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What to Expect From Tours of Germany The county of Germany is located in Central Europe and is immersed in old European tradition and culture. The nation is bounded by many of the countries to the north including Denmark, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. Surrounding the country as well are The Czech Republic, The Netherlands, France, and Belgium. It is a proud and vibrant country. As evidence in it heritage that predates the country. There was an area known, as Germania inhabited by several kind of Germanic peoples and documented before 100 AD. It was recorded that German territories have existed since the 10th century. Today Berlin is the capital of Germany and until recently was a divided city into East and West.

Berlin Wall. Package holiday tours of Germany are certain to include the famous Berlin Wall that separated the city and the country several years ago. The Berlin Wall runs through the whole country but only in Berlin is it really a wall. For some parts of Germany, the wall was merely a barbed wire fence keeping some people inside and others out.

Black Forest You will always find the celebrated Black Forest included in your tour of Germany however, it is actually only a very dense forest filled with large pine trees that inspired tales of witches and magic days of old. Nowadays, the Black Forest plays host to numerous visitors and locals who bicycle, hike and even venture through it using winter sports when in season.

Oktoberfest A great package holiday is the genuine Oktoberfest in Germany. The celebrated Rhine Valley is a vacationer attraction. Here are ruins, vineyards, and aging churches that will inspire awe because of their natural beauty and splendor. Make sure that your tour of Germany includes the Rhine Valley because it is a truly wondrous region filled with culture and history. My family traveled here from Algarve, Portugal and had a wonderful time.

Oktoberfest in Munich is one of the most awaited and world wide imitated events. You can put this one on your timetable and be there at the real Oktoberfest in Germany. It is a harvest festival when farmers celebrate their crops. More recently, Oktoberfest as been associated with much beer drinking and a lot of feasting.

Most of the destinations in Germany are ideal for outdoor sports and activities. Many tourists who visit are doubly surprised to see that the country is a vast natural resource and that it is full of beautiful mountains and lakes.

Tours of Germany are sometimes specific. For instance, not all visitors like attractions that fall within the scope of their package tour. It is possible for you to schedule tours with your agent for specific cities and regions. Do your own research about this destination, its appeal and visitor attractions. It is better that you do the small amount of work rather than listening only to what the travel agent puts down as possible spots to visit while touring Germany.

Whereas ocean cruises offer great views of the sea, Danube river cruises offer a completely different perspective. The river passes through many countries including Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria and Germany. You can experience the inland territories over a stretch of over 2,000 miles. Western Europe cruises such as these are the best way to see some wonderful landscapes and breathtaking scenery that no ocean cruise can give you.

River cruises have a particular advantage over ocean cruises in that you get to see more of the countries passing by your window and less scenes of endless stretches of water. The waterways are narrower and the Danube river cruises use smaller boats to navigate the narrow canals and rivers. Passenger numbers are usually less than 200 per boat and provides the opportunity to get to know your fellow guests rather well.

It is commonly assumed that western Europe cruises that travel the rivers are not as of high quality as sea cruises. This is in fact incorrect; the river boats have many comfortable cabins that offer all the amenities you would expect from an ocean liner. You are even privy to having your own balcony where you can watch the locals go about daily life on the shoreline as you glide by.

The barges also tend to dock at smaller locations and you can disembark to discover a completely different way of life in rural areas of the varying countries you visit. The boats also dock in the well known towns and cities so you will not miss the chance to see famous landmarks.

Cruise companies are now also offering Danube river cruises with particular themes. If you like classical music, golf, opera or cycling, then there are certain packages tailored towards these activities. A popular themed cruise involves Christmas shopping at the bright and lively markets held in this part of the world.

Searching for western Europe cruises is a straightforward task. If you have the internet, then you will find many cruise operators that have their own websites with further details. You can reserve a slot on a cruise by filling in an online form. If you have any particular needs that would need to be addressed before you board, make sure that you mention them when booking your trip.

The duration of your trip can vary in length; there are no stipulations about how long you should take for your cruise. Many packages are available from cruise companies; you could choose a mini break which lasts three of four days or a longer break lasting 14 nights.

Whatever you are looking for, there will be Danube river cruises that will appeal to all kinds of travelers. This type of trip is a fantastic opportunity to delve into the real lives of different cultures and to create many wonderful memories of a relaxing time in western Europe.

If you spend any time at all outdoors with a camera, you should try your luck in one (or all) of these contests. Even though the competition may be daunting, it’s always worth a try, and there are some really nice prizes up for grabs.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year This year marks the 45th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held by the National History Museum in London and BBC Wildlife Magazine. The 12 categories (9 main and 3 special) are open to both amateurs and pros, and there are also 3 youth categories. You may enter up to 3 images for a fee of 20, and the jury selects one winner and one runner-up per category, all of whom receive cash prizes (500 and 250 respectively for the adult main categories).

Those under 18 may submit up to 10 photos, at no cost, in the youth categories (“10 years and younger”, “11-14 years”, and “15-17 years”). Acceptable subjects are wild animals, landscapes and plants, and the winner and runner-up in each category are awarded 250 and 100, respectively. The “Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year” gets to spend a day out with an acclaimed wildlife photographer, and also receives a cash prize of 500.

In the three special awards, the requirements are a bit more specific. For The Gerard Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife award, you need to submit photos of species listed as critically endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened on the 2008 IUCN Red List. The Eric Hosking Award is open to photographers aged 18-26, and participants are required to enter a 10-image portfolio. The One Earth Award focuses on conservation, and they are looking for images that encourages respect for nature. The winner of each category is awarded 1,000.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner gets 10,000, presented at a ceremony at the National History Museum in London. Deadline for 2009 is March 27, but if you don’t make it, don’t worry. Remember, it is an annual event, so you always have next year.

Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards Named in memory of photographer and conservation advocate Windland Smith Rice, this annual contest, held by Nature’s Best Magazine and the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, is open to amateurs, pros and youths (under 18). The 16 categories include some that you don’t see in every competition: People In Nature, Small World Spectaculars, Zoos & Aquariums, Creative Digital, and Camera Club, where your club enter the contest as a group. The Grand Prize winner, category winners, and “Highly Honored Images” receive cash prizes and their photo(s) included in an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. For an entry fee of $25 you may submit up to 20 photos, and the deadline is May 4, 2009.

National Wildlife’s 2009 Photo Contest Open to everyone over the age of 17, this annual competition is looking for photos of mammals, birds, people & nature, backyard habitats, landscapes & plant life, other wildlife and global warming & wildlife. Pros, amateurs and youths are judged separately. The winner of each category is awarded $1,000, and two Grand Prize winners receive $5,000 each. You can enter up to 20 images for $15, and that also gives you a year’s subscription to National Wildlife Magazine. The deadline for 2009 is July 20.

The Great Outdoors by PDN and National Geographic Open to both professionals and amateurs, this contest has a broad range of categories: Insects & Gardens, Outdoor Sports & Activities, Beaches, Underwater, Islands, Parks & Safaris, Animals, Plants, and Scenes of the Natural World. The cost to enter (per photo or photo essay consisting of up to 6 images) is $35 for pros and $12 for amateurs. There is one Grand Prize – a five-night stay for two at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico – and several other prizes, including a digital camera, gift certificates to B&H, etc. The deadline is April 20 (with an extension to May 4 for an extra $10/image).

EuroNatur In this contest – “Nature Treasures in Europe” – they are looking for photos of European animals, plants or landscapes. It’s free to enter and you may submit up to 5 photos. Prizes include trips and camera equipment, and the winning pictures will be part of an exhibit at Schloss Wolfstein (a castle in Bavaria, Germany) and printed in EuroNatur magazine and in a wall calendar. The deadline is March 31 2009.

Berlin, the capital city of Germany is the biggest city in the country. It is most famous for its historical places, nightlife, cafes, clubs, bars, museums, palaces, and further sightseeing options. After the fall of the Berlin War, the city has become a genuine melting pot as far as culture is concerned. It has become a place where all types of art, music, and fashion come together.

The city has a large number of museums. Museums run by the government are free to enter four hours before they close every Thursday, and there is also the three day Museum Pass which allows access to approximately 70 museums.

Museumsinsel, also known as Museum Island is well-known for being the place where the Pergamon Museum is located, which has an enormous assortment of Greek and Islamic art. In addition, other museums on the island comprise the Altes Museum with Egyptian collections, the Alte National galleries with largely German collections, and the Bode Museum with Byzantine art.

You can discover a lot of museums that cover the history of the country, particularly the Holocaust. In addition, Berlin is one of those few cities that do not attempt to conceal the negative sides of its history. You can view remnants of the Berlin Wall as well as Jewish museums that cover the Holocaust.

The Deutches Historisches Museum has an enormous assortment of German history items covering all ages. This museum is extremely huge, so make sure you have sufficient stamina to spend hours looking at the whole thing. The Judisches Museum is the Jewish museum. There are many historical items about Jews in Germany in this museum. In addition there is a Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which covers one entire block. There is an underground museum with information concerning the Holocaust. This is one of the most visited as well as most striking museums in Berlin.

The Berlin Wall may not be there anymore, but a piece of it is still observable down the river. This has been conserved as a gallery, and there are exceptionally good murals on it. There is also a Berlin War Memorial for those that died crossing the wall. There is a viewing platform that lets you envisage precisely what it must have been like when the wall was still in place. Checkpoint Charlie used to be a crossing point connecting the two sides of Germany, and is also well worth a visit.

The Tempelhof airport is the airport that was used throughout the Berlin Airlift in 1948. There is now a memorial here to honor the airlifts around the blockade. This airport has also been featured in a lot of films, and has a distinctive look to it. With its numerous halls and buildings, it was built to become an entry point to Europe, and is still one of the biggest buildings in the world.

Berlin is a wonderful city to come to for tourists, and if you can only visit one city in Germany then you should come see Berlin. Its history will move you, and you will be haunted the rest of your life by many of the historic sites you see here.

Munich is the third largest city in Germany by size and is the capital of Bavaria. Munich has a striking setting on the banks of the river Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. The architecture of the city is delightfully old and has the latest high rise which is symbolized by the BMW headquarters building. The two royal palaces, the Nymphenburg and the Oberschleiheim are good-looking examples of the magnificence of the past. Several parts of the palaces now serve as museums and the grounds as parks.

There are lots of places to go to and things to do in Munich. If by chance you are in Munich in the start of October, then you will get caught up in the preparations for the October festival. The October festival is famous, and it is more a beer drinking competition where the major beer making companies setup huge tents and beer in enormous liter mugs is served. Beer is only served to people who are seated and to locate a seat one needs to get into a tent earlier than 10 am. The festival can though be fairly stressful.

There is theater, opera, and music in Munich for those who like to watch or listen to a first-class theatrical performance. The Residenztheater hosts an assortment of classical and contemporary plays. At the Nationaltheater, there are daily ballet or opera shows. The Kammerspiele can shock the audience with contemporary interpretations of well-known plays.

There are numerous museums, galleries and memorials to see in Munich. The Dachau concentration camp memorial site is a sobering aide memoire of the horrors of the past, and it is consequently not for small children. The Deutsches Museum is one of the world’s main technical museums. For car aficionados, the BMW museum is a vital museum to see.

For relaxing and strolling around, there are several parks and gardens in Munich. There is also a very big zoo, in fact one of the biggest zoos in the world where animals can be seen roaming in their natural habitats. Even if you’re not a zoo person you will still enjoy strolling around this zoo.

If you are a sports aficionado and have never seen the Olympics, then make a trip to the Olympic village where the 1972 summer Olympics were organized. There are numerous universities in Munich that teach applied science, arts, and business studies.

There are two markets and a number of shopping centers for people who love to shop. The markets sell fresh vegetables, meat and fish, and every type of fruit that you can imagine.

Dining in Munich is a treat especially the special Bavarian breakfast which is served till noon! If you have missed the October festival there is still plenty of bars from where you can taste the famous beers that are made in the breweries in Munich.

Munich is a most enjoyable city to visit at anytime of the year as it is very lively, and there is always plenty to do and explore over here.