Great cars, sausages, and Oktoberfest are a few things everyone associates with Germany, but besides these, what is Germany famous for?
Located in the heart of Europe, Germany has a population of over 83 million people, making it the second-most populous country in Europe. Berlin is the capital and biggest city, but the Ruhr is the largest urban area, and Frankfurt is the Financial center.
Germany is bordered by Denmark (North), Poland (East), Czechia (East), Austria (South), Switzerland (south), France (West), Luxembourg (West), Belgium (West), and the Netherlands (West).
In the following article, we will show and explain everything that Germany is famous for and what you should visit to experience it. So, when you think of Germany, what do you remember?
Page Contents
11 Things Germany is famous for
The Oktoberfest
The picture of a typical person from Germany is simple. They’re drinking a lot of beer, eating Bavarian veal sausage and sauerkraut, and always wearing leather trousers and dirndl dresses. Although this is not a typical German person, you can often find people dressed like this in Bavaria, especially during Oktoberfest!
The Oktoberfest is where the rumors about Germans come from, and at this time of the year, it’s intensified in Munich, Bavaria. During the time of Oktoberfest, the stereotypes become true. It’s the world’s largest Volksfest, with more than six million visitors worldwide. Large quantities of beer are consumed in the 16 to 18 days, from mid-September until the beginning of October.
Most visitors are dressed in traditional outfits for Oktoberfest, such as Lederhosen and Dirndls, enjoying many different attractions like rides, games, and shops where you can buy typical food like Bavarian veal sausage or pretzels.
Yet, there’s much more to Munich than the Oktoberfest. Munich is a lovely and historically rich city with plenty of things to do, even if you only have one day in Munich!
But Oktoberfest is not the only event that Germany is famous for; there are also Christmas markets.
Christmas markets
Every year during the Advent season, the Christmas markets start in Germany. You can find Christmas markets in all cities that are a little bigger. The atmosphere in these markets is idyllic and Christmassy.
There are little shops where you can buy lard cakes, gingerbread, spekulatius, and mulled wine! But there are also Christmas decorations, crafts, music, and sometimes a classic nativity play.
Many people go to these Christmas markets to enjoy the mood and to drink mulled wine. Top tip: be aware that you have to pay a deposit for three to four euros cups. You’ll get it back by bringing the cup back.
Some of the best and biggest Christmas markets are in Stuttgart – Baden Württemberg, Frankfurt – Hessen, or Nürnberg – Bavarian.
How’s the experience of visiting Frankfurt during Christmas
Besides festivals like Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets, many castles in Germany should be visited while traveling through Germany.
German Castles
What is Germany famous for? Castles! Germany should have up to 25 thousand castles, ruins, and ground monuments. One of the best things in Germany is exploring all the famous and breathtaking castles distributed throughout the whole country. The castles used to be homes of kings or government buildings back in the time; today, most are tourist attractions.
The most famous castles in Germany are Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, the castle in Heidelberg, and Wartberg.
Neuschwanstein Castle in the southeast of Bavaria is particularly popular. It’s visited by 1,5 million tourists yearly, and it is usually called a fairy-tale castle because… that is precisely what it looks like. Ludwig the second built the castle as his retreat, and after he died, it became more and more of a tourist attraction.
Furthermore, it was the model for Disney castles worldwide, like the Sleeping Beauty Castle in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, or the Sleeping Beauty Castle in the Disneyland Resort in Paris.
All in all, Germany is historically rich, and it’s recommended to visit the castles.
After the historic castles of Germany, we continue to explore Germany’s history, which isn’t always so lovely. Germany has an extensive and rich history, but the two world wars and the Nazis play a big part in its recent history.
World War I
If we talk about what Germany is famous for, the World Wars and the Nazis are unforgettable. Although the Germans really try to avoid the topic and try to forget this part of the past. Moreover, the book “Mein Kampf,” doing Hitler’s greeting and drawing of the swastika, the symbol of the Nazis, are now forbidden in Germany.
The first world war took place from 1914 until 1918, and nearly 20 million people had to die. On the first of August 1914, Germany declared war on Russia.
A Serbian guy, supposedly instructed by the Serbian government, killed the prince of Austria-Hungary – a country that was an ally of Germany. After that, Russia, an ally of Serbia, mobilized the army because it was afraid of an upcoming war.
Thus Germany declared war. Both sides had allies worldwide, making this a world war, the first World War.
This topic is very complex, though, and there is much more to say!
World War II, the Nazis, and concentration camps
In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power and secretly prepared Germany for war. Meanwhile, the Nazis started concentration camps to kill others from, as they called it, “non-Aryan races.” During this horrible time, millions of people died in these concentration camps.
In 1939 Germany invaded Poland, which evolved into a world war after France, the UK, and later the US joined it. Germany capitulated after six years, while at least 55 million people died in the second world war. This topic is really complex and shocking; there is much more to know about the second world war and the nazis.
Today, you can visit the concentration camps, which are interesting but also terrifying. The most famous concentration camps in Germany are Sachsenburg and Dachau.
After the second world war, Germany was split up into four parts. One of the parts was occupied by the soviet union, which brings us to incidents like the DDR and the Berlin Wall.
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was the separation between the German Democratic Republic and the other three areas of Berlin. The Wall was built in 1961 to stop people from refuge in Western Germany. The famous fall of the Berlin Wall was in November 1989.
Some pieces of the Berlin Wall are still standing, often colored with beautiful and meaningful paintings. So you can still visit the Berlin Wall in several places throughout the city. Moreover, there is a lot to learn about the history of the DDR and the purpose of the Berlin Wall.
While the Berlin Wall sealed East Germany, West Germany experienced an economic boom, and this difference in development is still noticeable today. Despite the German efforts to unite and reduce this disparity.
German economy
After the Second World War, Germany (West Germany) experienced an economic miracle. Today the German economy is growing and belongs among the strongest in the world. In Europe, Germany is also known as the most significant export nation. In fact, Germany is well known as the powerhouse of the European economy due to its industrial efficiency.
Products with a designation of origin that says “Made in Germany” are known for having excellent quality. Many German brands like Adidas, Siemens, Bosch, DHL, Hugo Boss, and Jägermeister are famous worldwide. But car brands are probably the most prominent companies in Germany.
German cars
What is Germany famous for? Cars, quality cars! Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen are very popular in Germany and Europe, and the rest of the world. The cars and also these brands are very well known. The auto industry is the most significant symbol of the German economy!
Worldwide, German cars are considered reliable, enduring, safe, and built with high quality. German engineers made a significant milestone, and brands still bear their name.
Besides producing pretty good cars, Germans also built an excellent infrastructure, and the road network is well-developed, which takes us to the Autobahn.
The Autobahn
The Autobahns are the German highways and probably the most envied roads in the world… Why? Only in Germany can you find an Autobahn where you’re allowed to drive as fast as you want to.
Many people do this, but there is always someone faster than you. Driving on the right track at about 180 km per hour, and suddenly someone with over 250 km per hour overtakes you… Those are situations you can expect on the German Autobahn… legally!
But be aware driving on an Autobahn doesn’t directly mean that you can go as fast as you want to. There has to be a sign that tells you that you can drive with unlimited speed.
While driving sporty cars on the Autobahn is fun, there is something also famous but sporty in Germany – Football.
German football
Football is the national sport of Germany. The German team is internationally known as one of the best teams in the world, though the last years have been hard. However, remember that Germany has been the world champion four times (the last in 2014)!
And national football is even better. Enormous stadiums, massive fan bases, and great clubs. The Bundesliga is the first league of German football. The clubs’ fan base is intensive, and big – 6.5 million people from Germany are club members.
Most of the stadiums are sold out every week, and the mood is incredible. The fans are singing, shouting, and supporting their team. Going to a big football match in Germany is a real experience!
One particularity about German clubs is the 50 + 1 rule. It says that the club cannot sell more than 49% of the club to investors. That’s why German clubs still have control of themselves and get into trouble on the international level.
Bayern Munich is the most successful German club, both internationally and nationally. If you can’t attend a match, you can visit Bayern’s Stadium and Museum in Munich.
Beer
Germans are famous for drinking beer, and that is an undeniable fact. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching a game of football, doing a barbeque, celebrating the Oktoberfest, or having a party with friends; everywhere you go, you’ll find large quantities of beer.
Germany has between five thousand and six thousand different beers! All of them are brewed according to the “Reinheitsgebot,” which tells you what ingredients you’re allowed to brew beer within Germany.
It’s worth visiting a brewery in Germany; you’ll find them everywhere. It’s an exciting experience, and there is much to learn about brewing beer, particularly if you love it!
Manuel Brandt is a young traveler and Entrepreneur from Germany. At 19, he started traveling the world without any fixed plan. One year later, he started his first company, including projects like a marketing agency, Daily Travel Stories, and more.
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