Germany has quite an obsession for its little sayings, phrases and proverbs. You may be learning German already or have a basic knowledge of the language, but all the sudden you are complete at loss in a conversation, because your conversation partner starts talking about an elephant in a porcelain store or a gifted horse… like what in the hell???

Ladies and Gentlemen, the countdown begins, Christmas is just around the corner and the Christmas Markets will soon be open! Not sure where to go? No worries, here are a few personal recommendations for you from me.  I hope that my list will help you organize your

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Firework madness!

Germany may not be known for huge firework celebrations, like the 4th of July parties back in America,

The Westvleteren 12 Trappist beer, brewed by the monks at the St. Sixtus Abbey, is one of the most coveted beers in the world by beer connoisseurs. It is also one of the most exclusive beers in the world, as the only place authorized to sell the beer is at the St. Sixtus Abbey in West Flanders,

Germany has a great food culture, I mean German food is amazing, so you don't want to miss out and while the concept for most restaurants is basically the same (sit down and have a meal) there are a few cultural

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Keukenhof has to be one of the most popular destinations in the Netherlands during springtime. It is one of the

The official start to the Christmas season here in Germany has to be the lighting of the first candle on the Advent wreath, which is usually also the time that most of the big Christmas markets open up. The Christmas markets have to be one of the most anticipated

Germans love doing arts and crafts, especially during times of transition, like in the spring or fall. Families will often flock to the forests and fields on nice, sunny fall days, in order to gather supplies and ideas for their projects. Then on the gloomier, rainy

Bad Wimpfen and Burg Guttenberg are located in the beautiful Neckar Plain about an hour by car from Stuttgart or 1,5 hours from Kaiserslautern. Take the first exit on the highway A6 going towards Mannheim, the exit Neckarsulm and then head toward Mosbach. But beware – there

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For sweet tooth under us, we added a recipe for the one and only, the world famous Black Forest cake. Authentic with a little dash of cherry spirit and beautiful

If you ever lived in the Rhein-Neckar region, then you know that one of the summer highlights is the Heidelberg castle illumination. Three times every year during the summer months (June, July and September, right after nightfall), the spectacle attracts thousands of

Both countries do love big and colorful parties, but the traditions at home do vary a bit between the Unites states and here in Germany.

The big rush before the party starts, and the shopping madness is international; and even in the capital of holidays,

During the 4 weeks of Advent (roughly four weeks prior to Christmas) the Christmas Markets – Weihnachtsmärkte - open their doors.

They originated in German-speaking part of Europe & in the Eastern regions of France in the Late Middle

Every year a different German city has the honor of hosting the national garden show. This year the task has fallen upon Heilbronn. Each city designs and sets-up a huge public garden with their hometown’s touch. Those

It is cold outside, it is getting dark earlier and everybody wants to have a warm place to relax. In the area of Stuttgart there are lots of great opportunities to spend a nice time in a sauna world.

Spring is right around the corner, and Germany is getting ready for Easter.

While traditionally a religious holiday, Easter is one of the most popular holidays for churchgoers and non-religious affiliated Germans alike. Since Christian and pagan rituals are now so intertwined it only makes sense for

I'm sure you've all heard of Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Carnival in Venice, and well, Fasching is Germany's Mardi Gras or Carnival. It officially began on 11.11.11 – meaning, the 11^th of November (the 11^th Month) at 11:11 AM, 2016, and it will end at the stroke of midnight on Fat Tuesday (or Shrove

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It is well known that Germany celebrates all kinds of harvests, the

There are so many different ways to explore the outdoors or the historic cities in Germany. If you like riddles and treasure hunts, then becoming part of the geocaching community might be just the thing for you.

To this day Germany has one of the highest alcohol consumption worldwide, beat by only a few other countries. But drinking here, is very different to what you may be accustomed to from back home in the States. In this piece we will talk about the differences of drinking, alcohol laws

Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in human history, the roots of which are buried deep in the traditional Gaelic Festival of Samhain. Originally Halloween was more of a Fall Harvest celebration, as the year of the Celts ended on October 31st . The summer was over,

Today most Germans are usually not very superstitious, black cats, broken mirrors, or Friday the 13th doesn’t faze them anymore. Nevertheless, Germany is a place where you often feel, time standing still. Town centers can take you back to the middle ages and dark

With the end of the summer comes the end of light eating, yes!! Feel free to cheer! Out with the salads, light fruity cakes and grilled meat and in with thick gravy’s, hearty meats and layered creamy cakes. Fall is the time where food is plentiful, celebrated and fruit is

One of Germans favorite past times during the warm summer months has to be visiting medieval markets.

Many of the old city centers are transformed into something from times long past. Cities like Horb offer trips right into the busy

Hear ye, Hear ye!!

In just one month the gates for the famous Horb knight games will open. Horb, located 35 miles south of Stuttgart at the A81, is one of the largest medieval markets in the Europe. This medieval festival doesn’t just lure its visitors in with an

This Saturday Clocks in Germany are falling back one hour, going from 3 am to 2 am, gifting us one extra hour of sleep.

Moved into your new home off base or curious about life in Germany? Struggling with daily life? Feeling overwhelmed? Having lots of

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On May 25, 2019, Duesseldorf, the traditional stronghold of Japanese business in Europe, is

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The legendary festival along Lake Constance, August 12th, 2017

And you can win tickets! Our friends of the festival were so kind to

There are a lot of unique expressions in German that don´t translate well into English. I´m sure you have heard of some, the word Wanderlust recently became a popular German word that was adopted into the English language - to the point where you will hardly hear a German use it. It´s the desire to wander. Another German term that you might here is

The Wilhelma visitors are almost mesmerized by the sight of him. Will he do it or not? Spectators gather by every Indian peacock and wait anxiously if he will show of his legendary display of tail feathers. Right now, is the best time of the year to observe the cock with the most

Horb, along the Neckar River, presents its 21^st annual medieval spectacle on June

Christmas markets are one of the most popular attractions during the winter month in Germany. Every larger city has one and everyone has their own little perks. One of the most charming markets has to be the medieval Christmas market in Esslingen. The market is located

One of the German's favorite past times during the warm summer months has to be visiting fairs and markets. The medieval markets are particularly popular though.

Many of the old city centers are transformed into something from times far, far

While living here in Germany, you may encounter some of us natives and more often then not friendships bloom. Especially if you live off base, you might strike up a neighborly conversation or get to know the other parents from your child’s daycare, kindergarten or school. This whole

The Snow Leopards at the Wilhelma have something great to look forward to: the zoologic-botanical garden in Stuttgart built a beautiful large outdoor areal on a steep slope, exclusively for the climbing enthusiastic cats. Edith Sitzmann, the finance minister of the state of

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Little parchment paper wrapped packages filled with yummy goodness and baked in the oven; I tell you: a celebration in your mouth is awaiting you!

It is finally here! Summer… it felt like this year was going to stay cold and rainy, but now the sun has made an appearance, the temperatures are climbing and the people are heading outside to enjoy the weather.
It really does not matter if you are the public beer garden type or like to soak in the warm

The Sunshine Pumpkin Farm is located in Gerhardsbrunn, a short 20 minute drive from Ramstein Air Base. Every year Familie Guhl opens up their pumpkin patch to families in the KMC area! Their fantastic pumpkin patch is so much fun; it's the perfect place to pick

Like many others, Americans love researching their roots. May it be heading you south of the border, to Asia or perhaps towards Africa… but if your family lines bring you to Germany, you should definitely come prepared if you want to pursue your research “in the

The “Gartenschau” garden show in Kaiserslautern is reopening its gates on March 30, 2019. Known as one of the most popular outdoor hang outs in the area, this place is perfect for a family with younger children. The garden show is laid

Though celebrating Valentine's Day has only become popular within the last few decades in Germany, there are several traditions the Germans have taken on whole-heartedly. This includes giving cards, sweet treats, gifts and flowers to their loved ones on this special day.

“Visitors are amazed when I say that Sigmaringen is Germany’s most important castle,” the guide says with a smile. “But this castle belonged to, and still belongs to, the Hohenzollern dynasty that played a vital role in German history.” Towering on a

Public pools and waterparks are immensely popular during the summer in Germany. While nearly every village has a local outdoor pool or swimming lake, the waterparks are a little more wide-spread. But, just like in back in the States, they have

With May come the big fairs with rides, games, beer tents and great food. The city of Stuttgart kicks off with the Fruehlingsfest on the Wasen, the big fairground in the city. In Kaiserslautern, one of the biggest fairgrounds in the Palatinian region opens its doors, the Lauterer May

The squirrel monkeys at the Wilhelma are showing off their three little ones. Responsible is: Frenchman Illamp;, the current male, joined the little popular monkey group on the sub-tropical terraces, after moving here from the southern French zoo de La Barben. Now the first results

By the time November hits in Germany, the days tend to be dreary, rainy and chilly. It gets darker earlier and takes forever to get light in the morning.

Along with November come some fun traditions, especially if you have little

In case you haven't noticed, Germans love to party and will find whatever reason they can to have another little Fest or celebration. A Guy cutting up his coat?! Sounds like a reason for celebration! No really, let me

Germans love to spend their time outdoors. Even better if you can keep the kids occupied at the same time. Strawberry fields make for a great family outing opportunity. Not only are those sweet treats great for snacking, but also awesome in

For all of you who are new to Stuttgart, or not just new to Stuttgart, but new to Germany – Welcome, to Germany and to Stuttgart. Stuttgart is not only my hometown, but, with over 620,000 residents, the largest city in the state of Baden-Wuertemberg. It is also the B-W

The German Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are right around the corner, perfect time for a little day trip. Gondwana, das Praehistorium is offering an amazing deal to celebrate those special holidays with

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If you are a treasure hunter like me, this is definitely the place to go. Founded in 1975 the Homburg Antique and Flea Market

The worldwide second largest beer fest is, right after the Oktoberfest, the Stuttgart or better the Cannstatter Volksfest. As every year, starting on Sept 22nd, 2017 until Oct 8th, 2017; it’s time to head to the "Wasen”.

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The bicycle is celebrating its 200th birthday on June 12th this year. This popular vehicle has quite a moving history.

You may have noticed that stores are setting up party items, costumes and streamers. No, Germany is not having a blow out on Halloween costumes, but is preparing the high season of Karneval, Fasching or as Americans may know it, Mardi Grass. You

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The Cannstatt Volksfest is now coming to an end, and after two weeks of beer being sold by “Maß”, it’s about time for something new, don‘t you

One of the most anticipated Christmas traditions every year has to be the Adventskalender or Advent-Calendar. Choosing just the right one, is of the most important things for children as it marks the beginning of the Christmas season for them. We have all heard at

If you ask around, one of the “must-see”

A couple weeks before Easter you may start noticing that German bakeries offer little lambs, made from biscuit, a cake very similar to the American pound cake. They are sold glazed or just dusted with confectioner’s sugar and often carry or wear a

With the Union of European Football Associations European Soccer Championship OR The Euro Cup // Europäische Meisterschaft (EM) starting this June, you might hear or see the term "Public Viewing" quite frequently. You might hear/see this on the radio, at a bar, a

Don't miss your last chance to visit the Japanese Gardens in Kaiserslautern this year!

The holidays are here; time for an endless stream of food, fun, family and friends. Only this year, it's your turn to host the big holiday party. That's right, after a few seasons of skirting by with a side dish and a bottle of glühwein, you're up for the main event. So, where to start? What do those

The Brezel Fest is a long-standing tradition in Speyer. It was originally born out of an idea to bring money into the city in 1910, when the merchants and bakers were suffering. The city council founded the tourism

For 12 days Stuttgart will be celebrating wine and great food. Local specialties, sweets and over 250 different wines are there to represent the area.

The Stuttgart zoo is one of the largest and well-known zoos within Germany, it draws in over 2.1 million visitors every year. The park covers an area of almost 70 acres, about the size of 40 football fields and is bordered by the Neckar river and

If you take the B27 south of Stuttgart, driving through Reutlingen and Pfullingen, you'll eventually reach Lichtenstein. It's a rather short drive, 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic, and after Pfullingen you'll

Today, we know zombies are a thing of imagination, seen only on TV shows and in movies. Really, the only ones scared of them these days are probably little kids. However, for our ancestors here in Germany, that fear was a very real one.

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Spring is moving in quickly at the Wilhelma; the milder weather has caused the blossoms of the Azaleas to literally explode inside

As I've mentioned before, living in Germany makes traveling throughout Europe just a little bit easier and a lot more affordable. Ryanair almost always has cheap tickets to London Stansted from Frankfurt-Hahn or Baden-Baden, and neither of those airports are terribly far away from Stuttgart, Wiesbaden or Ramstein.

The highest waterfall in Germany is in the idyllic black forest town of Triberg (pronounced Tree-Berg, and it's definitely worth a weekend visit. Triberg is a three hour drive from Ramstein and a shorter hour and a half drive from Stuttgart. Since we were coming from

Though celebrating Valentine's Day has only become popular within the last few decades in Germany, there are several traditions the Germans have taken on whole-heartedly. This includes giving cards, sweet treats and flowers to their loved ones on this special day.

The origins of both

During the warm summer months and especially during summer break, Germans have festivals and celebrations all over. Particularly popular are village or town celebrations.  The festivals are usually hosted by the city, while in smaller communities, clubs and villages get

It’s admittingly hard to travel back into the past, if you are lacking a time travel device. But there is a city you can visit, where such a device is not necessary. You can get there all on your own, back to the Middle Ages, back when the night watchman

If you are looking for a great place to spend one of Germany`s many rainy days or are bored at home on a Sunday, why not check out the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

One of the things Germany is

The Stuttgarter or more specifically Canstatter Volksfest is one of the largest beer festivals, second only to the Oktoberfest in Munich. Even the Stuttgart natives don’t say they are going “to the festival” (auf´s Volksfest) but instead say they are

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With Summerbreak almost over, stores are stocking their shelves with school supplies for the new school year. The isles and baskets are overloaded with

If you are new to Germany or not yet familiar with the Christmas market, you may be surprised to learn that the main beverage served at the market is a hot wine. It’s a great way to warm up from the cold weather and even though its just wine, it

Winter is coming to Germany and while you may have been told putting winter tires on your car is law, you might have been left in the dark when it comes to the specifics, or where given hieroglyphic remarks like “from O till O” or “have to have the snowflake symbol, but

The green Ampelmann – Green man on the pedestrian light

-you wait, alongside hundreds of other people, until a traffic light turns green, even if there’s no car in sight. You wait patiently to cross the street when the little man is red, because you are afraid that some old

Then the Stuttgarter Weindorf (Stuttgart Wine Village) is a must.

It is one of the finest wine festivals in Germany with regional specialties and a wide selection of excellent regional wines from Wuerttemberg and Baden.        

On the Stuttgarter

The Bongos in the Wilhelma seem to be enjoying their enclosure, that was renovated in 2016, very much. Those extremely rare forest antelopes, here in the Stuttgart zoologic-botanic garden, had a baby again this year…just like 2017. Mother Asante gave birth to a calf on March

One thing that is forgotten about too often during the PCS madness are the pets. Beloved companions that have been living in the home for years without any issue, suddenly become major issues, because of breeds, time of PCS or the

As you may have noticed, there are little stands and booths popping up all over the place, especially at grocery stores or at your local farmers markets. They are advertising “neuer Wein”, “Federweisser” or “neuer Suesser” and it all really means the