Germany Overview

While there is no shortage of images that characterize Germany—Lederhosen and busty barmaids, ultra-modern skyscrapers, unconscionable heaps of meat and potatoes—perhaps the most accurate explanation of this compelling country lies not in a preconception but in a word: Gestalt . This German term, literally meaning “shape,” characterizes something that is distinctly more than the sum of its parts. Gestalt’ s evocative brand of holism speaks both to Germany’s geographical diversity, sweeping from the jagged snowy peaks of the Bavarian Alps to the sprawling sandy beaches of the north, and to its historical legacy and ever-evolving sense of national identity. A country split between Protestantism and Catholicism and forged from dozens of squabbling principalities, Germany has never been homogeneous. Yet a new influx of non-German immigrants and the challenge of collective guilt has forced an entire nation—once confident in its own ethnic heritage, if nothing else—to question what it means to be German in an ever-shrinking world and a rapidly diversifying Land . Poised at the juncture of common tradition and forward-looking cosmopolitanism, and facing tremendous uncertainty coupled with the uplifting potential of change, Germany is uniquely positioned to offer travelers culture, adventure, and the opportunity to discover the phantasmic Gestalt of contemporary Germany.

Essentials

• Passport Required: Yes
• Visa Required for Stay Less Than Three Months: No
• Tourism Office:www.germany-tourism.de
• Phone Numbers: 112 for emergencies; 11837 for domestic directory assistance
• Currency: Euro (EUR^)
• Sales Tax: 16%, usually included in display price
• Driving: Right-hand side of the road; International Driving Permit (IDP) required for six months with valid license from home country
• Drinking Age: 18
• Reinheitsgebot: “Purity requirement” law guarantees that all beer produced in Germany contains only water, hops, and barley malt

• When To Go