Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own and these products/services have been found useful during our travels and come highly recommended to you from yours truly!
Let’s just face it: Germany is an AMAZING country! I dare not say the best because each and every country we have ever visited is amazing in it’s own right, different and more unique than the last, but I can honestly say, after having lived in Germany twice now, it makes it hard to leave and even harder to stay away. Germany is loaded with amazing history, fantastic architecture, delicious food and so much more! Something must be said about the strict, rule book way of life Germans live by and without it, nichts wäre in Ordnung!
100 Signs You’ve Lived in Germany For Too Long!
1. No Beer Festival Will Ever Compare
Admit it, Germans know how to do Beer festivals better than anyone else in the world! After going to the world’s greatest beer festival, Oktoberfest or any other beer festival in Germany, all others will seem boring! Towns and cities scattered throughout the country host their own annual beer festival, pitches tents and bringing in keg loads of beer to swag and prost through the night in what the German call “Gemütlichkeit”!
2. Schloss Neuschwanstein will make you feel like a Disney Princess
There aren’t many castles in the world that can compare to the magnitude of beauty that inspired generations upon generations of hopeless romantics. All your dreams will come true here at one of Germany’s most famous castles!
Related: Castles in Germany, “Mad” King Ludwig II of Bavaria’s Romantic Castles, 30+ Fairy Tale Castles in Europe
3. Once you go German beer, there is no going back to American beer
There are many good beers and Microbreweries in the States, but nothing compares to that wheaty Weizen from Germany or that Bockbier from Bavaria that will make it difficult to go back to that Coors Lite or Budweiser. Once you go Bock, you never go Back! 🙂
4. Nothing like a beautiful Medieval Town like Rothenburg ob der Tauber to set you right
Want to step out of your cement city and into a real life Medieval story book? Then try a weekend in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and walk the city walls of a Medieval fairy tale – Germany’s most iconic fairy tale town.
Related: 3 Bavarian Towns Still Surrounded by Medieval Walls, 11 German Towns Not Destroyed by WWII, The Best of Bavaria, The ULTIMATE List of Half-timbered Towns in Germany
5. Not a beer fan? Then nothing could possibly be more romantic than a boat tour down the Rhine river through the wine valley or a day trip to Würzburg
Sometimes there is nothing better than enjoying a glass of wine on the Old Main Bridge watching the river flow underneath you while enjoying a beautiful view of the Fortress Marienburg or enjoying the rolling hills of vineyards, sipping on wine cruising down the river.
Related: The BEST of the Romantic Road, The Franconian Wine Capital of Würzburg, Rüdesheim am Rhein, Bacharach
6. Because the magic of Christmas doesn’t come alive until you have gone to multiple Christmas markets throughout Germany
You haven’t truly experienced Germany until you’ve gone to a dozen of Germany’s magical Christmas Markets each year! But don’t go without studying up on all the essentials of a traditional German Christmas Market and what you can expect to find!
There is something truly magical around strolling the aisles of Christmas market stands with someone special as it starts to snow and the Christmas trees are beautiful decorated.
Related: UNIQUE Christmas Markets in Germany, Christmas Market & Wine Tasting Tour, How to Celebrate Christmas like a German
7. In fact, the only thing to make strolling the Christmas Markets even more special is a cup of Glühwein keeping your fingers toasty warm
8. You will never experience the freedom of the road again after having driven on the Autobahn or appreciate the Ordnung of Germany’s roads!
Each time I drive in a different country, I come back to Germany praising the pristine paved roads, the seriousness of which Germans taken driving and following the rules (most, but not all) and know that I am safer on German roads than anywhere else! And I love to say “Ausfahrt” every time we go on a road trip!
9. Nowhere else will ever be as beautiful in the Fall as Germany
Fall is my favorite season in Germany as the trees change from thriving, full green branches to colorful canvases of art that paint the entire country. The whole country practically paints itself in golden yellows, deep reds, and fiery orange and each autumn is more beautiful than the last!
10. You just can’t get a good schnitzel anywhere else but in Germany. Anything else is just pure imitation. Unless you’re in Austria.
Unless you are a cook, were taught by a German or a German cooks for you, don’t bother attempting to make/eat a schnitzel because it just won’t be the same as having the real deal. Eating a schnitzel is honestly the epitome of delicious German food to eat!
We bought the following book for Bavarian Biergarten Cooking at home and LOVE IT! I highly recommend you to get this amazing cookbook which includes recipes and history of Bavarian Biergartens!
11. Nothing will awe you more that the endless views Germany’s highest peak offers from the top of Zugspitze.
Be prepared to be blown away. Literally. Both in terms of sheer beauty and by the force of the wind! Winter in Germany can also be one of the loveliest times to visit (on a good snowy year), despite the cold! The Bavarian Alps are equally as beautiful as those in Austria and Switzerland.
12. Germany takes their City Halls quite seriously!
Each and every single one of the city halls in Germany are more beautiful than the last, overflowing in unique characteristics making each town’s stand out. Not your typical main attraction in cities, but in Germany it’s the first place I start any sightseeing!
13. Germany will teach you to embrace your inner-strange, especially when it comes to any form of art.
14. You’ll become absolutely OBSESSED with half-timbered towns!
Honestly, it’s all about the pretty little places in Germany! It’s here you’ll escape the crowds of tourists and the hyperbole and find the more authentic, laid back version of Germany. Each one just oozing with charm and brimming with picturesque corners. Like, how friggin’ lucky are the people who live here!?
Nothing is more enjoyable than strolling endless cobbled-stoned allies of half-timbered, picturesque towns every free chance you get! Honestly, Germany is like walking through a pop-up Disney fairy tale book and I honestly still can’t believe that these adorable towns in Germany are actually REAL!
Related: Skip the Cities – 10 Reasons to Visit Small Towns in Germany
15. You will treasure you Sundays like a kid who found $100 on the ground
Germans are incredibly proud of their NO-working Sundays and you will eventually learn to accept that everything is closed on Sundays and begin to appreciate the German’s reluctance to change. And if you leave Germany, you’ll want these days back, TRUST ME! Somehow, it helps to slow down and relax, smell the coffee and appreciate life rather than constantly being on the go, go, go!
16. Enjoying a German summer along the banks of a river, grilling it up with Freunde and watching the sun go down!
17. Bread & pastries will never be the same again
Nothing like grabbing a quick Brot to snack on during your Brotzeit Pause. German bread goes perfect with that German salami as well, which you just can’t duplicate.
18. The endless amounts of swans in the lakes and rivers
19. Because Germany has an amazing recycling system which makes you feel like you’re doing your part in helping to reduce waste….unlike other places!
20. Time for coffee and cake is a habit you’ll grow into and look forward to!
You’ll fight it at first as you can’t understand the need to have coffee and cake family gatherings at 2pm every weekend, too full from lunch and not yet hungry enough for lunch. You’ll likely complain how make cakes lack sweetness to them, but then realize they pair perfectly with a cuppa tea or coffee! Then you’ll want it all the time!
21. You’ll love how easy it is to travel to Germany’s neighboring countries!
As Germany is right smack in the middle of Europe, it’s surrounded by 9 countries: Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and the Czech Republic which makes for a lot of easy vacations!
Related: A Taste of Europe, Your Essential Guide to Europe, Alluring Canal Cities in Europe
22. Germany itself. How could you not fall in love with Germany in general!? You’d be crazy not to!
If you’re interested in visiting Germany and are looking for more information, I highly recommend using the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide! Without these guides, I would be lost! This is my travel Bible!
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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own and these products/services have been found useful during our travels and come highly recommended to you from yours truly!
Be sure to check out these other posts about Germany:
Top Places to Visit in Germany
The Romantic Castles of King Ludwig II of Bavaria
100 Signs You’ve Lived Too Long in Germany
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I am a native German. So lovely to read about what you like about this country. 🙂
I find I may never move back to the States 🙂
I’m from southern cali and stationed here. I am loving it so far 😀
I think Germany is one of the best places to be stationed! 🙂 I’m from San Diego! 😉
I have to agree with everything written about Germany in this article! After spending three weeks there, I feel like I would never want to return to my own inferior city – Hong Kong. Germany is the most civilized country I have ever been to! Nice people everywhere! Definitely not cold robots as they are said to be! I would definitely want to go there again very soon! Every nation in the world should learn from Germany! I wish Germany could play a more important role in the United Nations, whose organization is really out-dated. And who says German sounds harsh and ugly? It’s a macho language with no nonsense that every man on Earth should learn!
Thank you for loving my country the way I do. Just moved to the States (hubbys job) and I miss it very much.
I hope you enjoy living in the States! There are lots of cool things there too 🙂
So nice to hear you enjoy your visit to Germany so much :). But you missed still a lot if things outside of Bavaria ;). Remember, Germany is not only Bavaria. There is so much else to discover. You have to see our capital Berlin and you should not miss Germanys most beautiful city: Hamburg with its great port and lovely lake Alster in the middle of the town. And unless you have not been to a Bundesliga soccer match you will miss a lot of German traditions. There is nothing better than the Stadionbratwurst in Dortmund whike watching a BVB match and the impressive yellow wall of the supporters. I hope you will find time to explore more of our beautiful country.
These are all great experiences I hope to have one day! I have been to Berlin twice and almost put it in the blog. I really want to go to a game! Maybe I’ll update it later with more things! 🙂
Ive been living here for Almost 4 years and will be very said to leave. Besides the castles, the breathtaking views and the mouth-watering food, I love the culture. I love being able to bring my dog just about anywhere with me, I love that I feel safe in the streets with my small children, I love that common sense is expected, and if you do something stupid, its your own fault. I love that they still have “honor system” stores set up for fruit and flowers, and people actually honor them! I can leave my stroller outside of a church and it will still be there when I get back. Raising two small children here, I value that the most about Germany.
I definitely agree there are just some aspects to life in Germany which are way better than living in the States. I feel 100% safer walking down the streets, alone at 3am by myself than I ever would in the States.
We lived in Germany for 5 years (father was Air Force). We lived in the German neighborhood instead of on base. We love the country, people, food, culture. Don’t forget about the German bakeries!! The pastries, pretzels and bread just can’t be duplicated here in the States. There was a bakery on our bus stop corner and every morning we’d stop in and get a treat before we went to school. I can’t wait to go back some day with my husband and children. We traveled extensively, and Germany is definitely my favorite country outside of the US! Great write up.
Oooh yes I totally forgot about the bakeries! How could I!! I will have to add that in! ???
Ausgeseightness! That just about sums up Germany! Loved my three years in military in the Frankfurt am Main area! Want to go back some day soon!
I lived there as an army brat in the 80s – West Germany, left right after the reunification. Everything on this page is true. It is ein ganz schoen Land.
Great write-up, couldn’t agree more. Medieval feast inside Cochem castle with mostly locals! Here’s a great montage for Frankfurt/Ramstein/Garmisch/Heidelburg/Eidelweiss:
https://youtu.be/lCOowNJ12T4
I really want to go to Cochem!!
Go the the castle website and you can sign up for their monthly medieval feast. If enough people sign up for it they will have it. Such fun!
Do go it was our favorite town the 4 years we were there. We used to take all our visitors there for the day and the castle tour. Stop in the cafe there and have a piece of cake and coffee or beer the view is amazing
Here’s the sign-up form! I want to go again, beautiful castle, as many are:
http://www.burg-cochem.de/veranstaltungskalender.html?&L=1
I will definitely check it out!! Thank you!
What a great post, I love Germany too. The Christmas markets really are amazing. I might not be a big beer drinker but the gluhwein and hot chocolate with rum go down well. Berlin is a pretty special place to me that I’ve visited many times but Ive been up into the mountains too. Definitely worth a visit or two x
hahahaa awesome post!! I agree with all of them 😀
And of course… I loooove Germany!!
Thank you so much for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Happy that it worked out!!
Haha, this is brilliant. German Christmas markets really are the best. Nobody does Christmas like the Germans! #MondayEscapes
Hi! Happy to have found you through Monday Escapes! Errrrr….I have to say I love your Neuschwanstein photo. My son and I have been DREAMING about going to that place for years! We finally got to go during Easter, and the day we were there? SNOW AND FOG! We could not see anything! We had to settle for a picture in front of the poster at the gift shop! ha, ha, ha…and then the next day at the Lego replica at Legoland. ha, ha, ha…always a reason to go back. Your post was so fun! Love Germany!
That happened to me the first time I went too! I’ve been three times so you’re bound to get lucky!
I love this! It’s all so true. God, I love Germany.
😉
That’s definitely true about the beer! I didn’t even like beer when I lived in America. When my Munich cousin first offered me a Weizenbier, I was surprised to discover it had all the nuances of an entire meal.
After living in Germany for almost 20 years, there are no points where I can DISagree, especially when it comes to beer and in particular, the Christmas markets. Check out the ones I visited in my blog The Flensburg Files and you will agree. 😉
I lived in Germany for over 5 years back in the 70’s and have been back a few times visiting our friends we made over there. Love all aspects of Germany and hopefuly in a couple three years I can take my kids there to visit and enjoy what I think of as home.
I lived in Germany for 17 years…all of the comments are so very true! Thank you!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I loved living there for 3 years 1981-1984.
Yes, the Germans know how to have a Beer Festival — but the Bavarians REALLY know how to party — You start the party with Octoberfest, keep it going all through Christmas, and don’t stop until Fasching — then you’ve got all of Lent to sober up.
Haha that’s a funny way of looking at it!!
So sad that Hitler gave the world such a false picture of Germany! I grew up in Hamburg, Mn. Of Swiss-German ancestry. I didn’t speak English until I went to school–still can speak a little German. I’ve always known Germans to be a kind, clean, hardworking people. Really enjoyed your article. I’m 90 so don’t expect to go to Germany, but thanks to your pictures, “I’ve now been there!”.
what a lovely group of memories to warm the homesick heart…thank you for renewing my soul.
I was stationed at Hahn AB from 82 to 86. Assigned to the 50th Component Repair Squadron. Traveled all over Germany and France. Drank gallons if beer and wine.
I spent about 12 years there, in the Military and after I got out. Most of that time was South of Muenchen, in the TWO best places in Bavaria, Bad Aibling and Bad Tolz. Loved every minute of it!
Other fun things to do are to go to driving schools at the Hockenheimring (Formula 1 races held there) , and the public driving days on the Nurbergring. You don’t need a fast car but it adds to the enjoyment. I spent five years in Germany and would gladly go back.
This made me cry, I miss Germany so much. We were stationed in Bamberg/Warner Barrack’s for 7 1/2 years (2005-2012). I sobbed when we left, started crying as we drove off post for that last time, then when we saw the airport lights, as we boarded the planes. I’d go back in a heartbeat, hopefully one day, my husband is retired now and onto his 2nd career. Hoping to take our kids back, before our oldest graduates or maybe as his graduation gift.
I miss everything you posted about, but most of all my German friends. I long for the slower paced life, even though Kansas is much slower than the majority of the US States, it’s still not as slow paced as it was in Germany.
If you’re still in Germany, I highly recommend visiting Bamberg. It’s a UNESCO city and just absolutely stunning!!!
My husband, son and I lived there from 1987-1991, we witnessed the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, we experienced the Christmas markets and lots and lots of festivals, saw castles, drove all over the country and loved every minute of our 4 years there. The German people are warm caring people who honor family and tradition. The beer is VERY good and the Schnitzel and I loved Curry wurst and pomme fritts. Autobahn driving was awesome.
I visited a friend in Würzburg in 2003 and immediately fell in love with Germany! It felt like home and every morning, I woke up in a fairy tale! Festung Marienburg, Die Residenz, the Main, the Stadtplatz, spending days in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and gathering pfefferlingen in Spessart. I was there for 10 days, which was about a lifetime too short.
I was born in Heidelberg at the 130th Army Station Hospital in 1970, we lived in Worms, Germany at the time. About a year later we got stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Stayed there till 1980, where the Army gave us the opportunity to go back to Germany again. 😉 I was only 10 years old, so I basically grew up in and around Heidelberg. That was in the 1980s, one of the best times to live there.
After our 1st year living in military quarters on Patrick Henry Village, my dad decided to retire from the Army. We rented a house from a nice German family, in the little town Frauenweiler, just 10 or 15 miles outside Heidelberg. We loved Germany so much we stayed there for 12 years, 1980-1993. Traveled to every country surrounding Germany, and beyond. Vacationed in Majorca, Spain and Tunisia, Africa.
I miss the Christmas market on the hauptstrasse. I miss the food, the bier, long time German friends. I miss practically everything about my hometown Heidelberg. 😉
We live in North Carolina now, in my father’s hometown. Still would love to go back to Heidelberg some day.
To this day, some 20 years later I still cannot stand US beers. I gotta have a dark wheat bier or nothing, (Dunkelweizen).
Smile 🙂
Come and visit a “Weinfest” here at the Nahe near the river rhine and next to Rüdesheim an the Drosselgasse, You will love it too <3
That sounds amazing!!! I will need to research that! I’ve been to Rüdesheim before but only for an hour! So I would love to come back!!!