The Black Forest

The Black Forest is known in German as the "Schwarzwald" and lies in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is one of the country's most well known regions. The Black Forest is known the world over for its famous Cuckoo clocks. Every hour on the hour a door opens on the clock and an artificial bird sings out  Cuckoo".

The Alps

The Alps are the largest and highest mountains in Europe. Situated in Bavaria is the Zugspitze, which at a height of 2,962 metres is the highest mountain in Germany. The Alps are home to an amazing variety of plants and animals and they are Europe's most important water reservoir. The entire region is also a popular tourist destination.

The Lorelei on the River Rhine

The Rhine is Germany's most famous river. One of the tourist attractions on the Rhine is the Lorelei Rock at St. Goarshausen. Legend has it that the water nymph Lorelei lured boatmen to crash against the rock with her beautiful songs. Mark Twain transIated a poem from the 19th century by Heinrich Heine "The doomed in
his drifting shallop, Is tranced with the sad sweet tone, He sees not the yawing breakers, He sees but the maid alone".

Football / Soccer

Football is Germany's national sport and was once described by a football commentator as the "only real and vibrant national culture". Germany won their first World Cup in Switzerland in 1954. It was celebrated across the country as the "miracle of Bern". Germany's premier league, the "Bundesliga", was formed in 1963. Millions
of Germans follow the fortunes of the top 18 teams for nine months of the year. The highlights of the season are the championship title celebrations and the often tearful relegations to the second league. In over 40 years in the German Bundesliga FC Bayern München has been national champion 17 times.

Cultural Activities

Both public and private institutions offer a wide range of cultural activities in Germany. Nearly all theatres, opera houses, museums and libraries in Germany are state subsidised. This means that tax money is given to these institutions and ticket prices are often low. Daily newspapers often print a section on cultural events in
the respective region. In larger cities there are special magazines that list current events.