8 Reasons Why Germany Is (Probably) My Favourite Country In Europe
If you asked me what my favourite country was, you might expect me to say Spain, Italy or even Scotland. But, honestly every time I've been to Germany, it has been an absolute blast and nothing bad has happened. It's unfortunate that many associate Germany with what happened in the Second World War as there is so much more to this remarkable country.
1. Germany Is Completely Safe
The crime rate in Germany is very low and as a tourist, the chances of getting into any sort of danger would be extremely low. Police are everywhere in German cities and it's reassuring that they are there to make sure that we are safe. Even in touristy areas, there aren't people trying to scam tourists like in Italy and the risk of being pickpocketed is unheard of. The only thing to watch out for is the professional beggars, however they are completely harmless. Professional beggars can be encountered around bus terminals and busy areas, although if you simply ignore them or tell them you don't have money, they won't persist.
2. It's A Huge Country With So Much All Over
As the 7th biggest country in Europe, there is so much variety, I have only been to Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Munich and Berlin and there are so many more places I have to see. Each city I have been to has its own feel and is completely different from the others. Bavaria is the part of Germany with the stereotypical culture of steins and lederhosen. Berlin is a modern metropolis and North Rhine-Westphalia is a very sophisticated place with ultra clean streets and quaint architecture. I feel like I haven't seen enough of Germany as I want to go to Hamburg some time and I also want to see some German castles and old style towns.
3. Germans Are Crazy For Football
You might think that the best football atmosphere I had ever experienced was during in Brazil, however witnessing the Yellow Wall was incomparable to anything else. During Bundesliga matches, twenty five thousand Dortmund fans stand behind their team in the south stand and they will be drinking beer, singing and jumping for the full 90 minutes. If you are a football fan, you have to see a match at Signal Iduna Park at least once.
While in Scotland, football fans are characterised with religious hatred and drunken violence, in Germany I saw Bayern and Dortmund fans drinking beers together peacefully. Even though the fans were loud, it did not feel like they'd want to fight each other. The fact that football fans come together outside the stadium hours before the match to drink beers and even being able to bring a beer to your seat made it the best footballing experience I ever had.
4. The Food Is Simply Delicious
In many places in Europe, it can be hard to find decent food at a good price that isn't McDonald's, in Germany it is really easy to find an affordable meal. Head to a bratwurst stand and you are in for a treat, a bratwurst is a traditional German sausage between a roll, at most bratwurst stands it will only set you back about 3 euros and German sausages put the sausages we have back home to shame.
5. Public Transport Is Very Efficient
It's a stereotype to say that Germans are always on time, however German trains rarely delay and have been on time every time I've used them. While being used to Scotrail, delays are part of everyday life, the trains are bumpy and overcrowded. Some train journeys in Scotland can be extortionate, taking the train in Germany is admittedly not much cheaper and that's why I opted to take the Flixbus instead. However to take the train, you get what you paid for in Germany, it's a genuinely comfortable experience.
In German cities, the transport systems are very intricate and may take a few looks to get a proper understanding. Both Munich and Berlin have a S-Bahn and U-Bahn, which are underground and overground railways. The tickets for this public transport is extremely good compared to anything in Scotland and as Munich and Berlin are both huge cities, these transport systems make things much more convenient.
6. German People Are Friendly
German people are extremely cool, friendly, funny and honest. From a UK perspective, our impressions are generally that German people are humourless, serious and direct. This stereotype is true and it isn't exactly a bad thing, Germans are more direct than Brits and this means that they aren't afraid to tell the truth. German service is very good, people who work at pubs or currywurst stands have great positive energy instead of it feeling forced like in the US or UK. People in German cities I've been to have been really cool and friendly. Despite both Berlin and Munich being huge cities, people remember their manners unlike Londoners.
When I went to Dortmund with my dad, we were sitting having a beer in our new BVB colours, a group of Dortmunders had been told that it would be our first time to see Borussia Dortmund play and they came over to us to say welcome and gave us a souvenir to remember our first match. This might show that Germans are some of the friendliest people in Europe.
7. Drinking In Germany Is The Best
Germany probably has the best drinking culture in the world, people know how to handle their drink and with that comes many benefits. You're allowed to have beer at 16 and you can drink as much as you want. What's crazy is that in Berlin, drinking in public is completely tolerated and is widespread. Furthermore spatkaufs are shops found in Berlin where you can buy a beer for 2 euros and there are sometimes tables and benches to sit down and drink.
During my time in Berlin, I even saw that there were spatkaufs inside of parks, something which would be unheard of in the UK. When I was in Düsseldorf, I went to a pub which served beer right out of the barrel and some of the best beers can be found in Germany. There is a huge variety of German beers, but some of the most popular are Berliner, Augustiner Helles and Spaten. These are real beers, not watery beer like Tenant's.
8. The Pleasant Weather
Germany may not be the most well known destination for beaches in Europe, however German winter feels very nice and I feel like I have to come back to Germany during winter time, During my time in August the weather was certainly an upgrade from dreich Scotland. The weather felt just right to not be freezing, but not boiling to death either.
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