What is typical German? The Autobahn, the many types of beer, Kraftwerk or David Hasselhoff? We already know about those. But did you also know that the Christmas tree comes from Germany? As a nation of nature lovers and hikers, we like to go into the forest, especially as soon as the first snow has fallen. Since winter is knocking on our door again, we thought we’d have a look at how we Germans relax in winter. Here are some facts about the German winter wonderland.
- The Christmas tree comes is originally a German tradition, which started in the 16th century. Since Germany is known for its forests, it seems almost logical that the widespread German Christmas tree has made it into living rooms. More than a third of the country is covered with forest. In fact, the Black Forest is so dense that hardly any light falls in, which is why it got its name.
- The first printed book was a German one. The “Biblia Latina” was the first book in the western world to be printed and was published in 180 editions. With more than 90,000 book releases each year, we are a nation of book lovers. Whether it’s fiction, children’s books or crime novels, we read everything. Add a cup of tea and we’re happy.
- We have many well-preserved castles and fortresses that have certainly inspired more than just the Brothers Grimm. More than 2100 castles are located in forests and valleys and are frequently visited. The largest, located in Ludwigsburg, is a magnificent baroque palace. If you should come to visit one day, you can roam the snowy forest before you reach a castle Who doesn’t even want to feel like a Disney princess?
- Bread is the main food of the Germans. There are over 300 variations of it in total. We prefer to eat wheat or rye bread. “German Style Bread” is now also on the rise in Great Britain. Even Prince Charles got an oversized Pretzel from baker Petra Braun in 2014. On the Christmas market, we love to indulge in “Dampfnudeln”, a hot, steamed bread with lots of vanilla sauce.
