General
Germany is located in the heart of Europe. Due to that it has a large number of neighbouring countries. Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.
Germany has about 83 million inhabitants and consists of 16 federal states. Berlin is the capital. The country is populated nationwide.
After World War II, Germany was divided by a wall into West and East Germany (GDR). In 1990 the reunification took place.
Germany is located in the moderate climate zone. In winter (Jan/Feb) snow falls especially in the mountains in the Alpine region. In the low mountain ranges there has been considerably less snow in recent years. Snow in the lowlands is rare and usually only a few days a year. In summer, there is often T-shirt weather during the day, but in the evening and at night you often need a sweater again. There is some rain throughout the year, but there is no rain and dry season.
Country and People
The spoken language is German. Most people can also speak English.
Germany is one of the largest economies in the world. The standard of living is correspondingly high and modern. The health system is one of the best in the world and a good social system ensures basic care for all people.
One thing you should know is, that the car is the sanctuary of the Germans. Parking bumps and scratches, which are almost common in some other countries, are absolutely taboo here. Well known is the German highway (Autobahn). There is no speed limit in many areas.
Germany has beach access to the Baltic and North Sea in the very north. The water temperature in summer reaches about 18-20°. In the very south a part of the Alps belongs to Germany. There you can find the Zugspitze (2962m), the highest mountain in Germany.
Money
In Germany, payments are made in euros. Cash is the most popular means of payment. And whether you like it or not, you will therefore need cash in Germany. Credit cards are generally accepted in the larger shops. But some shops only accept local debit cards.
In smaller shops such as bakeries, butchers and kiosks, often only cash is accepted. Also restaurants do not always offer card payment, or only from a certain amount.
Safety
Germany is a very safe country. But of course there are problem areas in big cities like everywhere else in the world. And like everywhere there are occasional pickpockets in crowds. Anyway in general you don’t have to worry in Germany.
Detail pages
More to follow