With over 80 million citizens, Germany is a big country, but you will find it diverse, modern and welcoming. Germany is world-renowned for its rich cultural history, festive celebrations, and historic sites. Germany also has a vibrant arts scene and is a popular choice for touring international artists. It has a high standard of living, an active youth culture, and a wide range of activities to choose from. Germany’s biggest cities are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart, each with their own individual culture and history.
Germany’s food culture is traditionally characterized by wholesome but hearty dishes, a vast array of sausages and excellent cakes. The excellence of Germany’s beer derives from the sixteenth-century Reinheitsgebot, the world’s oldest food purity law. Sports are an important part of German life, especially soccer, and there are many sports clubs and youth groups.
The tradition of the Kur or spa visit has endured to a far greater extent in Germany than elsewhere, and if you want to unwind in saline or hot springs there are spa towns up and down the country. In summer, the nation’s endless forests and mountains play host to hikers and cyclists while the Alps tempt international visitors with an excellent array of downhill ski runs in winter. Germany is well worth exploring for yourself.
Germany borders both the North and Baltic Seas and stretches from flat farming country in the north to rolling hills in the centre to the Alps in the south. Your German host family will most likely live in a small town or in the countryside. Family life is important, but Germany offers you a chance to learn how to live independently, as young people are considered to be full members of the family who take care of their own affairs.