Where's nice in Germany?

[sparkybabe]

Have been to Germany several times. I would like to take my 2 dses (13 and 15) over in the easter hols, as they are both doing german at school.

Been to Berlin, Cologne, Nuremberg, Detmold, Trier ... where can we go that is nice, easy to get to from Gatwick, preferably with something for teenage boys to do? (not nightclubs!)

It is worth to go to Sylt, it is a great place no doubt, BUT are you into schickimicki, I mean it's the place for bling-bling and high society and lots of beeing seen etc. Don't know how else to describe it in English

Oh, and sorry, don't man that to be rude, but the North is NOT for people who are into beer, that would be the South for you. It is however for people who are into cycling, yes :-)
And Köln and Düsseldorf, who do have their own special beer culture, are not the North, the are the West, with their very specific, and very jolly and heart-warming, regional attitudes :-)

Yes, and not only Swiss farmers, also Austrians.

And Bavarians even....and not just farmers, all sorts of other people sometimes get subtitled, because otherwise they hardly can be understood by many other Germans...:-)

how does one make use these smileys and emphasis????? could someone tell me, please. Thanks.

world either type ':' followed by ')' or [ smile ] without the spaces!

':'

':' ')'

Hahahaha i think I am stupid. I don't know how to do that lol

don't put the ' in.
just type : and then type )

:)

Wow, I want to go to Hamburg next summer now!

I'm actually looking for a self-catering place for up to 10 people, walking distance of shops, near things to do for 4-5 year olds - any recommendations? Can you get to Hamburg by train from London I wonder? [goes to seat61.com ...]

For the OP - Leipzig and Weimar are lovely with lots of history, and not mentioned on this thread yet. Though I last went there in the 90s when there was no tourist tat yet and virtually no tourists - suspect that's changed.

yeay!

(the grin is done by typing [ then the word grin then another ] )

yeah!!!! this is fun and now please, how would I use emphasis, such want to write something in bold etc.

aha! you type a * then the word, then another star. (i've not done the second as an asterix symbol in case it bolds the whole sentence)

nickelbarapasaurus you are a star

that's it I think I got the hang of it. Thanks

Notcitrus, I mentioned Leipzig back on page 1. In the last 5 years they have cottoned on to tourism, and things are starting to cost a little more - they now do music tours and so on that didn't used to happen. It is still a lot less touristy than it could be though, and still loads cheaper than I would expect from Europe.
I would also recommend the Leipzig Zoo, we had a good day out there.

aw, thanks

nocitrus, which month(s) would you contemplate a visit. and how many adults and children would that be, as a breakdown?

Yes, if you are in Germany you have (see, I can do it, too! ) to go to a zoo! They are so much better than the ones over here. I have been to Leipzig and Hannover Zoo, and they are both spectacular!

ContinentalKat or anyone else here,

to say oh, you have to do this... or that...is rude to say in English, right?!

I think, if that is the case, the I'll try to not do that anymore, ha.

In German it doesn't even sound rude or like a command or something. In context of recommendations, it's even almost endearing, it's when a person is so excited and wants to emphasise how great/super it was etc.

But I think in English it might not be so good, right?!

You can say it to someone you know well - so I would say "You just HAVE to visit the Zoo" to my best friend or my sister, but not to a stranger as it would come across very bossy. To a person you know well it is just enthusiastic.

I think a lot of the English find the German way of speaking very difficult as it is so direct and the English are so obtuse.

worldcitizen - sounds enthusiastic in the context of this thread, not rude at all, don't worry! It could be rude if you were telling someone about something they knew more about than you, or if you were their boss, but it's more tone of voice than the words.

Will have to be our summer holiday, so July/August. Though actually Easter holidays might be possible. Probably 6 adults, 2 who speak pretty fluent German, 3 children aged 4/5, and a toddler.

DP and I went to Cologne a few years ago, but the kids have never been abroad. I've been around Frankfurt, Berlin, Leipzig/Weimar/Erfuhrt and Vienna/Austrian ski resorts, but nowhere near the north of Germany.

Hi there, thanks so much for some clarification. This thread is really fun .

I think, this is really an important point in cross-cultural communication, and no-one has ever pointed it out to me or to other Germans I know, and I learned the hard way , and for the past few years I am living here in Germany again and am falling back into our habits of expressing things, so I am feeling and thinking German again and tend to only sort of translate in my head, and it just doesn't come out right anymore, arrrrgghhh.

So, this thread, my first, is already helping me to sort of watch myself again and I am also reminded of how much the truly important differences, pitfalls, and misunderstandings could be in cross-cultural English/German communication could or would be.

Wished that would have been part of my language course.

notcitrus, that sounds interesting, hahahaha, I have to laugh now. this word interesting, it really means that in German, it is not a euphemism for anything, it is meant to be a compliment .

it is such fun to be with 4-5 year olds in Hamburg during the summer time. loads of things to do, tons of great parks and playgrounds and lots of activities and could be well combined trip to the sea, especially the Baltic sea, can be reached in less than an hour.