Dear Englishmen,

please don't visit our country!
The only thing that's really interesting in English newspapers is that ignorance and neverending prejudice about Germany. Yes we're all krauts, wear Lederhosen and have a big stein of beer for breakfast. We hate all foreigners, believe that we should have won the World War and are of the opinion we belong to a superiour race.
If you came here and found out that this is all not true, English newspapers would really become boring: No more 'Blitzkrieg' on the football pitch, no more people believing Germany wants to rule the world (or at least Europe).
Better stay at home or go to Mallorca (with all the German towels...) and i am able to keep my prejudices as well (Englishmen just drink, don't get a tan but only turn red, have very bad teeth, eat things no civilised person would eat, dream of their empire but don't want the people of their empire in their country....)

Very good BBC episodes about hicking in Germany:
Saxon Switzerland Part one:
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Saxon Switzerland Part two:
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

On YouTube there are several more episodes of that BBC-Wanderslust to find.
About the Rhine, Rügen or the Bavarian Alps, for example.

Nice country,cold people

Hot sausages!

:)

Don't confuse the average German person with football louts of any nationality. Football plus booze seems to have the capacity to turn reasonable human beings into raving feckwits.

Sports plus booze has that affect on everyone

Sorry to inject a bit more realism into this "German love fest" but it seems there were no English louts in the vicinity when this string of murders and assaults took place during the celebrations of world cup victory in Germany...

www.thelocal.de/20140714/tw...

What if the people are visting Germany for a holiday despite of your nice little posting?
Are you honestly suggesting that Britsh tourists will be attacked in Germany?

:-))

That is strong stuff. Even for you and your relentless anti-German postings in different threads of the Telegraph.

Next the DT will be saying their beer is better than British beer, maybe it is, I still won't be going to Germany...........

"I still won't be going to Germany"

Why?

One of the most incredible musical experiences in my life was to go on Good Friday to hear Bach's St. Matthew Passion in Leipzig at St.Thomas: Bach's church with his choir and the current Kantor conducting who is only the 16th person to hold the job since Bach himself

Expats are rarely a happy bunch. Go to forums for expats in NZ, Australia or Canada and there is a genuine hatred for those places and desperation about being stuck there in a lot of the posts.

The reality is that in this day and age where a "global workforce" is desired and where a real-time conversation between someone in Australia and someone in Britain is nothing special anymore we tend to brutally underestimate the material and mental cost and risk involved in actually moving to a different country.

My son has been living in Berlin for nearly 4 years and would not dream of living. Among other things he says that with his salary, in London, he would not afford a bedsit instead of the nice small flat that he has in Berlin.

We're British. We'd complain in Paradise.

I lived in Germany and am of German descent.

The Germans are very similar to Anglo Saxons in many ways, we share a certain amount of heritage so it shouldn't be surprising.

David Cameron wants us to be more like the Germans, but I would question the extent to which that is desirable having lived there.

On a personal basis most Germans are warm, lovely people, but as a collective group they are:

Socially conservative. Imagine being lodged in 1950s Britain. It's all very high brow, but it stifles innovation.

Over regulated. A German friend summed it up by saying Germans won't do anything unless a law says they can, whereas Brits will do anything unless a law says they can't.

Conformist. Germans like sharing values and vision. To them, our culture seems wild, but this conformity can be like a straightjacket on those who want to do anything different.

Not especially open. In Britain you can see TV presenters, politicians, businessmen, doctors, lawyers etc. from recent immigrant backgrounds. Germans acknowledge we're better than them at this and want to emulate it, so I'm sure they'll catch up, but it doesn't change the fact that in Germany today most 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants occupy the lowest socio economic stratum of their society.

In a sense their conformism, their communal ethic is a massive strength. The German football team, which while undoubtedly a quality outfit,has no Messi or even a Rooney, personifies this.

But not everybody can be that way. It would not be good for the world if everybody was that way.

The German football team is the product of a very German approach to a problem - that of their underperforming teams of a decade ago. While the outcome is admirable, it gives a lot of Germans the confidence to crow about how the "German way is the best way".

Well, no it isn't!

Many people would consider those "negatives" to be strong positives...

I did say that in my post. My point is not everybody should be like the Germans, or wish to be like them.

They are unique, as are we, ad we each bring something different to the party.

"Eleven reasons to go to Germany"

They have ways of making you?

Mauser

Have just returned from a German trip with my 15 and 22 year old sons. Five cities in six days.
Cologne - the 4711 shop, Cologne Cathedral, the chocolate museum and lunch beside the river Rhine.
Frankfurt - the restored churches, the mediaeval houses on the Romerberg, the church where the first German Parliament was convened in 1848, shopping on the Zeil lunch at the Alte Oper (old opera house).
Stuttgart - the Mercedes and Porsche museums are breathtaking.
Munich - take a walking tour especially for locations linked to the Nazi history period (eg the Hofbrauhouse and the Old Town Hall) since there are no blue plaques saying "the Nazi Party regularly met here" and you need a guide to identify these buildings. Don't get drunk and practice the nazi salute - it is banned and will get you fined and deported. The Deutsches museum is great for aircraft (including the first jet fighter aircraft the ME163 and ME262 and the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket) , ships and the first German submarine U1 (submarine).
Berlin - shopping is great on the Kurfiurstendamm especially KaDeWe (better than Harrods), Karstadt and Kaufhof department stores (comparable to M & S), and international brand shops eg Gucci and LV, take a bus tour to see all the historic sites eg the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, churches, palaces and public buildings. Bread, cheese, sausages, coldcuts, meat, fish, beer, wine, mineral waters, biscuits, chocolate are all fantastisch. Internally use the rail service, book a season ticket based on the number of days you need to travel and reserve seats in advance.

A great holiday far more interesting than lounging on the beach.

A few years ago we had a holiday in Italy and we became friends with a German family and two English families, We went out together in a large group and really had a good holiday. Apart from one incident when a Englishman everyone nicknamed the Colonel decided to join our company and started to make comments about Germans and the war. He had not realised that Germans where in our company and he was sent away with a flee in his ear. When I see some politicians on the right going on about Europe I think about that incident and Colonel Blimp. One thing I did note was how the Chancellor of Germany enjoyed the match as a supporter. In Britain our leaders would be more interested in other sports than the sport of plebs.

I lived and worked in Germany for 4 wonderful years as a US Serviceman. What made it even better was my job which was part of a combined German-American unit at a German Kasern in Birkenfeld. I lived in the town of Birkenfeld amongst the Germans. I grew to love German wine from the Rhine valley. The Mosel wines were a bit dry for my taste.

I really liked German cuisine and was well taken care of by my German co-workers on our semi-monthly TDY trips to Wasserkuppe. They made sure I got to experience ALL the local foods and beers. And Fasching was just a barrel of laughs every year.

Four years in Germany was wonderful but, to be honest, they can't hold a candle to the 7 years I lived in England. Now that was 7 years which made my military career something fantastic. The beer and cuisine in England far surpassed that in Germany :-)

Huh? English food sucks.

Worked in Germany many years ago, and discovered the mixed saunas at the nearby sports club, eye wateringly wonderful !!!

Interesting to see all the comments this has raised. Everyone has their own experiences regardless of whether they work in Germany or just visited it. I have lived and worked here for six years and I have come to understand that the country is very big and quite remarkably different cultural experiences can be had in Frankfurt and Munich for example. I am sad to say that I have experienced much of what tomtom has and, for the sake of relevance, I have have been living in Hesse.

Before I moved here I was living in the West Country in the UK. So now we know where I came from and where i live now then here are my top 3 positives and negatives

Positives

1. Transport Infracstructure - 6 years now and for the very most part on time, regular and cheap - not my UK experience at all

2. Hospital national care - quick efficient and clean. Last week as an example I was sent by my doctor to the hospital to make an xray appointment. When there i was asked when I would like to show up the following week, what time would suit. I went for my Xray which was done on time and immediately (10 minutes) after a chat with the doctor for the results and would i like a copy of the xrays for my files. This was Barmer care not private the NHS equivalent. I am in fact pro the NHS bit this is on a different scale altogether.
3. Not a nanny state - you are very much left to make your own decisions and to live with the consequences of them which breeds a responsible attitude that I like.
Negatives
1. This is not a free market economy in any way that a UK entrepreneur would understand. Very tight financial lines, no flexibility at all and nothing will be discussed even. If it is not formally written so that it can be followed then it is axiomatic that it is not permitted. This rigidity is commonplace in any financial outlet, insurance banking whatever. In fact also in many other applications this is the case.
2. I have experienced and several foreign i.e. Non Germans (Auslanders) have also what can only be described as unequal treatment and I am choosing my words with care. I have had to engage, on two occasions, a lawywer in taking two major household names here to task and his words were and I quote that this sort of discrimination is an absolute fact and he makes his living from this divide. However when you realise and accept that as an Auslander you will not get past certain issues on youre own those issues that have been taking you months to not resolve can be fixed by the right face in, as was the case for me, in minutes - costly though.
3. For this is the biggest and extends across every sphere I have been exposed to from major banks to street corner cafes - communication it is appaling - far too many examples. However to sum it up my german colleagues say that we live in Germany in a communication and customer service vacuum there being none of either.
So what happens now
I have lived in lots of places and there is good and bad everywhere. I believe firmly that everyone has a choice and can vote with their feet. For me, on balance, Im going nowhere.

Been to Germany on couple of occasions; Berlin & Altenburg etc.. Simple fact which anyone can notice.no non-sense, speak straight to business & no dodgy over civilized non-sense & hypocrisy. Surprise why everytime DC takes L,R.C from Merkel. Germany are ahead in everything....House price is a joke here...

The famed Munich beerfest is symbolised by legions of totally plastered antipodean backpackers and stone faced foul tempered Romanian hookers cursing brewers droop.

Ha ha!

Never, never serve wheat beer in a mug. You use the traditional tall glass, with a "tulip" top, which allows the creamy head to properly develop. (www.germanbeerinstitute.com...

Everybody please skip the ugly banter and WWII discussions and go straight to my links to the video of the wine valley of the River Moselle and my train video links (with some impressions of German holiday landscapes), please.

:)

German train journeys have unexpected outcomes.

Try one....

:)

Germany is Wunderbar, Toll, Ausgezeichnet, Erste Klasse und und und.... ! I owe so much to Germany and have gained so much good in my life through my experiences with the German way of life, its people, culture, landscapes and general real quality of life it offers the world. No country is perfect but Germany works hard at making things in life better for the good of all. Yes there are many in the world who choose to see only what they want to see about Germany and take pleasure in bad mouthing it. This is in my view based on contempt jealousy and bitterness towards Germany and the anti german populist band wagon brigade who take every opportunity to smack Germany for its achievements just for the sake of doing it. Anything worthwile will always be under attack and rotten attitudes consume the moaners in the end. Well done Germany. Herzlichen Dank Deutschland und bis wir uns wiedersehen....

God, what a rant.

How would you know? You don't know me.

Presumptuousness isn't a typically German trait.

How would you know ? I am glad I dont know you, what a blessing that is.
Pretentiousness is very much a trait of your sort.You can dish out your muck but cant take any in return. Cowardly in the first degree.

It's something we intelligent folk call 'deduction', Peter; and suffice to say, I've deduced that your grasp of the English language is borderline retarded. Infact, it's almost as embarrassing as your attemps at repartee. Keep it coming, champ!

Your idiocy serves you well and fact is, your own use of english is debase and vulgar.

More poor syntax.

What a fool you are. Syntax is all you have to defend your patethic existence, you are wearing out the mileage on that one. Can you no post anything coherent.? I will make a formal complaint to the Moderators on here and seek that they take this further if you do not stop your unwanted comments to my posts. Go away. I will not warn you again if you do not stop your unwanted comments

He has an inferiority complex and it is fully justified.

Inferiority its name is SciPi

gone native? poor you....

Not as poor as you clearly are, nobody asked you for your worthless comments so go away fool.

I will defend, to your death, my right to my opinion.

Pardon me, but you're obviously mistaking me for someone who gives a damn about your opinion.

What part of go away do you not understand?. Nobody wants to know what you have to say about anything, so move along and annoy someone else I dont want your nonsense polluting the pages here.