Germany is a pretty big country, though not the largest in terms of area in the EU, it is the most populous. While traditions, geography, culture and dialects can range greatly throughout the nation, there are some things you can always expect to see during summertime in Germany.
1. “Having a grill”
Even large, densely populated German cities have lots of green spaces. On a sunny summer day you can definitely expect to find groups of people gathering in the pockets of parks with small travel grills, packages of sausages, various meats, vegetables and, of course, some beers. At any given supermarket you can find areas specially designated to “grill food” such as pre-marinated steaks, special grill spices and even cheeses spiced perfectly to sizzle on the grill. If you’re lucky enough to visit Germany during the summer, definitely make some friends, head to the closest park and chill out for the afternoon.
2. Festivals, festivals, and more festivals
From my experience, Germans love a good summer festival. Every weekend there is some park (or even random field) being turned into a concert hall. Typically, they have electronic music as the main attraction, but there could also be a mix of pop or other types. Usually, there is food and drinks served as well, and sometimes it’s even free to enter the festivals. Also, don’t expect a rainy day to cancel the party. Last year, I went to the Holi Festival of Colours, and it poured the entire time—needless to say it just added to the fun!
3. Urban water sports
Cities like Hamburg have a huge canal system. On any given sunny day you can find tons of people kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, paddle boating and even swimming in the waters throughout the city. Also, because Hamburg is very spread out, there are only a few areas of the canals that are super urban. The rest are meandering through the greenery, giving you a relaxing break from city life. Or Munich, for example, has become a famous spot for urban river surfing at the Eisbach (German for “Ice Brook”). Located in the middle of the Englischer Garten, the large park in Munich, this section has been surfed since 1972!
4. Beach bars
While the coast of Germany has really nice beaches, you don’t have to travel from the cities to get an authentic feel. Beach bars, such as Strand Pauli in Hamburg, are a really popular hang out spot, and can be found throughout the country. Essentially, someone had the genius idea of bringing in some sand, comfy beach chairs, straw umbrellas, fancy-sounding drinks, chill out music and voila!—the German beach bar is born. They are a great place to enjoy the warm summer sun, so definitely check out which ones are near you!
5. Long days
Because Germany is so far north, the sun sets really late in the evening. In late June and early July it can even be light out at 11pm! This means the day length is over 16 hours during the summer solstice. If you plan on being there during this time, I recommend investing in a sleeping mask or some heavy duty curtains!
What are some of your favorite things about the German summertime?
Keil:good food need to wait one hr.
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