Capital
Berlin
Major cities
Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Leipzig, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich
Language
German. English is widely spoken, French is spoken mainly in the Saarland. In the north of Schlesweg-Holstein, Danish is spoken and taught in schools in Danish villages.
Area
357 thousand square meters. km.
Population
81.8 million people
Ethnic groups
Germans – 93%, Austrians, Czechs, Poles
Religion
The vast majority of believers are Catholics (45%) and Protestants (46%).
Holidays and non-working days
January 1 – New Year; January 6 – Epiphany; February 22 – Rose Monday; April – Easter; May 1 – Workers’ Day; May 21 – Ascension; June 1 – Spirits day; June 11 – Corpus Christ; August 15 – Dormition; October 3 – Unity Day; October 31 – Transfiguration; November 1 – All Saints Day; November 18 – Day of Prayer and Repentance; December 25-26 – Christmas.
Customs control
The following goods may be imported into the Federal Republic of Germany without customs duties by the following persons: Visitors residing in the countries of the European Community or in another European country with goods purchased without paying tax: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco; 1 liter of spirits with an alcohol content of up to 22%, or 2 liters of spirits or liqueurs with an alcohol content of up to 22%, or 2 liters of sparkling wines or liqueurs; 2 liters of any other wine; 50 g of cologne or 250 ml. toilet water; 500 g coffee or 200 g instant coffee; personal goods in the amount of not more than DM 350.
Visitors from EU countries (excluding Denmark) with goods purchased with tax: 800 cigarettes or 200 cigars or 1 kg. tobacco; 90 liters of wine (including 60 liters of sparkling wine); 10 liters of spirits or liqueurs with an alcohol content of up to 22%; 20 liters of similar products (such as fortified wine); 110 liters of beer.
According to aristmarketing, tobacco and alcohol are allowed to be imported only by persons who have reached the age of seventeen. Wine that is not intended for personal use and does not exceed 250 marks in value is subject to a duty of 15%.
Should not be taken on a trip
– more than 1 pack of cigarettes
– more than 1 liter of spirits and 2 liters of wine
– works of art, antiquities, icons
– drugs and devices for their use
– weapons and ammunition
– precious stones and jewelry worth more than $ 2,000.
Currency
Euro / EUR (1 euro = 100 cents).
Cuisine
German cuisine is distinguished by a wide variety of dishes from various vegetables, pork, poultry, game, veal, beef and fish. A lot of vegetables are consumed, especially in boiled form, as a side dish – cauliflower, bean pods, carrots, red cabbage, etc. Sandwiches with various products are extremely popular among Germans: butter, cheese, sausage, curd mass, fish, etc. assortment of snacks – vegetable salads, ham, sausages, sprats, sardines, herring dishes with various sauces, meat and fish salads seasoned with mayonnaise, etc. Various broths are widespread from the first courses: with egg, dumplings, rice and tomatoes; noodle soup, pea soup, cauliflower, chicken and game. In some parts of Germany, bread and beer soups are popular. Eintopf thick meat soups are especially good in winter. The widespread use of sausages, frankfurters, sausages is a characteristic feature of German cuisine. Sausages with stewed sauerkraut are known all over the world. Another characteristic feature of German cuisine is the widespread use of natural meat for the preparation of second courses. Such, for example, are cutlets and schnitzels, chops, Hamburg fillets, razbraty, Schmorbraten, Schnelklops, Hamburg steak, etc. Chopped meat is used somewhat less. Fish is served most often in boiled and stewed form.
From sweet dishes, fruit salads made from finely chopped fruits are popular, which are sprinkled with powdered sugar and poured over with fruit sauces or syrups (serve them very chilled); compotes, jelly, jelly, mousses, all kinds of casseroles with fruit sauces, ice cream, fruits and, of course, natural coffee with milk.
The hallmark of Germany is beer, which Bavaria is especially famous for. There are a lot of varieties of this drink here, but the most popular are Bavarian light varieties, such as Augustinerbrau, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, Levenbrau, Paulaner and Spaten. Pork roast with potato dumplings or Nuremberg fried sausages are served with beer. Also widely known are the excellent wines of the Rhine and Main valleys, light and with a characteristic fruity flavor.
The national German drink – beer – is dedicated to the festival, which takes place annually in the fall, Oktoberfest. Germans and tourists from all over the world gather in Munich for three weeks. Hundreds of thousands of sausages, pork cartilage, fried chicken are consumed at the festival, all washed down with over 10,000,000 beers provided by six breweries in Munich.
Souvenirs
Traditional ceramic mug from Munich, Saxon porcelain.
