Germany - the country where the tourist season lasts all year, and this is no accident, as it is the most beautiful country in Central Europe, and the memories of staying in Germany will live with you. Beautiful castles, ancient palaces, wonderful churches here resemble the past. However, now Germany is even more interesting, more exciting.
Geography
Germany is located in the center of Europe. The landscape of the country are four main zones: Severomorsk and the Baltic coast, the North German Plain, Mittelland mountains, alpine foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The highest mountain - the Zugspitze, the height of 2964 m
Climate
Average annual temperature: summer from +20 ° C to +30 ° C, winter is around 0 ° C. But in the summer the temperature can rise up to +35 ° C, and in winter down to - 20 ° C. The average monthly rainfall: 50 - 80 mm. In the holiday season, tens of thousands flock to the German Baltic coast, where on the beach you can swim and sunbathe. Domestically, many great lakes with clear water and beautiful sandy beach, surrounded by forest.
Capital
Berlin.
Population
In unified Germany today there are over 82.3 million people, which means that it is - the largest populated country in Western Europe. Particularly in Germany is that its population since the beginning of the 70's is not growing and shrinking: low birth rate does not cover the low mortality. The low birth rate is characteristic of all advanced industrial countries, have become typical family with one child or no children. In cities all this is even harder than in the countryside, and in Germany, living in cities of more than 90% of the population.
A rich country with a high standard of living, such as Germany, has attracted foreign workers and refugees from many countries. In many regions of southern foreigners make up 20 - 25% of the population (Frankfurt-am-Main, Munich).
Language
Official language - German. Many Germans (especially in the west of the country) speak English. Often, especially in the former East Germany, the Germans can be explained in Russian. Unlike other countries that were part of the socialist camp, the East Germans after the collapse of the "do not forget" the Russian language and will try to answer it. Germans is not complex, when they are accessed in broken German. Therefore, going to Germany, nice to learn about a dozen most essential expressions.
Currency
German currency - Euro
Time zone
Local behind Kiev at 1:00 (GMT +1:00)
Religion
The long period of separate existence of East and West Germany is reflected in the social and religious structure of the population in particular. In the "new lands" 67.1% - non-believers, 27.0% - belong to the Evangelical Church, 5.9% - Catholics. Different picture in the "old land", where the influence of the church is much more - it does not belong to only 19.0% of the population, Catholics (south) is 42.9% of the population, and evangelicals (North) - 38.1%. The Catholic states of Germany is Bavaria.
Political Structure
Germany - Federal Republic of multiparty parliamentary type with two legislative bodies of the Bundesrat (it includes representatives of the land) and the Bundestag (parliament).
The head of state - the President. He represents Germany in international law and conclude contracts on behalf of the country and foreign countries. The head of the executive branch - the Federal Chancellor (Federal Chancellor). He heads the government and defines the basic policies.
Customs regulations
Germany is a member of the Schengen area.
Import and export of local and foreign currency is limited. Cash amount over 15 thousand euros necessarily declared.
For EU citizens traveling within the EU, there are no customs restrictions. For citizens of countries outside the EU, as well as for all types of travelers, limited import of the following products:
- If the goods purchased in an EU country and they paid taxes and duties, the duty-free import up to 800 cigarettes or 200 cigars or 1 kg. tobacco, 10 liters. alcoholic beverages (over 22%), up to 20 liters. strong wine, 90 liters. table wine, 110 liters. beer and other goods to the amount of 400 euros.
- If the goods purchased outside the EU - to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams. tobacco, up to 2 liters. table wine, to 1 liter. spirits or 2 liters. alcohol strength of 22% or 2 extra liters of table wine, 60 ml. perfume or 250 ml. toilet water, and other goods in an amount not exceeding 60 euros.
The import of drugs, poisons, psychotropic substances and arms. The export of fuel, while following the car in a spare canister must not exceed 10 liters.
Transport. Car
Urban transport in most cities in Germany represented by buses, trams, metro and light rail (U-Bahn) and suburban trains (S-Bahn). Rates are the same for all modes of transport, the ticket is valid instead.
Buses run on schedule. The driver can buy a ticket for one trip. Cost of a single trip to the Berlin transport 2 euro (1.2 euro a short distance), the ticket for the day is 5.6 euros (surroundings - 6 euros). Travel for the week is 24.3 euros (neighborhoods - 30 euros).
Subway ("U-bahn") starts from 4.00 am and finishes at 00.00-01.00, interval train about 5 - 8 minutes.
In its structure, transport in Germany is a unique phenomenon, in spite of all kinds of jams and congestion on the roads is a mandatory feature of punctuality. For example, in Hamburg (the second largest city in Germany), you can count up to the first minutes of your movement from one end of town to the other
For reservations and get the car need any common European credit card guarantee only. The client must have a valid driver's license international class III, issued at least one year prior to receiving the car lease, a passport or identity card driver and the owner of the credit card (if different person). Age - at least 21 years old.
Shops
Shops in Germany close relatively early. Usually stores open at 9-10 am and close for lunch at 12 o'clock, open again after about 2 hours and work up to 6-7 pm. On Saturday, shops close at 13:00 on Sunday, all the stores are closed, except the shops at petrol stations, cafes and restaurants, and small shops in the malls, where many tourists.
Price tags in stores often begins with the word "ab" - "on", indicating a lower price limit, it is necessary to pay attention to the "native" price list or consult the staff.
Most large stores operating system "tax-free", which gives the right to a refund of VAT (10%) when leaving the country. For registration is required to make a purchase for an amount not less than 40 euros in one shop, make a check "tax-free" and produce the goods and check at customs upon departure.
Shopping in Germany - a national peculiarity. In southern Germany as souvenirs looking cuckoo clocks, figurines, Hummel, thermometers, sunglasses, carved wooden statues, leather goods, cameras (and other optical equipment such as binoculars), porcelain, musical instruments, electronic goods (check that they match the voltage and cycle that you use at home), antiques, unique toys and dolls, wine, cheese, Danish glassware and local handicrafts. Classic, custom made traditional German clothing - a good investment for both men and women, as it is worn for many years and did not go out of fashion. (Note that the size of women's clothing in Germany a bit does not match the size of Europe, note the correspondence table.)
In East Germany, you can buy wood products, tiles (Leipzig), porcelain (especially in Dresden), Russian and East European record about records during the war, articles about the Soviet Army, pottery and handicrafts (such as wooden nutcracker). Thuringian Forest region is especially known for his glass. In particular, the city is known for Lauscha produced in him the Christmas decorations. (Glass ornaments trees were first used only glassblowers to decorate their trees.) If you are traveling for Bovary in summer, you can visit one of the local village flea markets.
Link
In Germany, feed-in tariffs for long distance telephone calls are from 18.00 to 8.00.
Phone box designed for magnetic phone cards, which can be purchased at the post office or at newsstands.
Tip
In restaurants, payment for services is always included in the bill, and tipping is not required, although, of course, you are to be expected. Tip is about 5-10% of the total bill, or 1 euro per person. But not uncommon, and a free "meal on the house" for customers. In Germany, the price used to round, as if on account of tips, but rounding to the euro would be too expensive.
Taxi drivers can expect a tip of about 10%.
Weekends and holidays
January 1 - New Year
January 6 - Epiphany
April - Easter
May 1 - Labour Day
May 21 - Ascension
1 June - Whit Monday
June 11 - Corpus Christi
August 15 - The Assumption
October 3 - Day of Unity
October 31 - The Transfiguration
November 1 - All Saints Day
November 18 - Day of Prayer and Repentance
December 25-26 - Christmas
Main Attractions
On German soil everywhere you expect sites and monuments of the centuries-old culture. Cultural centers are the number-one cities, hospitably opened the doors of its opera houses, concert halls and museums.
In the north of Kiel interesting to see with his "Kiel Week" sailing competition in June or July, Hamburg, with its famous port sedoglavye Hanseatic city of Lübeck, Wismar and Stralsund and stately brick gothic. Weser Renaissance buildings in Hameln, churches in Osnabrueck, Braunschweig, and Magdeburg Hipdeskhayme newly open their eyes to the past. Special glow, overshadows all Saxony and Brandenburg, fanned Dresden with its precious historical monuments of the famous Semperoper. In Leipzig, much more reminiscent of Goethe, who studied here. Meissen is famous not only for its historic neighborhoods, but also arforovoy manufacture. Worth a look Potsdam - the former residence of the Prussian kings, with its palaces and buildings in the baroque and classical style, as well as with its park Sanssouci.
Berlin is famous for its rich cultural program - to cite at least its most famous museums, such as the Museum Island with the Pergamon Museum on the Spree, New National Gallery, an art gallery in Dahlem and Egyptian Museum.
Rhine - the cradle of German tribes. Most of the towns on the Rhine was founded by the Romans, and today this is a region in Germany's richest cultural and artistic heritage. This includes Cologne with its world-famous cathedral and unique museum that treasures collected 2,000 years of history. Mention should be made with the house of Bonn, the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, Aachen, who was once the capital city of Charlemagne, with its cathedral, built 1200 years ago, and Dusseldorf, which is the center of art and fashion, with its famous Koenigs mall and the city Mainz, Worms and Speyer, with their imperial cathedrals.
In central Germany is waiting for you in Frankfurt-am-Main, where imposing skyscrapers surrounded a house where Goethe was born, and the old imperial cathedral.
In the southwest, there are such famous cities like Heidelberg and Stuttgart, with its famous museums, Ludwigsburg with its palatial residence, Freiburg, Ulm and Constance with magnificent Gothic cathedral of the buildings. Bavaria with an abundance of its natural, cultural, architectural and folkloric attractions attract tourists with different interests. Here and in Munich with his openness, sincerity, style and elegance - an idyll for the fans to sit in the beer garden. Passau, Regensburg and Nuremberg attracted its genuine medieval appearance.
