Welcome to the world’s biggest open-air New Year’s Eve party As 2008 draws to a close, the German capital will again attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world for a party with live bands, top DJs and a massive fireworks display at the Brandenburg Gate. At last year’s party, around a million people welcomed in the New Year, topping the numbers at the celebrations in New York and other international cities.  |
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Destination Germany attracts more At the end of the year, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) brings good cheer. Its forecast of a two percent growth for the German travel industry in 2008 has been upheld. Domestic travel is projected for a slight increase in 2009 and the industry can look ahead to more than 400 million overnight stays in 2015. Fast-growing emerging markets are expected to compensate for the falling inbound demand from some source markets.  |
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Marking the Advent season Celebrating Advent is an important part of Christmas in Germany. For Christians of both Protestant and Roman Catholic denomination it is a time of quiet contemplation which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.  |
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A walk through the world of minerals From 23rd October 2008, the world’s biggest private collection of minerals – more than 5,000 minerals, gemstones and meteorites – opened for the public at Freiberg. The permanent exhibition is up at the historic Castle Freudenstein in Saxony, Germany.  |
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Oktoberfest – the world’s largest folk festival On Saturday, 20th September the Mayor of Munich tapped the first barrel of beer in Theresienwiese (Theresa's Meadow) and said the famous words "O'zapft is", which traditionally marks the beginning of the Oktoberfest. Thousands of visitors from all over the world will drop by over the next 16 days and get a taste of Bavarian hospitality in large and small beer tents.  |
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Celebrating autumn with wine in Germany With summer coming to an end and autumn around the corner, Germany's 13 wine-growing regions – most of which are located in the southern and south-western part of Germany – are dressing up for the wine festival season.  |
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Ozeaneum: A dramatic museum opens in Germany The ambitious oceanography museum opened its doors to the public in the north-eastern German port town of Stralsund on Saturday, 12th July 2008. It contains 39 huge fish tanks and seven life-size models of whales. Officially opened by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Ozeaneum is Europe’s biggest window on the marine environment in the Baltic and North seas and the North Atlantic Ocean.  |
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Hamburg’s new landmark – the International Maritime Museum Germany's principal seaport, Hamburg, got a large new seafaring-history museum this week to add to a growing collection of maritime tourist attractions on its waterfront.  |
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Munich celebrates it's 850th Anniversary Beginning as a small settlement of monks, Munich is today one of Europe's most successful and Germany's third largest city. The 850th birthday celebrations started with the City Foundation Festival on 14th and 15th June and will continue through the summer.  |
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Innovation and diversity: Munich – a focal point for fashion Fashion has a high profile in Munich. The city has numerous high-quality outlets offering a wide range of products from international luxury brands to individual ArtCouture.  |
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