Surfing in Germany is something that the uninformed associate with the North Sea or Baltic Sea. While there are some top coastal surf spots in Germany that have been surfed since the 1970’s, that’s not where the German surfing scene is hottest at this time of year.

To catch a wave in German, you really need to head south.

River surfing in Germany is a major sporting institution, and one that locals take very seriously. They have their own surfing leagues and there is a German surfing magazine (German only).

The epicenter of the action is in Munich, where a permanent wave generator has been set up on the Eisbach river. Here, locals and visitors alike prove their skills on a narrow channel of water, cheered on by passing spectators and surfer groupies. Experts surf at the wave generator near the Haus der Kunst museum in the Englischer Garten, while beginners ride the waves further up the tributary at Floßlände near the Thalkirchen campground.

There is no doubt that the wetsuit clad surfers look very cool in the midst of the city. They’re freezing, of course, because of the water temperature. No one was kidding around when they named the river — the English translation is Ice Stream and it averages about 6 °C or 42° F! As a result, all but the most dedicated wave riders limit their surf time to the summer months.

This makes right now the best season for getting an eyeful of the local tricksters and surf champions, and provides sightseers with the opportunity for a good, warm afternoon in the park as well.

To prepare yourself for the day out, you’ll need a picnic blanket, snacks, sunblock, and a crash course in German surf culture.

As far as German surf culture is concerned, start by listening to the best German surfer bands online — there’s Sportfreunde Stiller from nearby Germering, The Love Preachers from Düsseldorf, and Plan 9 from Berlin, just to name a few of the more famous bands to put you in the surfing mood.

From there, practice being polite and holding your board aloft as you wait in line for your shot at the river or start practicing your whoops and cheers for the local boys showing off.

If you can’t make it out to the Eisbach but wish you could, pick up the documentary on German river surfing that took 10 YEARS to make. Called Keep Surfing, it will let you see how the waves were made and showcase the lives of those who spend their days surfing South Germany.

—Marcus

P.S. Here’s a video of a surfer on the Eisbach river in action…

I hear so many people tell me they would love to travel to Germany, but they are worried about being able to communicate. Not everyone is interested in language camps and schools in Germany, or even improving their German with German TV online.

So rather than pointing out that you can easily learn German, I thought I would use this post to point out the German words you already know.

These words are pure German, but English speakers use them all the time. They are what linguists call “loan words” or “borrowings,” which basically just means words you English speakers have adopted as your own.

Check out the list below . . . you’ve been speaking German all along and not even knowing it! :-)

• Hamburger, anyone? You think this is a universal word from the American, but it’s really German. And so are delicatessen, strudel, frankfurter, bratwurst, sauerkraut, schnapps, vermouth and lager. Along with aspirin, which you may need if you have all of that together!
• Many pets have German names, including your hamster, Dachshund, Schnauzer and Doberman. And your children attend Kindergarten which is German, of course.
• Angst is a straight crossover word, along with gestalt.
• Fest is a party in both languages, and the glitz at the party is also German.
• Autobahn are those movie type of superhighways in Germany with no speed limit (given there is none).
• More fun words include kaput (German: kaputt), hinterland, halt, pretzel (German: Bretzel), glitch, carabiner, nickel, poltergeist, rucksack, and wanderlust.

Along with straight crossovers, some words have shifted in meaning, but they are still German in origin. How many of these do you use?

• Blitz is German for a lightning, but you English speakers now talk about an “advertising blitz” and also use the word to describe attack plays in American football.
• Flak was originally an acronym for a type of machine gun in Germany, but English speakers now use the word to describe heavy criticism.

There are many other German loan words on record, including dozens that are more technical. Keep your ears peeled and your mind open to see how much more German you really use, thinking you are speaking pure English! ;-)

—Marcus

German beers cater to almost every taste, but did you know that they also cater to the weather? Not only do we Germans change our wardrobes with each season, but we also change our beers.

Summer beers tend to be lighter on the tongue than winter beers, and some of them are designed with specific taste pairings in mind. There are even German summer beers that rely on sweetened fruit syrups added by the drinker to achieve their ideal flavor!

To find the German summer beer that will be your new favorite, I’ve compiled a list below to help guide you in your tastings based on what’s popular now in the last summer days of 2010. Feel free to disagree with me on what’s best (why else do we have hundreds of different sorts!), but be sure to sample each beer generously before making your decisions! ;-)

• The Premium Pilsner by Bitburger is heavy with hops for a light, dry finish. As Germany’s originators of the Pilsner style, this Bitburg based manufacturer is hugely popular in the German market and exported abroad. If you can’t find the Bitburger, the Tannenzäpfle Pilsner by Rothaus is also an excellent choice from the Pilsner category.
• Kölsch beers are brewed in Cologne, made using yeast that is aged in a lager style. The Mühlen Kölsch by the Malzmühle Schwartz brewery in Cologne is a delicious example you’ll want to try this year.
• Berliner Kindl offers a distinctive sour tang. Summer fans can request seasonal fruit syrups to add to the beer, allowing for some fun finding your perfect personal version. I’ve also found that the slightly bubbly nature of the beer helps make it a smart summer choice.
• Finally, no summer German beer review would be complete without including a Hefeweizen. As a beer garden staple, this light wheat beer is good with or without food but please, eat something. ;-) Then you can have more Hefeweizen like the excellent Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier by the world’s oldest brewery, Weihenstephan brewery in Freising.

To summer, and to your health!

—Marcus

I know that many MyGermanCity.com visitors thought that this Web site is driven by only one person, me. Well, I’m not blaming you for it… It says “I” and “Marcus” all over the place.

However, there is, in fact, a small group of smart people behind MyGermanCity.com, eagerly working with me to provide you with a one-of-a-kind guide about Germany.

Curious? I’ll bet you are! :-)

Visit the revamped About page to get to know each one of us a bit better…

http://www.mygermancity.com/about

—Marcus

Smoking is a hot topic in Germany at the moment, thanks to a vote in Bavaria on July 3rd to put a new public smoking ban in place. It is being called one of the strictest in Germany, and has commentators wondering what this will mean for the weak smoking bans currently in place in the rest of the country.

Smoking bans, after all, are hardly new in German. You can’t smoke in federal buildings, and there were a number of bans on smoking in restaurants and pubs passed in 2008.

However, the way things work in Germany, the national government doesn’t handle the smoking laws. Instead, each individual state has their own rules, and some of them are more strict than others.

Some of them are not very strict at all . . . and even the 2008 rules were rather quickly relaxed.

It’s not because Germany is a country of die-hard smokers. Yes, the smoky beer hall is a tradition in some areas, but just like people in the rest of the world my fellow Germans and I enjoy meals and public spaces that are smoke free.

The larger issue, of course, is that we Germans don’t always appreciate being told what we can and can’t do. Restaurant owners and bar managers also feel that smoking bans hurt their businesses by driving away customers and raising expenses as they need to create new spaces for smokers. So the smoking bans become controversial, and a subject of hot debates.

Many establishments work around the smoking bans in Germany by turning their businesses into private clubs, where smoking is still allowed. You may find yourself surprised to get a ticket or a membership card when you sit down for a drink or a meal, but it’s just a way to help skirt the local laws.

The bigger deal with the smoking ban in Bavaria is that it has been extended to include Munich‘s famous beer tents in the fall. For 2010, the authorities are saying they won’t do much in the way of ban enforcement, but for 2011, expect your trip to the Oktoberfest to be a smoke free experience!

—Marcus

It’s been a beautiful summer in Germany, and I have certainly enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season. The farmer’s markets are full, as are the pantries of those lucky enough to have small garden plots.

Getting a small garden plot in Germany can be a bit of an adventure for those who don’t live in the countryside. Urban dwellers can try and join a Kleingartenverein, the Small Garden Associations which provide land for gardens. However, these well-established systems have long waiting lists and holdings are often kept by members for decades.

This doesn’t mean that German city dwellers have stopped looking for fresh greens and organic gardening options. Quite the contrary! Into this hungry market has stepped Meine Ernte (site in German), a company offering rental gardens for those who want to try their hand at having a garden.

Meine Ernte, which means “My Harvest,” isn’t a traditional garden co-op. Instead, they cater specifically to would-be organic farmers without a lot of time or even gardening experience.

The company has set up cooperative agreements with organic farmers near some of Germany’s largest cities, including Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Bonn, and Dortmund. The farmers provide swathes of land, which are planted by professional gardeners at the beginning of the season. A small bit of land is left for customized plantings, but the rest has a mix of 20 popular edible plants.

Renters have their choice of section size. Small gardens are for 1 – 2 people, standard gardens cater to 3 – 4, and large gardens cater to large families and groups. Prices range from €149 to €433 per season, with renewable subscriptions and the option to change as your needs change. Meine Ernte estimates that even small sections produce at least €600 of produce per season.

Each of the locations has a professional gardener on site to offer consultations and aid. Renters should plan to spend 1 – 2 hours a week tending to their garden allotment, which does make it rather easy to have a summer hobby garden.

Meine Ernte plans to expand to new cities in 2011 — so plan ahead for your garden share. Those Meine Ernte doesn’t have waiting lists like the Kleingartenverein, there is still just a limited amount of space available for those who want to try their hand at gardening in Germany.

—Marcus

Childcare in Germany is a big deal. I’m usually not involved, because I don’t have kiddies of my own at the moment, but now that school is out I am hearing quite a bit about this from my friends.

In Germany, a good daycare spot, known as Kitaplatz, is a prized item. The government subsidizes the cost of daycare for children over three, but this is coordinated through our child services and visitors won’t have the Gutschein. This is the document that tells how much childcare subsidy you have and how much from your own pocket must be paid (it’s a sliding scale based on income).

However, even with the right papers, most formal places have different holiday hours, and they don’t always accommodate older children or teens. This means to find someone to mind the children for a few days, or even a few hours, can be a stressful project. This is true if you are resident of Germany, but it is doubly true if you are just visiting. Who can you turn to for a bit of babysitting?

Locals often have a Tagesmutter, or child minder. These are loosely licensed caregivers who may have completed a course or two in First Aid or child care. A good Tagesmutter is fiercely prized, but if you have local friends they might share with you while you are on holiday.

You can also ask around for babysitters, which is the same word in English and German. If you don’t have a local friend’s recommendation, most towns have Babysitter-Agenturen in the phonebook. Your hotel may also have a recommended provider if you ask at the front desk, who will come to the hotel to watch your children or grandchildren.

However you find them, babysitting and Tagesmutter services are not always so cheap! Plan to pay at least 10 euros an hour, with more due in big cities, for infants, for multiple children, for last minute jobs, and for overnight work.

My friends point out that tipping is not required, but if you want to use the babysitter or Tagesmutter again it is a good idea to slip them a few extra euros to ensure they are not “busy” when you call. This way, when you come out to meet me while you are in Germany, you will be sure to have someone to watch your kids! ;-)

—Marcus

A German romance is a beautiful thing. My countrymen (and women!) are wonderful people, and you could just meet your soul mate here. Whether you use one of the German dating sites I told you about in February or meet someone in your travels, it is relatively easy to start a new dating life here.

How about ending a relationship? Well, this might be challenging… I remember some of my own dating adventures and wince, but I’ll spare you all of those stories!

At times, breaking up is hard to do, that’s a given. Add in the complexities of a multi-national or multi-cultural relationship and it can be even more challenging. So what’s a German dater to do?

Well, we Germans are nothing if not innovative! We like solving difficult problems, and a man in Berlin has created a special service to help people get out of their dating relationship more easily. I didn’t believe it when I first heard about it, thinking it might be one of my country’s famous April Fool’s Day jokes, but it seems that this is a very real service!

Known as the Separation Agency (site in German), this company was founded by Bernd Dressler. Essentially, you hire the company to go to your significant other and explain to them that you don’t want to continue the relationship. Though I wouldn’t think this would be much of a business, apparently the company has been thriving for three years!

They offer four levels of service: the basic phone break up with a “Let’s still be friends,” a “Please don’t speak to me again” phone call, a break up by letter, and a personal visit from Mr. Dressler himself to announce the end of the relationship.

The cost for the services ranges from about 30 euros for the basic to over 60 euros for the door stop visit. On personal visits, Mr. Dressler can also collect items left at a soon-to-be ex’s home.

Mr. Dressler, who carries the nickname “The Terminator” thanks to his work, has reported in various media interviews that the bulk of his clients are younger women, and that business is busiest on Monday’s and after holidays. Thus, my poor fellow men, watch out for a phone call or knock on the door from a stranger after a bad weekend or lousy holiday trip!

Though I find this service amusing — especially now that I am married and out of the game (at least for the time being ;-) — I can see where it would be useful to some.

However, I wish all of you the best in love and hope you never have to experience “The Terminator” or his services yourself! ;-)

—Marcus

Germany offers many unique driving experiences for visitors, from the Porsche test track to the opportunity to cruise the Autobahn. As a lover of German cars, then, how could I not share this latest driving adventure opportunity with you?

Of course, to be technically accurate, you won’t be doing any driving. No, no — not with these cars! These are classic BMW Cabriolets which are being temporarily pressed into service as tour vehicles for those wishing to have a special trip around Munich

You will definitely notice them as they tool around the city, driven by professional drivers, thank you! After all, these are BMW 326 and 335 Cabriolets that date back to the 1930’s, with a 502 Cabriolet from the 1950’s and a 3200 CS Cabriolet also available as options. Their unique and highly polished shape stands out against more modern cars.

As a guest, you can ride in the back of these open air classic to see Munich between now and October 2010. That’s it. After that, these classic cars will be retired back to their home in the BMW Museum.

Tours of the city actually start and end at the BMW Museum, stopping by a number of BMW attractions in the city as well as cruising the ring road and other local sites before returning. The registration for the tours is through the information desk at the museum (+49-1802-118822) and you are advised to register well in advance.

The tours are 90 euros per person, and the experience lasts about three hours. Though this may seem expensive for a chauffeured tour, remember that the euro (alas!) is at four year lows, so this special BMW experience is more affordable to overseas guests than locals (again, alas!).

Germany is going to be beautiful this summer after all the moisture this winter, and southern Germany is truly lovely. Why fight the average tourist in the street to see Munich, when you can tour in style?

—Marcus

We Germans have a serious sweet tooth. From our morning muesli to our afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen, we like things to be well sweetened, and our favorite sweetener is honey.

However, demand and supply for honey in Germany is a little interesting. Although there are more than 85,000 beekeepers in Germany, most supermarket honey is imported. This is because the majority of German beekeepers are hobbyists or small family operations not much interested in a big marketing push.

To get the fine local honey we really want, in the past we had to hunt it down at farmers’ markets. Now, a new company has worked to unite local beekeepers and make our delicious domestic honey available online.

Heimathonig (in German) provides an online marketplace for honey and beekeepers. It does all the marketing and coordinates the placement of online orders. However, it keeps some farmers market elements by letting you order online and pick up directly from the beekeeper if you are in the area.

For me, the best thing about this site is that I now have access to honey grown in different parts of Germany that would never appear at my local market. There are also honey varieties that are quite rare, like acacia, white fir, blueberry, organic cherry blossom, and seasonal forest flowers.

The prices are very reasonable, too — the typical jar of all natural, locally grown honey is less than 10 euros. A sampler of mini jars in different flavors is just under 8 euros, and the Heimathonig blog announces when new varieties are available.

Heimathonig is also searchable. You can look for beekeepers by zip code, or by the type of honey you would like. This can help you search out the rare varieties, like Black Forest honey, and also control what is in your honey if you like a specific taste.

Even just exploring the site will make your mouth hunger for a taste of something sweet!

I’m off to get my own little honey pot, and happy to say good bye to imported supermarket stuff in favor of local — and delicious — German honey.

—Marcus