Germany Travel Blog

Treat your ears to some jazz in Berlin: From October 10th to 15th, Berlin hosts the International Jazz Meeting and becomes the center for young musicians from Europe's jazz scene.

Listen to great music for only 16 Euro a day (12 Euro reduced), and find more info about venues, prices and schedules on the website of the Jazz Meeting.

October 3rd is Tag der deutschen Einheit – Day of the German Reunification. This national holiday commemorates the anniversary of Germany's reunification since 1990, and there will be big parties and lots of balloons in black, red and gold in every German city this Friday.

The official host for the central festivities this year is the city of Hamburg – join the biggest celebration which will last the whole weekend of October 3rd-5th, at the harbor of Hamburg.
Get more information on Hamburg's celebration of the Day of the German Reunification here.

(Photo by Birge Amondson)

There are many ways to discover Germany; by train, bus, bike or even by foot. You can also rent a German car and fly down the Autobahn.

Even if you've never been to Germany, you've probably heard about the famous German freeway and have imagined what it's like. A friend just told me the other day that he always thought the Autobahn was one long road through Germany, where you could drive as fast as you wanted!

Here are two important facts you need to know when taking the Autobahn:

• Even though there are some sections where you can drive as fast as you feel is safe, most parts of the Autobahn do have speed limits. Watch out for the signs - you can get a juicy ticket for speeding.
• You can only pass another car in the left lane. The right lane is for slow vehicles and overtaking cars in the right lane is illegal.

Have you driven the Autobahn and have stories or tips? Share them in our comment section below.

(photo by Andreas Levers)

This weekend, the center of Berlin becomes a race track: The 35th Berlin Marathon takes place on Sunday, September 28th, starting at 9 a.m.

Great spots to watch and cheer for the runners are at Potsdamer Platz and at the finish line, the Brandenburg Gate. There will also be lots of street concerts, performances, and food stalls to keep you entertained. But the best thing of all: Enjoy and wander the streets of Berlin without any cars.

Check out the course map on the website of the Berlin Marathon.

(Photo by Martin Owen)

What does Walt Disney have in common with classic European art?

Find out now at the new multimedia exhibition in the Kunsthalle Munich:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World and its Roots in European Art gives fascinating and suprising insights into the works of Disney which are deeply influenced by European art and literature.
Compare Disney's iconic images and themes with masterpieces of art history which became his source of inspiration during his travels in Europe.
The exhibition is open until January 25th.

Find more information in English on the website of the Kunsthalle Munich.

Only three more days until the world-famous Oktoberfest opens its gates in Munich: This Saturday, at noon sharp, the Mayor of Munich will tap the first Oktoberfest beer keg, with many more to follow.

This year, Oktoberfest commemorates its 175 th anniversary, and if you join the celebration, make sure to read our essential guide about Oktoberfest.

(photo © Bob Chojnacki)

If you are in Bavaria in fall, try to get tickets for the classical concerts held at Neuschwanstein, September 20 - 28.

Enjoy music by Bach, Mozart or Wagner in the lavish Minstrel's hall, the heart of the castle. It is a good idea to get tickets in advance; if the concert of your choice is sold out, you can put your name on a waiting list.

(Photo © Birge Amondson)

Go out and enjoy all of the great restaurants in Germany. And when the time comes to ask for the bill, here are two good things to know about tipping (in German Trinkgeld, literally “drinking money”):

• First things first, your waiter will not bring you the check until you ask for it. Take as much time as you like; you're in Germany.
• Then the question is not only how much to tip (normally 10%), but also how to tip. I love the way you tip in the U.S.; paying the bill and then leaving the tip on the table. This is a no-go in Germany; you tip on the hand, giving it to your waiter when you pay. The easiest way is to round the sum of the bill up and include the Trinkgeld. For example, when your dinner costs 27 Euro, just give the waiter 30 Euro even.

If you are feeling bold, try a little German and say Stimmt so, (pronounced shtimt zo, meaning “we are even”), and your waiter knows that gratuity is included.

Do you have favorite German restaurants, stories or recommendations? Share them in the comments section below.

When you think of Frankfurt, images of bank buildings, a big airport and maybe even sausages will come to mind. But this weekend, you can experience a totally different side of Frankfurt: The city celebrates the Museum-Ufer-Fest, a big art festival on the southern banks of the river Main, right in the center of Frankfurt

There will be open-air theater stages, exhibitions, concerts, and stands selling international crafts, food and drinks.

The website has the complete program, but is unfortunately all in German. So I recommend you just hit the festival, enjoy the summery nights at the river, and let intuition bring you to the best art.

Helpful Information:

Address: Schaumainkai, Frankfurt am Main 60594
Telephone: 069-2123 014
Cost: free
Opening hours: Friday, August 29th, 3:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.; Saturday, August 30th, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.; Sunday, August 31st, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.