseerde woonstelblokke, post-modernistiese glas- en staalstrukture en 'n paar historiese oorblyfsels, het dit 'n ontspanne atmosfeer en 'n kultuur van internasionalisme. Die onstuimige geskiedenis het aanleiding gegee tot 'n enorme hoeveelheid historiese besienswaardighede, waaronder die Berlynse muur, Brandenburger Tor, die Bundestag, Checkpoint Charlie, Fernsehturm, die Holocaust-gedenkteken en Rotes Rathaus. Maar mis nie die omgewing van Prenzlauer Berg as u 'n ware Berliner wil voel nie. Kreuzberg (wat eens bekend was vir punks, nou grotendeels gentrified) en die verruklike Wedding is ook nie ver agter nie.
Die donker herinneringe van die Nazi-era het ook spore in Duitsland gemaak; sien Tweede Wêreldoorlog in Europa en Holocaust-herinnering. Alhoewel die onderwerp aangrypend is en 'grappies' oor die onderwerp 'n slegte idee is, tensy u u gasheer goed ken, het Duitsland baie moeite gedoen om monumente uit die era te bewaar as 'n waarskuwing en die gedetailleerde opvoedkundige uitstallings op plekke soos voormalige konsentrasie. kampe, die voormalige Nazi-party saamtrekplekke in Neurenberg of die voormalige setels van Nazi-bedieninge en -kantore in Berlyn is die moeite werd om te besoek, as dit 'n koel en depressiewe een is.
Natuurlike besienswaardighede
Vanweë die grootte en ligging in Sentraal-Europa, het Duitsland 'n groot verskeidenheid verskillende landskappe. In die noorde het Duitsland 'n uitgebreide kuslyn langs die Noordsee en die Baltiese See in 'n uitgestrekte gebied wat bekend staan as die Noord-Duitse vlakte. Die landskap is baie plat en die klimaat is ruig met sterk winde en sagte, koue temperature. As gevolg van die suidoostewinde wat water in die Duitse Boog druk, is die getyvariasies buitengewoon hoog, wat die land veroorsaak Waddensee. Groot dele van die seebodem word twee keer per dag ontbloot, sodat een van die talle eilande na die ander kan loop. (Dit moet slegs met 'n gids gedoen word.) Die Oos-Friese Eilande net aan die kus is dit baie skilderagtig, hoewel dit meestal deur die Duitsers self besoek word. Gunsteling wit sandoorde langs die Oossee sluit in Rügen en Usedom.
Die sentrale helfte van Duitsland is 'n lappieskombers van die Sentrale hooglande, heuwelagtige landelike gebiede waar lande en woude met groter stede meng. Baie van hierdie heuwelreekse is toeristebestemmings, soos die Beierse Woud, die Swart Woud, die Harz, die Ertsberge, Noord-Hesse en Saksiese Switserland. Die Rynvallei het 'n baie milde, aanpasbare klimaat en vrugbare terrein, wat dit die land se belangrikste gebied vir wyn- en vrugte verbou.
In die uiterste suide, wat aan Oostenryk grens, bevat Duitsland 'n deel van die Alpe, Die hoogste hoogte van Sentraal-Europa, wat tot 4000 m (12 000 voet) bo seespieël styg, met die hoogste top in Duitsland as die Zugspitze op 2962 m (9717 voet). Alhoewel slegs 'n klein deel van die Alpe in Duitsland lê, is hulle bekend vir hul skoonheid en die unieke Beierse kultuur. Langs die land se suidwestelike grens met Switserland en Oostenryk lê Bodenmeer, Duitsland se grootste varswatermeer.
Reisroetes
- Bertha Benz-gedenkroete - volg die wêreld se eerste langafstandreis per motor
- Romantiese Weg - die beroemdste skilderagtige roete in Duitsland wat in Würzburg begin en eindig in Füssen
- Rheinsteig en Rheinburgenweg - Stap op hoë vlak deur 'n paar van die mooiste landskappe van Duitsland met 'n pragtige uitsig op kastele tussen die Rynrivier Wiesbaden en Bonn of Bingen en Bonn-Mehlem.
- Elbe Radweg 'n fietsroete langs die Elbe-rivier wat deur Dresden en Magdeburg gaan voordat dit Hamburg bereik. Omdat dit naby 'n rivier is, is daar min steil opdraandes, wat die roete ideaal maak vir beginners.
Doen
Duitsland bied 'n wye verskeidenheid aktiwiteite van kulturele en sportiewe aard aan. Baie Duitsers is lede van 'n sportklub.
Sport
Duitsland is mal oor sokker (sokker) en die Duitse sokkervereniging (DFB) is die grootste sokkervereniging ter wêreld met 6,35 miljoen lede (8% van die Duitse bevolking) in meer as 25 000 klubs. Baie Duitse sokkerklubs is een van die waardevolste sokkerhandelsmerke in Europa, soos Borussia Dortmund en FC Bayern München. Elke dorpie het 'n klub en die speletjies is dikwels die belangrikste sosiale byeenkoms oor naweke. Hou in gedagte dat vanweë die aard van ('n klein minderheid) sokkerliefhebbers, daar gereeld polisie-teenwoordigheid tydens speletjies is, en geweld is skaars, maar nie ongehoord nie. Ander gewilde spansport sluit in (Olimpiese) handbal (veral in die noorde gewild), yshokkie ("Eishockey"), vlugbal en basketbal. Motorsport is 'n gewilde besienswaardigheid, met talle bekende Formule een kursusse soos Hockenheim en Nürburgring ("Groen hel").
Duitsland - veral die Noorde - is ook een van die beste lande wat dit betref Handbal. Spanne soos Flensburg, Kiel en ander trek week na week uitverkoopskare na hul sale en lewer van die beste handbal ter wêreld.
Amerikaanse voetbal word ook in Duitsland gespeel en geniet 'n tradisie wat teruggaan na die 1970's. Die Duitse nasionale span het die laaste twee Europese kampioenskappe (2010 en 2014) gewen. Alhoewel die skares nie naastenby dié van meer gewilde sportsoorte is nie (2000 aanhangers is 'n aantal wat baie spanne net vir belangrike wedstryde kry), is die finale loting tussen 15 000 en 20 000 toeskouers en die atmosfeer word ontspanne met selfs ondersteuners van die besoekende span wat verwelkom word en die ergste wat kan gebeur as u 'n goeie geaardheid in u span of sy geskiedenis het. Op Super Bowl Sondag is daar 'n aantal "openbare besigtiging" (dit is eintlik die Duitse term) gebeure, alhoewel dit in die middel van die nag is en dit 'n goeie geleentheid is om ander sokkerentoesiaste sowel as die plaaslike Noord-Amerikaanse te ontmoet. expat bevolking.
Gedurende die winter gaan baie mense in die Alpe of in bergreekse soos die Harz, Eifel, Beierse Woud of Swartwoud.
Een van die gewildste sportsoorte is tennis; hoewel dit sedert die dae van Steffi Graf en Boris Becker ietwat afgeneem het, is daar steeds tennisbane op baie plekke en die meeste daarvan kan per uur gehuur word.
Byna elke middelgroot Duitse stad het 'n spa (dikwels genoem Therme) met swembaddens, waterglybane, borrels, saunas, stoombaddens, sondakke ens.
Kulturele geleenthede
Verskeie teaters in groter stede speel uitstekende klassieke en kontemporêre toneelstukke. Duitsland is trots op die wye verskeidenheid kulturele geleenthede en elke stad werk 'n kulturele agenda uit. Die meeste teaters en operahuise ontvang ruim subsidies om kaartjies bekostigbaar te hou, en 'n goedkoop sitplek is beskikbaar vir minder as € 10 in baie lokale as u kwalifiseer vir sekere afslag.
Klassieke musiek
- Sien ook: Europese klassieke musiek
Duitsland is bekend vir sy verskeie wêreldklas operahuise (veral Berlyn, Bayreuth, en München), en die Berlynse Filharmoniese Orkes is een van die top drie orkeste ter wêreld. Duitsland word beskou as een van die sterkste klassieke musiektradisies in Europa, met baie bekende komponiste soos Bach, Handel (genoem Händel voordat hy hom in 1712 in Londen gevestig het), Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms en Wagner afkomstig uit Duitsland.
Hoewel Frankryk en Italië 'n langer geskiedenis met opera het, het Duitsland ook sy eie unieke tradisie ontwikkel. Duits, tesame met Italiaans en Frans, word as 'n hooftaal beskou, en baie bekende Duitstalige opera's is gekomponeer deur bekende komponiste soos Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner en Strauss.
Duitsland het meer as 130 professionele orkeste - meer as enige ander land ter wêreld. Dit is 'n nalatenskap van feodale tye, toe die land se gebied gefragmenteer was en elkeen van die plaaslike regeerders 'n aparte hoforkes in diens gehad het. Deesdae word die meeste orkeste bestuur deur staats- of plaaslike regerings of openbare uitsaaiers. Die grootste een is die Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig met 185 salarismusikante (maar hulle speel selde almal gelyktydig, dele van die orkes begelei die opera, ballet, die Thomaner-seunskoor en speel sy eie simfoniese konserte).
Musiekblyspele
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Musiekblyspele is gewild in Duitsland. Alhoewel daar van tyd tot tyd 'n paar toerproduksies is, bly die meeste shows 'n paar jaar in 'n spesifieke stad. Die belangrikste 'musikale stede' is Hamburg, Berlyn, Oberhausen, Stuttgart, Bochum en Keulen. Duitse optredes sluit in Die leeu koning, Boosaardig, Starlight Express en Rotsagtig.
Teater
Oor die algemeen is Duitse teaters volop en - in vergelyking met die meeste ander Westerse lande - vuil goedkoop, aangesien die regering dit as "noodsaaklik" beskou en baie van hulle subsidieer om besoeke bekostigbaar vir almal te maak. Selfs sommige nie-gesubsidieerde teaters is steeds redelik bekostigbaar in vergelyking met byvoorbeeld musiekblyspele. Daar is dikwels spesiale afslag vir studente of bejaardes. Die meeste toneelstukke word in Duits opgevoer, maar soms is daar toneelstukke in ander tale. Die bekendste Duitstalige outeurs kan daagliks in die name van baie strate en in baie teaters gevind word. Goethe, Schiller en Lessing is almal huishoudelike name, maar meer kontemporêre skrywers soos Brecht word ook gereeld geïnterpreteer en gespeel. Daar is eintlik geen maklike lyn te trek tussen Duitse teater en Duitstalige teater buite Duitsland nie, dus word werke van Oostenrykse, Switserse of ander Duitstalige skrywers en regisseurs ook dikwels op Duitse verhoog en andersom vertoon.
Shakespeare
Wat nogal interessant is, is dat William Shakespeare miskien nêrens meer aanbid as in Duitsland nie - ook die Anglosphere. Byvoorbeeld die - nog steeds bestaan - Deutsche Shakespeare Gesellschaft dateer uit 1864 en is dus voor die Engelse of Amerikaanse Shakespeare-samelewing. Dit kan grotendeels toegeskryf word aan Goethe, wat op die Bard se werke verlief geraak het. As u Duits dit regkry, kan dit baie interessant wees om 'n opvoering te sien. Volgens sommige Duitsers is Shakespeare dit eintlik verbeter in vertaling, aangesien die gebruikte taal waarskynlik iets meer kontemporêr is. Oordeel self.
Musiekfeeste
Daar is 'n paar bekende en groot jaarlikse feeste in Duitsland, soos die Wacken Open Air (heavy metal musiekfees), Wave-Gotik-Treffen (fees vir "donker" musiek en kunste in Leipzig) en Fusion Festival (elektroniese musiekfees in die Mecklenburg Lake District).
Koop
Geld
Wisselkoerse vir euro's Vanaf 4 Januarie 2021:
Wisselkoerse wissel. Huidige tariewe vir hierdie en ander geldeenhede is beskikbaar vanaf XE.com |
Duitsland gebruik die euro, soos verskeie ander Europese lande. Een euro is verdeel in 100 sent. Die amptelike simbool vir die euro is €, en die ISO-kode daarvan is EUR. Daar is geen amptelike simbool vir die sent nie.
Alle banknote en munte van hierdie gemeenskaplike geldeenheid is wettig betaalmiddel in al die lande, behalwe dat muntstukke met 'n lae denominasie (een en twee sent) in sommige daarvan uitgefaseer word. Die banknote lyk dieselfde in lande, terwyl munte 'n standaard ontwerp op die agterkant het, wat die waarde uitdruk en 'n nasionale landspesifieke ontwerp aan die voorkant. Die voorkant word ook gebruik vir verskillende ontwerpe van gedenkmuntstukke. Die ontwerp van die voorkant beïnvloed nie die gebruik van die muntstuk nie.
Notas groter as € 100, terwyl wettige betaalmiddel nie so gereeld in omloop is nie en sal in sommige winkels of vir klein aankope geweier word. Wees voorbereid op groter rekeninge om meer ondersoek in te stel rakende potensiële vervalsings. Klein winkels en selfs 'n paar outomatiese masjiene vir openbare vervoer aanvaar nie banknote van € 50 of groter nie.
Valutawissel sedert die invoering van die Euro sterk afgeneem het, hoewel u dit steeds op of naby groot treinstasies en lughawens kan vind. Buitelandse valuta - selfs dié van buurlande - sal selde aanvaar word en dikwels teen slegte wisselkoerse. U mag egter geluk hê met Switserse Frank in die onmiddellike grensgebied, want Duitsland is 'n gewilde bestemming vir Switserse toeriste. Net so aanvaar sommige kitskosrestaurante Amerikaanse dollars (weer teen 'n redelike slegte wisselkoers), veral nie naby Amerikaanse weermaggeriewe nie, maar reken nie daarop nie. Normale banke bied natuurlik valuta-uitruil aan, maar hulle hef soms aansienlike fooie vir nie-klante, en as u van euro na buitelandse kontantkennisgewing verander, kan dit vooraf vereis word. Reisigerstjeks kom skaars voor, maar banke ruil dit steeds uit, alhoewel dit waarskynlik minder moeilik sal wees om net u debiet- of kredietkaart te neem en geld by gewone kitsbanke te trek.
Kontant (Bargeld) is die beste manier om te betaal vir alledaagse transaksies. Onafhanklike verkopers, klein kafees en stalletjies soos Kersmarkte aanvaar oor die algemeen nie kredietkaarte nie en daar is soms 'n minimum koopsom. Terwyl Duits binnelandse debietkaarte - geroep EC-kaart of girokaart - (en in 'n mindere mate Maestro-kaarte en VPay op PIN) geniet byna universele aanvaarding, kredietkaarte (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) of buitelandse debietkaarte (Visa-debiet / elektron, ens.) Word nie so algemeen aanvaar as in ander Europese lande of in die Verenigde State nie Verenigde State. Hulle sal egter in byna alle groot kleinhandelwinkels en die meeste kitskoswinkels aanvaar word. Groot kleinhandelaars aanvaar toenemend kredietkaarte (gewoonlik slegs Visa en MasterCard) en die Near Field Communication-tegnologie is nou algemeen beskikbaar (kyk na die logo 
) alhoewel baie mense wat in die kleinhandel werk nog nie bekend is met die tegnologie nie.
Die meeste OTM's kredietkaarte aanvaar en as die kitsbank 'n fooi hef (waarvan daar baie in Duitsland is in vergelyking met ander EU-lande), moet die EU-wetgewing die masjien opdrag gee om die fooi voor die onttrekking aan u te gee (hetsy deur 'n plakker of 'n kennisgewing op die skerm). U kaartuitreiker kan egter hul eie heffings hef, ongeag of bykomend tot die fooie wat deur die kitsbankoperateur gehef word; raadpleeg u uitreiker voordat u dit gebruik.
Soos die meeste ander Wes-Europese tale, is die betekenisse van punte en komma's is presies omgekeerd volgens die Engelse gebruik; in Duits word 'n komma gebruik om 'n desimaal aan te dui. Byvoorbeeld, "2,99 €" is twee euro en 99 euro sent. Die "€" -simbool word nie altyd gebruik nie en word feitlik altyd na die prys geplaas, en sommige Duitsers beskou die "valuta-teken eerste" -notasie as vreemd. 'N Punt word gebruik om getalle te groepeer (een punt vir drie syfers), dus sal' 1.000.000 'een miljoen wees. Dus "123.456.789,01" in Duits is dieselfde getal as "123,456,789.01" in Engelssprekende lande.
Belasting
Alle goedere en dienste sluit BTW in (Mehrwertsteuer) van 19%. Dit is altyd volgens die wet by die prys van 'n item ingesluit (die enigste uitsondering is op goedere wat kommersieel uitgevoer word, maar dan kan regte van toepassing wees). Brandstof, vonkelwyn, sterk drank en tabak is onderhewig aan hoër belasting. Daar is 'n verlaagde BTW van 7% vir hotelle (maar nie vir eetgoed wat binne verbruik word nie), eetgoed (sekere items wat as luukse goedere beskou word, byvoorbeeld kreef, is vrygestel van hierdie vermindering), drukprodukte, alle kortafstand-openbare vervoer en langafstandtreine , en toegangsprys vir opera of teater. Die presiese besonderhede van die vraag of goedere of dienste die volle of verlaagde BTW-koers kry, is ongelooflik ingewikkeld en onheilspellend, maar om net een voorbeeld te gee, is die vraag "hier eet of afhaal" wat u by 'n kitskosrestaurant sal hoor, belastingimplikasies omdat afhaal belas teen 7%.
Kantel
Wenke in Duitsland (Trinkgeld, letterlik "drink geld") is algemeen in restaurante, kroeë (nie in kitskosrestaurante nie), taxi's en haarsalonne. Alhoewel dit nie verpligtend is nie, word dit altyd waardeer as dank vir uitstekende diens. Wenke oorskry selde 10% van die rekening (belasting ingesluit) en wenke is ook redelik algemeen wanneer die rekening 'n oneweredige bedrag is om te verhoed dat u kleingeld moet hanteer (bv. 'N rekening van € 13,80 sal gewoonlik tot € 15 afgerond word om te maak verandering makliker te maak). The server will never propose this and even when dealing with one of the annoying €x.99 prices, they will diligently search for the copper coins to make change unless you say otherwise.
Unlike in some other countries, service staff are always paid by the hour and the minimum wage of €9.19 an hour (as of 2019) applies to service staff as well as any other profession. However, service staff is more likely to get only the minimum wage or barely above even in establishments where other jobs get higher wages. A tip is therefore mainly 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 and it will be accepted by the staff. Americans in particular are known among service staff for being generous tippers pretty much regardless of service, so they may be a lesser priority on busy days in some places.
Tipping in Germany is usually done by mentioning the total while paying. So if, e.g., a waiter tells you the bill amounts to "€13.50", just state "15" and s/he will include a tip of €1.50. Alternatively, if you wish to ask them to keep the change, you may say "Stimmt so!" of eenvoudig "Danke!".
Tipping in other situations (unless otherwise indicated):
- Taxi driver: 5–10% (at least €1)
- Housekeeping: €1–2 per day
- Carrying luggage: €1 per piece
- Delivery services: 5–10% (at least €1)
Inkopies
Retail prices - especially for groceries - are much lower than one would expect given the GDP per capita and to some extent even compared to local wage levels. This in no small part due to intense competition on price led by "Discounter" (that's the usual German term for a low price supermarket) since the 1960s in the food sector and in other sectors since at least the 2000s. Germans are said to be very cost-conscious and advertisements tend to put an emphasis on price. That said, there's no upper limit for the price of high quality or high value goods in specialty stores.
Supermarkets
Got a euro? Virtually all supermarkets that have shopping carts require you to insert a coin into them (usually €1 or €0.50). Most Germans have one or several small plastic chips that work just the same for the shopping carts. If and when you properly return the shopping cart, you will get back whatever you inserted into it. As Germany has been a rather slow adopter of "cashless" transactions, virtually everybody has change at hand when going shopping and if all else fails, there are those plastic chips, which seem to only ever exist as free giveaways for marketing purposes. If you intend to stay in Germany for a longer period of time, those come highly recommended. |
Chains like "Aldi", "Lidl", "Penny" and "Netto" are discount supermarkets (Discounter). Their range of products is limited to the necessities of daily life (like vegetables, pasta, milk, eggs, convenience foods, toiletries, etc.), sold in rather simple packaging for tightly calculated prices. While quality is generally surprisingly high, do not expect delicatessen or local specialities when you go to shop there. Don't blame discounter personnel for being somewhat brusque; although they are paid slightly better than usual, they have to cope with a rather grim working atmosphere and a significantly higher workload than colleagues in "standard" supermarkets. Lidl and Aldi have tried to brand themselves as more "upscale" and laying focus on quality since about the mid-2010s but prices have stayed the same while new "gimmicks" such as coffee machines (€1 per drink) or freshly baked (from frozen dough) bread, rolls and other baked goods were introduced as part of that strategy.
Examples of standard supermarket chains are Rewe, Edeka, Real, Kaufland, Globus or Famila. Their prices are slightly higher than in discount supermarkets, but they have a much wider range of products (including cheap to high-end quality). Usually there are big kaas, meat and fish counters where fresh products are sold by weight. The personnel in these shops is trained to be especially helpful and friendly.
Plenty of chain supermarkets only exist in certain parts of the country or show a clear geographic focus. Norma is only found in the south, Sky only in the north and Netto "with dog" (there are two separate chains both named "Netto", one of them having a dog as their symbol) only in the north and east.
Beside those major chains, Turkish supermarkets (which can be found in virtually all west German cities) can be a worthwhile alternative since they combine the characteristics of discounters (low price levels but limited assortment) with those of "standard" supermarkets ((Turkish) specialities and usually friendly staff). Fruits and vegetables at Turkish supermarkets tend to be particularly good value for money. Other diaspora groups also own some supermarkets, but they tend to be rarer outside big cities. In Berlin you might find an ethnic enclave of many groups, but they can be harder to find even in Munich or Hamburg and non-existent in smaller cities. The East has a surprisingly large Vietnamese diaspora and "Asia Shops" of varying kinds can be found in many parts of the country. Specialised Asian food items tend to be cheaper, of better quality and more readily available here than at Rewe and co. However, the shop might not look like much from the outside and feel rather cramped on the inside.
If you are looking for organic products, your best bet is to visit a "Bioladen" or "Biosupermarkt". (Bio- generally means organic.) There are also many farmers selling their products directly ("Hofladen"), most of them organised in the "Bioland" cooperative. They offer reasonable food at reasonable prices. Fresh produce - both organic and "regular" - can also be bought at roadside stalls or (for seasonal stuff like asparagus or strawberries) at temporary stalls on store parking lots. Buying directly from producers cuts out a lot of middlemen and you'll likely get fresh, high quality goods, but finding them can be a challenge as even internet based solutions (e.g. a website listing all agricultural producers who sell directly to producers or an order online service) tend to be rather local.
Toiletries, makeup, skincare and other amenities are best bought in Drogerie (drugstore) such as dm, Rossmann, and Müller, as the supermarkets do not usually provide the complete lineup. They also sell simple medicines and supplements that do not require a prescription. Common painkillers sold in drugstores elsewhere around the world such as aspirin or ibuprofen however are only sold in pharmacies and require a doctor's prescription.
Be prepared to bag your own groceries and goods as well as provide your own shopping bags for doing so. While most stores provide plastic or paper as well as canvas shopping bags at the checkout, you are charged up to 50 cents per bag for them. Buggies/shopping carts usually have to be unlocked with a euro coin which you get back. At most super markets you can spot a canister with lots of cardboard boxes in it, usually after the cash point. You are allowed to take cardboard boxes from there! It's a service the markets offer and also an easy waste disposal for them. Just tell them you are getting yourself a box when the cashier starts to scan your goods, come back and start packing.
Bottle and container deposits (Pfand)
Germany has an elaborate beverage container deposit ("Pfand") system. Reusable bottles, glass and plastic, usually cost between 8 and 25 cents Pfand per bottle depending on size and material - the actual value depends on the material but isn't always spelled out on the bottle (it will be spelled out on the receipt, though). Additional Pfand is due for special carrying baskets matching the bottle measures. Die Pfand can be cashed in at any store which sells bottles, often by means of a high-tech bottle reader than spins the bottle, reads the Pfand, and issues a ticket redeemable with the cashier. Plastic bottles and cans usually cost 25 cents Pfand, if not they are marked as pfandfrei. Exempt from Pfand are liquors and plastic boxes usually containing juice or milk. There are also a few other instances where Pfand is due, for example for standardised gas containers or some yogurt glasses. Pfand on glasses, bottles and dishware is also common at discotheques, self-service bars or public events, but usually not at a students' cafeteria.
Factory outlets
Outlet centres as such are a rather new phenomenon, but the similar concept of "Fabrikverkauf" (literally factory sale) where products (including slightly damaged or mislabeled ones) are sold directly at the factory that makes them, often at greatly reduced prices. American style outlets not associated with a factory have become more common and Herzogenaurach for instance has outlets of Adidas and Puma (whose headquarters - but no production - are there) and of other clothing and sports companies.
Local products
You can find local food products (not necessarily organic) in most places at the farmer's market ("Wochenmarkt" or simply "Markt"), usually once or twice a week. While 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", symbolised by an eagle) and "Ecovin" (German organic winemaker cooperative). Wines made of the most typical German wine varieties are usually marked with "Classic".
Some agricultural producers have also started to sell their produce directly to consumers, either via a small stand at the roadside (often along rural Bundesstraßen but sometimes also inside urban areas) or directly from their farm. Dairy farmers sometimes run "Milchtankstellen" (a compound noun from the German word for milk and gas station) where you can get milk from a vending machine similar to a soda fountain. All of those tend to be cash only but prices and value for money tend to be rather good.
Souvenirs
Duits honey is a good souvenir, but only "Echter Deutscher Honig" is a guarantee for reasonable quality. Along the German coasts, smoked eel is quite a common delicacy and a typical souvenir. You can discover an astonishing German kaas variety in cheese stores or in Bioläden.
Some of those products may not be taken into all countries due to agricultural contamination concerns.
Other products
Some German brands of high-end goods such as kitchen utensils, stationery, and hiking gear are considerably cheaper than abroad.
Cheap clothing of sufficient quality might be bought at C&A, but don't expect designer clothes. 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.
Germany is also a good place to shop for consumer electronics such as mobile phones, tablets and digital cameras. Every larger city has at least one "Saturn" or "MediaMarkt" store with a wide selection of these devices, as well as music, movies and video games on CD/DVD. MediaMarkt and Saturn belong to the same company, but there are also independent stores and the Expert/TeVi chain. Prices are generally lower than elsewhere in Europe. English-language movies and TV shows are universally dubbed into German, and computer software and keyboards are often German-only.
Germany is justifiedly famous for world-class board games. Board games are taken very seriously as a field even of academic study: Germany boasts "board game archives", several scientific publications on the phenomenon, and the prestigious "Spiel des Jahres" ("[board] game of the year") award first awarded in 1979. Many book stores, several Drogeriemärkte of the Müller chain, and some general purpose stores will boast a board game section. In most bigger towns, there will be one or several dedicated board game stores. While games in languages other than German are hard to get, dedicated board game stores will often also have the raw materials for tinkerers to build their own board games. There are often conventions of board game enthusiasts to buy, play or exchange games.
Opening hours
Opening hours vary from state to state. Some states like Berlyn, Hamburg en Sleeswyk-Holstein have no more strict opening hours from Monday to Saturday (however, you will rarely find 24 hour shops other than at petrol stations), while most stores in Bavaria and Saarland are by law required to close between 20:00 and 06:00. With some exceptions, shops are closed nationwide on Sundays and national holidays (including some obscure ones), including pharmacies; single pharmacies remain open for emergencies (every pharmacy will have a sign telling you which pharmacy is open for emergencies or the list can be found hier). An exception would be on special occasions called Verkaufsoffener Sonntag, in which shops at selected communes are open from 13:00 aan 18:00 on selected Sundays, usually coinciding with public holidays or local events. Train stations however are allowed to and frequently have their stores open on Sundays, though usually for limited hours. In some larger cities such as Leipzig en Frankfurt, this can include an entire shopping mall that happens to be attached to the train station. Some shops in touristic areas and towns designated as a Kurort (health resort) are also allowed to have their stores open all week during tourist season.
As a rule of thumb:
- Smaller supermarkets: 08:00-20:00 give or take an hour
- Big supermarkets 07:00-22:00 or midnight
- Shopping centres and large department stores: 10:00-20:00
- Department stores in small cities: 10:00-19:00
- Small and medium shops: 09:00 of 10:00-18:30 (in big cities sometimes to 20:00). Small shops are often closed 13:00–15:00.
- Spätis (late night shops): 20:00-23:59 or even longer, some open 24 hours, especially in big cities
- Petrol stations & their attached minimart: in cities and along the "Autobahn" usually 24 hours daily - however during night hours you might have to pay and order through a small window and night cashiers might not always speak English well
- Restaurants: 11:30–23:00 or midnight, sometimes longer, many closed during the afternoon
If 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 (like Berlyn, Keulen, Düsseldorf en die Ruhr area) there are cornershops called "Späti" oder "Spätkauf" ("latey"), "Kiosk", "Trinkhalle" (drinking hall) or "Büdchen" (little hut) that offer newspapers, drinks and at least basic food supplies. These shops are, depending on the area, open till late night or even 24/7.
Eet
- Sien ook: German cuisine
How to get service
In Germany, at sit-down establishments, you usually look for a table that pleases you by yourself. In more expensive restaurants, it is more likely that a waiter attends you at the entrance who will lead you to a table.
When you get a table, it's yours until you leave. There is no need to hurry. That said, if you see that the restaurant is getting really crowded and people find it difficult to get a place, it is polite to leave and continue your after meal chat with your friends elsewhere.
It is also not absolutely unheard of in restaurants in the countryside, and in cities like Munich, to take a seat at a table where other people are already seated, especially if there are no other seats available. While it is uncommon to make conversation, in this case saying a brief hello goes a long way.
In Germany, the waiter or waitress is contacted by eye contact and a nod. He or she will come to your table immediately to serve you. Many service staff are university students who do it as a side gig, so the service might not always be as prompt and flawless as you could expect of trained staff. Have a bit of patience. Also keep in mind that waiters in Germany are expected to be as professional and unintrusive as possible, so be sure to ask if you need anything; checking on customers periodically like what waiters in the United States is considered unprofessional.
You will usually pay your bill directly to your waiter/waitress. Splitting the bill between individuals at the table is common. For tipping practices, see "Tipping" in the "Buy" section.
German food
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. Modern German cuisine has been influenced by other European countries such as Italië en Frankryk to become lighter. Dishes show a great local diversity which is interesting to discover. Most German Gaststätte and restaurants tend to be children and dog friendly, although both are expected to behave and not be too boisterous.
Putting places to eat into 7 categories gives you a hint about the budget and taste. Starting from the lower end, these are:
Imbiss
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 even spirits are available in most Schnellimbisse.
Döner Kebab is a Turkish dish of veal, chicken or sometimes lamb stuffed into bread, similar to Greek Gyros and Arab Schawarma. Despite being considered Turkish, it's actually a specialty that originated in Germany. According to legend, it was invented by Turkish immigrants in West Berlin during the 1970s. In fact, the Döner is Germany's most loved fast food. The sales numbers of Döner shops exceed those of McDonald's and Burger King products by far.
Nevertheless, fast food giants like McDonald's, Burger King and Pizza Hut can be found in most cities. Nordsee is a German seafood chain, which offers 'Rollmops' (pickled herrings) and many other fish and seafood snacks. However, many independent seafood snack-bars (most common along the German coasts) offer slightly better and slightly cheaper seafood. You can also find independent shops selling pizza by the slice.
In addition to being able to grab a sweet snack at a bakery, during the summer, it seems like ice cream shops are on every block. Try Spaghettieis for a popular sundae that is hard to find elsewhere. They press vanilla ice cream through a potato ricer to form the "noodles". This is topped with strawberry sauce to mimic the "spaghetti sauce" and usually either white chocolate shavings or ground almond nuts for "Parmesan cheese".
Bakeries and butchers
Germans do not have a tradition of sandwich shops, but you will find that bakeries and butchers sell quite good 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 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. Butcher shops that sell a lot of meals will often have a narrow, stand-up counter along one edge, so that you have a place to put your food while you stand up and eat it. Other bakeries and butcher shops even have tables and chairs and serve you more or less like a Café, as they also sell coffee and other hot beverages.
Canteens and cafeterias
Although rarely a tourist attraction in themselves, if you are wanting to sit down to eat but have little time or a limited budget, canteens and cafeterias are a good alternative to fast food restaurants. Many companies allow non-employees to eat at their canteens although most of these require some local knowledge about location and access, as do the university and college cafeterias. Food at college cafeterias is usually subsidised by the university and you'll have to pay a higher rate as a non-student but even then rates are usually affordable. Whether students can invite guests to dine at the student rate varies from university to university, but it is usually accepted when they swipe the meal with their own payment card which is usually their student ID or linked to it. Another option popular with pensioners and office workers are self-service restaurants in the larger furniture stores such as XXXL or IKEA.
Biergarten
In a beer garden, you can get the obvious drink. In traditional beer gardens in Beiere, it is possible to bring your own food if you buy their drinks. Most places will offer simple meals. Sommige Biergärten are also known as Bierkeller (literally beer cellar), especially in Franconia. Historically, Bierkeller originate from the need to store beer in a cool place prior to artificial refrigeration. Thus underground structures were dug and soon beer would be sold directly out of storage in the summer months, giving rise to the Bierkeller tradition as we know it today. Many are set in quite beautiful natural surroundings, but probably the best known ensemble of Bierkeller can be found in Erlangen where they gave rise to the Bergkirchweih, one of the biggest beer festivals in the area. They were dug through a mountain just out of town and gave the city an edge in beer storage and consequently higher production capabilities, which led to beer from Erlangen becoming a household name once the railway connection enabled export. The invention of artificial cooling ended that advantage, however. The cellars still exist and besides their role in Bergkirchweih one of them operates as a normal Keller (as it is often shortened to) year round.
As the name implies, a beer garden is in a garden. It may be entirely outdoors, or you may be able to choose between an indoor (almost always non-smoking) area and an outdoor area. They range in size from small, cozy corners to some of the largest eating establishments in the world, capable of seating thousands. Munich's Oktoberfest, which happens at the end of September each year, creates some of the most famous temporary beer gardens in the world.
Brauhaus
Smaller breweries sell their products straight to the customer and sometimes you will find food there as well. Haxe of Schweinshaxe (the ham hock, or the lower part of the pig's leg) will usually be among the offerings. It is a distinctively German specialty and probably the best dish in almost every establishment of that sort.
Gasthof/Gasthaus
Probably 50% of all eating places fall into this group. They are mainly family-run businesses that have been owned for generations, comparable to pubs in the UK. You can go there simply for a drink, or to try German food (often with a local flavour). 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) in 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 thanks to an organised coach excursion).
Restaurants
Germany has a wide range of flavours (e.g. German, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Polish, Indian, Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Vietnamese) 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. Muslims may want to stick to Turkish or 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 (sometimes spelled helal for the Turkish word for it) 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.
Some restaurants offer all-you-can-eat-buffets where you pay around €10 and can eat as much as you want. Drinks are not included in this price.
"XXL-Restaurants" are rising in popularity. These offer mostly standard meat dishes like Schnitzel or Bratwurst in big to inhumane sizes. There is often a dish that is virtually impossible to eat alone (usually bordering 2 kg!) but if you manage to eat everything (and keep it inside), the meal will be free and you'll get a reward. Unlike in other restaurants it is common and encouraged to take leftover food home.
Table manners
By baie formal events and in high-end restaurants, a few German customs may differ from what some visitors may be used to:
- It's considered bad manners to eat with your elbows resting on the table. Keep only your wrists on the table. Most Germans will keep up these manners in everyday life since this is one of the most basic rules parents will teach their children. If you go to a restaurant with your German friends, you may want to pay attention too.
- When moving the fork to your mouth, the tines should point upwards (not downwards as in 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, Britain). Spoons used to stir beverages, e.g. coffee, should not be put in the mouth at all.
- If you have to temporarily leave the table, it's fine to put your napkin (which should have rested, folded once along the centre, 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.
- If you want the dishes to be cleared away put your knife and fork parallel to each other with the tips at roughly the half past eleven mark of your plate. Otherwise the waitstaff will assume you are still eating.
Typical dishes
Rinderroulade mit 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 (5 cm 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.
Schnitzel mit Pommes Frites: there are probably as many different variations of Schnitzel as there are restaurants in Germany, most of them have in common a thin slice of pork that is usually breaded, and fried for a short period of time and it is often served with fries (usually called Pommes Frites or often just Pommes). 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 a Schnitzel Wiener Art, of Viennese-style schnitzel which is allowed to be pork). In the south you can often get Spätzle (pasta that Swabia is famous for) instead of fries with it. Spätzle are egg noodles typical of south Germany – most restaurants make them fresh. Due to the ease of its preparation ordering it might be perceived as an insult to any business with a decent reputation (with the exception of Wiener Schnitzel perhaps), admittedly it is almost unavoidable to spot it on the menu of any sleazy German drinking hole (and there are many...), if nothing else therefore it might even be the most common dish in German restaurants (yes, at least German government officials doen call their taverns as well as the common fast food stalls restaurants!).
Rehrücken mit 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 hardly a 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. The most popular type of sausage probably is the Currywurst (Bratwurst cut into slices and served with ketchup and curry powder) and can be bought almost everywhere.
Königsberger Klopse: Literally "meatballs from Königsberg", this is a typical dish in and around Berlin. The meatballs are made out of minced pork and anchovies 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.
Local specialties
Starting from the north of Germany going south you will find a tremendous variety of food and each region sticks to its origins.The coastal regions are fond of seafood and famous dishes include "Finkenwerder Scholle".
In the region of Cologne you will find Sauerbraten, which is a roast marinated in vinegar. Traditionally made from the tough meat of the horses who worked their lives pulling river barges up the Rhine, these days the dish is usually made from beef.
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 its lamb 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 Lüneburger 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 confused tourists). At the coast there's a variety of fish dishes. Beware: if a restaurant offers "Edelfischplatte" or any dish of similar name, the fish may not be fresh and even (this is quite ironic) 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 standardised quality fish and other seafood at low prices all over Germany is "Nordsee", though you will rarely find authentic specialties there.
Pfälzer Saumagen: Long a well-known dish in Palatinate, but difficult to find outside of this area. Literally this is pig stomach filled with a mash of potato and meat, cooked for 2–3 hours and then cut into thick slices. It is often served with sauerkraut. It gained some notoriety as Helmut Kohl was fond of serving it to official state guests such as Gorbachev and Reagan when he was Chancellor.
Swabia is famous for Spätzle (a kind of noodle, often served with cheese as Kässpätzle) and "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" (a type of meat pie and potato salad), "Nürnberger Bratwurst" (probably the 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 spirits made from cherries).
A delicacy in Saxony is Eierschecke, a cake made of eggs and cream similar to cheese cake.
A specialty of the East is "Soljanka" (originally from Ukraine, but probably the most common dish in the GDR), a sour soup containing vegetables and usually some kind of meat or sausages.
Seasonal specialties
White asparagus (Spargel) floods the restaurants from April to June all over Germany, especially in and around Baden-Baden and the small town of Schwetzingen ("The Asparagus Capital"), near Heidelberg, in an area north and north-east of Hannover ("Lower Saxony's Asparagus Route"), as well as in the area southwest of Berlin, especially in the town of Beelitz and along the Lower Rhine ("Walbecker Spargel"). Franconia, particularly the Knoblauchsland around Nuremberg also produces quite good asparagus. Many vegetables can be found all year round and are often imported from far away, whereas asparagus can be found for only 2 months and is best enjoyed fresh after harvest, it stays nice for a couple of hours or until the next day. The asparagus is treated very carefully and it is harvested before it is ever exposed to daylight, so that it remains white. When exposed to daylight it changes its colour to green and might taste bitter. Therefore, white asparagus is considered to be better by most Germans. Especially in areas with a Spargel growing tradition the devotion to this white vegetable can seem near-religious and even rural mom and pop restaurants will have a page or more of Spargel recipes in addition to their normal menu.
The standard asparagus meal is the asparagus stalks, hollandaise sauce, boiled potatoes, and some form of meat. The most common meat is ham, preferably smoked; however, you will also find it teamed with schnitzel (fried breaded pork), turkey, beef, or whatever is available in the kitchen.
White asparagus soup is one of the hundreds of different recipes that can be found with white asparagus. Often it is made with cream and contains some of the thinner asparagus pieces.
Another example of a seasonal specialty is kale (Grünkohl). You can find that mainly in Lower Saxony, particularly the southern and south-western parts such as the "Emsland" or around the "Wiehengebirge" and the "Teutoburger Wald", but also everywhere else there and in the eastern parts of North-Rhine-Westphalia. It is usually served with a boiled rough sort of sausage (called "Pinkel") and roasted potatoes. If you are travelling in Lower-Saxony in fall, you should get it in every "Gasthaus".
Lebkuchen are some of Germany's many nice Christmas biscuits and gingerbread. The best known are produced in and around Neurenberg.
Stollen is a kind of cake eaten during the Advent season and yuletide. Although native to Dresden, Sakse; it can be found everywhere in Germany.
Around St. Martin's day and Christmas, roasted geese ("Martinsgans" / "Weihnachtsgans") are quite common in German restaurants, accompanied by "Rotkraut" (red cabbage, in southern Germany it is often called Blaukraut) and "Knödeln" (potato dumplings), preferably served as set menu, with the liver, accompanied by some kind of salad, as starter, goose soup, and a dessert.
Bread
Germans are very fond of their brood (Brot), 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 aan €4, depending on the size (real specialties might cost more).
Because German bread tends to be excellent, sandwiches (belegtes Brot) are also usually to a high standard, including in train stations and airports. However, if you want to save money do as most locals and make the sandwich yourself as belegtes Brot can be quite expensive when bought ready made.
Vegetarian
Outside of big cities like Berlin, there aren't many places which are particularly aimed at vegetarian or vegan customers. Most restaurants have one or two vegetarian dishes. If the menu doesn't contain vegetarian dishes, don't hesitate to ask.
Be careful when ordering to ask whether the dish is suitable for vegetarians, as chicken stock and bacon cubes are a commonly "undeclared" ingredient on German menus.
However, there are usually organic food shops ("Bioladen", "Naturkostladen" or "Reformhaus") in every city, providing veg(etari)an bread, spreads, cheese, ice cream, vegan milk substitutes, tofu and seitan. The diversity and quality of the products is great and you will find shop assistants that can answer special nutritional questions in great depth.
Veganism and vegetarianism is on the rise in Germany so that many supermarkets (such as Edeka and Rewe) have a small selection of vegan products as well in their "Feinkost"-section such as seitan-sausages, tofu or soy milk at a reasonable price.
Allergy & Coeliac sufferers
When shopping for foods, the package labelling in Germany is generally reliable. All food products must be properly labelled including additives and preservatives. Be on the look out for Weizen (wheat), Mehl (flour) or Malz (malt) and Stärke (starch). Wees ekstra versigtig vir voedsel met Geschmacksverstärker (smaakversterkers) wat gluten as bestanddeel kan bevat.
- Reformhaus. 3.000 sterk netwerk van gesondheidswinkels in Duitsland en Oostenryk wat glutenvrye afdelings met pasta, brood en lekkernye bevat. Reformhaus-winkels kom gewoonlik in die laer vlak van winkelsentrums voor (byvoorbeeld: PotsdamerArkaden, ens.)
- DM Winkels. Die CWS / Shopper's Drug Mart-ekwivalent in Duitsland het toegewyde koring- en glutenvrye afdelings
- Alnatura. - natuurlike voedselwinkel met 'n groot toegewyde glutenvrye afdeling
Drink
Die wettige ouderdomme vir drank is:
- 14 - minderjariges mag ongedistilleerde (gefermenteerde) alkoholiese drankies in 'n restaurant koop, soos bier en wyn, mits hulle in die geselskap van hul ouers of 'n wettige voog is.
- 16 - minderjariges mag nie gedistilleerde (gefermenteerde) alkoholiese drank, soos bier en wyn, koop nie sonder hul ouers of 'n wettige voog. Enige drank wat gedistilleerde alkohol bevat (selfs al is die totale alkoholinhoud laer as vir 'n gewone bier) word nie toegelaat nie
- 18 - nadat hulle volwassenes geword het, word mense toegelaat om onbeperkte toegang tot alkohol te hê.
Bier
Die Duitsers is wêreldbekend vir hul bier en het die produksie en verbruik daarvan regoor die wêreld uitgevoer.
Eeue lank word biermaak in Beiere bestuur deur die Reinheitsgebot (suiwerheidswet) wat in 1871 tot nasionale beleid gemaak is met die eenwording van Duitsland, wat bepaal dat Duitse bier slegs van hop, mout en water gemaak mag word (gis was toe nog nie bekend nie). Die Reinheitsgebot is afgewater met invoer as gevolg van Europese integrasie, maar Duitse brouerye moet steeds daarby hou, want die nasionale wetgewing is van toepassing. Die nasionale wetgewing is egter ook afgewater en bepaal nou dat 'n verskeidenheid bymiddels en hulpmiddels tydens die produksieproses mag gebruik word, solank dit nie in die eindproduk voorkom nie.
Die plaaslike biermark word nie deur een of enkele groot brouerye oorheers nie. Alhoewel daar 'n paar groot spelers is, is die streeksdiversiteit enorm en is daar meer as 1 200 brouerye, waarvan die meeste slegs plaaslike markte bedien. Gewoonlik bedien kroeë en restaurante die plaaslike variëteite wat van dorp tot stad verskil. Die Noorde het egter minder verskeidenheid as die suide, en veral in gebiede wat nie gespesialiseerd is in bier nie, is dit waarskynlik dat u massaproduksie deur die groot brouerye afgewater word. As u regtig Duitse bier wil ervaar, probeer om kleiner handelsmerke te hou, want hulle hoef nie 'n beroep op 'n massamark te hê nie en is dus meer "individueel" van smaak. As jy in 'n Duitser sit Kneipe, 'n plaaslike bier is altyd 'n opsie, en dikwels die enigste opsie.
Spesialiteite sluit in Weizenbier (of Weißbier in Beiere), 'n verfrissende top-gefermenteerde bier wat gewild is in die suide, Alt, 'n soort donker ale wat veral in en rondom gewild is Düsseldorf, en Kölsch, 'n spesiale bier gebrou in Keulen. "Pils", die Duitse naam vir pilsner, is 'n liggoudbier wat uiters gewild is in Duitsland. Daar is ook seisoenale biere wat slegs op spesifieke tye van die jaar gemaak word (soos Bockbier in die winter en Maibock in Mei, wat albei 'n groter hoeveelheid alkohol bevat, soms dubbel soveel as 'n gewone Vollbier).
Bier word gewoonlik in 200 of 300 ml glase (in die noordelike deel) of 500 ml in die suide bedien. In Biergartens in Beiere is 500 ml 'n klein bier ('Halbe') en 'n liter is normaal ('Maß' uitgespreek 'Mahss'). Behalwe in 'Ierse kroeë' is pints of kruike ongewoon.
Vir Duitsers is baie skuim 'n teken van varsheid en kwaliteit; bier word dus altyd met baie kop bedien. (Alle bril het volume punte vir kritieke siele.)
Daarbenewens is Duitsers nie bang om bier met ander drankies te meng nie (alhoewel die ouer generasie dalk nie saamstem nie). Bier word gewoonlik gemeng met koolzuurhoudende limonade (gewoonlik met 'n verhouding van 1: 1) en 'n 'Radler' genoem (of 'n fietsryer wat so genoem word omdat dit gewoonlik gepaard gaan met 'n verfrissende drankie wat 'n fietsryer in die lente of somer tydens 'n fietsuitstappie kan geniet) (of "Alsterwasser" / "Alster" (na die rivier in Hamburg) in die noorde); 'Cocktails' van Pilsener / Altbier en koeldrank soos Fanta, 'n 'Krefelder' / 'Colaweizen'-kola en donkerkoringbier is nog 'n kombinasie wat gevind kan word. Pils gemeng met Cola is baie gewild, veral onder jonger Duitsers, en het verskillende name - afhangende van u omgewing - soos "Diesel", "Schmutziges" (vuil) of "Schweinebier" (varkebier). 'N Ander beroemde plaaslike lekkerny is "Berliner Weiße", 'n bewolkte, suur koringbier van ongeveer 3%. wat met stroop (tradisioneel framboos) gemeng word en in die somer baie verfrissend is. Hierdie gemengde drankies op biergebied is wydverspreid en gewild en kan gekoop word as vooraf gemengde bottels (gewoonlik in ses verpakkings) waar gewone bier verkoop word.
Kroeë is tot 02:00 of later in Duitsland oop. Kos is gewoonlik beskikbaar tot middernag. Duitsers gaan gewoonlik na 20:00 uit (gewilde plekke is reeds 18:00 vol).
Cider
Onbetwiste hoofstad van "Apfelwein" (of Äbblwoi soos dit plaaslik genoem word) cider in Duitsland is Frankfurt. Frankfurters hou van hul sider. Daar is selfs spesiale kroeë ("Apfelweinkneipe") wat slegs Apfelwein en sommige gastronomiese spesialiteite sal bedien. Cider word gereeld in 'n spesiale kruik met die naam "Bembel" bedien. Die smaak verskil effens van ciders in ander lande en is geneig om verfrissend te wees. In die herfs wanneer appels in cider verander word, kan u op sommige plekke 'Frischer Most' of 'Süßer' vind. Dit is die eerste produk in die ketting van die "Apfelwein" -produksie; een glas daarvan is lekker, maar na twee of drie glase het u 'n probleem, tensy u baie tyd op die toilet spandeer. In die Saarland en omliggende streke word "Apfelwein" "Viez" genoem. Dit wissel hier van "Suesser Viez" (soet) tot "Viez Fein-Herb" (medium soet) tot "Alter Saerkower" (suur). Die Viez-hoofstad van die streek is Merzig. Gedurende die winter is dit ook baie algemeen om warm sider (saam met 'n paar naeltjies en suiker) te drink. Dit word beskou as 'n doeltreffende maatreël teen aankomende verkoue.
Koffie
Duitsers drink baie koffie. Die hawe van Hamburg is die wêreld se besigste plek om koffie te verhandel. Koffie word altyd vars gemaak van gemaalde koffie of boontjies - geen oomblik nie. Persone wat egter uit lande kom met 'n groot koffietradisie (soos Italië, Portugal, Turkye, Griekeland of Oostenryk) vind die koffie wat in normale restaurante bedien word dalk 'n bietjie vervelig. 'N Duitse spesialiteit, afkomstig van Noord-Friesland, maar deesdae ook algemeen in Oos-Friesland, is "Pharisäer", 'n mengsel van koffie en 'n spiritus, gewoonlik rum, met 'n dik roomblad. 'N Variasie hiervan is "Tote Tante" (dooie tannie, met koffie vervang deur warm sjokolade).
Die afgelope paar jaar het die Amerikaanse koffiehuisketting Starbucks of klone uitgebrei na Duitsland, maar meestal sal u 'Cafés' teëkom wat gewoonlik 'n groot verskeidenheid koeke bied om saam met die koffie te gaan.
Glühwein
Besoek u Duitsland in Desember? Gaan kyk dan na een van die bekendes Kersmarkte (die bekendste wat in Neurenberg, Dresden, Leipzig, Münster, Bremen, Augsburg en Aken) en dit is die plek waar jy Glühwein (glühwein), 'n gekruide wyn wat baie warm bedien word om u in die koue winter te vertroos.
Geeste
'N Generiese woord vir drank gemaak van vrugte is Struikelblok, en elke area het sy spesialiteite.
Beiere hou ook van hul bier Enzian, 'n gees met baie alkohol wat die beste is as 'n spysverteringstelsel na 'n stewige maaltyd.
Kirschwasser beteken letterlik kersie water; dit smaak beslis kersie, maar aan die ander kant is dit nie gewone drinkwater nie. Daar is 'n langdurige tradisie in die maak van sterk drank in Baden, en 'Kirschwasser' is waarskynlik die vlagskipproduk en dit kan u aanmoedig om ander spesialiteite te proe, soos Himbeergeist (van framboos), Schlehenfeuer (gegeur met sloe-bessies), Williamchrist (peer) en Apfelkorn (appelsap en Korn).
Korn, wat van graan gemaak is, is waarskynlik die algemeenste gees in Duitsland. Korn is meer gewild in die Noorde, waar dit bier in gewildheid oorskry. In die Suide is die situasie omgekeer. Sy vernaamste produksiesentrum (Berentzen) lê in Haselünne, waar toere en proeë in die distilleerderye gereël kan word. Die stad is naby die rivier die Ems in die noordweste van Duitsland; vir spoorwegdiens na Haselünne (baie yl) sien Eisenbahnfreunde Hasetal[dooie skakel]. 'N Algemene mengsel is Korn met appelsap ("Apfelkorn"), wat gewoonlik ongeveer 20% gemiddeld is. en word gewoonlik deur jonger mense verteer. Nog 'n stad wat bekend is vir sy Doppelkorn (met meer as vyfhonderd jaar tradisie om te begin) is Nordhausen in Thüringen, waar toere en proe ook maklik gereël kan word.
In Nedersakse, veral in gebiede rondom die Lüneburger Heide, is daar verskillende gespesialiseerde drank en snaps prominent. Ratzeputz bevat 58% alkohol en bevat uittreksels en distillate van gemmerwortel. Heidegeist is 'n kruie-drank wat 31 heide-bestanddele bevat met 'n alkoholinhoud van 50%. Dit is helder van kleur en het 'n sterk, soutagtige smaak.
In Noord-Friesland, Köm (karwynspiritus), suiwer of gemeng met tee ("Teepunsch", teepons), is baie gewild.
Eiergrog is 'n warm mengsel van eierdrank en rum.
Tee
Tee, T-stuk, is ook baie gewild, en 'n groot keuse is maklik beskikbaar. Die streek van Oos-Frisia veral het 'n lang teetradisie, en is waarskynlik die enigste plek in Duitsland waar tee gewilder is as koffie. Die Oost-Friese teeseremonie bestaan uit swart tee wat bedien word in 'n plat porseleinkoppie met spesiale rotsuiker (Kluntje) wat in die beker gesit word voordat die tee geskink word. Room word daarna bygevoeg, maar word nie by die tee geroer nie. Die voorliefde vir tee in die Oos-Fries word in 'n taamlike berugte advertensie vir 'n sekere soetkoek bespot wat vermoedelik goed gaan met koffie, net omdat die eis onderbreek word deur 'n raserige Oos-Fries wat sou sê 'Und was ist mit Tee? " (En wat van tee?) In 'n stereotipiese Noord-Duitse aksent. Die meeste Duitsers ken hierdie sin steeds, al is dit nie noodwendig die oorsprong daarvan nie.
Warm sjokolade
Veral in die winter hou Duitsers van hul warm sjokolade (heiße Schokolade), wat wyd beskikbaar is. Warm sjokolade in Duitsland is geneig om min of meer te wees Zartbitter - dit wil sê bittersoet - en in die meer fynproewersondernemings kan dit nogal donker en bitter wees en net 'n bietjie soet. Dit word gewoonlik saam met bedien Schlag (vars geklopte room, ook genoem Schlagsahne). Alhoewel dit gewoonlik vooraf voorberei bedien word, bedien sommige kafees 'n blok sjokolade wat u meng en self in die warm melk smelt. Melksjokolade word genoem Kinderschokolade ('kindersjokolade') in Duitsland en glad nie ernstig opgeneem word nie. Moet dus nie verwag dat u warm melksjokolade kan bestel as u 'n volwassene is nie.
Wyn
Sommige Duitsers is net so passievol oor hulle wyne (Wein) soos ander oor hul bier gaan. Die ooreenkomste hou nie hier op nie; albei produkte word dikwels deur klein ondernemings vervaardig, en die beste wyne word plaaslik verbruik. Die produksie van wyn het 'n 2000 jaar oue geskiedenis in Duitsland, soos blyk uit die Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Trier maar natuurlik was dit destyds 'n Romeinse nedersetting. Sonskyn is die beperkende faktor vir die produksie van wyne in Duitsland, en dus is wynproduksie beperk tot die suide. Witwyn speel 'n hoofrol in die wynproduksie, maar sommige gebiede produseer rooiwyne (Ahr, Baden Württemberg). Witwyne word geproduseer van Riesling-, Kerner- en Müller-Thurgau-druiwe (daar is baie meer) en produseer gewoonlik vars en vrugtige wyne. Duitse wyne kan ryk aan suur wees en baie verfrissend wees. Daar word algemeen aanvaar dat Riesling-druiwe die beste Duitse wyne lewer, maar hulle benodig baie sonskyn en hulle groei die beste in baie blootgestelde gebiede soos die Mosel, Rheingau, Bergstraße, Kaiserstuhl en Pfalz.
Duitsland is bekend vir sy yswyn (Eiswein), waarin die druiwe op die wingerdstokke laat vries voordat dit geoes word. Duitse variëteite yswyn is oor die algemeen minder soet as hulle Kanadese eweknieë.
Die beste manier om wyne te leer, is om na die plek waar hulle gekweek word, te proe en ter plaatse te proe. Dit word 'Weinprobe"en is gewoonlik gratis - alhoewel u 'n klein fooi vir toeristegebiede moet betaal.
Goeie wyne gaan gewoonlik saam met goeie kos, sodat u dit graag kan besoek as u honger en dors is. Die sogenaamde Straußenwirtschaft, Besenwirtschaft of Heckenwirtschaft is klein 'kroeë' of tuine waar 'n wynprodusent sy eie wyn verkoop, gewoonlik met min etes soos toebroodjies of kaas en ham. Gewoonlik is hulle slegs in die somer en herfs oop, en nie langer as 4 maande per jaar nie (as gevolg van wetlike voorskrifte). Aangesien hulle iewers in die wingerde of in sommige agterstrate is, is dit nie altyd maklik om te vind nie, dus vra die beste vir 'n plaaslike bevolking vir die volgende (of beste) Straußenwirtschaft hy weet.
Gedurende die herfs kan u 'Federweisser' in Suidwes-Duitsland koop. Dit is 'n gedeeltelik gefermenteerde witwyn en bevat alkohol (afhangend van ouderdom), maar smaak baie soet. Dit is ook beskikbaar van rooi druiwe, wat 'Roter Sauser' of 'Roter Rauscher' genoem word.
Wynproduserende gebiede is:
- Ahr is die paradys van Duitse rooiwyne. Die helfte van die produksie is gewy aan rooiwyne en is dig bevolk met "Gaststätten" en "Strausswirten". 'N Gesegde lui: Wie die Ahr besoek het en onthou dat hy daar was, was nog nie daar nie.
- Baden met c. Baden is Duitsland se derde grootste wynbougebied, 15 500 hektaar wynplase en 'n produksie van 1 miljoen hektoliter. Dit is die suidelikste Duitse wyngebied en is Duitsland se enigste lid van die Europese Wynkategorie B, tesame met die beroemde Franse gebiede Elsas, Champagne en Loire. Baden is meer as 400 km lank en is in nege streeksgroepe verdeel: Tauberfranken, Badische Bergstraße, Kraichgau, Ortenau, Breisgau, Kaiserstuhl, Tuniberg, Markgräflerland en Bodensee. Die Kaiserstuhl en die Markgräflerland is die bekendste gebiede vir wyn uit Baden. Een van die grootste wynkoöperasies is die Badischer Winzerkeller in Breisach.
- Franken: Franconia is in die noordelike deel van Beiere en daar is baie goeie wyne, meestal droë witwyn. Sommige wyne wat in Franconia geproduseer word, word in 'n spesiale bottel genaamd "Bocksbeutel" verkoop.
- Hessische Bergstraße: aan die hange van die Rynvallei is dit 'n rustige klein wynproduksiegebied, en wyne word gewoonlik in die omgewing in en om die land verbruik. Heppenheim.
- Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: die steilste wingerde in Duitsland kan gesien word as u in die Moselvallei ry vanaf Koblenz aan Trier.
- Pfalz: grootste wynproduserende gebied in Duitsland. Het 'n paar uitstekende wyne om te proe en baie mooi dorpies in wingerde. Proe wyn in Deidesheim is 'n goeie idee en verskeie hoofprodusente van Duitse wyn is op die hoofweg. Wil u die grootste wynvat in die wêreld sien? Gaan dan na Bad Dürkheim.
- Rheingau: is die kleinste wynproduksiegebied, maar lewer die Riesling-wyne met die hoogste gradering in Duitsland. Besoek Wiesbaden en maak 'n reis op die Ryn na Eltville en Rüdesheim.
- Rheinhessen ook is veral bekend vir sy Riesling. Besoek Mainz en maak 'n reis op die Ryn na Wurms, Oppenheim, Ingelheim of Bingen.
- Saale-Unstrut: in die deelstaat Sakse-Anhalt aan die oewer van die riviere Saale en Unstrut is die mees noordelike wynproduserende gebied in Europa.
- Sachsen: Een van die kleinste wynstreke in Duitsland, geleë langs die Elbe-rivier naby Dresden en Meissen.
- Württemberg: Soos voorheen genoem, geld die reël dat die beste wyn deur plaaslike inwoners verbruik word; wynverbruik per kop is twee keer so hoog as in die res van Duitsland, ongeag of dit rooi of witwyn is. Die spesialiteit van die streek is die rooiwyn genaamd Trollinger en dit kan volgens Duitse standaarde nogal lekker wees.
Slaap
Duitsland bied byna alle opsies vir akkommodasie, insluitend hotelle, B & B's, koshuise en kampeerplekke. U kan dit ook oorweeg om by lede van a te bly gasvryheidsruil netwerk.
Duitse matrasse neem gewoonlik 'n middelgrond vir fermheid in vergelyking met sagte Amerikaanse en harde Japannese matrasse. Die beddegoed is meestal eenvoudig: 'n laken om die matras te bedek, een dekbed per persoon (Dekke, baie lekker as jy by iemand slaap wat geneig is om die komberse te vark, maar soms 'n bietjie winderig om die tone vir lang mense) en 'n enorme vierkantige veerkussing, wat jy kan vorm in enige vorm wat jou behaag. Die opmaak van die bed in die oggend neem net sekondes: vou die bed Dekke in derdes met 'n vinnige draai van die polse, asof dit op u plek gaan slaap terwyl u buite is, en gooi die kussing bo in die bed.
Hotelle
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Die meeste internasionale hotelkettings het franchises in die grootste Duitse stede, en daar is 'n groot verskeidenheid plaaslike hotelle. Alle hotelle in Duitsland word volgens sterre (1 tot 5 sterre) gerangskik. Die ranglys word onafhanklik gemaak en is dus oor die algemeen betroubaar, maar in sommige gevalle kan dit gebaseer wees op taamlik verouderde inspeksies. Die tarief sluit altyd BTW in en is gewoonlik per kamer. Pryse verskil aansienlik volgens stad (München en Frankfurt duurste is). U kan baie hotelle met 'waardegerigte' ketting vind Motel One of Ibis, beide in die voorstede en middestede van die meeste stede, wat dikwels redelik nuut of opgeknap is en verbasend lekker is vir die prys. Vir mense wat per motor reis, net soos Frankryk, het Duitsland 'n digte netwerk van Ibis Budget-hotelle aan die buitewyke van stede naby Autobahns, wat 'n werklike hotelervaring bied teen pryse wat met koshuise kan meeding.
Aan die ander kant van die skaal het Duitsland baie luukse hotelle. Die hotelkettings se markpenetrasie is hoog. Plaaslike handelsmerke sluit die ultra-luukse Kempinski (wat tans nogal 'n wêreldwye handelsmerk is) in, terwyl Dorint en Lindner luukse sakhotelle bedryf. Die meeste wêreldwye hotelkettings is sterk, met Accor (Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure).
Dit is nie 'n cliche waarop u kan vertrou dat Duitse hotelle kwaliteit en 'n voorspelbare ervaring lewer nie. U sal miskien nie bederf word as die brosjure dit nie sê nie, maar dit is baie selde dat u ervaring sleg sal wees. Boonop is die binnelandse toerisme in Duitsland baie gesinsgerig, en daarom hoef u geen gesinsvriendelike hotelle met ekstra beddens in die kamers te vind nie, dikwels in die vorm van 'n stapelbed, en geriewe vir u jongeres.
Wanneer die naam van 'n hotel die term "Garni" bevat, beteken dit dat die ontbyt ingesluit is. Daar kan dus 'n groot aantal hotelle wees met die naam "Hotel Garni"in 'n stad; noem die volle naam van die hotel as u aanwysings vra, en nie net nie"Hotel Garni".
bed en ontbyt
B & B's ("Pensionen" of "Fremdenzimmer") bied gewoonlik minder gemak as hotelle teen goedkoper pryse. Die voordeel is dat u waarskynlik Duitsers sal ontmoet en die Duitse manier van leef raak. 'N Bordjie met die woorde "Zimmer frei" dui op 'n B&B met 'n kamer beskikbaar.
Koshuise
Koshuise bied eenvoudige, goedkoop akkommodasie, hoofsaaklik in gedeelde kamers. Dit is goeie plekke om ander reisigers te leer ken. In Duitsland, soos in baie lande, bestaan daar twee soorte: internasionale jeugherberge en onafhanklike koshuise.
Internasionale Jeugherberge ("Jugendherbergen") word besit en bestuur deur die vereniging "Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk" (DJH), wat deel uitmaak van die Hostelling International (HI) netwerk. Daar is meer as 600 koshuise verspreid oor Duitsland in groot en klein stede sowel as op die platteland. Nie net individuele reisigers is gaste nie, maar ook skoolklasse en ander jeuggroepe. Om daar te kan slaap, moet u lid wees van 'n jeugherbergorganisasie wat deel uitmaak van die HI netwerk. Gedetailleerde inligting hieroor en elk van hul koshuise kan op die DJH's gevind word. Oor die algemeen behels dit bloot die invul van 'n kaart en 'n paar ekstra euro's per nag. Oor die algemeen is die voordeel van hierdie plekke dat hulle geneig is om 'n buffetontbyt sonder ekstra koste te bedien, alhoewel dit nie 'n absolute reël is nie. Die gehalte is egter dikwels laer as dié van private koshuise, en baie bied nie 'n goeie geleentheid vir kuier nie.
Privaat bestuurde onafhanklike koshuise begin 'n aantreklike alternatief vir 'n soortgelyke prys wees. Meer as 60 bestaan al in Duitsland, en elke jaar is daar meer en meer oop. Dit kom voor in groter stede, veral in Berlyn, München, Dresden, en Hamburg. Slegs enkeles is op die platteland. Die koshuise word soms bestuur deur voormalige reisigers en hou daarvan om nie streng reëls te hê nie. Veral kleintjies is gereeld plekke waar u tuis kan voel. Baie is bekend vir hul lewendige, partytjie-atmosfeer en kan 'n uitstekende manier wees om ander reisigers te ontmoet. Dit is nie nodig om in een of ander organisasie 'n lid te wees om daar te slaap nie. Ongeveer die helfte van die koshuise het hulself in 'n "Backpacker Network Duitsland", wat 'n lys van hul lede se koshuise bied. 'N Webwerf met byna alle onafhanklike koshuise in Duitsland Gomio. Natuurlik is internasionale kamerbesprekingsagentskappe soos Hostelsclub, Hostelworld en Hostelbookers ook goeie hulpbronne en gee dit reisigers die geleentheid om resensies te lewer. A & O koshuise / hotelle het 'n aantal belangrike sentrale stadsplekke in Duitsland wat 'n interessante kombinasie van akkommodasie en hotelstyl akkommodasie bied wat gewoonlik voorsiening maak vir jong volwassenes en gesinne.
Kampeer
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Daar is ontelbare kampplekke in Duitsland. Hulle wissel aansienlik in die infrastruktuur en standaard. Die ADAC, die Duitse motorklub, bied 'n uitstekende gids vir die meeste Duitse kampeergroepe. As u lid is van u nasionale motorklubhulp, is gidse gratis of teen aansienlik verlaagde pryse.
Sommige reisigers slaan net hul tente êrens op die platteland op. In Duitsland is dit onwettig (behalwe in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), tensy u die toestemming van die grondeienaar het. Byna niemand gee om nie, solank as wat u diskreet is, bly net een nag en neem u asblik saam. Wees bewus van jagvelde en militêre oefenterreine, anders kan u die gevaar loop om geskiet te word.
Leer
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Duitse universiteite is mededingend met die beste in die wêreld. In die algemeen dink Duitsers nie veel aan die relatiewe gehalte van een Duitse universiteit in vergelyking met 'n ander nie, maar die staatsbesit word gewoonlik meer gesog as privaat en ouer as jonger. Daar was 'n "Excellence-inisiatief" deur die federale regering om die mees gesogte universiteite te vereer en ekstra befondsing te gee, maar die finansiering is streng gegee op grond van hul navorsing nie hulle nie onderrig en is dikwels beperk tot enkele uitgesoekte departemente. Een van die bekendste universiteite in Duitsland onder Engelssprekendes Heidelberg Universiteit (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg), wat ook die oudste universiteit van Duitsland is.
Aangesien die oorgrote meerderheid van die universiteite in staatsbesit is, is studie in Duitsland gewoonlik baie goedkoop (€ 50-700 / semester), maar hou in gedagte dat die lewenskoste in die meeste van Duitsland redelik hoog is (byvoorbeeld Tübingen: ongeveer € 350–400 huur per maand vir eenkoste vir een-woonstelwoonstelle) met huur die grootste faktor. As gevolg hiervan deel die meeste studente óf 'n woonstel óf woon hulle in 'n koshuis. Slaapkamers oorweeg ook dikwels die finansiële situasie van die aansoekers en besluit daarvolgens.
Terwyl toelating tot Duitse universiteite eenvoudig is vir EU-burgers, kan voornemende studente uit nie-EU-lande burokratiese struikelblokke ondervind, soos om gevra te word dat hulle hul eie uitgawes kan dek. Vanweë die vraag na jong geskoolde werkers moedig die Duitse regering buitelandse studente uit lande soos die VSA en Indië aan, met meer universiteite wat kursusse in Engels aanbied. Daar is baie min beurse wat maklik beskikbaar is vir buitelanders, 'klassieke' studielenings is nie tipies nie en 'duale Studiengänge' (werk en studeer terselfdertyd 'n professionele en akademiese graad) betaal gewoonlik minder as vergelykbare poste op intreevlak, veral met inagneming van die betrokke werkslading. Baie universiteite is eeue gelede gestig en ontgroei al lankal die geboue wat oorspronklik daarvoor gebou is en is dus 'n uitsondering eerder as die reël om 'n samehangende kampus te hê. Tog probeer baie universiteite ten minste verwante velde naby mekaar hou, maar as u toevallig 'n kombinasie van vakke bestudeer wat in verskillende dele van die stad - of selfs in verskillende dorpe - aangebied word, moet u nogal 'n bietjie doen van pendel. Sommige universiteite is ook die gevolg van samesmeltings en het dus plekke in verskillende dorpe. Studente-advieskantore of universiteitsadministrasie het vreemde openingstye of kan selfs heeltemal buite die semester gesluit wees. Dit is ook nie ongehoord nie dat hulle eerder vir u sê dat u na 'n ander kantoor moet gaan - hulle beteken u geen skade nie, hulle is net oorwerk en wil nie dinge hanteer wat nie hul werk is nie.
Terwyl die Duitse universiteitstelsel vroeër baie unieke eienaardighede gehad het, word die meeste vakke in die loop van die "Bologna-proses" nou aangebied in die EU-wye "Bachelor / Master" -stelsel, wat - vergeleke met die vorige stelsel - eerder skoolagtig is en vaartbelyn. Desondanks word meer selfinisiatief by Duitse universiteite verwag as op baie ander plekke. Hulp met probleme is nie 'outomaties' nie en nuwelinge kan in die begin 'n bietjie agterbly. "Fachhochschulen" (wat hulself dikwels "Universities of Applied Sciences" in Engels noem) is geneig om te fokus op "praktiese" of "toegepaste" velde en is selfs meer skoolagtig. Terwyl 'FH' (die Duitse kortvorm) vroeër as 'n 'mindere' graad van universiteit gesien is, vervaag die stigma op baie terreine.
- Duitse akademiese uitruildiens
- Goethe-Institut bied Duitse taalkursusse aan
Werk
Die amptelike werkloosheidsyfer in Duitsland is ongeveer 4,8% vanaf Oktober 2019 en daar is werksgeleenthede vir diegene met die regte kwalifikasies of verbintenisse. Nie-EU-buitelanders wat in Duitsland wil werk, moet seker maak dat hulle die regte permitte kry. Die verkryging van hierdie vergunnings kan beteken dat u met die duidelike Germaanse burokrasie te doen het, veral vir nie-EU-burgers, en dit is dus nie 'n praktiese manier om u reisbegroting te help nie.
Nie-EU-studente mag aan hul verblyfpermitte werk, maar daar is 'n beperking van 120 volle (meer as vier ure gewerk) dae per jaar of 240 halwe dae (onder 4 ure gewerk) sonder spesiale magtiging. Om deur die universiteit te werk, vereis egter nie 'n spesiale permit nie.
Burgers van sommige nie-EU-lande (Australië, Kanada, Japan, Israel, Nieu-Seeland, Suid-Korea en die VSA) kan tydens hul 90 dae visumvrye verblyf vir 'n inwonerstatus met 'n werkpermit aansoek doen; hulle mag egter nie sonder 'n visum / magtiging werk nie. Ander burgers benodig 'n werkvisum voordat hulle die land binnekom, wat hulle na 'n verblyfpermit moet verruil. Vir meer inligting, sien die onderafdeling 'Toelatingsvereistes' van die afdeling 'Kom in' hierbo. Onwettige werk is redelik algemeen in die Duitse gasvryheids- en toerismebedryf (ongeveer 4,1% van die Duitse BBP) en feitlik die enigste manier om die Duitser te vermy. burokrasie. Om gevang te word, kan egter gevangenisstraf beteken, en u is aanspreeklik teenoor u werkgewer in dieselfde mate asof u wettig gewerk het.
As u 'n lang tydperk in Duitsland wil bly, maar nie Duits praat nie, is dit u beste keuse om groot multinasionale ondernemings in die bank-, toerisme- of hoëtegnologie-industrie te gebruik. Frankfurt, Stuttgart, München en natuurlik Hamburg en Berlyn is waarskynlik die beste plekke om te begin soek. Daar word gewoonlik 'n goeie kennis van Duits verwag, maar nie altyd 'n voorvereiste nie. Engelssprekendes wat gesertifiseerde onderwysers in hul tuislande is, kan moontlik werk by Amerikaanse of Britse internasionale skole verseker. Engelsonderrig sonder hierdie kwalifikasies is nie winsgewend in Duitsland nie. As u ander tale (verkieslik Spaans of Frans) magtig is, kan onderrig op 'n private basis 'n (addisionele) bron van inkomste wees.
In die aspersieseisoen (April tot Junie) is boere gewoonlik op soek na tydelike werkers, maar dit beteken regtig harde werk en slegte betaling. Die grootste voordeel van hierdie werk is dat kennis van Duits nie nodig is nie.
Bly veilig
Duitsland is 'n baie veilige land. Misdaadsyfers is laag en die oppergesag van die wet word streng toegepas.
Geweldsmisdade (moorde, roof, verkragtings, aanrandings) is baie skaars in vergelyking met die meeste lande. Moordsyfers was byvoorbeeld 0,86 gevalle per 100 000 inwoners - aansienlik laer as in die Verenigde Koninkryk (1,17), Australië (1,20), Frankryk (1,31), Kanada (1,81) en die VSA (5,0) - en hulle daal steeds. Sakkies kan soms 'n probleem in groot stede of by geleenthede met 'n groot skare wees. Bedel is nie ongewoon in sommige groter stede nie, maar in geen groter mate as in die meeste ander groot stede nie, en u sal selde aggressiewe bedelaars teëkom.
As u omstreeks 1 Mei in sekere dele van Berlyn of Hamburg (Schanzenviertel) tuisgaan (Tag der Arbeit) verwag demonstrasies wat gereeld ontaard in botsings tussen die polisie en 'n minderheid van die betogers.
Neem die gewone voorsorgmaatreëls en u sal heel waarskynlik geen misdaad teëkom tydens u verblyf in Duitsland nie.
Noodgevalle
Die landwye noodnommer vir die polisie, brandweer en reddingsdienste is 112 (dieselfde as in alle EU-lande) of 110 slegs vir polisie. Hierdie nommer kan gratis geskakel word vanaf enige telefoon, insluitend telefoonhokkies en selfone (SIM-kaart benodig). As u 'n noodgeval aanmeld, is die gewone riglyne van toepassing: bly kalm en meld u presiese ligging, die soort noodgeval en die aantal betrokke persone. Moenie ophou voordat die operateur alle benodigde inligting ontvang het en die oproep beëindig het nie.
Daar is oranje noodtelefone afgewissel langs die hoofwegweë. U kan die naaste SOS-telefoon vind deur die pyle op die weerkaatsingsposte langs die pad te volg.
Ambulanse (Rettungswagen) kan ontbied word via die nasionale tolvrye noodnommer 112 en sal u help ongeag versekeringskwessies. Alle hospitale (Krankenhäuser), behalwe vir die kleinste privaat hospitale, het 24-uur noodkamers wat allerhande mediese probleme kan hanteer.
Rassisme
Die oorgrote meerderheid buitelandse besoekers sal nooit probleme met openbare rassediskriminasie of rassisme in Duitsland hanteer nie. Groot stede in Duitsland is baie kosmopolities en multietnies met groot gemeenskappe van mense van alle vastelande en godsdienste. Duitsers is ook baie bewus en skaam oor die historiese las van die Nazi-era en is gewoonlik oopkop en verdraagsaam in kontak met buitelanders. Nie-blanke besoekers kan af en toe versigtig lyk, maar nie in groter mate as in ander lande met 'n oorwegend wit bevolking nie.
Hierdie algemene situasie kan in sommige oorwegend landelike dele van Oos-Duitsland anders wees (insluitend die buitewyke van sommige stede met hoër werkloosheidsvlakke en hoë woonbuurte, dws "Plattenbau"). Voorvalle van rassistiese gedrag kan met enkele voorvalle van geweld voorkom. Die meeste hiervan gebeur snags wanneer groepe dronk "Neo-Nazi's" of sommige migrerende groepe moeilikheid (en eensame slagoffers) in die middestad of naby openbare vervoer soek. Dit kan ook buitelandse besoekers, haweloses, Wes-Duitsers en mense met alternatiewe voorkoms soos Punks, Goths, ens.
Publieke uitstallings van openlike antisemitisme word streng verbied deur wette wat baie toegepas word. The Hitler salute and the Nazi Swastika (but not religious Swastikas) are banned, as is the public denial of the Holocaust. Violations of these laws against racism are not taken lightly by the authorities, even when made in jest. You should also avoid displaying a Swastika even for religious reasons.
Polisie
Duits Polisie (German: Polizei) officers are always helpful, professional and trustworthy, but tend to be rather strict in enforcing the law, which means that one should not expect that exceptions are made for tourists. When dealing with police you should remain calm, courteous and avoid getting into confrontations. Most police officers should understand at least basic English or have colleagues who do.
Police uniforms and cars are green or blue. Green used to be the standard, but most states and the federal police have transitioned to blue uniforms and cars to comply with the EU standard.
Police officers are employed by the states except in airports, train stations, border crossings etc. which are controlled by the federal police (Bundespolizei). In mid-sized towns and big cities, local police (called Stadtpolizei, kommunale Polizeibehörde or Ordnungsamt) have some limited law enforcement rights and are in general responsible for traffic issues. States have a pretty big leeway when it comes to police and their tactics and as most police are state police, there is a marked difference between left wing city states like Berlin and conservative Southern states like Bavaria. As a broad generalization, police in the North tend to be more hands-off and tolerant of minor misbehavior while police in the South show more presence and are stricter about the rules, but you may get fined for jaywalking in Berlin just as well. The only major cases of police using violence on citizens (or vice versa) happen during demonstrations and soccer games, but you will notice that by the riot gear and mounted police patrolling in seemingly vastly excessive numbers. It's not advisable to talk to police during political demonstrations or soccer matches as they might construct a case of "Landfriedensbruch" (disturbing the peace) during such events on pretty flimsy grounds, sometimes misrepresenting what you said. Police are armed but will hardly ever use their weapons and never on unarmed people. As firearms are hard to get and a permit to carry one in public is virtually unheard of, police usually do not think anybody is armed unless the suspect brandishes a weapon and are thus unlikely to shoot somebody reaching in their pocket or the likes.
If you get arrested, you have the right to have an attorney. Foreign nationals also have the right to contact their respective embassy for assistance. You are never obliged to make a statement that would incriminate yourself (or someone related to you by blood or marriage) and you have the right to remain silent. Wait until your attorney arrives and talk to your attorney first. If you do not have a lawyer then you can call your embassy or else the local justice official will appoint an attorney for you (if the alleged crime is serious enough).
If you are a victim of a crime (for example robbery, assault or theft in public) and wave an oncoming patrol car or officer, it is not uncommon that the officers will (sometimes very harshly: "Einsteigen") command you to enter the back seat of the police cruiser. This is an action to start an instant manhunt to identify and arrest the suspect. In this case remember that you are not under arrest but to help the officers to enforce the law and maybe get back your property.
German police do have ranks but are not that keen about them; many Germans won't know the proper terms. Do not try to determine seniority by counting the stars on the officers shoulders in order to choose the officer you will address, since such behaviour can be considered disrespectful. Talk to any officer and they will answer your questions or redirect you to the officer in charge.
Prostitution
Prostitution is legal and regulated in Germany.
All larger cities have a red light district with licensed bars, go-gos and escort services. Tabloids are full of ads and the internet is the main contact base. Brothels are not necessarily easily spotted from the streets (outside of redlight districts) to avoid legal action by neighbours. Places best known for their redlight activities are Hamburg, Berlyn, Frankfurt en Keulen.
Recreational vehicles parked by the roadside in forests along Bundesstraßen (German for "federal highway"), with a red light in the front window and perhaps a lightly dressed woman on the passenger's seat, are most likely prostitutes soliciting customers.
Due to Germany's proximity to Eastern Europe, several cases of human trafficking and illegal immigration have taken place. Police regularly raid brothels to keep this business within its legal boundaries, and check the identity documents of workers and patrons alike.
Drugs
Alcohol may be purchased by persons 16 years and older. However, distilled beverages and mixed drinks with those (including the popular 'Alcopops') are available only at 18. It is not technically illegal for younger people to drink, but it is illegal to allow them to drink on premises. Youth 14 years and older are allowed to drink fermented beverages in the presence and with the allowance of their legal guardian. If the police notices underage drinking, they may pick the person up, confiscate the drinks and send the person home in the presence of an officer.
Smoking in public is allowed starting at age 18. Vending machines for cigarettes require a valid "proof of age", which in practice means that you need a German bank card or a (European) driving license to use them.
The situation on marijuana can be confusing. The Constitutional Court ruled that possession for "personal use", though still illegal, should not be prosecuted. Germany is a federal state; therefore the interpretation of this ruling is up to the state authorities. In fact charges are sometimes pressed even for tiny amounts, which will cause you a lot of trouble regardless of the outcome. As a general rule the northern states tend to be more liberal while in the south (especially Bavaria), even negligible amounts are considered illegal. The customs officials are also aware of the fact that you can legally buy marijuana in the Netherlands and therefore set up regular border controls (also inside trains), as importation of marijuana is strictly prohibited.
Even if you get off the charges, the authorities may cause different problems, like revoking your drivers license and if you have more than a few grams, you will be prosecuted in any case. Drugs will be confiscated in all cases.
All other recreational drugs (like ecstasy) are illegal and possession will lead to prosecution and at least a police record.
Crimes with date-rape drugs have been committed, so as anywhere else in the world be careful with open drinks.
Weapons
Some types of messe are illegal in Germany: this concerns mostly some types of spring knives, "butterfly" knives, knuckle knives and the like — possessing such knives is an offense. Knives that are intended as weapons are restricted to persons over 18. Furthermore, nunchakus, even soft-nunchakus, are illegal in Germany.
It is illegal to carry any type of "dangerous knife" on your person in public unless you have a valid reason to do so. For example, if you are out fishing you are still entitled to carry a fishing knife. "Dangerous" knives are generally those with a blade length exceeding 12 cm and locking "one-handed" folding knives.
Carrying any knife beyond a pocket knife (typically Swiss army knives) without any professional reasons (carpenter, etc.) is seen as very rude and unacceptable in Germany. Germans consider any non-professional used knives as signs of aggression and do not accept this behaviour. Flashing a knife (even folded) may cause bystanders to call the police, who will be very serious in handling the upcoming situation.
Firearms are strictly controlled. It is practically impossible to legally carry a gun in public unless you are a law enforcement officer. "Fake" firearms may not be carried in public if they resemble real guns. CO2 and air guns are relatively easy to acquire. If the police find any kind of weapon or firearm on you, you will appear highly suspicious.
Bow and arrow do not legally count as weapons while crossbows do, but you're certain to get stopped by police openly carrying either. Hunting is only legal with firearms or employing birds of prey and requires a license with rather strict requirements for environmental and animal welfare reasons.
Fireworks
Avoid bringing any fireworks into Germany, especially from outside the EU. Even bringing those can be an offence. Fireworks are traditionally used on New Year's Eve. Most "proper" fireworks (marked as "Klasse II") will be available at only the end of the year; they may be used by persons only over 18 on December 31 and January 1. Really small items (marked as "Klasse I") may be used around the year by anyone.
Visvang
Visvang laws differ a lot from state to state. Obtaining a fishing license for Germans and foreigners has become a highly bureaucratic process due to animal protection laws.
Gay and lesbian travellers
Germany is in general very tolerant of homosexuality. Nevertheless, like in every country some individuals still may disapprove and some areas are more accepting than others, so use common sense and be geared to the behaviour of the locals around you. In small towns and in the countryside, open displays of homosexuality should be limited.
The attitude towards gays and lesbians is rather tolerant, with openly gay politicians and celebrities being considered increasingly normal. While some, especially the elderly, Germans inwardly still don't approve of homosexuality or bisexuality, they usually suppress open utterances of homophobia. Therefore, in most cases, display of homosexuality (holding hands or kissing) will at most provoke stares or sometimes comments by children or elderly people.
Bly gesond
Sanitary and medical facilities in Germany are excellent. The phone book lists telephone numbers for various medical services, many hotlines and services exist that are open during "off hours". See the section Medical Emergencies above if you are in an emergency
Health care
If you have an non-urgent medical problem, you may choose from any local doctor. The German health system allows specialists to run their own surgery so you will usually be able to find every discipline from Dentistry to Neurology on duty within reasonable reach. In remote regions finding a doctor might require a ride to the next town but the German infrastructure allows fast connections. GPs/family doctors will usually describe themselves as "Allgemeinmediziner" – meaning "general medical doctor".
Pharmacies are called "Apotheke" and are marked by a big, red "A" symbol. At least one pharmacy in the area will be open at all times (usually a different one every day), and all pharmacies will post the name and address of the pharmacy-on-duty in the window. Some medication that is sometimes freely available in other countries (e.g. antibiotics) needs a prescription in Germany, so you may want to check before your journey. The staff of an Apotheke is well-trained, and it is mandatory to have at least one person with a university degree in pharmaceutics available in every Apotheke during opening hours. A German pharmacist is able to offer advice on medications. The apotheke is also where you go to get common over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, antacids, and cough syrup. Don't be misled by the appearance of "drug" in the name of a drogeriekonzern, such as the large dm-drogerie markt chain: "drug stores" in Germany sell everything except drugs.
In Germany pharmaceuticals tend to be expensive, so it might be wise to ask the pharmacist for "Generika" (generic drugs): A "Generikum" is virtually the same substance and dose, often even produced by the same pharmaceutical trust, just lacking the well-known brand name and being considerably cheaper. As the brand names for even common substances can vary a lot between countries as well as brands try to know the scientific name of the substance you need as they will be printed on the package and trained pharmaceutical professionals will know them.
Health insurance
EU citizens that are members of any public health insurance can get a European Health Insurance Card. The card is issued by your insurance provider and lets you use the public health care system in any EU country, including Germany.
If you're from outside the EU, or if you have a private health insurance, check if your insurance is valid in Germany. If not, get a travel health insurance for the trip – German health care is expensive.
Foreign insurance, even if it covers travel abroad, may not be accepted by local hospitals.
In any somewhat urgent case you will be treated first and asked for insurance or presented a bill later.
Drinking water
Kraanwater (Leitungswasser) is of excellent quality, and can be consumed with little concern. Exceptions are labeled ("Kein Trinkwasser", no drinking water) and can for example be found on fountains and in trains. In restaurants and cafes you will often have to specifically request 'Leitungswasser' since it is not generally assumed.
Many Germans tend to avoid drinking tap water and prefer bottled water (still or sparkling), in the erroneous belief that tap water is somehow of inferior quality. Die term Leitungswasser actually means 'plumbing water' which also doesn't actually sound too enticing. As a matter of fact, tap water is sometimes of even better quality than bottled water and unlike in e.g. the US there is no chlorine taste to it whatsoever. However, on some areas there is a taste difference for particularly sensitive palate due to the different mineral composition. Be aware however that some regions tap water have nitrate content above WHO levels and should not be drunk by women in early stages of pregnancy for any prolonged period.
Many Germans prefer sparkling (carbonated) water. Sparkling water is sold in any store that sells beverages and prices range from inexpensive 19-cent bottles (1.5 L) of "no-name" brands to several euros for fancy "premium" brands.
Most people buy bottled water in crates of 12 glass bottles or packs of 6 plastic bottles. Both the bottles and crates include a returnable deposit (Pfand). While the deposits for reusable plastic (15 cents) or glass bottles (8 cents) are relatively low, the deposit for disposable plastic bottles (marked by a special symbol on the side of the bottle) is relatively high at 25 cents and may be higher than the price of the water itself. Bottled water is usually sold carbonated (sparkling), although regular water (stilles Wasser) is also widely available and slowly gaining popularity among Germans. Sparkling water is usually sold in supermarkets in two degrees of sparkling: one with more CO2 (usually called spritzig or classic) and one with less CO2 (usually called medium).
Most springs and many public restrooms (e.g. on planes or trains) use non-potable water that has to be clearly marked by the words "kein Trinkwasser" or a symbol showing a glass of water with a diagonal line through it. If there is no such sign and the surroundings don't indicate otherwise it is safe to assume that the water is safe for human consumption.
Swem
Many lakes and rivers, as well as both the North Sea and Baltic Sea are generally safe for swimming. Nevertheless, while there may be no life-threatening pollutants in most bodies of water, you would do very well to inform yourself about local regulations. If you intend to swim in a large river, at best do so only on official bathing locations. Keep away from structures (power plants might cause streams you don't see from the surface) in the river or reaching from the shore into the river, also keep out of the path of ships. Both structures and ships, even if they look harmless or far away, may create major sucks underwater. Take particular care of children.
If you intend to swim in the North Sea you should inform yourselves about the tide schedules and weather conditions – getting caught in a tide can be fatal, getting lost in the mist, too. Hiking in the Wattenmeer without a local guide is extremely dangerous. In the Baltic Sea, on the other hand, there are virtually no tides.
Diseases
You should be aware of rabies (Tollwut) which has been a problem in some areas in the past, even though the authorities take it very seriously. If you go hiking or camping then be careful around wild animals such as foxes and bats.
The biggest risks hikers and campers face are two diseases transmitted by ticks. In some parts of Germany there is a (low) risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis; vaccination is advised if you plan out-door activities in high-risk areas. The risk of Lyme disease is higher and vaccination is not available. Therefore, you should try to prevent tick-bites by wearing long trousers and appropriate shoes. Chemical repellents can also be effective. You should also check for ticks afterwards since the risk of transmission is lower if the tick is removed early. The safest way to remove a tick is by using a credit card sized device called a "Zeckenkarte" (tick card), which you can get at most pharmacies. Other methods (fingers, using glue, etc.) might lead to the tick injecting even more infectious material into the wound. If in any doubt consult a doctor.
Natural dangers
Today, wild animals, although they abound, are mostly very shy, so you might not get to see many. When a few wolves in Saxony and Pomerania 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; in particular, 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, slowly walk into the opposite direction while still facing the animal. Also the poisonous crossed viper can pose a threat (in the Alpine region and natural reserves), though they are rare - don't provoke them.
Toilets
It can be surprisingly hard to locate a public toilet when needed. They are usually indicated by the letters WC, pictograms or the letter "H" (Herren; gentlemen) or "D" (Damen, ladies). Public toilets are rarely free. Sometimes you have to be a customer at the place they're attached to, sometimes there's an attendant and a "tip plate" to guilt trip you into paying money that may or may not be handed on to cleaning personnel. But one of the more common ways they charge you is the Sanifair system whereby you pay an amount of money and get a voucher for a lower amount of money (75 cents pay, 50 cents value) that you are able to cash in for goods at the adjacent (and other) stores, often subject to a bunch of conditions. Thankfully toilets in trains air-planes and buses are still free, but patrons often leave them in a disgusting state and sadly there isn't always someone around who can clean them. Fast food outlets and hotel receptions are usually a good option, fuel stations will usually provide facilities on request of a key. Shopping centres (Globus, Kaufland, Real, MediaMarkt etc) or hardware stores (Bauhaus,, Hagebau, Hela, Hornbach, Obi etc.) also have customer toilets, which can mostly be used free of charge. Aldi, Lidl or Netto mostly have no customer toilets.
Smoking and vaping
Individual Bundesländer started banning smoking in public places and other 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 enquire when booking. Smokers should be prepared to step outside if they want to light up. The only three states with a strict non-smoking law without exceptions are Beiere, Saarland en Noordryn-Wesfale. 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.
In restaurants it is widely accepted for customers to leave their table without paying the bill to go for a smoke and return later. If you are alone, tell the staff that you are going outside to smoke, and if you have a bag or coat, leave it there.
Supermarkets sell cigarettes, but they are usually encased in a special section adjacent to the cashier, where you must ask if you want to get one. Vending machines can also be found near bus stops, but you must insert a German ID card before using it. One pack of 20 cigarettes would usually cost €5-€7,50. Cheaper alternatives are roll-your-own tobacco, yet these cannot be bought in vending machines.
Vaping is also upcoming in Germany, more in the urban areas than the country sides. In nearly every city you can find a Dampfershop [vaping store] where you can get hardware or liquid, with or without Nicotine, €3-6 per 10ml. If you stay longer buy base and aroma separate and mix by yourself, it is much cheaper. Bringing large liquid bottles with Nicotine into Germany, in particular with more than 20 mg/ml and from outside the EU, can be illegal. To be safe carry only your needs for few days. The law say vaping is not smoking and so it is not affected by the non-smoking law, but most people do not know this. So if you like to be kind and safe do it like smoking and accept the common no-smoking rules too. Deutsche Bahn and other state-level public transport companies do not allow vaping on stations (except in the smoking areas), nor on their public transport.
Respek
Kultuur
The Germans have earned themselves a reputation for being stiff and strict with rules but also hard working and efficient. If you are caught breaking the rules, this will be readily pointed out to you by someone. The main exception in Germany seems to be speed limits. A quintessentially German action is waiting at a red traffic light at 2 AM with all streets empty.
More importantly, the German sense of "politeness" differs significantly from the Anglo-American concept of courteous remarks, small talk and political correctness. Germans highly value honesty, straight talking, being able to cope with criticism and generally not wasting other people's time. For instance, while the answer to "How is your day?" is a standard pleasantry like "It's going very well." in the Anglosphere, Germans will feel obliged to answer the question honestly when asked. Consequently, business meetings tend to lack the introductory chit-chat.
Titles (such as Dr., Prof. etc.) tend to be more used in the south than in the north. One would not blame you to leave them away. Some colleagues that have worked together for many years still call each by their surname. When a German introduces himself to you, he/she will often simply state their surname, prompting you to call them "Mr/Mrs...". Germans would not expect you to use the German words "Herr" (man) and "Frau" (woman) when speaking in English. The title "Fräulein" for an unmarried woman is considered nowadays to be dated or even sexist, so just stick to "Frau".
Using first names immediately is most likely seen as derogatory, depending on the situation. Of course, there are differences between the young and older people. You should consider the use of the surname and the formal Sie as a sign of friendly respect. If you have a drink together, you may be offered the non-formal Du and to call your colleague by their first name, you can also offer it. However it might be seen as a faux-pas to do so if you are clearly younger or "lower-ranking". Start-up culture usually values informality and will address every employee with Du and there are a few organizations in which members have been addressing each other with Du since the 19th century, including leftist parties like the SPD, railroaders or the Scouting movement. Still, being too formal by using "Sie" is virtually always the "safer" option and saying "Du" to a police officer on duty can even get you fined.
The German word Freund actually means close friend, or "boyfriend". Someone you may have known for a few years may still not refer to you as a Freund but rather Bekannter (an acquaintance).
There is also a strong desire to achieve mutual agreement and compromise. As for the infamous efficiency: Germans are the world's leading recreationists (at an average of 30 days of paid leave per year, not counting public holidays), while maintaining one of the highest productivity rates on earth. A late-running train is considered a sign of the degradation of society.
Despite popular belief, the Germans do have a sense of humour although it is often expressed differently than it is in English-speaking countries. If you are around people, you get to know well that sarcasm and irony are very common kinds of humour. Puns are popular too, just like in anglophone countries. However, humor is not the default approach to the world (unlike in - say - England) and therefore a quip in the wrong situation may draw blank stares or disapproval or simply not be understood as a joke.
Punctuality
In official contexts (when conducting business) punctuality is seen not as a courtesy but as a precondition for future relations. As in most countries, you are expected to arrive on time at a business meeting unless you can give a good reason in your defense (i.e. being stuck in unforeseeable heavy traffic). It is seen as a courtesy to call the other participants if you seem to be running late, even if there is still a chance that you will arrive on time. Regular delays are seen as disrespect for the other participants. Maar, such German punctuality doesn't apply on German railway.
For personal relations, importance attached to punctuality may differ from individual to individual. It is still always safer to be punctual than late, but the subject may be a negotiable matter: if unsure just ask 'is punctuality important to you?'. Punctuality also depends on the milieu, in a collegiate environment, for example, it is taken much less seriously. For private invitations to a home, it may even be considered more polite to be 5–15 minutes late as to not embarrass the host in case not everything has been prepared.
Behaving in public
Germany, especially urban Germany, is rather tolerant and your common sense should be sufficient to keep you out of trouble.
Drinking alcohol in public is not forbidden and is even a common sight in the far west (Cologne and the Rhine-Ruhr Area). In some larger cities (such as Cologne), there are local laws that in theory make drinking alcohol in public a misdemeanour punishable with a fine of tens of euros; these laws are rarely enforced against tourists, except in cases when drinking leads to rowdy behaviour. Such laws have also been successfully challenged in court in several places. Behaving aggressively or disturbing the peace will earn you a conversation with German police officers and possibly a fine or an order to leave, regardless of whether you're drunk or stone-cold sober.
Be particularly careful to behave respectfully in places of worship and places that carry the dignity of the state, such as the numerous war and holocaust memorials, parliaments and other historical sites. Some such sites will post Hausordnung (house rules) that prohibit disrespectful or disruptive behaviors. These rules may range from common-sense prohibitions against taking pictures during religious ceremonies to things that may seem strange to you, like prohibiting men from keeping their hands in their pockets. You should keep an eye out for these signs and obey the posted rules. Another very common sight is a sign that says Eltern haften für ihre Kinder (parents are liable for their children). This is a reminder that German people believe both that children should be children, and also that parents should supervise them, so that no one gets hurt and nothing gets broken. If your child is being rowdy and accidentally spills or breaks something in a store, you can generally expect to pay for it.
Insulting other people is prohibited by German law and, if prosecuted, can result in jail time and a heavy fine. It is unusual that charges are brought, but exercise common sense in all cases. Insulting a police officer will always lead to charges though.
On German beaches, it's generally all right for women to bathe topless. Full nudity is tolerated on most beaches, although not a frequent sight outside of the numerous nudist areas (labeled "FKK" or "Freikörperkultur", literally free body culture). These are especially common at the East German Baltic Sea coastline, due to the high popularity of nudism in the former GDR. It's also possible to spot nudists in Berlin's public parks and in Munich's "English Garden". In most saunas, nudity is compulsory and mixed sessions are common practice. One day of the week is usually only for women.
Being a guest
In general, Germans will only invite you to their home if they expect you to take them up on the offer. The "Yeah let's hang out sometime" that Americans sometimes use as a piece of meaningless conversation fluff will not be understood by Germans. While Germans value hospitality ("Gastfreundschaft", literally "guest friendliness") they themselves see their culture of hospitality as weaker than that of - say - the Arab world. When invited it is certainly courteous to bring a small gift. Consumable gifts are usually prepared as many Germans dislike filling their home with trinkets they don't know what to do with. If the invitation is one where the consumption of alcohol can be expected, bringing a bottle of wine or spirit can be a good gift and if you are invited by younger people for a party you can also bring a crate of beer - though preferably of a smaller independent and more upmarket brand. If you can gift something connected to your place of origin, all the better - a treat from abroad will virtually always arise the curiosity of your hosts. Germans like to keep their home neat and tidy and will likely "apologise for the mess" even if there isn't any. This entails that you usually should leave your shoes at the entrance - when in doubt, just ask. Most hosts will provide you with Hausschuhe (literally "house shoes") to be worn inside. When you are invited to a German's home, you can expect to have some sort of food or drink. Should you have any allergies, religious dietary restriction or be a vegan or vegetarian, you should make that clear ahead of time, to avoid the mutual embarrassment of a menu being cooked for you which you can't or won't eat. "Kaffee und Kuchen" ("coffee and cake") is the quintessential German afternoon food and it is likely that any invitation during the afternoon for an informal gathering will entail that. If you don't drink coffee, it is usually possible to replace the coffee with cacao, though it may be seen as a bit odd if you are an adult.
People
Owing in part to the long era of numerous German petty states being de jure of de facto sovereign, Germany has strong regional identities and local patriotism that may refer to a city, a federal state or a region within a federal state or crossing state lines. While some state boundaries are drawn pretty arbitrarily, states are politically powerful and many have their own unique character. The rule of thumb is that wealth rises towards the south and west: While Baden-Württemberg en Beiere compete with Switzerland and Austria for quality of life, the economy of the eastern states is still lagging behind. A more liberal atmosphere is dominant as the traveller goes northward: Hamburg en Berlyn have had homosexual mayors, bars and clubs are open all night and the density of young artists in Berlin Friedrichshain easily surpasses that of London, Paris or Manhattan. Northern Germany is in the same cultural sphere as the Netherlands and Scandinavia with even the food and architecture more pragmatic, simple and unrefined than in the south, where Catholicism has been predominant. Contrary to the general trend, Hamburg is the richest city in Germany (and one of the ten richest regions in Europe) even outpacing trendy Munich.
The Nazi era
In the late 19th Century, Germany was arguably one of the most enlightened societies in the world. As a mental exercise, try to think of five famous physicists, philosophers, composers or poets without mentioning a German name. This dignity and prestige faced a severe setback during the period of National Socialist rule under Hitler (1933-1945). Since then, the Third Reich has been a permanent scar on the German national identity, and is considered a blot on Germany's national honour and will remain so for a very long time. Every German pupil has to deal with it at about 5 times during his or her schooling, and is very likely to visit a concentration camp at least once (most such sites have been transformed into memorials). Not a single day passes without educational programmes on television and radio dealing with this period of time.
Growing up in Germany, whether in the GDR or West Germany, meant and still means growing up with this bitter heritage, and every German has developed her or his own way of dealing with the public guilt. For the traveller, this can mean confusion. You might come across people (especially young ones) eager to talk to you about Germany's troubled history, feeling the urge to convince you Germany has come a long way since then. Choose adequate places to talk about the issue and be polite about it. If you are visiting friends, you might find it hard to keep them from dragging you into a memorial.
Humour, even made innocently, is absolutely the wrong way of approaching the matter and is insulting. All Nazi-era slogans, symbols, and gestures are forbidden (except for educational purposes, and even these are regulated). Displaying them in public or spreading propaganda material is illegal. Foreigners are not exempt from these laws. Do not even think about jokingly giving a stiff arm Nazi (roman) salute! This is a punishable act according to the German Penal Code, §86a: displaying the symbols of anticonstitutional organisations. Usually you will face 'only' a fine, of like €500. If the authorities suspect you of having propagandistic intentions, they can put you in jail for up to three years! (Religious Swastikas are exempted from this rule, though you are still advised to avoid displaying the symbol so you do not cause any unintentional offence.)
The German national anthem is the third stanza of a traditional song from the 19th century, Lied der Deutschen, written to the melody of Joseph Haydn's Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser by one August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben op die eiland van Heligoland while the latter was under English control. The first stanza starts with Deutschland, Deutschland über Alles (Germany, Germany above everything). While this stanza is not forbidden, and even was officially a part of the national anthem during the Weimar Republic, do not quote or sing this stanza. Many people associate it with hyper-nationalism, and it will disgust them the same way as a Nazi slogan. Similarly, symbols of the 1871-1918 Kaiserreich like the Black-White-Red flag are not officially forbidden yet, but are these days virtually only used by the far right and will draw baie negative reactions. In 2020 there was a renewed debate about officially outlawing symbols of the Kaiserreich which however has not produced any concrete results as of October 2020.
Probably the best way to deal with the issue is to stay relaxed about it. If the people around you like to talk about German history then use the opportunity for a sincere, maybe even very personal conversation. If you want to steer clear of awkward moments, don't bring up the matter.
German Democratic Republic era
Compared to the Nazi era, Germans have a more open attitude to the postwar division of Germany into East and West. Communist symbols, GDR songs and other East-German related regalia are circulated freely (though uncommon in the western parts) and many are somewhat nostalgic about the country, hence the artistic and commercial movement "Ostalgie" (nostalgia for the East). Be careful when discussing the East German secret police (Stasi) since many people in the East were negatively affected by the control of all aspects of life by this organisation, that maintained an extensive network of informants throughout the country during the communist era. While the division is some time in the past now, there are still cultural remnants often referred to as the "mental wall" (Mauer in den Köpfen) and the last couple of years seem to have reinforced stereotypes between East and West if anything. More and more positive aspects of East German policies are openly discussed these days - be they the more extensive use of rail as a mode of transportation or the comparatively high gender equality of the East, but attitudes vary from person to person and generally follow the political spectrum - right wingers will be less inclined to see anything positive about the GDR.
Regional rivalries
Many Germans are fiercely attached to their region or even town and it is nothing out of the ordinary to hear people making disparaging remarks about a town a few miles over or even a different neighbourhood in large cities like Berlin. While the purported reasons for such rivalries vary, they're almost never as serious as they may appear. Some of those rivalries overlap with sports rivalries (mostly soccer), but even then they only get heated when a game is on or someone is wearing the uniform of a team involved. While saying positive things about the town or region you're in is always appreciated, you should tread more lightly with bashing other places, even if locals seem to be doing it constantly.
Traditionally, regional rivalries also extended to religion, with the north and east being predominantly Lutheran, and the south and west being predominantly Roman Catholic, however cuius regio eius religio and early modern splintering of territories ensured heavily Catholic areas could lie right next to heavily Lutheran or reformed areas. However, this has diminished significantly in modern times as Germany has transformed into a largely secular society, with regular churchgoers now being in the minority. Work migration and the influx of (post-) World War II refugees has also made erstwhile confessionally homogenous villages much more mixed. In general, people from formerly communist East Germany tend to be less religious than people from the West, due to the fact that religion was discouraged by the officially-atheist communist regime.
Verbind
Telephone
The international calling code for Germany is 49, and the prefix for international calls is 00; the area code prefix is 0. Some number blocks are reserved for special use: Number starting with 010xx let you choose a different phone provider, 0800 and 00800 are toll-free numbers, 0180 are service numbers (which may or may not be more expensive than a local call). Avoid 0900 prefix numbers. These are for commercial services and usually incredibly expensive.
Landlines
German phone numbers are of the form 49 351 125-3456 where "49" is the country code for Germany, the next digits are the area code and the remaining digits are the "local" part of the subscriber number that can be called from within that particular area code using abbreviated dialing. Since there are no standard lengths for either geographic area codes or subscribers' numbers, the last part may be as short as two digits! The 5000-odd German area codes vary in length from 2 thru 5 digits. You need to dial "0" in front of the geographic area code from outside that particular area code (but when still within Germany).
Since the liberalisation of Germany's phone market, there are a multitude of phone providers on the market. If you're calling from a private landline phone, you can usually choose from the different providers (and thus from different pricing schemes) by using special prefix numbers (starting with 010xx) with prices of €0.01 or €0.02, sometimes below €0.01 even for international calls. There's a calculator on the net waar u die pryse vir verskillende bestemmings kan vergelyk. Hotelle het gewoonlik kontrakte met 'n spesifieke telefoonverskaffer en laat u nie toe om 'n ander een te gebruik nie. Die telefoontariewe wat deur hotelle gehef word, kan verbysterend wees, veral by luukse hotelle, waar 'n oproep van vyf minute om restaurantbesprekings te maak 50 euro kan kos. Wees seker dat u die tariefkaart nagegaan het voordat u die telefoon opgetel het.
Mobiel
- Sien ook: Europese Unie # Verbind
Mobiele nommers in Duitsland moet altyd met alle syfers geskakel word (10-12 syfers, insluitend 'n "0" voor die "1nn" in Duitsland), ongeag van waar hulle gebel word. Die 1nn is 'n mobiele voorvoegsel, nie 'n "area code" nie, as sodanig en die tweede en derde syfer (die nn deel) dui op die oorspronklike mobiele netwerk wat toegeken is voordat die nommeroordraagbaarheid in ag geneem word 49 151-123-456.
Mobiel telefoondekking op die drie netwerke (Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone en O2) is oor die algemeen uitstekend regdeur die land. UMTS (3G-data en HSDPA), LTE (4G) en EDGE is ook beskikbaar. LTE is steeds ietwat beperk tot stedelike gebiede. Alle mobiele verskaffers gebruik GSM-tegnologie op die 900 en 1800 MHz frekwensiegebiede. Dit is anders as die GSM 1900-standaard wat in die Verenigde State gebruik word, maar moderne "multi-band" -toestelle sal gewoonlik in alle GSM-netwerke werk. Nie-GSM-telefone kan nie in Duitsland gebruik word nie. As u 'n GSM-telefoon uit die VSA het, moet u voor die reis in die VSA u diensverskaffer skakel en laat u u selfoon "ontsluit" sodat u dit met 'n Duitse SIM-kaart kan gebruik. Die tol vir 'n telefoonoproep na 'n Duitse selfoonnommer word deur die oproeper betaal.
As u langer bly, oorweeg dit om 'n voorafbetaalde telefoonkaart by een van die selfoonondernemings te koop; u sal nie sukkel om 'n Deutsche Telekom te vind nie (gekoop teen Telekom Shop), Vodafone of O2 winkel in enige groot winkelgebied.
Mobiele telefonie is nog steeds relatief duur in Duitsland. Afhangend van u kontrak, kan u ongeveer 0,10-0,39 € per minuut gehef word vir oproepe na Duitse mobiele en vaste telefone. Oproepe van u Duitse selfoon na nie-Duitse telefoonnommers (insluitend nie-Duitse selfone wat fisies in Duitsland is) kos dikwels € 1 tot € 2 per minuut, afhangende van die land en u plan. Oor die algemeen is T-Mobile en Vodafone die beste keuse vir mense wat van hoë gehalte diens wil hê, veral buite stede. O2/ E-Plus het laer pryse. As u verwag dat u kliënteondersteuning in Engels benodig, is Vodafone miskien een van u beter opsies.
In die meeste supermarkkettings (byvoorbeeld Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto, Tchibo, Rewe, toom) kan u koop voorafbetaalde SIM-kaarte van hul eie virtuele verskaffers, hoewel hul netwerk steeds deur die drie groot Duitse telekommunikasieoperateurs bestuur word. Dit is gewoonlik redelik goedkoop om te koop (€ 10–20 met 5–15 minute lugtyd) en vir nasionale oproepe (€ 0,09–0,19 / minuut), maar duur vir internasionale oproepe (ongeveer € 1–2 / min), maar inkomend oproepe is altyd gratis en SMS's kos ongeveer € 0,09–0,19. Alhoewel internasionale oproepe met die Duitse SIM-kaart duur kan wees, is daar 'n paar voorafbetaalde aanbiedings met goeie tariewe.
Maatskappye soos Lyca Mobile, Lebara en ander het gespesialiseer in die aanbied van taamlik bekostigbare internasionale oproeptariewe (soms goedkoper as Voice over IP-dienste), meestal gerig op diaspora- en immigrantegroepe.
Ongelukkig het paranoia oor mobiele telefone wat in misdaad of terrorisme gebruik word, dit al hoe moeiliker gemaak om bloot 'n telefoon of 'n voorafbetaalde SIM te koop en te begin skakel. Afhangend van die verskaffer, moet u dalk 'n kredietkaartnommer verskaf, en u moet u via ID of video-ID identifiseer. Selfs wanneer dit uitvoerbaar is, is dit nie altyd so ontwerp dat dit maklik is vir buitelanders sonder 'n verblyfstatus nie, alhoewel iemand met 'n geldige identiteit in die teorie hierdie kaarte kan koop en dat die Duitse adres nie in die stelsel hoef te staan nie. . Dit is egter die beste om 'n SIM-kaart te koop by 'n winkel wat SIM-registrasiedienste aanbied en seker te maak dat u u ID-kaart saambring. Alternatiewelik, as u alreeds 'n aktiewe selfoonpakket van 'n verskaffer in 'n ander EU-land het, sal u gewoonlik u gewone data (onderhewig aan 'n maandelikse EU-beperkte dataplak), SMS en binnelandse oproeptoelae kan gebruik Duitsland sonder dat u dit hoef te registreer of om ekstra koste aan te gaan (alhoewel dit miskien ekstra kos om 'n Duitse telefoonnommer te bel: kontak u verskaffer).
Alternatiewe metodes
Die oorgrote meerderheid Duitsers besit selfone (in die Duits "Handys" genoem, uitgespreek "hendy"); die nadeel hiervan is dat die eens algemene telefoonhokkies het begin verdwyn, behalwe op 'strategiese' plekke soos treinstasies. Hulle bestaan gewoonlik uit 'n silwer kolom met 'n pienk bokant en die foon aan die voorkant. Op sommige plekke is daar nog ouer weergawes wat bestaan uit 'n geel kajuit met 'n deur en die telefoon binne.
Alternatiewelik kan u ook koop voorafbetaalde telefoonkaarte wat u kan gebruik deur 'n tolvrye nommer te skakel; dit is veral 'n goeie transaksie as u van plan is om internasionale oproepe te maak. Kaartkwaliteit en -pryse wissel egter baie, dus 'n goeie aanbeveling kan nie gegee word nie.
In telefoonwinkels, wat u in die groot stede kan vind, kan u internasionale oproepe teen goedkoop tariewe maak. Hierdie oproepwinkels is meestal in stedelike gebiede met baie immigrante en is u beste opsie om internasionaal te skakel. Afgesien van die oproepe in die buiteland, verkoop hulle ook internasionale belkaartjies vir gebruik vanaf enige telefoon in Duitsland. U kan hierdie winkels gewoonlik sien deur die vele vlae wat hul vensters versier.
Internet
Wi-Fi
Internet toegang via Wi-Fi (ook algemeen genoem WLAN) is algemeen in Duitsland. Internet kafees begin minder word as gevolg van die wydverspreide aanbiedings van gratis WiFi deur winkels, restaurante of kafees. Soms benodig dit 'n minimum verbruik, maar gewoonlik is dit gratis binne die perseel. Telefoonwinkels bied ook dikwels internettoegang aan. Die volgende winkels bied gratis WiFi-toegang: Galeria Kaufhof, real (supermark), REWE, IKEA, H&M, dm-Drogerie, Subway, McDonald's, Starbucks en Burger King.
Baie hotelle bied internettoegang vir gaste aan, maar die spoed is beperk en kan onvoldoende wees om bladsye / programme wat ryk is aan multimedia te sien en te gebruik. Premium hoëspoed-internet is moontlik beskikbaar - dikwels teen hoë tariewe. Bevestig dus toegang en tariewe met u hotel voordat u dit gebruik. Klein privaat hotelle en goedkoper hotelle bied dikwels gratis WiFi aan (bv. Motel One) as u as 'n pakket met ontbyt bespreek, die groter kettings vra gewoonlik buitensporige tariewe. Dit word aanbeveel om 'n lidmaatskap by hul te kry lojaliteitsprogram, aangesien dit u gewoonlik gratis internettoegang bied.
In verskeie stede bestaan daar projekte om aan te bied gratis "gemeenskap" -punte vir draadlose netwerke. Die hotspots "Freifunk" word byvoorbeeld gratis deur plaaslike gemeenskappe voorsien en benodig geen registrasie nie. freifunk-karte.de toon 'n kaart van hierdie brandpunte.
Passasierslounges by sommige lughawens en sentrale treinstasies bied ook internettoegang aan hul klante.
Openbare biblioteke bied dikwels internettoegang aan, hoewel dit gewoonlik nie gratis is nie. Die biblioteke is gratis vir die publiek beskikbaar. As u 'n boek huis toe neem, sal u miskien teen 'n lae fooi 'n kliëntkaart moet kry. Die takke van die Nasionale Biblioteek in Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main en Berlyn is nie gratis nie.
Die meeste universiteite in Duitsland neem deel aan eduroam. As u 'n student of personeellid van 'n deelnemende universiteit is, kan u deur hierdie diens toegang tot gaste tot hul draadlose netwerke verleen. Raadpleeg u eie universiteit vir besonderhede voor u reis.
Aan vervoer, is daar Wi-Fi in 'n klein (maar groeiende) aantal plaaslike treine (meestal as gevolg van kontrakte voor die slimfoon-era tussen die spoorlyn en die staat wat die diens subsidieer, is WiFi nie altyd as 'n groot prioriteit gesien nie). Intercity-treine het geen WiFi nie, maar feitlik alle ICE-treine het wel gratis WiFi in die tweede en eerste klas. Langafstandbusse is gewoonlik met WiFi toegerus, maar bandwydte is dikwels beperk en busse kan WiFi kort sonder vooraf aankondiging. Plaaslike busse word toenemend met WiFi toegerus. Almal het gemeen dat die verbinding met die WiFi u op 'n bestemmingsblad sal plaas waar u data of 'n e-posadres moet invoer, of eenvoudig moet bevestig dat u die bepalings en voorwaardes aanvaar. As gevolg van die mobiele hotspots wat via die normale mobiele internetnetwerk aangebied word, is dit geneig om minder stabiel te wees in landelike gebiede of as baie mense dit tegelyk gebruik, en as u 'n dataplan het wat dit toelaat, kan u eie telefoon vinniger wees as die WiFi wat deur die vervoermiddel aangebied word. WiFi op vliegtuie is relatief ongewoon, selfs op binnelandse vlugte. Flixbus bied gratis WiFi (en gewoonlik ook kragstasies) aan vir hul busdienste.
Mobiele dataplanne
Verskeie voorafbetaalde SIM's bied toegang tot die internet teen 'n maandelikse vaste fooi, byvoorbeeld dié beskikbaar by Tchibo-koffiewinkels (o2-netwerk, € 10 / maand beperk tot 500 MB, € 20 / maand vir 5 GB) of Aldi (E-Plus-netwerk) ). 'N Gewone O2 SIM-kaart, wat gebruik kan word vir oproepe en sms'e, is € 15 en nog € 15 koop 1 GB data wat vir 1 maand geldig is. Vodafone bied 'n voorafbetaalde SIM-kaart aan vir € 25 wat krediet van € 22,5 insluit, waarvan u 300 MB data vir 2 dae vir € 15 kan kry en € 7,5 krediet kan kry.
Kopieregkwessies
Lêerdeling en stroom van kopieregbeskermde inhoud is onwettig in Duitsland. Gespesialiseerde prokureurs hou oortreders voortdurend dop volgens hul IP-nommers en vra groot boetes (tot 'n paar duisend euro) en versoek die oortreder om regsdokumente te onderteken dat hy / sy dit weer sal weerhou. Selfs as u die land verlaat het, kan die geregistreerde eienaar van die internetverbinding wat u gebruik, ernstig in die moeilikheid beland. Dit verwys veral na private konneksies (vriende, familie ensovoorts). In u eie en u gasheer se belang, moet u seker wees dat alle toepassings vir die deel van lêers op u toestelle onaktief is terwyl u in Duitsland is, en dat u nie inhoud wil stroom van webwerwe wat ongetwyfeld wettig is nie, of dat u 'n Skynprivaatnetwerk-diens gebruik.
Posdiens
Deutsche Post, die Duitse deels geprivatiseerde posdiens, bestuur verskeie internasionale maatskappye waaronder DHL en ander. Vanaf Augustus 2020 kos 'n standaard poskaart € 0,60 om binne Duitsland te stuur en oral € 0,95. 'N Standaardbrief wat nie meer as 20 gram weeg nie, kos € 0,80 om binne Duitsland te stuur en oral 1,10 €. Briewe wat tot 50 gram weeg, kos € 0,95 (Duitsland) of € 1,70 (internasionaal).
Seëls is beskikbaar by poskantore en soms by koerante of winkels wat poskaarte verkoop, alhoewel u dalk winkels vind wat slegs posseëls verkoop om die poskaarte wat u daar gekoop het, te vergesel. Seëlverkoopmasjiene is op baie plekke te vinde. U kan seëls van alle denominasies koop van 0,01 € tot 36,75 €, alhoewel dit in 'n vervelige eenvormige ontwerp is, vanaf seëlverkoopmasjiene. Anders as die meeste ander verkoopmasjiene aanvaar hulle elke muntstuk van 1 sent tot 2 Euro, maar verandering word slegs in seëls gegee. Aangesien hierdie "verander-seëls" vreemde waardes kan vertoon, moet u seker maak dat u genoeg klein muntstukke het.
Briewe binne Duitsland word meestal binne 1 dag afgelewer, dit laat Europa langer. Pos na Noord-Amerika kan tot 'n week duur.
Die diens is in die privatiseringsproses verminder. As gevolg van 'n styging in die diefstalsyfer (veral deur uitgekontrakteerde briefdraers en kontrakteurs), moet internasionale versendings, veral inkomende, verseker word as dit waardevol is. Alhoewel privaat geskenke van normale waarde normaalweg in orde moet wees, is dit bekend dat die Duitse Doeanediens dinge wat op bestellings van nie-EU-webwerwe, veral uit China, bestel word, wat soms goedere beslag lê op vermeende produkrowery.
Lugpos (Luftpost) kan so goedkoop wees as die alternatief, Landweg. As u wil stuur pakkette, is daar drie opsies (goedkoopste tot duurste): Maxibrief ('n groot letter tot 2 kg en L B H = 900 mm), Päckchen ('n klein pakkie tot 2 kg, onversekerd vir internasionale pos), en DHL Paket. As dit maar so was boeke gestuur word, is verlaagde tariewe van toepassing (Büchersendung), maar verwag dat die pos oopgemaak en gekyk moet word, aangesien eintlik net boeke daarin toegelaat word. Tariewe vir Büchersendungen wissel tussen € 1,00 en € 1,65, afhangende van grootte en gewig. Die Duitse posdiens laat toe dat goed aan 'n poskantoor en hul eie stelsel gestuur word Packstationen word gereeld op parkeerterreine met kruidenierswinkels of vulstasies aangetref. Amazon-sluitkassies word al hoe meer algemeen, maar is 'n onversoenbare stelsel - dieselfde opbergkas kan slegs 'n a wees Packstation of 'n Amazon-kassie.
Dit is moontlik om briewe en pakkies by FedEx- en UPS-stasies te stuur. Verwag om in die ry te staan.
Gaan volgende
Duitsland is 'n uitstekende vertrekpunt om die res van Wes-Europa te verken Frankfurt lughawe het direkte verbindings met baie groot lughawes regoor die wêreld. Van Frankfurt af kom 'n aantal direkte spoedverbindings binne 'n paar uur na belangrike Europese hoofstede.
- Van die ooste af is dit maklik om te bereik Praag in die Tsjeggiese Republiek en Warskou in Pole
- Van die suidweste die Frans stede van Reims en Parys sowel as die land en dorp van Luxemburg goeie eerste doelwitte sou maak.
- Die direkte TGV / ICE na Parys stop Straatsburg, 'n lieflike stad aan die grens met Franse en Duitse invloed
- België en Nederland van die weste met Leuven en Maastricht word die eerste stoppunte aanbeveel; en Denemarke in die noordweste
- Van die suide en suidweste tot in die berge van Oostenryk en Switserland met Salzburg en Lausanne om plekke te wees "moet besoek".
- Deur die see in die noordooste probeer Vaar op die Baltiese See om toegang tot die Baltiese state en Nordiese lande.