... TMFTL

*gets lederhosen*

I like Germans, I like the language, I like the beer. Although here's why I don't holiday there more: I get very bored of German food, very quickly. For me, holidays are at least 50% about food. Hell, at least 50% of the purpose of living is about food, as far as I'm concerned. Even my German friends would admit that once you've reached saturation point on sausages and bread, there's nothing much else to get excited about, culinarily.

Beautiful country, though. And a waitress in Erfurt once complimented me lavishly on my command of the language, so the entire country gets a big TICK from me.

Love the cities like Berlin and Hamburg and Frankfurt, and the Taunus mountains, Black Forest and the Rhine is very pleasing. North east German cost is windswept and interesting too.

Or something

Get to the back of the class with your fizzy windmaking beer & get me a pint of Old Hookey.

I can't think of any particular reason why I have never been to Germany except that I cannot think of anything I really want to see there. I can't work up sufficient enthusiasm to go there instead of Italy or France instead.
I'm sure I'm open to persuausion from anyone who can tell me anywhere in Germany that I have to see and why. (Cities please, any helpful suggestions involving bicycles will be swiftly rebuffed.)

I'm often baffled why Bavaria's not more of a holiday destination. Bit pricey I suppose. And Bob's generally right about the food.

Just south of Dresden is fabulous.

Though my sister has spent a couple of years living there, and loved it.

I've had a couple of cracking nights at Oktoberfest in Munich, with the locals being boozy and boisterous in a way that you rarely see over here. In the midst of it all - shouting, laughing, slamming those big glasses around - I couldn't help thinking that if this was in England, there'd be a fight by now. Fair to say, we did see the aftermath of one punch-up, but in a crowd of thousands, it was unusual. Certainly less than the chaos you'd see walking down Boar Lane of a Saturday night.

As for the food, I've always enjoyed it, good solid fare. Though the Bavarians are just obsessed with sausages, and will insert them (ahem) into any meal you order.

Though after a couple of weeks, I yearned for something lighter. "Just the soup" I said at one meal. Bowl of soup duly arrived. With a sausage in it.

In terms of cities take in Hamburg, Lubeck, Wismar and Schwerin. In the north of the country you may even be able to find chicken on the menu.
Lubeck is especially interesting-the Bruges of Germany. But let me give the opportunity for someone 100x more articulate than me describe it...

http://www.youtube.com/user/MeadesShrine#p/c/29FFA3A9C0CA71FE/3/_FT3GsA3...

And go there once or twice a month with work (writing this in Frankfurt airport) but cannot imagine a holiday there for some reason, although would agree about the food outside of the big cities, particularly as we are all vegetarians. The beaches and sea are still a bit cold even in high summer as well. Saying that I would like to take the GLW to Hamburg for the weekend as its a beautiful city in parts but has some funky neighbourhoods like st Pauli to hang out in in the evening.

I spend a lot of time in a town called weiden in north Bavaria which is also nice (typical german Market square with nice little stalls at Xmas) but these small towns in Germany do fall eerily quite after about 8pm.

I lived there for a year, 86-87, in a small town in the north west of West Germany as was (Gifhorn, if you're interested). I had a varied year, but one of the high points was travelling around visiting my friends who were dotted about the country. I almost invariably hitch-hiked around, and met some some lovely people along the way. It always makes me laugh when people trot out that old saw about Germans being aloof and standoffish - only someone who'd never met any could say that (let alone the rank hypocrisy of any English person making such a sneering accusation).

As others have said, it's a very beautiful country, with a lot of beautifully preserved old cities, spectacular countryside of all sorts and some bloody good beer, of course. Hamburg is a wonderful city; I'm also very fond of Bremen, and Cologne is an interesting place. Naturally, Berlin is a must-visit.

Food? Yeah, not great. And that was before I stopped eating meat, although I dare say the prospects of my not starving are better than they were a quarter of a century ago.

I even acquired a taste for some of the then big stars of "Deutschrock": Ulla Meinecke, Bap, Ina Deter, Udo Lindenberg and so on. And here's one of my favourite songs from that era: Verdamp' Lang Her by Bap.

I'm currently listening to Ulla Meinecke's excellent German, feminised makeover of 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover. Can't find a decent version on youtube, but it's on Spotify on her album "Wenn schon nicht für immer, dann wenigstens für ewig".

holidays in Germany and some of the most memorable places I have visited are there - Tubingen and Berlin take a bow. Food - stick to the bread, beer, currywurst and sausages, not for too long though. Happy memeories of cycling through American air bases near Heidelberg, mildly pissed. Don't imagine I could get away with that now.

...including a trip to the Nurburgring in the car and another to Stuttgart then south to Austria by motorcycle. The people are very nice, the scenery is lovely in parts, it has a lot to offer, but the food, in general, is pretty poor. Shan't put me off returning, though. I plan to take my camper to Dusseldorf, then Berlin and up through the east to the coast, across to Fehmarn, then onwards to Scandinavia.

For the ornery man-in-the-street, its lack of beaches has to be something of a put-off.

and generally avoid the various wursts allowing myself just one bock- or currywurst per visit but one thing I notice about Berliners in particular is that, apart from sausages, they do love their fish. Actual fish restaurants exist there, just like over here 30-40 years ago. They like 'em fried, grilled, pickled, you name it. But always with sauces. Creamy ones. Tomatey ones. Just a big dollop. One other thing that I discovered is krauterbutter, which is basically butter with added herbs. They spread it everywhere! It is damn tasty too although you wouldn't want to overdo it. Berlin is packed with good Viet, Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaus though very few good French ones oddly enough. There are fab Turkish places to eat in Kreuzberg too.

Have very good Deutsche friends there who we see at least once a year, and have been there on numerous ocassions. Love their friends, family and the people generally. I detest cities, probably because I grew up in inner London in the 60's, but love Berlin.
Musically, I give you the massive in Germany, Herbert Gronemeyer. A superb artist who is never afraid to try different things.

In fact, so successful is Gronemeyer, that this little known Irish folk singer tried to raise his profile on the back of Gronemeyer's success.

In the north, around Herford and Bielefeld and staying at my aunt and uncle's house. My uncle was in the army at the time (early 80's). It was frankly fantastic. And for some reason I've never got the chance to go back, though this thread is making me think I'll have to rectify that soon.

From '79 to '94, and enjoyed the place. I was mostly in the area between Hannover and Hamburg, which is a bit flat, but still pleasant, and the Harz Mountains weren't far away. I liked the food, and there were Greek, Turkish and Balkan restaurants to eat in, but if you weren't a meat eater, then alternatives were hard to come by - I can only recall one vegetarian eatery, and that was in Hamburg.

I haven't been back since '95, so I expect it's changed a bit.

from near the Swiss border, I think the largest town was Singen. I know a lot of the countryside is very pretty but I can't think of a good reason to want to go back. I agree with the comments about the food, not really for me and the people, whilst very pleasant, I found to be very set in their ways and inflexible. I have found this when working in other parts of Germany too. As for the sense of humour, well there is a German sense of humour but I didn't find it to be in tune with ours. I much prefer France, Italy or Spain.

Just remembered, I did like going to a salt spa. This was several (seven I think) swimming pools getting progressively warmer and saltier until the last one was a warm salty bath you could float easily in. I wouldn't go back just for that though.