Introduction to Germany :
One of the most beautiful, richest, and popular nations - Germany is a part of Central Europe; a nation rich in culture. In the first half of the 20th century after the two World Wars, the country has rebuilt itself to its earlier Glory .
It is the Seventh largest country in Europe with its topography ranging from low-lying coastal flats beside Baltic Sea. The country is full of river valleys and rising and falling hills, also the snow covered Alps and bushy mountains. As one cruises through the Rhine River , the castles on each side are a sight with their own Grandeur.
Germany
Local short form: Deutschland
Former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Location:
Central Europe, bordering the North Sea and the Baltic Sea between the Netherlands and Poland , south of Denmark
Central Europe, bordering the North Sea and the Baltic Sea between the Netherlands and Poland , south of Denmark
Land boundaries: Total – 3,621 km , Austria – 784 km , Belgium – 167 km , Czech Republic – 646 km , Denmark – 68 km , France – 451 km , Luxembourg – 138 km , Netherlands – 577 km , Poland – 456 km , Switzerland – 334 km.
Geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E
Geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E
Area:
Total area: 356,910 km^2
Land area: 349,520 km^2
Water: 7,798 sq km
Coastline: 2,389 km
Total area: 356,910 km^2
Land area: 349,520 km^2
Water: 7,798 sq km
Coastline: 2,389 km
Climate:
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)
Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
Languages: German
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Berlin
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions: 16 states (Laender, singular – Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note – Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular – Freistaat)
Main Cities : Berlin , Munich , Frankfurt , Cologne , Hamburg , Dusseldorf , Stuttgart , Nuremburg ,Rudesheim , Dresden .
The Black Forest area of Germany is synonymous with tourists all over the world as a major attraction of the country. The forest covers a range of pine and birch studded hills for about 160 kms and it runs along the Southwest Germany’s border with France. It is known as a holiday destination with its little girl’s fairy tale scenic villages , hiking trails and ski resorts. Also famous is the spa and bath resorts.Attractions
Triberg
The true spirit of the Black Forest is brought to life in the Schwarzwald-Museum of Triberg, which documents the old traditions and lifestyle of this unique region, with displays of costumes, handcrafts (including clocks) and furnishings. It also boasts Europe's biggest barrel organ collection.
The Lakes of Black Forest !
The Black Forest |
The Black Forest area of Germany is synonymous with tourists all over the world as a major attraction of the country. The forest covers a range of pine and birch studded hills for about 160 kms and it runs along the Southwest Germany’s border with France. It is known as a holiday destination with its little girl’s fairy tale scenic villages , hiking trails and ski resorts. Also famous is the spa and bath resorts.
The Roman Emperor Caracalla was the first important holidaymaker of this area, He stopped at the natural spring waters at what is now the town of Baden-Baden nearly 2000 years ago. All the famous personalities of yesteryears and as of present day have chosen the Black Forest area as a holiday attraction. Mark Twain is one such personality who has come to take to the waters and enjoy the forest’s natural beauty.
The local people have developed special skills of woodcarving , clockmaking , jewellery making and glass blowing since medieval times. The famous Black Forest ham and cherry cake is today one of the most cherished delicacies of the whole world. Tourists from all over the world come and buy from the dainty shops selling the above merchandise located in the Black Forest area. The Famous Cuckoo Clock of Drubba is one of the highest selling souvenir from here.
The most central town in the Black Forest is Freudenstadt, which is the starting point for hundreds of miles of hiking and ski-trails through the nearby hills. Most visitors, however, prefer to find accommodation in guest lodges in the small villages sprinkled throughout the region, exploring by car, on foot or bicycle.
There are many resorts all across the Black Forest area.
Attractions
Freiburg
Black Forest cake and cuckoo clocks are what most visitors travel to Freiburg for, but the beautiful city has far more to offer than the expected. The recommended way to explore the town and environs is by bicycle (there are plenty for hire)
German clock Museum
Although you may find yourself inundated by cuckoo clocks everywhere you look in the Black Forest, the German Clock Museum's large collection of timepieces is the most comprehensive of its kind, and offers over 8,000 examples of clocks going back 150 years.
Hohenzollern Castle
The magnificent castle at Hohenzollern is perched on a hilltop 51km outside of Stuttgart. Built in the 15th century, the structure's fairy-tale visage is set against spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding countryside of the Black Forest.
Pforzheim
Founded by the Romans as a mercantile centre on the northern edge of the Black Forest, Pforzheim, at the confluence of the Wurm, Enz and Nagold Rivers, is today the centre for traditional jewellery and clock-making. The town features a fascinating Technisches Museum.
Triberg
The true spirit of the Black Forest is brought to life in the Schwarzwald-Museum of Triberg, which documents the old traditions and lifestyle of this unique region, with displays of costumes, handcrafts (including clocks) and furnishings. It also boasts Europe's biggest barrel organ collection.
The Lakes of Black Forest !
It is not only the beautiful tree studded mountains that determine the character of the Black forest. The presence of Serene Lakes – among them the "Schluchsee" and "Titisee". The romantic valleys with their old farmhouses with shingled roofs which reach almost down to the ground add to the charm. They correspond to the character of the people living in the Black Forest, who are self-assured and conservative in their thoughts and nature, too.
Lake "Titisee"
A hundred years ago there were just about a handful of farmhouses. Until the year 1929 the settlement which covered a larger area was called "Viertäler" which means four valleys.
Today the town called "Titisee" is a health resort with many hotels and inns. In a community reform programme the town was connected with the town of " Neustadt" and now it is called "Titisee-Neustadt". It has developed into an attractive and lively centre offering amusement to the visiting tourists.
The lake is a kind of natural reservoir, whose water is dammed up by glacial moraines. It is two kilometres long and 700 metres wide and with that it is the largest natural lake in the Black Forest. It was presumably named after the Roman emperor Titus.
It is nicely situated at 858m above sea level between wooded slopes of the "Feldberg" and the "Hochfirst". It also gets its water from there in a creek, the "Seebach" which flows into the lake and which leaves it under the name of "Gutach". The 2 creeks "Gutach" and "Haslach" unite and become the "Wutach" which is a tributary of the River Rhine.
Today the lake is a popular place for outings.You can walk around it in 1 1/2 hours on a pleasant path or you can go fishing, wind-surfing or sailing.
"Schluchsee"
It is the biggest lake in the Black Forest – seven kilometres long, 1.4 kilometres wide and 61 meters deep. It is not a natural lake it is artificial. The dam was built at the end of the 1920s. But you wouldn‘t realize that it is artificial unless you stood at the foot of the 35 meter-high and 250m long dam.
Damming up the river produces energy. The water of the lake which is situated at the height of 930m is led through tunnels down to "Häusern" at the height of 723 m, Witznau at 475 m and Waldshut at 340m. At each level downwards the water produces energy before it flows into the River Rhine. During the night when less electricity is needed the water is pumped up again and stored in order to send it down again when more electricity is needed.
The lake offers great opportunities for water sports. You can go for a swim, go windsurfing or sailing; there are also rowing boats and electric boats available. In the summer time there are ferries which take the tourists across the lake. The lake has long had a good reputation as a tourist attraction, already more than a hundred years ago Englishmen came here in order to catch fish in a then much smaller lake which was full of fish.
There is a nice 20 kilometre-long hiking trail around the lake, whose south-western banks are very quiet and beautiful with no villages around only some single farmhouses.
Even more quiet is the region two kilometres to the north at the "Wildgfällweiher". "Weiher" means small lake. This dark lake is also artificial, the natural lake was five times smaller. It also servers as water reservoir connected with the big Schluchsee-electricity-system. It is also a nature preserve. You can swim in the lake and hire a boat.
