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Kurtaxe – resort tax

Kurverwaltung – spa resort administration

Kurzentrum – spa centre

Land, Länder (pl) – state

Landtag – state parliament

Lederhosen – traditional leather trousers with attached braces (Bavaria only)

Lesbe, Lesben (pl) – lesbian (n)

lesbisch – lesbian (adj)

Markt – market; often used instead of Marktplatz

Marktplatz – marketplace or square; often abbreviated to Markt

Mass – 1L tankard or stein of beer

Meer – sea

Mehrwertsteuer (MwST) – value-added tax

Mensa – university cafeteria

Mitfahrzentrale – ride-sharing agency

Mitwohnzentrale – accommodation-finding service that is usually for long-term stays

multi-kulti – multicultural

Münster – minster, large church, cathedral

Neustadt – new town

Nord – north

NSDAP – Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; National Socialist German Workers’ Party

Ossi – nickname for an East German

Ost – east

Palais, Palast – palace, residential quarters of a castle

Paradies – literally ‘paradise’; architectural term for a church vestibule or anteroom

Parkhaus – car park

Passage – shopping arcade

Pension, Pensionen (pl) – relatively cheap boarding house

Pfand – deposit for bottles and sometimes glasses (in beer gardens)

Pfarrkirche – parish church

Platz – square

Putsch – revolt

Radwandern – bicycle touring

Radweg – bicycle path

Rathaus – town hall

Ratskeller – town hall restaurant

Regional Express (RE) local trains with limited stops that link rural areas with metropolitan centres and the S-Bahn

RegionalBahn (RB) local trains, mostly in rural areas, with frequent stops

Reich – empire

Reisezentrum – travel centre in train or bus stations

Ruhetag – literally ‘rest day’; closing day at a shop or restaurant

Rundgang – tour, route

Saal, Säle (pl) – hall, room

Sammlung – collection

Säule – column, pillar

S-Bahn – suburban-metropolitan trains; short for ‘Schnellbahn’

Schatzkammer – treasury room

Schiff – ship

Schiffahrt – shipping, navigation

Schloss – palace, castle

Schnellimbiss – stand-up food stall; also called Imbiss

schwul – gay (adj)

Schwuler, Schwule (pl) – gay (n)

SED – Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands; Socialist Unity Party

See – lake

Sesselbahn – chairlift

SPD – Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands; Social Democratic Party

Speisekarte – menu

Stadt – city, town

Stadtbad, Stadtbäder (pl) – public pool

StadtExpress (SE) local trains primarily connecting cities and geared towards commuters

Stadtwald – city or town forest

Stehcafé – stand-up cafe

Strand – beach

Strasse – street; often abbreviated to Str

Strausswirtschaft – seasonal wine pub indicated by wreath above the doorway

Süd – south

Tageskarte – daily menu; day ticket on public transport

Tal – valley

Teich – pond

Tor – gate

trampen – hitchhike

Turm – tower

U-Bahn – underground train system

Ufer – bank (of river etc)

verboten – forbidden

Verkehr – traffic

Verkehrsamt/Verkehrsverein – tourist office

Viertel – quarter, district

Wald – forest

Wäscherei – laundry

Wattenmeer – tidal flats on the North Sea coast

Weg – way, path

Weihnachtsmarkt – Christmas market; also called Christkindlmarkt

Weingut – wine-growing estate

Weinkeller – wine cellar

Weinprobe – wine tasting

Weinstube – traditional wine bar or tavern

Wende – ‘change’ of 1989, ie the fall of communism that led to the collapse of the GDR and German reunification

Wessi – nickname for a West German

West – west

Wiese – meadow

Zahnradbahn – cogwheel railway

Zimmer frei – rooms available

Zimmervermittlung – a room-finding service, primarily for short-term stays

ZOB – Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof; central bus station

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The Authors

* * *

ANDREA SCHULTE-PEEVERS

KERRY CHRISTIANI

MARC DI DUCA

ANTHONY HAYWOOD

CATHERINE LE NEVEZ

DANIEL ROBINSON

CAROLINE SIEG

* * *

ANDREA SCHULTE-PEEVERS

Coordinating Author, Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, North Rhine–Westphalia

Andrea has logged countless miles travelling in nearly 60 countries on five continents