You’ll get the best exchange rates on your travels when paying with your plastic card(s). However, if you’ve got some cash to exchange I always recommend doing this at the airport as I found the most reasonable exchange rates there (rather than at a local bank).

However, do check out the various exchange desks available at the airport and do NOT stop your journey at the very first!

Short ‘n sweet, here’s my experience from last weekend, on which we exchanged R$ 370 (three-hundred seventy Brazilian Reais) into euros:

Currency Exchange Counter #1 (I don’t recall their name): € 97
Course: 3.81

Currency Exchange Counter #2 — Reise-Bank: € 117
Course: 3.16

Currency Exchange Counter #3 — Euro Change: € 130
Course: 2.85

See? Noticeable differences! The third desk gave us 33 euros more than the first one.

So make sure you ask at least three. They’re usually pretty close to each other, by the way. ;-)

—Marcus

This time the news comes in the form of a special lifestyle feature out of Amsterdam. The piece focuses in on artists and other creative types who are leaving their homes to move to a new creative capital — Berlin.

Berlin has served as a creative capital of Europe before, and insiders know that the museums, theaters, and concerts are second to none.

In this time of economic uncertainty, however, Berlin’s numerous cultural charms are being seconded by the financial realities.

Berlin is cheap.

Don’t scoff! Compared to many other cities in Europe, the cost of living in Berlin is surprisingly low. Artists and others who make their living in creative fields can find reasonably priced homes and apartments throughout the capital. The stable real estate market in Germany helps keep prices from fluctuating wildly, making it easy for artistic types to survive and thrive in the capital.

Another factor in many artists decision to move to the city is the overall economy in Germany. Unlike other countries in Europe, Germany’s economy is strong and stable. Both the government and the average person have money to spend on artistic items, such as museum visits, tickets to performances, paintings, sculpture, or other things for the home.

Though many people want to believe in art for art’s sake, the truth is that artists need a market of buyers in order to survive, and in Germany that market is vibrant!

Though other places in Europe may be crying over their lost artists, Berlin is happy to see new arrivals and support their work. With a low cost of living, strong market for artistic goods, and strong arts culture, it is no wonder artists favor Berlin over other European capitals.

Naturally, what is good for artists is also good for anyone interested in living in Berlin. Even visitors will benefit from all the new artistic activity coming to the capital, so be sure to save a few days for Berlin in your next vacation! ;-)

—Marcus

For me, it has certainly been enjoyable to see Germany’s shining performance in the Winter Olympic games again. True, Germany has traditionally done well at winter sports, thanks to our honorable attitude, many mountain ranges, excellent skiing opportunities, and the exemplary national support, but we were not always a medals leader.

During these games, however, German athletes certainly seemed to be going for the win again. You can see from our final standings just how well we did in the overall medals count. In both team and individual sports, Germany’s Olympic champions gave their all to earn recognition for their event and their country.

Besides, in the all time Winter Olympics medals count we are, with 358 medals thereunder 128 gold medals, a convincing number one. :-)

Germany’s strong showing at the 2010 games has broader implications than just enhancing our national pride. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we have an upcoming bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Munich has put in an official bid for the games, with the theme Die Spiele im Herzen, meaning “The Games in the Heart.”

If Munich wins the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, it would become the first location in the world to have hosted both the Summer and the Winter Games. It would also be the first Olympic Games hosted in Germany since the reunification, which would be meaningful for many Germans.

The bid has an environmentally conscious bent, promoting the use of existing winter sports facilities near Munich, like the ski jump courses at Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the bobsled, luge, and skeleton tracks at Schönau am Königssee in the kingly Berchtesgadener Land. It is also being promoted by Katarina Witt, one of Germany’s most famous (and gorgeous ;-) Winter Olympic champions.

By doing so well in the 2010 Winter Games, Germany enhances its chances of getting the bid for the 2018 Olympics. Our strong performance testifies to the high quality of our training sites and competition grounds as well as exemplifying our commitment to sports excellence.

Keep your fingers crossed that we win the bid, and I’ll save you a seat next to me at the 2018 Winter Olympic games! :-)

—Marcus

As an example of this in action, you need look no further than the way solar power is used to solve transportation issues in Germany. It goes far beyond simply installing solar powered roadside lights and road signs. Instead, we Germans use solar power to run some of our largest and most notable ferries.

In Hamburg, for example, the solar powered shuttle has been operating since 2000. It can move up to 120 people across the river at speeds of up to 15 km/hr. The sleek needle shape is 42 meters long, and has a pontoon style layout with bench seating.

Many people compare it to the famous Serpentine shuttle in Hyde Park, completely unaware that the 14.5 meter British ferry is a miniature of the Hamburg model constructed by Christoph Behling!

Further south, a catamaran style solar shuttle operates on Lake Constance. With a spiraled translucent top, you can enjoy the beautiful shorelines of the lake as you make your transfers between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Although the shuttle holds up to 60 people, with the clear sides you will feel as though you are floating alone on the water, and be able to get some stunning photographs.

These are just a few of the green innovations in use in Germany as solutions to the pollution many public transportation systems cause. Thus, when you explore Germany using public transport, you get the satisfaction of supporting some of the world’s most cutting-edge installations of solar power. :-)

—Marcus

However, if you are without a date for Valentine’s Day it can be a little depressing. Fortunately, there are many ways to meet single people in Germany. One method that is growing in popularity in Germany is online dating.

There are several different types of online dating sites in Germany. The biggest four German dating sites, based on paid membership models, are listed below. You can register for free and browse listings, but you need to pay a subscription to actually talk and/or connect with dates:

1. FriendScout24
2. iLove.de
3. Neu.de
4. Parship.de

Neu.de is also good for listings across Europe and around the world, as it is affiliated with Meetic, a global dating network.

If your budget is tight, you can also try some of the popular free sites. Two popular free German dating sites are Freenet Singles, and Single.de. You can meet good, interesting people on the free sites, but you will need to have more patience than with the paid German dating sites as you will find there are more ads, junk, and poor matches to look through.

There is also one up and coming site for dating German academics, which is ElitePartner. They promise fast matches based on a scientific matching system, though I haven’t tried this for myself yet.

I have personally tried many of the other sites — after all, I met my wife online! ;-) So I can tell you truly that you can meet a wonderful date for Valentine’s Day in Germany by registering with the German dating site of your choice. Millions of my single countrymen (and women!) are waiting to meet you. And rest assured that your soul mate DOES exist!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

—Marcus

German bread is famous around the world for its flavor and texture, but did you know that there are more than 200 recognized varieties?

Pumpernickel is the most famous internationally, but there is so much more to German bread! Experimenting with flavors and textures will let you move beyond the basic loaf and explore other mouthwatering options in every category.

Weißbrot is the basic white bread, although most Germans prefer the more nutritive darker breads. Weißbrot is often used for rolls, like the popular Käsesemmel, which is baked with cheese on top.

Graubrot, while literally meaning gray bread, refers to the bread that are neither black nor white. Sourdough and rye breads fall into this category, as do the delicious sunflower seed (Sonnenblumenkernbrot) and pumpkin seed (Kürbiskernbrot) breads.

Schwarzbrot is the black bread that has made German bakeries famous. It generally has a 90% rye content with a hard crust hiding a dense, moist center. The super grainy Vollkornbrot is a part of this group, as is the renowned Pumpernickel.

Eat your bread with cheeses, creamy spreads, and sliced meats. A mild cheese with small holes is very popular to go with the bread, as is Hüttenkäse, a seasoned cottage cheese. For using jams many foreigners toast it, although the chewy bread really doesn’t need it.

To learn more about German bread, its history, and its role in daily life in Germany, you can even visit a museum dedicated to bread in Ulm. The Museum of Bread Culture covers 6,000 years of the history of bread. Opened 10 am – 5 pm daily and until 8:30 pm on Wednesdays, it has 18,000 works related to bread in its collection.

It is also conveniently located near some cafes where you can snack after you’ve worked up a bread craving looking at the displays ;-)

—Marcus

Zehnseiten was created by five friends from Munich while they were out having drinks.

I know that many people dismiss German beer hall culture as simple drunkenness, but the truth is that while we are drinking we Germans discuss everything. Literature, art, science, politics . . . there is no better way to really work through an idea than with your friends and some good German beer by your side. :-)

In this case, the discussion was pointing out that when you go to a book reading by an author, you are usually very familiar with their work. However, due to work schedules or unfamiliarity with the format, many people never go to book readings. This is unfortunate, because there is no better way to really connect with a writer and their work.

To solve this problem, the friends arranged for German and international writers to read ten pages from their newest novel aloud. The format is simple. The authors are presented in black and white, sitting at a table and looking straight at the camera. You get to see them as well as hear them read you their favorite sections of their latest work.

The recordings are available through an iPhone application as well, so you can take your favorite readings with you. Shorter recordings are about ten minutes, while some of the longest videos are thirty minutes in length.

Presently, Paul Beatty, Norbert Niemann, Tim Parks, Thomas Meinecke, George M. Oswald, Stephanie Geiger, and Andreas Neumeister are among the authors featured. New recordings are added weekly.

I’ve already found several new authors to enjoy through Zehnseiten, as well as gotten to see some of my favorite writers read aloud.

There are select recordings in English, but most of them are in German. So why not practice your German listening skills while discovering some truly interesting writers? :-)

—Marcus

This year recognition of Germany’s charms comes from the 2010 International Living Quality of Life Index.

International Living itself is based out of France, Ireland, and the US, and publishes a monthly magazine and that caters to expats.

Every January, International Living scores 194 countries across nine categories to determine which countries offer the best values and lifestyle benefits to residents. The categories are Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate.

The data for scoring each of these categories comes from the World Health Organization, United Nations reports, The Economist, and government websites. By using third party reports, International Living hopes to avoid bias and present the most accurate picture of the experience a new resident would have in the country.

In 2009, Germany was not even in the top 10 for places to live. This year, as the economic climate around the world has shifted and safety issues have changed, Germany has gained ground in several categories. Average earnings for workers have stayed up, the infrastructure continues to be excellent, and health services still provide remarkable care.

In awarding Germany the number 4 spot in the top 10 best places to live, International Living also cited the reasonable cost of real estate and rentals around Germany. You can rent beautifully appointed apartments in all regions for much less than in neighboring countries and buying real estate is also affordable as Germany was spared the housing bubble that plagued much of the rest of the world.

As ever, you know it is my opinion that there really is no place in the world quite like Germany. France, Australia, and Switzerland may have ranked higher on the list this year, but Germany is moving up! :-)

With this new recognition, it is just one more reason for you to give Germany a try.

—Marcus

Of course, we Germans are hardly going hungry. In fact, we do quite well with our German food. Our secret? It’s our four meals a day. ;-)

Breakfast is known as Frühstück, and traditionally served cold on a specially carved board. Often this is shaped like an animal, and these boards are usually bought from local artisans in the town markets. A typical German breakfast consists of bread (of course!) with cheese, yogurt, fruits, a boiled egg, or muesli. Coffee, milk or tea is more common than juice.

Lunch is the main meal of the day, and we take the Mittagessen very seriously. Eaten between noon and 2 pm, it usually consists of soup or salad followed by a main course and a light dessert of custard, fruit salad, or ice cream. Drink whatever you like with lunch, including alcoholic beverages, but save a bit of thirst for the strong coffee that traditionally closes the meal.

Later in the afternoon, it is time for the third meal, Kaffee und Kuchen. This is a sit down affair with coffee or tea and pastries. Eaten between 3 – 5 pm, all the rich cakes and cookies others might think of as desserts we take care to consume at our leisure well before the evening meal.

The final meal of the day is generally eaten at around 7 pm. Known as Abendessen (or Vesper in the south-west), it is traditionally a cold meal of bread, cheese, and meats eaten at home. Modern families having been shifting it to a large, hot meal as more and more German parents work.

Evening meals in restaurants, of course, will be hot, with multiple courses and large portions. After dinner liqueurs are common, or there is always to option of a little espresso to counteract the effects of a heavy meal.

As you can see, although we don’t have the same dining traditions as other countries, we Germans are certainly not starving. ;-)

Guten Appetit!

—Marcus

If getting to your job every day equals getting through a mass amount of snow (and, eventually, passing transverse trucks) you may feel overwhelmed and stressed at times. Same holds true if you simply don’t like coldness.

For others, however, it can be very pleasing and relaxing walking through snow and experiencing true German winter — including its coldness it provides in 2009/2010.

Note: That (below) is not a piece of cake (click to enlarge)… ;-)

Balcony in German Winter, Berlin 2010

And these bike seats below are not that high in summer… ;-)

Bikes in German Winter, Berlin 2010

The kids like it, too… :-)

Berlin Winter with Kids, 2010

Here’s the Berlin Reichstag…

Berlin Reichstag in Winter, 2010

And, finally, the majestic Brandenburg Gate (again, click on it to see the large version)…

Brandenburg Gate in Winter, 2010

Hope you have a chance to enjoy the German winter this time.

If you’re still thinking about visiting Germany this winter, don’t delay… it’s incredible this time! Entire Germany is white these days providing us with countless of opportunities to do the things we like to do in pure white snow.

So get on that airplane and… off to Germanyyyyyyyyy!

—Marcus

While other countries might have just one or two of these sites, Germany has 33 (!) stunning world heritage sites, with new sites being added regularly.

As you look into the year ahead and your travels in Germany, why not plan to visit some of the 33 locations listed below? I’ve included all of them with the date they became a recognized site, as it’s an excellent New Year’s Resolution to try and see each one! ;-)

1. Aachen Cathedral in Aachen — 1978
2. Speyer Cathedral in Speyer — 1981
3. Würzburg Residence in Würzburg, with the Court Gardens and Residence Square — 1981
4. Pilgrimage Church of Wies in Steingaden — 1983
5. Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust in Brühl — 1984
6. St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Michael’s Church at Hildesheim — 1985
7. Roman monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier, Germany’s oldest city — 1986
8. Hanseatic City of Lübeck — 1987
9. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (including Schloß Sanssouci) — 1990, 1992, 1999
10. Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch (in the Bergstraße district — 1991
11. Mines of Rammelsberg and Historic Town of Goslar — 1992
12. Town of Bamberg — 1993
13. Maulbronn Monastery Complex — 1993
14. Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg — 1994
15. Ironworks in Völklingen — 1994
16. Messel Pit Fossil site — 1995
17. Bauhaus and its sites in Weimar and Dessau — 1996
18. Cologne Cathedral — 1996
19. Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg — 1996
20. Classical Weimar — 1998
21. Museum Island (Museumsinsel), Berlin — 1999
22. Wartburg Castle overlooking Eisenach — 1999
23. Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz — 2000
24. Monastic Island of Reichenau — 2000
25. Zeche Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen — 2001
26. Historic Centers of Stralsund and Wismar — 2002
27. Upper Middle Rhine Valley, the Rhine Gorge — 2002
28. Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen — 2004
29. Muskauer Park in Weißwasser on both sides of the Neisse River — 2004
30. Frontiers of the Roman Empire: Upper German & Rhaetian Limes — 2005
31. Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof — 2006
32. Modernist Housing Estates in Berlin — 2008
33. Wadden Sea in Schleswig-Holstein — 2009

Now the decision of which ones to pick…

—Marcus

Like most of the other peoples of the world, this morning finds Germans waking up a bit worn out from the night before. Even if you only stayed home and watched Dinner For One, our traditional New Year’s Eve programming here in Germany, it is easy to be tired by setting the work of the old year aside.

For those of us who went out for a St. Silvester’s party or attended a fireworks show, well, thank goodness for coffee! ;-)

Of course, New Year’s Day is not all about recovering from New Year’s Eve. This is also the traditional day in Germany to say Thank You to the people who have served you throughout the past year. Small gifts for business partners, the newspaper delivery boy, your grocer, or the doorman at your building are customarily given on this day.

Many people also set their Neujahrsvorsätze, or New Year’s Resolutions. These are popular in Germany although not quite as institutionalized as a practice like they are in the U.S. or Great Britain.

Still, setting goals or making wishes for the year ahead is much talked about here, even if we know that the majority has no intention of following through on resolutions to eat right, lose weight, or give up one’s favorite time wasting hobbies ;-)

As for me, my Neujahrsvorsätze for MyGermanCity.com is to keep developing this site into an entertaining and informative portal for all things related to Germany.

In the year ahead, you will see more webcams, maps, and finally the photo galleries to give you an even closer look at what’s going on “now and then” in Germany. Also look forward for more developments of the Community area (whose gates will hopefully opened in 2010).

Until then, however, enjoy this day and the things here now. Make some Neujahrsvorsätze of your own regarding Germany, research them on MyGermanCity.com, and, of course, let me know what you miss.

I look forward to hearing from you as you achieve your resolutions.

All the best for you and yours,
Marcus

Here in Germany the snow is on the ground, making the white lights of the German Christmas Markets really twinkle and shine. I luckily and gratefully enjoyed them in person here in Berlin, by the way.

Of course, on Christmas Day we will all be together for a big meal and the exchanging of presents. The day after Christmas I’ll be around visiting close friends and other family members. I traveled a lot this year, so I have a bunch of stories to share and people to catch up with before the year is through.

Wherever you are, I wanted to take a few minutes this day to wish you the very best of the holiday season. Whether you will be celebrating Christmas in Germany or another corner of the world, I want you to feel the warmth of the German holiday season. Even for those who celebrate for purely secular reasons, it is a truly magical time of the year.

There are carolers and live music performances all over the country. Some of the carols that are shared I’ve collected here so that you can listen as well (links open in a new window):

• Stille Nacht (The famous Silent Night)
• Herbei, o ihr Gläubigen (O Come All Ye Faithful)
• Lasst uns froh und munter sein (Let Us Be Happy And Cheerful)
• Am Weihnachtsbaum die Lichter brennen (On The Christmas Tree The Lights Are Burning)

You may be able to catch some of these performances live, of course, via the webcams that are over the Christmas markets. I don’t have webcams for every town in Germany yet, but several of the bigger markets are covered, with more added all the time (including you, thank you!).

You can watch the markets via webcams in Dresden, Munich, and Berlin from several different parts of the city.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

—Marcus

Hugging trees for good luck is just one of many traditions that are celebrated around Thomasnacht (this very night from December 20th to 21st), which usually coincides with the Winter Solstice.

Another tradition is baking Kletzenbrot, which is a kind of fruit cake with lots of dried pears and raisins. Unmarried women can also toss shoes over their shoulders, and if the toes land pointing out, they will marry in the next year, as Thomasnacht is supposed to be a good night for predicting the future.

Of course, you don’t have to stay in trying to guess what’s going to happen to you in the year ahead. Instead, you can go out and have a good time at one of the Thomasnacht parties being held around Germany. Rüdesheim am Rhein plays host to a particularly well-developed party for this special day.

The Rüdesheim town association puts on the Thomasnacht party, which includes special drinks, pageants, and presentations. Locals dress in historical costumes and reenact scenes from the town’s history, while performers do street theater based on tales from the Brothers Grimm. There is even a special cruise down the Rhine with live classical music.

While the occasion is certainly festive, community events like these also serve as a way to get more people to come out to the Christmas markets. Since most of the shops close up on the 24th for the season, Thomasnacht also serves as a last hurrah for gift buyers and those looking to get souvenirs from the markets (including me ;-).

Thus, whether you just want a night out or you are trying to pick up a bit of good luck by hugging a tree, don’t neglect to take advantage of the peaking of the festive spirits around Thomasnacht! ;-)

—Marcus

Understanding how to recycle in Germany is something locals have learned over time. We separate our trash instinctively and enthusiastically.

There are even reports of German soldiers in Afghanistan habitually separating their waste, despite the lack of a formal system.

It’s simply the German way. ;-)

How The German Recycling System Works

For newcomers, recycling in Germany takes a bit of getting used to!

To begin, unlike many other developed nations, Germany doesn’t have one single recycling bin. Typically, there are at least four bins. Each color manages a different kind of waste, and the bins are supplemented by other collection programs for glass, batteries, and miscellaneous goods.

Brown Bins

Brown bins are for biological waste. This includes kitchen scraps and garden clippings. Other items that go in the brown bin are coffee filters, tea bags (without the paper tag), feathers, sawdust, and hair.

Blue Bins

Blue bins are for paper and cardboard. In some ways, this is the easiest one! All of your papers, boxes, tea tags, and magazines go here, although you should remember to flatten boxes first and to throw in dry paper only.

Yellow Bins

Yellow bins are for plastics and metals — often also represented by the Der grüne Punkt sign (a round circle with two arrows pointing to each other). Plastic wrap, food cans, yogurt cups, shopping bags, and soap bottles go here.

They do ask that you rinse items before putting them into this bin (remember my “enthusiastically” note in the first paragraph? ;-).

Gray Bins

Gray bins are for household waste a.k.a. Restmüll. Light bulbs (the old models), diapers, tissues, cigarette butts, and photographs are some of the things that go here. Also these items are burned when collected.

Glass and Batteries

Glass bottles and batteries are recycled publicly. You will see large bins for glass recycling in most public places. It is separated by color, always.

Batteries are collected at supermarkets and shopping malls.

Sperrmüll

In Germany, we also have Sperrmüll, which refers to miscellaneous items. Typically, Sperrmüll days will be announced as a time when municipal trucks will come around for all of the other things you want to have thrown away, like broken furniture, old lamps, or sofas. You place it on the curb outside of your house.

Sounds like it is heading for the landfill, right? Wrong! Second-hand goods dealers, junk collectors, and enterprising locals often collect the Sperrmüll long before anyone from the city arrives to get it. No sense letting something that can be used again be thrown away by your neighbors! ;-)

—Marcus

Also known as Christstollen, it’s a very rich cake — you may want to eat it with a dark coffee on the side to balance the sweetness. There’s butter, cream, sugar, raisins, spices, and a strong dash of brandy or rum. (Regionally there’s also marzipan in the middle.) The top is covered with a grainy white sugar icing, and I can never stop with just one piece! ;-)

Neither can most Germans — Stollen is addictively good. This is one of the reasons that bakeries all over the world bring it out at the holidays. Baked in long, low loaves, it is sure to have customers clamoring for more.

As a result of its popularity, Stollen even has its own festival! Hosted in Dresden at the Striezelmarkt (Dresden’s Christmas Market on Altmarkt) the Saturday prior the second Advent, the highlight of the Stollenfest is the baking of a giant Stollen cake. The locals are honoring the effort of August the Strong, who once ordered a 1.8 ton Stollen cake!

This was back in 1730, and I’ve no idea how his baker managed. For years, no one else tried, but gradually curiosity got the better of the locals. In 1994, the organizers of Dresden’s Christmas markets decided to bring the tradition back, and have been baking giant Stollen cakes each year since then.

The average “uber cake” now has 44 liters of Jamaican rum and weighs in at between three and four tons. Cut with a four foot (1.2 meter) silver knife by the Royal Master Baker, 500 gram pieces of the festival cake are then sold to attendees for about 3 Euro. With an average of 700,000 people turning out each year to enjoy the festival, it’s a good thing the cake is so large so that everyone can get a piece!

If you can’t make the festival, and your local baker doesn’t have any Stollen, you can also order it online from a number of traditional bakers, including the American based Dresden Stollen bakery.

However you manage, be sure you get a taste of Stollen this season, so you can see why so many people — including me, of course — adore this wonderful holiday cake. :-)

—Marcus

The specific locals are Moritz Wurfbaum, Catharina van Delden, and Veronika Wurfbaum. Moritz Wurfbaum and Catharina van Delden are a part of innosabi, a Munich based consumer innovation and product development company. Veronika Wurfbaum is the main photographer.

The company they’ve launched together is called Flaschenfotos, and the premise is simple.

They shoot bottles.

Their goal is to provide outstanding service in their niche, so the only other product they offer is Flaschenfotos T-shirts.

The company was founded in August, and the online site was launched in September.

If you’ve been reading my writings on business in Germany, you know that you really can start a company that quickly, and that Germany is very friendly to start ups like this.

It has a straightforward pricing structure based on the number of bottles shot. Each bottle shot against a white background in high resolution. The bottles are then retouched (airbrushing is not just for models anymore! ;-) so they are ready for print and online media uses.

There is a discount for organic and fair trade products, and the target market is retailers, bloggers, and journalists looking for graphics to go with their products.

Given that Germany has more than 40,000 wine producers alone, the company certainly has plenty of bottles to go after even before starting in on the local beer masters!

It’s always interesting to me to see what my fellow Germans are coming up with for business ideas, especially when they target off-beat markets like this. It’s just another example of how creative German people really can be, and the possibilities available to you if you want to start your own business in Germany.

—Marcus

The BAMBI Award may not be well known in the U.S., but in the world of European and international entertainment it is better known than the Oscars or the Grammy’s. In Germany, surveys have shown that 94% of the population is aware of the award — and I’m assuming the other 6% are still babies (who were left unasked… ;-).

The BAMBIs are simply that big.

Created in 1948, the award originally honored movie stars. Over the years, it has evolved to glorify all facets of media entertainment as well as global achievements and excellence in general categories.

Despite the versatility of the categories, the criteria remains strict: You must be extremely popular in your category. Also, award winners are those who “with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public” for that year.

The award winners are selected exclusively by Hubert Burda Media, the largest print media group in Germany (they run more than 60% of the magazines). The exclusivity and the limited award categories makes the prize truly treasured.

The 2009 and 2010 BAMBI awards will be presented in Potsdam, at the Babelsberg Film Studio Park. This park is the world’s oldest studio grounds and a very prestigious one, having shot movies with everyone from Marlene Dietrich to Tom Cruise and Matt Damon.

The ceremony tomorrow, November 26th, will be a glittering celebrity event, as it is every year. More than 6 million Germans tune in to watch annually, and the event is carried on most major networks along with Deutsche Welle.

Attending is the place to see and be seen for the fall, so everyone who is anyone will be out on the red carpets, hoping to be noticed and wishing to win a BAMBI of their very own.

—Marcus

For three years, I’ve found myself depending on the main news network from Germany, Deutsche Welle. It provides updates for the international community from Germany. It is a service I have found invaluable for helping me stay in touch as I travel, and I know many others who also love it.

You can enjoy their updates in many different ways. There is the online portal, DW-World.de, which is available in 30 languages. There is also a DW-Akademie, which runs a radio broadcast and trainings. Last but not least is DW-TV, available on satellite and cable worldwide networks in German, English, Arabic, and Spanish.

Even though I am not an advocate of television in general, watching Deutsche Welle from time to time makes me feel more connected to my beloved homeland whenever I’m abroad. They focus on current events, and pan-European decisions that impact Germany. Unlike some of the tabloid and infotainment offerings you can find, Deutsche Welle is very well regarded as a credible news source.

You can also use it as a way to improve your German language skills or keep your ear in practice. Though you can watch it in English, Spanish, and Arabic, their German language programming is targeted at people learning German in addition to those who already have German language skills. This is much better than boring tapes or classes!

New programs and formats are added constantly as the network expands. They currently claim more than 100 million worldwide listeners weekly.

I like to think of so many other lovers of Germany out there tuning in with me, and I invite you to be sure to take advantage of all the free resources and information provided at your finger tips by Deutsche Welle. :-)

—Marcus

Whether we will be one of the millions crowding the streets around the Brandenberg Gate or some of the millions watching at home, there is no doubt that we will be thinking about the Berlin Wall and its impact on our lives.

For me, it will be quite a day of reflection.

I remember the day the Berlin Wall came down very well as I was watching and listening to the news as much as I could that time, in every free minute that I had. I’m a West German and the happiness for my fellow East Germans sunk through my body as they finally climbed the Wall and experienced freedom that night.

It’s hard to recapture that excitement and the sensations, although people are trying. This past weekend has been “A Weekend of Freedom” in the media, with interviews, retrospectives, and footage clips of life with the Berlin Wall and the moment it was torn down. Check Deutsche Welle for special footage online if you missed the original broadcasts.

While all of the commentary is really something, there is also the impact of the images. You can see all kinds of images of the Berlin Wall online, including the famous graffiti on the western side of the Wall. The pictures span the infamous photos from the speeches promising us there would be no Wall to the well-known shots of the Wall being pulled down.

These shots will be reviewed again as the State Orchestra does its performance at the Brandenberg Gate tonight, and they pull down the large dominoes that are being used to symbolize the old cement of the Berlin Wall. There will be a large fireworks show starting as the “Wall” is pulled down, and I imagine that I will not be the only one watching with an emotional heart.

Are you going to be there? I know I am.

—Marcus

However, while the German Democratic Republic may now be part of one Germany, Ostalgie is raising it from the dead.

Ostalgie is a German phrase that refers to the love of all things East German. It’s a very focused kind of nostalgia. Products, people, and habits that characterized East German life are the main beneficiaries.

For example, take the Trabant. The car was a symbol of East German life, and now it is being revived, thanks in part to Ostalgie. The Ampelmännchen, a traffic crossing man in East German, has been reborn as a lollipop.

Then there is the food . . . Spreewaldgurken, a kind of pickled cucumber that was a staple of East German cuisine, sells quite well. It has a kind of cult status, rather than a true deliciousness (in my opinion!).

And then there are the people . . . thanks to Ostalgie, many East German sports stars, celebrities, and entertainers have seen their careers reborn as commentators and guest stars. This only increased after 2003, when the movie Good Bye, Lenin! brought Ostalgie much more into the mainstream mind.

However, not everyone is amused by Ostalgie. Some Germans are still very emotional about the divided period, ambivalent about reunification, or hesitant to address it at all. It’s certainly something to be aware of as you watch and discuss the 20th anniversary celebrations.

To play more with the world of Ostalgie, seriously or in jest, you will find many links on the web.

You can find sites selling German border crossing signs, greeting cards with East German icons, and even sites that collect East German jokes. One of the largest English based sites is Grenzschild, which also publishes a guide to additional sites in English, German, and Russian to explore.

—Marcus

Instead, on October 31st, some parts of Germany will be celebrating Reformation Day, but otherwise it’s a day like any other. The bigger day in Germany isn’t “All Hallow’s Eve” but rather November 1st, All Saints Day, Allerheiligen. It’s a public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.

And yet . . . you do see Halloween things in the shops around the end of October. There are a few witches hats, monster masks, and orange and black products for sale. Some areas with a lot of expats will organize trick or treating door to door for children, but this isn’t a widespread custom.

A better plan to get the “Halloween Spirit” would be to take your family to one of the Pumpkin Festivals. These are more about celebrating the harvest and having a party than real Halloween, but they do include pumpkin carving contests, fun rides, and costume competitions.

Some of the biggest are in Dormagen, which has its own Pumpkin Island, and in amusement parks such as Belantis outside Leipzig, which incorporates a Halloween theme and offers discounts for children in costume, and the Europa-Park in Rust near Freiburg, which got an entire week of Halloween stuff going on.

This is not to imply that Germany is completely without a Halloween-like tradition, though. The Celtic people who are responsible for most of the Halloween legends lived in many places in Germany, leaving behind their stories of witches and ghouls.

The difference for us Germans is that we choose to acknowledge and celebrate those legends in April, not October. Known as Walpurgis Night, this “German Halloween” has bonfires, costume parties, and witch hats galore.

Thus, if you don’t feel like you’ve gotten the Halloween you wanted in Germany in October, well, you will just have to come back and visit again in the spring! ;-)

—Marcus

Even when you decide to live in Germany, you get influenced by the way the country looks in books. You may be moved to visit a new town, see a particular structure, or avoid a certain area all thanks to the words of a single writer.

For Germany, one writer has had a very profound effect on how the international community has viewed the country not just physically, but mentally. John Le Carré, a British author specializing in espionage books and suspense thrillers, set a significant number of his books in Germany. As best sellers, his books were the first experience of “real” German life that many people had, and the later movie adaptions have furthered his influence on the popular mind.

This makes it a pity that so many of his books were so very dark.

Although he has been honored with many awards and is critically regarded as having created a philosophically significant alternative to the glamorized James Bond world of the spy genre, his themes are not uplifting. In most cases, everything is morally clouded, and an aura of sadness, gloom, and hypocrisy hangs over his characters.

This gloom bleeds over into his descriptions of Germany. Its weather is cloudy, cold, and foggy, except for when it actively rains or snows. Buildings are drab when they are not ugly, and people are indifferent when they are not antagonistic.

Nothing is easy, nothing is fun, and the best you can hope for is to be left alone and die quietly in the distant future.

Although interesting, it’s quite depressing, really, and nothing like the real Germany. John Le Carré needed to create a certain mood for his books, and he didn’t need it to showcase all of the vibrancy and color of true German life. So he painted a very careful picture of the country, not realizing that later tour operators would put his checkpoints, government offices, and shoot-out sites into movies and tours.

The best antidote for the image in his work is to actually come to Germany. Hike the green hills, enjoy the sunshine, and talk with the people. Experience for yourself the sharp difference between fiction and reality! ;-)

—Marcus

The vintage as a class was born in 1775 at the famous Schloss Johannisberg winery, when the harvest was unfortunately delayed by about two weeks — legend has it the field master had been kidnapped, and they couldn’t start until his release. The grapes were harvested reluctantly, and no one thought the wine would amount to much.

With low expectations, the first wine was tasted… and now they deliberately pick the grapes late!

Spätlese, which simply means “late harvest,” was such an instant hit that just three years later it was being handed out to visiting nobles and royalty as a gift. Thomas Jefferson raved so much about his 1778 bottles that the wine became the new American must-have vintage.

Spätlese, my personal favorite of all German wines, has several specific characteristics that make it unique and pleasant to drink. Since the grapes are fully ripened when they are picked, they give a fuller body and more intense flavor than other German wines like Riesling or Kabinett. The wine is also known for its long finish and pleasant aroma.

Available as semi-sweet, Spätlese wines are forbidden by law from being artificially sweetened. The quality of the vintage depends very much on the soil and the weather of each season. 2007 and 2008 were very good years, and the early tests on the 2009 grapes has vintners very excited about the potential of this year’s harvest.

You should be excited, too. Spätlese wines are excellent food pairings, especially with seafood dishes and spicy dishes. The complexity of the flavors with the long finish of the wine really enriches a meal.

Spätlese wines are meant to be enjoyed, rather than stored away for decades. You age a Spätlese for 3 -10 years, but they do peak at a relatively young age. Therefore, why wait to open a bottle? :-)

If you’d like recommendations, Terry Theise, one of the wine worlds leading sommelier’s, gave the 2008 Müller-Catoir Mandelring Scheurebe Spätlese (~$60 USD) a near perfect score. Other German wine houses making good quality Spätlese include Dönnhoff, Meulenhof Erdener, and Leitz Rüdesheimer.

—Marcus

Of course, Berlin’s Bathtub isn’t actually in Berlin, so don’t go looking for it there. To see this wonder, you need to head north for the day. Preferably for the weekend, or even a week!

Berlin’s Bathtub is the colloquial name for the island resort town of Usedom. It nestles on the border between Germany and Poland, with crisp white sands stretching out into the Baltic Sea.

When you arrive, you will naturally notice the sands. There are 42 km (30 miles) of white sand beaches, so it’s a little hard not to see them. And yet… what’s that sound? When the wind comes in off the ocean, the fine white sand rubs together in its own symphony.

People hearing these singing sands have likened the sound to an orchestra of tiny natural violins. It’s beautiful, but hard to describe. You’ll just have to go and see it for yourself, and the sands will be grateful to have you back.

The sands have been getting a bit ignored over the last few decades. The area has been settled since Neolithic times, and the royal families of Poland, Russia, and Prussia used to come here for retreats. Yet Sylt Island nearby was the place turned into a recreational mecca.

The end result for you is that Usedom’s villas, spas, and royal villages have become a special insider’s secret. Beautiful and relatively affordable, the sand and beach attractions are crowded but not to the extent one might think. In shoulder seasons, you can get especially good deals on hotels and beachfront apartment rentals.

Listening to the sands and soaking up the sun is but one way to pass the time here. There are all kinds of water sports on offer, as well as a booming spa culture in Amber and Imperial flavors.

However, if you just want to appreciate the view and relax, there is an 8 km (5 miles) promenade along the beach that is perfect for a morning or evening stroll to watch the sun over the ocean.

—Marcus

You see, while Oktoberfest is a beer festival at heart, the soul of the event is the food. After all, you can’t very well enjoy fine German beers for hours without a little something to go along with it. So “traditional” food is brought out — sauerkraut, preztels, and sausage.

The mistake is in thinking that any sausage will do for Oktoberfest. Currywurst, bratwurst, kielbasa…

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

To be truly authentic, you have to serve weisswurst.

Weißwurst is one of those delicious accidents. In 1857, Munich butcher Sepp Moser was out of his usual sausage making supplies. Forced to improvise, he invented the distinctive boiled veal sausage with the pig skin shell.

Now, more than 75 million weisswursts are made each year, and Munich butchers take the quality of their product very seriously. A good weisswurst should be white, like snow (OK, almost…), and you should be able to see small flecks of green seasoning through the casing. Faded gray sausages are imitations, and usually poor quality.

You can get good weisswurst from quality butchers all over the world, or in specialty import shops. Truly authentic sausages have a special seal indicating that they were made in Munich.

To further impress your guests, be sure to serve them correctly. Weisswursts are served in pairs. They are traditionally accompanied by sweet (!) mustard with puffy pretzels.

The taste combination is one that really invokes the spirit of true Oktoberfest. Once the weisswursts are ready, all that you need is some good beer to go with it. Purists will insist on weissbeer, but as long as you are serving the right food to go with it, I’ll toast you with any one of Germany’s excellent Oktoberfest brews! ;-)

—Marcus

People loved them and hated them. On one hand, the cars didn’t always work very well, and they came in ridiculous colors. On the other hand, the waiting lists were always long, and owners of “Trabis” often nicknamed them and treated them like beloved if eccentric family members.

However, after the Wall came down, the East German cars were outmatched by Western competitors that were faster, more reliable, and easier to get. The last Trabant was manufactured in 1991.

Since then, Trabi lovers have had to make do with museums and car rallies.

There are surprisingly large number of them. The most famous Trabant museum is the August Horch Museum, located in the Detroit of East Germany, Zwickau. It was totally updated in 2004 to feature more information on the history and culture of the Trabant, along with other German classic cars.

A rising tide of visitors and enthusiasts holding rallies led to a quick survey at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show. Out of 11,500 people surveyed, 93% were in favor of reviving the Trabant. Many even volunteered that they would buy one, prompting companies to look at bringing the suddenly beloved Trabi back from the dead.

Out of all this chatter have come rumors, whispers, and suddenly… official plans. The Trabant NT should be arriving in showrooms in 2012. A prototype will be shown at various auto shows around Germany this fall — including the Internationale Automobilausstelling (IAA) or Frankfurt Motor Show (TODAY!).

The cars will be made by the East German manufacturer Indikar, also based out of Zwickau. They are hoping to seriously improve on the old Trabants, without compromising the features that made them popular. The new version won’t spew diesel and sputter — Indikar is planning to make them all-electric cars with solar panel roofs (great!).

We’ll see if its enough to make a bright new Trabant loving culture spring up from the ashes of the old one! :-)

—Marcus

To see things in context for the general election in September, you have to consider the overall economic and political situation in Germany at present. Like the rest of Europe, business is a bit down this year for the export trade, a key driver of the German economy. People are very concerned with jobs and security.

However, whatever Germany does to insure its own solvency and security is not done in isolation thanks to the interconnectedness of the European political and cultural landscape. Earlier in the year, when Germany declined to offer rescue funds to some Eastern European countries, scare mongers claimed Germany was hanging the Continent out to dry. Naturally not — it’s just that the ability to help abroad begins with solvency and economic soundness at home.

Horst Köhler, the recently re-elected German President, and Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will be the candidate to shift depending on the outcome of the September elections, have been working on social program reforms. Their aim is to improve services while curtailing some of the spending. Results are mixed, and votes on measures are often delayed. Some see these reforms as robbing the people to preserve the state, while other say the reforms are needed to avoid bankrupting everyone with debt.

If Chancellor Merkel’s party wins the September election, most analysts say that it would be interpreted as a mandate to get serious about reforming the social payment programs in Germany. If her party loses, there will be a great deal of reshuffling on the national stage. Either outcome will bring change and uncertainty, which is not very popular given the worry that many people have about the future now thanks to the economy.

Thus, debates are heated, and the newspaper columns analyze everything said or done. This keeps interest levels high, but some of the recent campaign moves have also raised eyebrows. In an attempt to inject humor and levity into the campaign, Vera Lengsfeld used her own and the Chancellor’s cleavage in a German election campaign ad… and definitely garnered some national as well as international attention! ;-)

Vera Lengsfeld, the creative politician -- Photo: REUTERS

It just goes to show that right about the time you think nothing is happening with German politics, something will change in the debates. It will certainly be interesting to see which way the voting goes on September 17th!

I definitely will be watching it closely; and you?

—Marcus Hochstadt

In this case, a small German start up company has decided to make life better for animals going blind.

Their solution?

Implantable contact lenses!

It’s an interesting solution to a formerly unsolvable problem. After all, animals can’t wear glasses, and it would be difficult for owners or zoo keepers to realistically put contacts in and out of their eyes each day. Yet because animals have a short life span, losing their vision for even part of their life can be a real disability and reduce their quality of life dramatically. Blind animals in zoos really struggle, and blind pets are heartbreaking for families.

Into this sad situation stepped S & V Technologies, which is based out of the industrial town of Hennigsdorf. It’s one of five companies founded by Bavarian chemist Christine Kreiner, although it is her first in East Germany. This one has already made 2.5 million euros since opening in 2008!

The contact lenses made by the company are acrylic intra-ocular lenses. They are customized to the size and shape of each animal that will wear them. The lenses are then implanted by specially trained veterinarians while the animals are under anesthesia, and recovery times are short.

For the company, the biggest challenge hasn’t been the animals but actually the veterinarians! There is a real shortage of veterinarians who can implant the lenses, and demand is high. Even though the surgery can cost thousands of euros, many families and zoos feel it is worth the cost.

Since the lenses first became available, customers from around the globe have been after them. The lenses have gone into every kind of animal from a performing sea lion at Sea World to kangaroos to treasured family pets.

The company, which now employs 32 people, plans to keep expanding and offer more classes to veterinarians so that more animals can be helped.

Cleenbox, a small German company, has started to offer a laundry service by mail. It’s a very simple process based on a partnership with the (also German) DHL shipping company. You can use them and have more time to focus on other areas of your life.

To use Cleenbox, you need a physical address in Germany. You then subscribe to the service via their website, and request your first laundry box. The laundry boxes come in various sizes, according to your needs and your family size.

Once the box arrives, you gather up all of your dirty laundry and dump it in the box. Just remember not to put your dry clean only items in the box; and, boy, check your pockets! ;-)

The average box holds about 50 items. You save yourself even more time because Cleenbox doesn’t require you to separate your colors or fabrics, since they will sort the wash themselves.

When you pack up the box and send it off, you just go on with your life while someone else washes, dries, folds, irons, and repacks your clothing box. It’s like having your own personal laundry fairy.

The box arrives back on your doorstep in 2 – 5 days, with your clothes specially sealed inside to prevent crushing or loss of freshness.

At this point, I’m sure you are suspicious that the service is terribly expensive. Yet here again, Cleenbox has a bit of a surprise. The entry price is 25 Euros for a 5 kg box, which includes the shipping to and from your house.

Their website has more information about types of detergents used, standard pick up and delivery times, and the rates for truly massive amounts of washing. It is in German, but there are web translation tools (such as the Google Translator) that can help you navigate and get signed up. After all, why waste time with the wash when you could be out enjoying and exploring everything Germany has to offer?

—Marcus

It’s not that this restaurant is exclusive — in fact, it’s not a restaurant at all. It’s the home of a master chef in Berlin who prefers to remain nameless. Going as “The Shy Chef,” this culinary gem decided that the best way to share her amazing food is in the privacy of a real home, and started putting on dinners in early 2009.

Up to 6 people each evening of operation will be sent the location of the dinner. Space is limited, and the club is quite often booked out for a month in advance.

It’s a home in the Kreuzburg district, in a building that’s more than 100 years old. When you get to the location, you’re in on the secret spot, but so far not one of the guests has spilled the beans, so you’d better believe this blog won’t either!

The menu varies and is tailored to meet any dietary restrictions of the guests for the evening. In terms of specific dishes, you’ll be getting at least 5 courses, including a dessert. The Shy Chef’s Blog is known to shop for organic local fare. Your meal will be a unique taste of real German cooking with real German ingredients, served together with carefully selected wines and beers.

It’s certainly understated compared to some of Berlin’s trendier options, but if you want a rare insider experience this is certainly one to try for while you are in Berlin. Some of the past guests have indicated the meal is worth a trip to Berlin all by itself — but you’ll have to be the judge of that! ;-)

You can make your reservation by emailing The Shy Chef through her blog. Dinners are available mainly on Friday and Saturday nights, with some Sundays and Thursdays depending on the month.

As an underground supper club a suggested donation of 50 Euro per person to offset costs is suggested, but no official bill will be presented. After all, how can you price an experience this unusually good?

Hot air balloons may seem archaic, now that there are jets and high-speed trains. Yet a short ride can really be a relaxing and memorable experience. You are much closer to the scenery and get to have a very one on one interactive with the environment as you fly.

There are several places in Germany where you can book a ride in a hot air balloon.

Worried that it’s not safe?

Don’t be — The German firm Ballonbau Wörner GmbH has been making passenger weight balloons in Augsburg since 1897 and their reputation for quality is excellent.

To maximize your experience, you may want to book a ride in conjunction with one of the major hot air balloon festivals. There are two in Germany. One is held in the East and one in the West.

The East Festival is held in Leipzig in Saxony at the end of July each year. The Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta attracts more than 100,000 people for three kinds of balloon races and rides.

The West Festival is held in Warstein in the fall. The Montgolfiade International attracts more than 300 balloonists who put on day and night performances. It also has a special shapes division and is more geared toward novelties than speed shows.

For year-round ballooning, you can also try the Gersthofen center near Augsburg. There are services in Berlin, Rothenburg and other locations in Bavaria, but it can be seasonal. You’ll want to book ahead for the best weather.

The price of a ride is set out on a per hour basis. Most companies charge between 170 – 200 euros per hour. However, balloon baskets can take up to 10 people, so check before you dismiss it as too expensive for you or your family.

Seeing Germany by air is a rare pleasure, and you won’t want to miss your chance for photographs and memories!

There are actually plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available to travelers in Germany. Admittedly, if you go to a traditional German restaurant and look for traditional fare, you will likely be offered a lot of meat dishes. Look beyond the stereotypical stuff, however, and you’ll find a lot of very good food.

In the summer, you will want to eat potato and asparagus, a popular combination plate due to Germany’s status as a leading producer of asparagus. Onion or mushroom stews in winter and crisp spring and fall salads are also on the menu at most restaurants. Going to specialty restaurants focusing on vegan and natural foods will give you an even broader variety.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from your hotel, guide or new friends. Just explain that you are vegetarisch (vegetarian) and most people will be able to direct you to a restaurant, even in the smaller towns. In a pinch, go for falafel or to a pizza house.

If you prefer to buy a few things on your own, you should look for a Reformhaus or a Bio Markt. “Bio” is applied to all things organic. Strict vegans should note that it doesn’t always mean purely natural, just that it meet EU organic standards. (Yup, we’re at it again… politics; one of the most beloved hobbies if we trust the TV news and various talkshows.)

Select Top Restaurants In Germany For Vegans

Here are few restaurants you can note down, but remember that there are many, many more! Happy Cow has 253 listings for vegetarian restaurants in Germany. So these are just a few that stand out for quality…

• Berlin: Hans Wurst Vegan Cafe (Dunckerstraße 2a, 10437), Veni Vidi Vegi (Pücklerstraße 32, 10997) and Yellow Sunshine (Wiener Straße 19, 10999)
• Munich: Prinz Myskin (Hackenstraße 2) and Zay Vegetarisch (Occamstraße 13)
• Frankfurt: Naturbar (Oeder Weg 26)

Also, if you read good German, you can visit the discussion boards at www.vegan.de for even more tips.

—Marcus

You can even purchase these clothes at a strong discount during the summer clothing sales in Germany.

The sales, known as Sommer Schlussverkauf, used to be regulated. You could only have a sale during a set period, usually the last Monday of July to the first week of August. They were fixed at 12 days for the sale period.

Nowadays it’s more relaxed and stores can put on a discount at any time, but the big sales are still in the traditional period!

This makes it a real pleasure to shop in the summer in Germany. You will especially want to pick up leather goods, like belts or shoes, sports equipment and everyday clothing at this time. Typical sales will cut 20 – 50% from the sticker price!

One currently very popular store (for women) is Zero. It specializes in every day casual and trendy clothing. A review of the store in the Stuttgart shopping scene claimed that it was the essential “contemporary European woman’s” wardrobe destination. Visitors to the shops, which are located throughout Germany, will be pleased to walk away with summer steals as the already reasonable prices are cut in half.

Women, though, won’t be the only winners at the summer sales. For the whole family, Salamander shoes will be a good bargain item, as they are well made and last for a long time (I can testify!). If you are planning to do any hiking or camping in Germany during your trip, timing it during the summer sale could make it advisable for you to leave your own things at home and get some new Adidas and Puma items once you arrive.

Whatever you choose, remember that historically sales in Germany were limited. If you see something and like it while it’s on sale, it’s best to buy it quickly. Good products last, so items move quickly at sale time!

One example of this is Freiburg im Breisgau, in the Southern part of the Black Forest. With its traditional town hall and cobblestone pedestrian center, a quick picture might place it firmly in the stereotypical zone. Dismissing it so quickly, however, is missing out on its vibrant cultural charms.

Freiburg is actually a well-known university area, and an active environmental activist area. One notable program of the University is their Global Studies program, an advanced degree program that trains participants for international humanitarian works. To get their field experience, the students have designed a number of outreach efforts that have brought the rich immigrant culture into the mainstream.

The public signs of this have come in an explosion of public festivities with an international flair. In the summer, it seems there is one every weekend celebrating a community group, neighborhood or park area. Many of these offer classes, food vendors and shows as part of the fun and the whole family is welcome.

One portion that has become quite popular in Freiburg is belly dancing. The Black Forest traditionalists would be shocked by the matrons teaching the locals to shimmy, sway and sashay with veils and scarves. Competitions and shows are ongoing, and many gyms offer lessons as well for those who want to keep fit.

Most basic lessons go for just 10 or 15 Euros, or you can try it at one of the street festivals for around 5 (the entrance fee to the festival). Then you can waltz your way through the rest of the town with a bit of the exotic in your step. :-)

There’s always more of Germany to discover when you look below the surface!

—Marcus

Known for its outdoor activities, in the winter it serves as a skiers’ retreat and snowboarders’ haven. Visitors flock in to take advantage of the snow and then head for colder climates when the springtime comes.

Yet staying away from this area in the summer is a mistake you won’t want to make. When the snows are gone, the Lauterbad region comes to life even more, just in a different kind of way. The welcoming blossoms of the flowers and the lush green of the forest trees will draw out the stresses of your day to day life and have you reveling in the charms of a country summer.

Bike trails, hiking paths and walking trails invite you out away from Blackberries, Emails and TVs. You can go over to the Freudenstadt golf course or rent equipment for water sports from any of the local hotels. From dawn till dusk, there are activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Yet if you are seeking a grown-up pampering you will also not be disappointed. There are a number of spa and wellness retreats, each with their own restaurant. All the competition keeps the quality quite high. You will find yourself spoiled for choice when dinnertime comes around and almost every place will be a top spot.

One of these wellness hotels in Lauterbad, one I personally visited time and again and, consequently, is on my “highly recommended” list, is the Hotel Grüner Wald. Their sauna center is exceptional; sitting outside breathing in the fresh air makes you at least ten years younger; and their dishes are first-class and so delicious, I would fly in there and book a stay just so I can pamper my tummy again. Hmmmm… unforgettable each time!

Lauterbad also offers the delicious local vintages you would expect from this corner of Germany. You can pick up something lovely and then sit out to enjoy the sunset over the mountains. Away from the urban world, you will be able to watch the stars come out and congratulate yourself on having listened to my advice and found this corner of Germany in just the right season! ;-)

—Marcus

While traveling may be full of little stresses, like worrying what would happen to you if you got sick, this is not something to fear in this country. Here, you don’t have to worry about being trapped in some sub-standard hospital. You are going to get high-quality care from well-trained professionals.

If you live in Germany, you are part of the Statutory Health Insurance, German: gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, which is part of the Social Security a.k.a. Sozialversicherung. You can learn more about it on the Healthcare in Germany page.

Yet if you are a traveler, you are not part of the system. This concerns some, but don’t fret. Even as a guest you can still access excellent treatment during your stay, with a minimum of fuss.

The key is that you will need to pay out of pocket for the care. You can then be reimbursed by your home healthcare provider system. This is a general rule, so you may want to investigate with your health care provider to be sure of the details.

This cash-for-care system means that for a sudden case of the flu, small cuts, chipped teeth and so on you can simply go to the appropriate doctor or hospital and get care. Germany has more practicing specialists per thousand people than any other country in the world, so lines are short. You will not need to wait for weeks to see a doctor — same day or next day will be available.

If you are staying at a hotel they can help you get an appointment. They may also link you with the Ärztlicher Hausbesuchsdienst, or Physician’s House Call Service, which is run in many communities as a regular service. In this case, you will receive a personal visit at your hotel from the doctor.

Alternatively, it may be called Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst. In most cases, however, you would simply ask for the Notarzt, the emergency doctor.

Many pharmacies will also give you recommendations for physicians. In fact, pharmacies can be an excellent first stop as most have very knowledgeable staff. As the over-the-counter cures vary country to country, you may find they have a good treatment for your sickness on hand.

In all German cities — down to the small villages — will you find a Apotheke that is available for you 24/7. Although the lights may be off, if the Apotheke is one with Bereitschaftsdienst you can ring the boss out of bed if need be. Else, look at the plate outside to see which nearby pharmacy does have this 24/7 service that night.

For more severe illness, keep in mind that Germany is a world leading in medical innovation. Heart treatments, brain and nerve surgeries and even cancer treatments attract millions of medical tourists each year. Again, specialists are available quickly to treat even very complex ailments.

Emergency care is also very good and amazingly fast. Emergency Medical Services are a mandated task for municipal governments and strictly regulated for quality and efficiency. Nationwide, the network is strong enough that you can have a staffed medical helicopter at the accident scene within 15 minutes no matter where you are in Germany.

Thus, even as a tourist or visitor to Germany you can have all the benefits of the advanced German medical science. With services like the Ärztlicher Hausbesuchsdienst, you may even receive more personalized care than you would at home!

—Marcus

This wonder is Neuschwanstein Castle. Also called the Swan Stone Castle or simply Neuschwanstein, it was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria between 1868 and 1886. Known as the “Mad King,” he certainly wasn’t crazy when he commissioned this gem.

Done in the Romantic Medieval style, Neuschwanstein sits on a hill above Füssen. Often swathed in clouds, it evokes awe and a sense that you’ve stepped into a fairytale dream. Its design was inspired in part by Richard Wagner’s musical work with German legends, and Walt Disney used it as the model for Cinderella’s castle at the theme parks.

Yet King Ludwig wasn’t operating in a dream world. Instead, he incorporated his passion for modern technologies into the castle. Did you know he was the one who introduced electricity to Bavaria? His own palace was an example to others.

Each floor is wired for electricity, plumbed for running water on all floors and includes flush toilets and central heat. The medieval charm of the place was enhanced with a sturdy hot water system and private drinking water supply. Though the Neuschwanstein castle may look like a fancy toy, it was designed to be lived in comfortably!

To get the best photographs of the Swan Castle, you will want to budget enough time for a hike over to the nearby Mariensbrücke. This bridge crosses a gorge facing the castle and gives a superior vista to the diligent. You can also paraglide over the castle from the mountains around it, which gives an amazing view of the building and grounds if you are brave! ;-)

Do note as well that Neuschwanstein is open year round. While it is excellent to visit in the summer as the hiking is more comfortable, the castle in the winter is also beautiful. Christmas decorations and holiday events can be quite touching and post-card perfect.

White Christmas, anyone?

—Marcus

The first thing you will notice are the “Hotels” links on the respective city or town pages (currently under the “Top Areas Of Interest” header). Clicking on such a link will forward you to a page that lists the hotels available in that particular German city. And on that page you can refine your search to receive more appropriate results.

Right now, this “Hotels” link appears only on a fraction of the city pages. Soon, though, it’ll be available on all city pages.

The second thing you’ll capture are the special prices. ;-)

And the next step on the list is to…

No, let me announce it when it’s done. ;-)

—Marcus

P.S. Special thanks to Robert who deliberately and meticulously made this work and this so remarkably well!

Get a group of people sitting together in a beer garden discussing the state of the world and the economy is going to be a front and center topic. So what do you need to know? How should you react?

First, the need-to-know items. Some of them you have seen in the news, usually as a screaming headline. These include such fun statistics as:

• “World Tourist Organization says European Tourism down 8%”
• “German GDP Shrinks 3.8% in Q1 2009″
• “German Exports Plunge More Than 9% Since 2008″

All of these items look bad on TV and allow the talking heads to look gravely concerned and talk in somber tones before switching over to sports and weather. But what is the true situation on the ground?

The reality is that for most people life is proceeding as normal. There is an added air of caution with major expenditures, but that is not so unusual. Germany has been through a number of ups and downs economically over the years and so caution is a natural part of the pattern.

Additionally, while things are slowing globally, the German economy is on an upswing overall. Yes, this quarter or even this year may not deliver outstanding growth of the kind the stockbrokers want. But, compared to past years things are still following a general uptrend.

For example, if you look back to the time when the Wall came down, unemployment rates were around 15%, especially in the North East of the country. Now, the national rates are 9.6%. This is an remarkable improvement, although American and British analysts react to the number with shock because they come from a different perspective. ;-)

Further, 72% of the German working age population works. By way of comparison, in the US, only 66% of the working age population works, even though they have a lower official unemployment rate.

So you see, numbers are still relative.

Thus, moving around and doing business in Germany you will still find a strong economy and bustling trade. You shouldn’t feel as though there is a major economic crisis about to end the world at any time. Instead, enjoy Germany’s fine infrastructure, well-ordered business life and beautiful scenery! :-)

—Marcus