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Neuschwanstein Castle:  A TRUE Fairytale

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Neuschwanstein Castle:  A TRUE Fairytale

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This is just one of Germany's most amazing Castles located thoughout Germany.  The Neuschwanstein Castle is best known for being the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
This castle was commissioned by the King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a private refuge, the castle opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886.
Germany's beautiful Castle Areas is one of the most scenic and magical experiences. My husband and I toured this region during our honeymoon and were able to stay in a castle. I highly recommend!!!!

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The 10 Best Neuschwanstein Castle Tours & Tickets 2018 - Munich | Viator

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Neuschwanstein Castle - Munich Attractions from Viator.com

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Traditions:  Oktoberfest (secret... it starts in September)

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Traditions:  Oktoberfest (secret... it starts in September)

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Many American have heard of Oktoberfest, but might not understand the heritage and history.  This event started when Crown Prince Ludwig married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the wedding celebrations on the fields in front of the city gates.
Currently, Germany is the region most commonly associated with Octoberfest festivities. Contrary to many American beliefs, Oktoberfest begins in mid SEPTEMBER. It is full of festivals, food, drink and offers fun for both children and adults. This is truly a special time of year in Germany!!!!

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the history of the oktoberfest munich - the official website of the city of munich

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Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810.

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Just as language varies among the regions of Germany, the specialty dishes vary as well.  They are all delicious and include Rouladen (a meat rolled and cooked to amazingness), Spatzle (sort of a German mac n' cheese), Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), Brezel (can give any Philly Pretzel a run for it's money), Black Forest Cake and much, much more!!!  Check out some amazing recipes here!

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Here are 10 top German foods you have to try, recipes included. Each German region has its own specialty dishes plus regional variations of top German cuisine recipes including desserts. | Essential facts about Germany, including geography, history, economy, and culture.

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In the early middle ages, various Germanic tribes existed with no common language until much later when Latin was introduced by Roman incursions. As a result, there are many different dialects across the country.
There are 6 major German dialect branches running from north to south.
1.  Frisian:  S poken in the north of Germany along the Sea Coast.
2.  Low German/Plattdeutch:  Name stems from geographic fact that the land is low.  It extends from Dutch boarder to former German territories of Eastern Pommerania & East Prussia.  It is considered a 'poorer' element of the country many, many years ago and this is the language that my mother spoke before English even after her families moved to America.
3. Mitteldeutsch (Middle German):  Region stretches across Germany's middle from Luxembourge eastward into present-day Poland.  There are many sub-dialects.
4.  Fränkisch (Frankish):  Spoken along Germany's Main river and in the center of Germany.
5.  Alemannisch (Alemannic):  Spoken in Switzerland along the Rhine.
6:  Bairisch-Osterreichisch (Bavarian-Austrian):  Spoken along the Bavarian-Austrian region.

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You're not always going to hear Hochdeutsch

German-learners who step off the plane in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland for the first time are in for a shock if they know nothing about German dialects. Although standard German ( Hochdeutsch) is widespread and commonly used in typical business or tourist situations, there always comes a time when you suddenly can't understand a word, even if your German is pretty good.

When that happens, it usually means you have encountered one of the many dialects of German. (Estimates on the number of German dialects vary, but range from about 50 to 250. The large discrepancy has to do with the difficulty in defining the term dialect.) This is a perfectly understandable phenomenon if you realize that in the early middle ages in what is now the German-speaking part of Europe there existed ONLY the many different dialects of the various Germanic tribes. There was no common German language until much later. In fact, the first common language, Latin, was introduced by the Roman incursions into the Germanic region, and one can see the result in "German" words like Kaiser (emperor, from Caesar) and Student.

This linguistic patchwork also has a political parallel: there was no country known as Germany until 1871, much later than most of the other European nation-states. However, the German-speaking part of Europe does not always coincide with current political borders.

In parts of eastern France in the region known as Elsace-Lorraine ( Elsaß) a German dialect known as Alsatian ( Elsässisch) is still spoken today.

Linguists divide the variations of German and other languages into three main categories: Dialekt/ Mundart (dialect), Umgangssprache (idiomatic language, local usage), and Hochsprache/ Hochdeutsch (standard German).

But even linguists disagree about the precise borderlines between each category. Dialects exist almost exclusively in spoken form (despite transliteration for research and cultural reasons), making it difficult to pin down where one dialect ends and another begins. The Germanic word for dialect, Mundart, emphasizes the "word of mouth" quality of a dialect ( Mund = mouth).

Linguists may disagree on a precise definition of just what a dialect is, but anyone who has heard the Plattdeutsch spoken in the north or the Bairisch spoken in the south knows what a dialect is. Anyone who has spent more than a day in German Switzerland knows that the spoken language, Schwyzerdytsch, is quite different from the Hochdeutsch seen in Swiss newspapers such as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (see link in Part 2).

All educated speakers of German learn Hochdeutsch or standard German. That "standard" German may come in various flavors or accents (which is not the same thing as a dialect). Austrian German, Swiss (standard) German, or the Hochdeutsch heard in Hamburg versus that heard in Munich may have a slightly different sound, but everyone can understand each other. Newspapers, books, and other publications from Hamburg to Vienna all display the same language, despite minor regional variations.

(There are fewer differences than those between British and American English.)

One way to define dialects is to compare which words are used for the same thing. For example, the common word for "mosquito" in German may take any of the following forms in various German dialects/regions: Gelse, Moskito, Mugge, Mücke, Schnake, Staunze. Not only that, but the same word may take on a different meaning, depending on where you are. Eine (Stech-) Mücke in northern Germany is a mosquito. In parts of Austria the same word refers to a gnat or house fly, while Gelsen are mosquitos. In fact, there is no one universal term for some German words. A jelly-filled doughnut is called by three different German names, not counting other dialectical variations. Berliner, Krapfen and Pfannkuchen all mean doughnut.

But a Pfannkuchen in southern Germany is a pancake or crepe. In Berlin the same word refers to a doughnut, while in Hamburg a doughnut is a Berliner.

In the next part of this feature we'll look more closely at the six major German dialect branches that extend from the German-Danish border south to Switzerland and Austria, including a German dialect map. You'll also find some interesting related links for German dialects.

German Dialects 2

If you spend any time in almost any part of the German Sprachraum ("language area") you will come into contact with a local dialect or idiom. In some cases, knowing the local form of German can be a matter of survival, while in others it's more a matter of colorful fun. Below we briefly outline the six major German dialect branches-running generally from north to south. All are subdivided into more variations within each branch.

Friesisch (Frisian)

Frisian is spoken in the north of Germany along the North Sea coast. North Frisian is located just south of the border with Denmark. West Frisian extends into modern Holland, while East Frisian is spoken north of Bremen along the coast and, logically enough in the North and East Frisian islands just off the coast.

Niederdeutsch (Low German/Plattdeutsch)

Low German (also called Netherlandic or Plattdeutsch) gets its name from the geographic fact that the land is low (nether, nieder; flat, platt). It extends from the Dutch border eastward to the former German territories of Eastern Pommerania and East Prussia.

It is divided into many variations including: Northern Lower Saxon, Westphalian, Eastphalian, Brandenburgian, East Pommeranian, Mecklenburgian, etc. This dialect often more closely resembles English (to which it is related) than standard German.

Mitteldeutsch (Middle German)

The Middle German region stretches across Germany's middle from Luxembourg (where the Letztebuergisch sub-dialect of Mitteldeutsch is spoken) eastward into present-day Poland and the region of Silesia ( Schlesien). There are too many sub-dialects to list here, but the main division is between West Middle German and East Middle German.

Fränkisch (Frankish)

The East Frankish dialect is spoken along Germany's Main river pretty much in Germany's very center. Forms such as South Frankish and Rhine Frankish extend northwesterly towards the Moselle river.

Alemannisch (Alemannic)

Spoken in Switzerland north along the Rhine, extending farther north from Basel to Freiburg and almost to the city of Karlsruhe in Germany, this dialect is divided into Alsatian (west along the Rhine in today's France), Swabian, Low and High Alemannic. The Swiss form of Alemannic has become an important standard spoken language in that country, in addition to Hochdeutsch, but it is also divided into two main forms (Bern and Zurich).

Bairisch-Österreichisch (Bavarian-Austrian)

Because the Bavarian-Austrian region was more unified politically-for over a thousand years-it is also more linguistically uniform than the German north. There are some subdivisions (South, Middle, and North Bavarian, Tyrolian, Salzburgian), but the differences are not very significant.

Note: The word Bairisch refers to the language, while the adjective bayrisch or bayerisch refers to Bayern (Bavaria) the place, as in der Bayerische Wald, the Bavarian Forest.

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What To Know About The Different German Dialects

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You're not always going to hear Hochdeutsch German-learners who step off the plane in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland for the first time are in for a shock if they know nothing about German dialects.

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Religion:  Historical vs. Modern Day Religion 

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Religion:  Historical vs. Modern Day Religion 

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Christianity has been the largest religion in Germany (~65%) with the 2 largest churches including the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Evangelical Church (~30%).  Smaller religious groups include Orthodox Church, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism & Hinduism.
In 2016, many German folks are choosing not to attend church and losing belief in God. A report published in Die Welt, found that Christianity will become a minority over the next 2- years as Catholic and Protestant church congregations are declining.
None the less, Germany is known for it's vast number of beautiful, historical churches, such as the Cologne Cathedral. Visitors come from far and wide to tour such historical and religious treasures.

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The Cathedral of Cologne (or Kölner Dom) is one of Germany's most important architectural monuments and is a must-see attraction. This Gothic masterpiece, situated in the heart of Cologne, is the fourth tallest cathedral in the world and once boasted the highest church spires ever built (now surpassed by Ulm's Minster). Today, the cathedral is Cologne's second-tallest structure after the telecommunications tower.

History of the Cologne Cathedral

The construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 in order to house the precious relict "Shrine of the Three Holy Kings". It took over 600 years to complete the cathedral and when it was finished in 1880, it was still true to the original plans.

In World War II, the city center of Cologne was leveled by bombings. Miraculously, the cathedral was the only building that survived. Standing tall in an otherwise flattened city, some said it was divine intervention. A more matter-of-fact explanation is that the Cathedral of Cologne was a point of orientation for the pilots.

Since 1996, it has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

Treasures of the Cologne Cathedral

Shrine of the Three Holy Kings - The Cathedral's most precious work of art is the Shrine of the Three Kings, a golden sarcophagus studded with jewels. Dating back to the 13th century, the shrine is the largest reliquary in the Western world; it holds the crowned skulls and clothes of the Three Wise Men who are considered city patrons. This impressive work of medieval gold is 6 hundredweight, 153 cm high, 220 cm long, and 110 cm wide.

Gero Cross - The Gero-Kreuz is the oldest surviving crucifix north of the Alps. It was carved in oak in 976 and hangs in its own chapel near the sacristy. It was named after its commissioner, Gero (Archbishop of Cologne), and is unique in that the figure appears to be the first Western depiction of the crucified Christ on the Cross. It stands at an intimidating six feet tall, making it one of the largest crosses of its time.

Milan Madonna - In the Sacrament Chapel, you find the Mailänder Madonna ("Milan Madonna"), an elegant wooden sculpture from the 13th century. It depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus and is the oldest representation of the Madonna in the cathedral. Give it a long, appreciate look as it is said to have miraculous powers.

Modern Mosaic Glass Window - In the south transept, marvel at the modern stained glass window created by German artist Gerhard Richter in 2007. Composed of more than 11,000 identically sized glass pieces, it offers the modern interpretation of a stained glass window.

South Tower - The platform of Cologne Cathedral's south tower offers an impressive view at 100 meter high, 533 steps up. While the view at the top is the highlight, watch for the bell chamber as you march by. There are eight bells, including the St. Peters Bell which is the largest freely swinging church bell in the world at 24,000 kg.

Getting to the Cologne Cathedral

If arriving by metro or train, get off at the "Dom/Hauptbahnhof" stop. The Cologne Cathedral looms over the central railway station of Cologne. You can't miss it even within the station as it stands, massive and immovable, right next door.

Tips for Your Visit

You can not explore the main hall of the Cathedral during mass or services.

The altar and choir area are closed during confession.

The view from the Cathedral tower is breathtaking, but you will have to climb 509 stairs to reach the viewing platform.

If you decide to visit both tower and treasury chamber, buy a combined entrance ticket.

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The History and Treasures of the Cathedral of Cologne

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The Cathedral of Cologne (or Kölner Dom) is one of Germany's most important architectural monuments and is a must-see attraction. This Gothic masterpiece, situated in the heart of Cologne, is the fourth tallest cathedral in the world and once boasted the highest church spires ever built (now surpassed by Ulm's Minster).

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Culture shaped by Germany's central European Location.

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Culture shaped by Germany's central European Location.

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Germany is physically and culturally shaped by it's location as it is bordered by 9 different countries, which is the 2nd highest number in Europe only to Russia!!!  These includes Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands.  Germany's culture is shaped by each and every one of these countries and the cultures vary greatly depending upon the region of Germany.