Tips for visiting Germany?

[iLoveFoood]

Me and Dp are off to Germany this week and have never been. Any tips for visiting the country? What beer, food is good? What is the culture like? The transport system?

@Seniorcitizen1 clearly not very experienced with travelling everyone knows word of mouth is best regardless of what it says online

You can do river trips on the Main in Frankfurt, but they are not terribly exciting as they take you down to the new ECB building in the East and then to the Westhafen. They don't last long, though probably an hour.
For traditional Apfelwein and food try Wagner's on Schweizertrasse. They do have menus in English as well as daily specials on the blackboard.
Other good places to eat are Maaschanz and Jaspers. Taj Mahal on Schweizerstrasse is also good (Indian for Germans!). There are also a lot of Thai restaurants in all price categories.
Getting round Frankfurt is very easy. You can walk to most things from the main station or catch a tram or use the underground. There are ticket machines at almost every tram stop. If you are going to use public transport a lot during the day a Tageskarte is a good option.
On the south side of the river is the Museumsufer, which has umpteen museums from film to fine art.

The Germans are mad about ice cream, with whipped cream on top. We stayed in a village on the Baltic, so small they didn't even have a baker but there was an Eis Café. As advised try the "Spaghetti" extruded vanilla ice cream with a fruit sauce on top.

The variety of breads available in Germany has to be seen to be believed. Even the smallest out-of-the-way place will have about a dozen different kinds. Wheat and rye and mixed in various proportions. Delicious!

Cheese! Countless new and exciting kinds. Some with herbs not known outside Germany. A revelation. Try as many as you can. Bring some back.

Wish I was going.....

iLoveFoood, don't worry about SeniorCitizen's patronising comment. As we know, there are loads of German MNers and loads of MNers who live in Germany - as has been evidenced by some fabulous recommendations. And what better place to ask than here?!

I hope you have a great time. I wish I could join you!! Have discovered, a while back, that I have family in Bavaria (south of Frankfurt). We've not got around to visiting yet. But, many years ago, I spent a week in northern Germany - Aachen - loved it and felt so welcome by my German hosts.

Please post all the great things that you're doing while you're there!! I'm well jealous!!

Food in Germany is seasonal so while there are tons of eiscafes from March onward, you'd be hard pressed to find one now. Stuttgart is lovely, Tübingen is incredibly pretty if you have time to venture out there - I actually live 10K outside of Tübingen and I love it. They have a chocolate market on in a few weeks too 😊 Definitely speak English, everyone loves to show how cultured they are and how they can speak English (and the majority have exceptionally good English too). I also recommend the maultaschen, potato salad and the pretzels - heavenly! Swabisch food is very hearty but delicious. Stuttgart has both local beers and wine which are both incredibly good (and cheap). You'll have a whale of a time 😊

It is all the way down at the South of the Black Forest, but I just remembered this:

www.badeparadies-schwarzwald.de/en/palm-oasis/

I've been there twice with my sister and husband, and it is lovely, tropical feelings when the snow is falling outside. Plus they have a pool bar where you can have cocktails or mocktails.

I don’t know that part of Germany hugely well, but I can definitely recommend the Daimler and Porsche museums. I’ve been round both on business trips and they were fascinating. Far, far more interesting than I expected as I am not hugely into car history. They also don’t shy away from the nazi history of both companies which also fascinating and unexpected.

Other than that, my main recommendations are the potato salad and beer!

Another vote for maultaschen - they are delicious. I would add weisswurst mit sussersenf (white sausages with sweet mustard) for breakfast - utterly delicious, just remember to peel the skin off the sausage before you eat them.

Another thing I always have when I go back is yufka doner from the kebab shop - basically kebab in a wrap but far superior to anything I've ever eaten here.

If you do head down to the Badeparedeis consider popping into Freiburg - a gorgeous little town nestled into the Black Forest.

Just wondering how did your trip go OP? Hope you had a good time?

Ooh yes I was looking for this thread for an update :)

Krombacher beer is amazing, definitely give that a try! There are lots of bakeries with amazing things, zwiebelbrot (onion bread) is great. I'm a veggie but dh loved currywurst. Enjoy your trip!

I second Flammkuchen (literally Flame Cake I think, but savory - thin crispy base topped with a sorry or sour cream/cream cheese mix, onion, bacon and cheese) and New Wine, if you can find them. And Saumagen, if you can get it - both the spirit and the sausage!