Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [683]
If our reviews do not mention opening hours, standard hours (11am to 11pm) apply. Note that food service may stop earlier, depending on how busy the place is that night.
For more on cuisine and eating customs, Click here.
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS
Germany is a magnet for gay travellers with the rainbow flag flying especially proudly in Berlin, which is helmed by Germany’s first openly gay mayor, Klaus Wowereit. For an overview of the Berlin scene, see the boxed text on Click here; for Cologne, flick to Click here; for Hamburg, Click here. All of these hubs have humming nightlife scenes, magazines, associations and support groups, and major Gay Pride celebrations. Frankfurt, Munich and Bremen have smaller but still vibrant scenes.
Overall, Germans are tolerant of gays (Schwule) and lesbians (Lesben) although, as elsewhere in the world, cities are more liberal than rural areas, and younger people tend to be more open-minded than older generations. Homophobic hostility is more likely in eastern Germany and in the conservative south where gays and lesbians tend to keep a lower profile.
Local gay and lesbian magazines and centres are listed throughout this book. For online info, listings and contacts, see www.gayscape.com, a search tool with hundreds of links, www.gay-web.de or www.blu.fm, the online version of the magazine. Lesbians should check out www.lesarion.de and the online version of L-Mag (www.l-mag.de), a bimonthly magazine. An LGBT travel specialist is www.damronvacations.com. Another good general source is www.outtraveler.com.
HOLIDAYS
Public Holidays
Germany observes eight religious and three secular holidays nationwide. Shops, banks, government offices and post offices are closed on these days. States with predominantly Catholic populations, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, also celebrate Epiphany (6 January), Corpus Christi (10 days after Pentecost), Assumption Day (15 August) and All Saints’ Day (1 November). Reformation Day (31 October) is only observed in eastern Germany (but not in Berlin).
The following are gesetzliche Feiertage (public holidays):
Neujahrstag (New Year’s Day) 1 January
Ostern (Easter) March/April; Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day) 40 days after Easter
Maifeiertag/Tag der Arbeit (Labour Day) 1 May
Pfingsten (Whit/Pentecost Sunday & Monday) 50 days after Easter
Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity) 3 October
Weihnachtstag (Christmas Day) 25 December
Zweiter Weihnachtstag (Boxing Day) 26 December
School Holidays
Each state sets its own school holidays but, in general, kids get six weeks off in summer and two weeks each around Christmas, Easter and October. In some states, schools are also closed for a few days in February and around Whitsun/Pentecost.
Traffic is worst at the beginning of school holidays in population-rich states like North Rhine–Westphalia and can become a nightmare if several states let out their schools at the same time.
Germans are big fans of mini-holidays built around public holidays, when you can expect heavy crowds on the roads, in the towns, on boats, in beer gardens and everywhere else. Lodging is at a premium at these times as well.
INSURANCE
No matter how long or short your trip, make sure you have adequate travel insurance. EU citizens should obtain the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which entitles you to reduced-cost or free medical treatment due to illness or accident, although not for emergency repatriation home. Click here for details. Non-EU citizens should check if a similar reciprocal agreement exists between their country and Germany, or if their policy at home provides worldwide health-care coverage.
If you do need to buy travel health insurance, be