Germany — World Cup winner and more (Photo: Thinkstock)
After 10 years of hard work, and 24 years since a previous win,
Germany is once again the soccer “Weltmeister”
(world champion).
But
Germany is so much more than football. From sausage to beer, movies to
fashion, here's where Germany is good — nay, great! — and the undeclared
world champion in many areas besides soccer.
Erdinger Beer. (Photo: Bernt Rostad/Flickr)
Beer
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the country that hosts the
world’s largest beer festival (looking at you, Oktoberfest) also
produces some of the world’s best brews. Each German state is famous for
their own local beer, but Erdinger Brewery in Munich is one of the best
(and offers a
three-hour tour and tasting). Other breweries we like include Augustiner Bräuerei and Radeberger.
Related: You’ll Never Guess Where to Find the Cheapest Beer in the World
Germans and movies go way back to Marlene Dietrich. (Photo: AP)
Making Movies
What do movies like
The Book Thief,
The Monuments Men,
Grand Budapest Hotel and
Inglourious Basterds
have in common? They were all filmed in Germany at the famous
Babeslberg Studios. Germany’s cinema history goes back to the early 20
th
century with such famous actresses as Marlene Dietrich, and countless
award-winning movies and cinematic innovations. It’s possible to
tour the Babelsberg Studios or, for history film buffs, the
Film and Television Museum in Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz is equally interesting and enlightening.
Related: WATCH: Who Will Win the World Cup? The Animals Have Spoken!
Jil Sander models. (AP Photo/Giuseppe Aresu)
Fashion
Besides being the longtime home to
Hugo Boss and
Karl Lagerfeld,
the fashion industry is alive and well in Germany with strong but
elegant styles. Hamburg is home to cutting-edge contemporary designers
including
Jil Sander. Check out the Karoviertel (especially Markstraße) for small, boutique designers in Hamburg.
Black Forest Cake … Yum!. (Photo: Jutta/Flickr)
Cakes
There’s nothing more German than a bit of
Kaffee und Kuchen
(coffee and cake) in the afternoon. And with a deep-rooted love for
bread, it’s no surprise that the Germans know how to make a good cake,
too. In the south it’s all about the Black Forest Cake (
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
— a delicious layered chocolate confection with cherries, whipped
cream, and liquor. Visit Freiburg, Lake Titisee and Feldberg (all small
towns in the Black Forest) to find the best cafes and restaurants
serving this creation.
Soccer and cars combine in Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Cars
From Volkswagen to Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, Germans know how to
make a good car. Stuttgart is Germany’s unofficial auto capital and the
Mercedes-Benz Museum there is
one of the best museums you’ll ever visit. If you’re not in the area to buy a new set of wheels, most German car manufacturers offer factory tours.
(Why did the author forget Audi? --rsb)
The Christmas Market in Nuremberg. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Christmas
Nobody does Christmas like the Germans do. With world-renowned markets (including one of the most famous in
Nuremberg) and enough baubles and nutcrackers throughout the country, Germany makes the cold winters warm. Just make sure you try
Glühwein (mulled wine). Visit Nuremberg, Dresden, and Berlin for the country’s best
Christmas markets (or
Weihnachtsmarktë).
Visitors enter the Academy of Arts in Berlin. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Art
From the contemporary to the quirky, Berlin is home to
hundreds of independent art galleries and the city attracts new artists each year. Visit Berlin during the annual
Gallery Weekend (held each May for the past 10 years) for a quick glimpse into Berlin’s art world.
Thüringer Bratwurst. (Photo: Gourmandise/Flickr)
Sausages
In Germany, it’s all about the
wurst. Any public event in
Germany (even soccer) sees countless sausage vendors, and we’ve all got
our favorites. When you can buy a decent sausage on the street for under
$2 in central Berlin from one of the countless
grillwalkers, you know you’re onto something special. From the
Thüringer Bratwurst popular across the country (and at every public fair) to the
Weisswurst (white sausage) popular in the south, each region of Germany is as proud of their sausage as they are of their local beer.
Neuschwanstein Castle. (AP Photo/Christof Stache)
Castles
You’re probably familiar with the castle made famous by Walt Disney,
but did you know it’s actually inspired by an actual castle — where
else, but in Germany?
Neuschwanstein Castle can be visited easily on a day trip from Munich, but there are hundreds of other castles and palaces across Germany.
Hohenzollern Castle
in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is often cited as one of the
country’s prettiest (and it’s still owned by the Prussian royalty), but
Sanssouci in Potsdam and
Wartburg Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage site) are equally famous and picturesque.
A stretch of the Autobahn. (Photo: Steffen Ramsaier/Flickr)
Driving Fast
Where else in the world can you get in a car and travel at speeds
over 100 mph? Germany’s federal highway system, the Autobahn, is famous
for its unposted speed limits along long stretches of the highway. It’s
not uncommon to spot Porsches and other racers speeding down the
highway. Want to try it yourself (with caution, of course)? German-owned
Sixt Rent-A-Car has autos for hire across the country and in most metropolitan areas.
Bremen, Germany. (Photo: Jonas Ginter/Flickr)
Picturesque Small Towns
There’s a reason so many cities in America have their own German
villages. Forget the East German styles of Berlin and the Old Cities of
Munich and Dresden — in Germany it’s all about the small towns. Hamlets
like Freiburg and Bremen are certainly pretty, but visit even smaller
places like
Schmalkaden in the middle of the Thuringian mountains or the lakeside town of
Konstanz (am Bodensee)
on the border between Germany, Switzerland, and Austria for even more
picturesque views. And some great outdoor activities, too.
Adam Groffman is a globetrotter and self-styled hipster. He
covers city trips in Europe and around the world, writing about expat
life, festivals, nightlife and LGBT tourism on his personal travel blog,
Travels of Adam and is the editor of My Gay Travel Guide.
When he’s not out exploring the coolest bars and clubs, he’s usually
enjoying the local arts and culture scene of a new city. You’ll find him
most often in Berlin, Germany or on Twitter at @travelsofadam.
Germans in Berlin are savoring the World Cup title here, but they have much else to celebrate. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
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