Germany, a country at the heart of Europe, a place with a unique culture shaped from historical influences, fantastic cuisine, and architecture, its excellent range of beers, wines, and spirits and what’s even better is that it is a country making efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and you can drive there from the UK, meaning that you and your family can go for a green, eco-friendly holiday this year, have a fun road trip and see a fantastic country all at the same time. If you want to know more about driving in Germany and what the country is doing to improve the air quality in city centres, then just click this link. If you want to know why this year, in particular, is a great one to visit Germany, then keep on reading.
A 900th Birthday
In 2020, a city called Freiburg, which is a particularly warm and sunny place, will be celebrating its 900th Birthday. Not only will there be celebrations to join in with but the city is worth a visit anyway. It is considered a pioneer in all aspects of solar energy and also boasts a cosy old town and an impressive cathedral.
A 500th Anniversary
On 6th April 1520, the Italian painter Raphael died. Take a trip to Dresden and visit the Sistine Madonna, one of his most beautiful works and the renovation work on the Dresden Old Masters Picture Gallery is also due to be completed just in time for the anniversary.
A Passion Play
Every ten years, the townspeople from Oberammergau perform the life and suffering of Christ. The last time, in 2009, over 500,000 visitors from all over the world came to see the Passion Plays. Not only will you get to see these fantastic plays, but Oberammergau itself is a beautiful Bavarian community like something out of a picture book!
The Queen Of The Seas
Once every five years, Windjammers which are also considered “queens of the seas” and are said to be the most beautiful tall ships of the world, gather at the Sail Bremerhaven. From 19th August to 23 this year, more than 200 ships from 20 nations will be cruising the North Sea. So if ship sightseeing, harbour tours and a huge public festival are your thing, then head to Bremerhaven this summer.
30 Years of Reunification
On 3rd October 2020, the people of Germany will be celebrating 30 years of reunification. The celebrations will take place in Potsdam which has, like many cities of former East Germany, flourished in recent decades. Go and check out the city centre which has been renovated, the City Palace, which has been rebuilt, and the magnificent palace and garden landscape, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Karl Marx’ 200th Birthday
Karl Marx, the philosopher, communist and companion of Friedrich Engels was born on 28th November 1820 in the district of Barmen. The city of Wuppertal in the Ruhr Area is famous for the suspension railway and Friedrich Engels, so Karl Marx’ 200th Birthday is an excellent opportunity to visit the Engels Museum and to take a ride on the suspension railway.
