Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [64]
Do bring a small gift – a bottle of wine or flowers – if you’ve been invited to a meal.
Do inform your hosts beforehand of any dietary needs.
Do say ‘Guten Appetit’ (good appetite) before starting to eat, and ‘Prost!’ when drinking a toast.
Do offer to help wash up afterwards, particularly as locals tend to be quite punctilious about housework.
Do specify if you don’t want your restaurant dishes slathered in mayonnaise, Quark or dressing. Germans are unbelievably generous in this department.
Do pay your bill at the table and give any tip directly to the server. Say either the amount you want to pay, or ‘Stimmt so’ if you don’t want change.
Don’t expect to get a glass of tap water at a restaurant or cafe; although things are changing, especially in cities, it’s still an uncommon request that may be not be understood or honoured.
Don’t get impatient or testy when waiting in a cafe, where many customers come to linger. If you’re in a hurry, go to a Stehcafé.
Don’t assume you can pay by credit card when eating out – few restaurants accept cards. Take enough cash instead.
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EAT YOUR WORDS
Common phrases and pronunciation guidelines are included in the Language chapter Click here.
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Food Glossary
STARTERS
MAIN COURSES
DESSERTS & CAKES
BASICS
FISH
MEAT
FRUIT & VEGETABLES
DRINKS
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Environment
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THE LAND
WILDLIFE
Animals
Plants
NATIONAL PARKS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Energy
Pollution
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THE LAND
Germany is not just about the Black Forest, the Alps and the Rhine River. Across its 356,866 sq km, Europe’s fourth-largest country boasts moor and heath, mudflats and chalk cliffs, glacial lakes and river wetlands. Hugged by Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark, the country is mountainous in the south, but flat in the north. Indeed, many visitors are surprised to learn Germany even possesses low-lying islands and sandy beaches.
True, the stereotypes have been forged in the south, where you’ll find the 2962m Zugspitze, the highest peak, as well as the famous mountain resort of Berchtesgaden. However, only a small section of the Alps falls within Germany – compared to neighbouring Austria and Switzerland – and it’s all in Bavaria. In the wooded mountain range of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), in Baden-Württemberg to the west, nothing rises above 1500m.
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Green information galore is posted on the website of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt; www.umweltbundesamt.de).
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Starting its journey in Switzerland and travelling through Lake Constance, Germany’s largest lake, the 1320km Rhine River winds its way around the Black Forest, before crawling up the west side of the map to drain into the North Sea. The Elbe, Oder and other German rivers likewise flow north, except for the Danube, which flows east.
Moving towards the central belt, you’ll find the most memorable vineyards and hiking areas in the warmer valleys around the Moselle River. Just north of here, the land was formed by volcanic activity. To the east, south of Berlin, you’ll find the holiday area of the Spreewald, a picturesque wetland with narrow, navigable waterways.
Where Germany meets Holland in the northwest and Denmark in the north, the land is flat; the westerly North Sea coast consists partly of drained land and dykes. To the east, the Baltic Sea coast is first riddled with bays and fjords in Schleswig-Holstein, before it gives way to sandy inlets and beaches. On the country’s northeastern tip, Rügen, its largest island, is, like England’s Dover, renowned for its chalk