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Discover Germany's Best-kept Secrets - Unforgettable Events and Festivals

Germany’S Best Events Through The Year 1

Germany has lots of other interesting events that can make for a special holiday at different times of the year. Why not take off for a week? Rent a car at the nearest airport to the event of your choice and have an unforgettable experience.

Germany’S Best Events Through The Year 2

Rhine in Flames has become a popular part of tourism and takes place in several locations from May to September. The beautiful scenery of the Rhine is made even more spectacular with illumined boats and firework displays at night. One of the locations you could visit this year is the Middle Rhine Valley where Europe’s largest ship procession winds its way from Spay to Koblenz. This happens on the second Saturday in August. You can take a cruise or stay in one of the towns to see the spectacle.

 

The Reeperbahn in Hamburg was notorious for a red-light district but now it has given its name to one of Europe’s biggest club music festivals. Across a few days in late September there are hundreds of concerts, everything from hip-hop to jazz. It’s the perfect place to discover new bands and emerging talents and has rapidly become one of Germany’s most popular music festivals.

 

Germany’S Best Events Through The Year 1 Bis

Germany’s Oktoberfest in Munich is much imitated in other countries now. But nobody else does it as well. Almost 7 million litres of beer are drunk and a hundred wild oxen are roasted. Add to that countless spit-roasted chickens, sausages and giant pretzels. You can smell the savoury roasts far and wide across the city. Despite its name the festival starts in the middle of September and runs for 16 to 18 days. There is lots of music and dancing and many people wear traditional lederhosen and dirndl skirts. It’s colourful and unforgettable. 

 

 

Germany’S Best Events Through The Year 3

You are spoilt for choice with Christmas markets in Germany. Probably the best of them all is the Christkindlesmarkt in the beautiful mediaeval city of Nuremberg. The Christ Child Market opens at the beginning of Advent and goes on till Christmas Eve. The market has been running for at least 400 years. These days the booths are close to St. Sebald’s church and the historic city hall in the Hauptmarkt, a central square. The market is a feast for the senses. Nuremberg specialises in “lebkuchen” gingerbread in all its variants. Bratwurst sausages are also on the menu. And there is mulled wine galore as well as a very special Feuerzangenbowle. This is a red wine and rum punch The name comes from tongs used to hold a rum-soaked sugar cone which slowly drips into the punch below.

But the market is not all about food. You can also buy wonderful souvenirs which will last longer. There are hand-crafted Christmas decorations for your tree. And clothes made from the local wool industry. 

Just north of the Christkindlesmarket you will find the Christmas Market of the Sisters Cities. After the Second World War Nuremberg tried to develop international understanding and unity. This market is the product of cooperation with artisans of a great many other countries. You will find pearl jewellery from China, carpets from Turkey, nesting dolls from Ukraine and much more. 

 

Every country celebrates Carnival and Germany’s best one is in the beautiful city of Cologne. On the days before Lent, Cologne hosts one of Europe’s biggest street festivals. The most important parade of all takes place on Rose Monday (the day before Shrove Tuesday) with beautiful costumes and floats. There are lots of smaller parades on other days as well as music and comedy events. Many locals also wear costumes and masks at this time of year.

 

Germany’s asparagus festivals are a little-known delight. The asparagus season runs from mid-April to mid-June. Asparagus is known as the Queen of Vegetables in Germany. Most areas where asparagus is farmed have museums and festivals devoted to this special vegetable.

You can visit one festival alone or visit several in a route. Beelitz has a famous “Spargelfest” and is just an hour’s drive from Berlin so you could combine it with seeing one of Germany’s finest cities. Berlin has a wealth of museums to visit and beautiful parks.

Beelitz is a historic town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district of the Brandenburg state. It is known for producing the finest white asparagus. Traditionally it is steamed and served with tongs to stop the stems breaking. It is eaten with a Hollandaise sauce and perhaps some new potatoes and a little ham alongside. The stalks are usually eaten with your fingers as it is claimed that cutlery spoils the taste. The asparagus season coincides with the strawberry season so you might finish your meal with a delicious bowl of strawberries. There is always some music and dancing too when the asparagus festival is on. 

And while you are in Beelitz you might want to take tour of the rather beautiful abandoned sanitorium. The building has become a popular tourist attraction and has a wonderful treetop path you can walk along.

 

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