Cultural, Artistic And Peaceful Escapes In Southwest Germany

Where Four Nations Share One Shore

Castle Meersburg towering over Lake Constance c. Burg Meersburg GmbH

At the point where Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein converge, Lake Constance, or Bodensee in German, offers one of Europe’s richest concentrations of culture, history, and celebration. Baroque towers mirror themselves in still water, vineyards climb gentle hillsides, and on the lake’s four shores an extraordinary calendar of art, music, and heritage evolve through every season.

The Lake Constance region packs a remarkable density of cultural heritage into one stunning shoreline. Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites anchor the area’s historical credentials: the Monastic Island of Reichenau, where three early medieval churches with original thousand-year-old frescoes stand amid tranquil monastic gardens; the Abbey Library of St.Gallen in Switzerland, a baroque masterpiece housing over 170,000 priceless manuscripts; and the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings of Unteruhldingen, where reconstructed 5,000-year-old lakeside settlements bring Neolithic life vividly back to the surface. Castles and galleries add further layers: Burg Meersburg, Germany’s oldest inhabited castle, looms above the water with dungeons and armories dating to the 7th century, while the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein in Vaduz, Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria, and the Kunstforum Hundertwasser in Lindau, whose programme of changing exhibitions runs through 2029, give the region a contemporary art scene that rivals far larger European cities. Come summer, the festival calendar ignites: the Bregenz Festival celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026 with opera on the world’s largest floating stage; OpenAir St.Gallen draws over 100,000 music fans to the Sitter Valley; and throughout the warm months, lakeside towns from Meersburg to Friedrichshafen stage open-air concerts, film screenings, and cultural evenings beneath the stars.

The Cultural Scene in Lake Constance

Bad Säckingen, Southern Black Forest: Wooden Bridge c. Stefan Kuhn Photography

Spread out across Baden-Württemberg, twenty towns have been recognized as “Kleinstadtperlen” – Small Village Pearls – and the designation fits: each one is a place of genuine, unhurried charm where timber-framed alleys, ornate market squares, and preserved medieval architecture form the backdrop to a very much living community. These are towns where old craft workshops sit alongside family-run restaurants, where wine festivals, Christmas markets, and open-air theatre bring neighbors together as they have for generations, and where small art galleries and summer concerts give the historic streetscapes a creative pulse.

Among the twenty, five are particularly compelling: Calw, birthplace of Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse, exudes literary atmosphere in a beautifully preserved old town; Freudenstadt is notable for Germany’s largest market square, situated amidst the scenic Black Forest; Bad Säckingen surprises with a Mediterranean warmth on the Rhine and the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe; and Donaueschingen fascinates as the celebrated source of the Danube, complete with a magnificent palace and a lively cultural program. Collectively, the "Kleinstadtperlen" make the case that the most enduring travel experiences in Baden-Württemberg are often found not in its cities, but in its small, proud, deeply characterful towns.

Small Village Pearls (Kleinstadtperlen)

Stadtpark Kleb, Nagold: A picturesque summer scene featuring the town's tranquil lake fountain c. Lightworkart Pro

Bask in the Nature, History and Warmth of Nagold

Tucked into the gentle hills of the Northern Black Forest, Nagold is a town that rewards those who slow down to match its pace. An intricate web of walking trails, from the celebrated seven-summit “7-Berge-Weg” to gentle rambles following in the footsteps of poet Eduard Mörike, fans out through silent woodland and across open panoramas, while the town itself is defined by the confluence of the Nagold and Waldach rivers, whose banks frame a historic old town overlooked by the dramatic castle ruin of Hohennagold on the Schlossberg above. A landscaped riverside promenade connects parkland areas along the water, the beloved Klebbähnle miniature railway has been delighting families in the Stadtpark Kleb since its return in 2024, and the Steinhaus, believed to be Nagold’s oldest building, houses a local history museum tracing the town’s story across 300 square metres of exhibition space. Year-round, Nagold presents an open-air civic theater through July and August, a warmly atmospheric Christmas market in Advent, and traditional seasonal festivals such as the Urschelherbst, making it a town that genuinely moves you.

The Black Forest: Art Discovered on Foot

Those wishing to view art typically visit museums. In the Black Forest, however, this is not exclusively the case—as evidenced by the numerous artworks situated in public spaces, as well as the diverse art trails and sculpture paths. These features make the symbiosis between varied natural landscapes and intricate art something that can be experienced firsthand. The collection includes works that are humorous in nature, as well as those that are contemplative. Some pieces stand entirely on their own, while others exist in a powerful dialogue with their surroundings.

Beneath the streets of Karlsruhe, the underground U-Bahn passes through Germany’s largest single ceramic artwork: fourteen monumental reliefs by Markus Lüpertz depicting the four elements and the biblical creation, accessible on a regular tram ride and explored in depth on monthly guided tours. Above ground, the three-mile Rehberger-Path connects the world-famous Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, with its landmark buildings by Gehry, Ando, and Hadid, to the internationally acclaimed Fondation Beyeler in Swiss Riehen, with 24 interactive artworks by Tobias Rehberger marking the way. In Grafenhausen, two 30 foot Corten steel pine cones, designed by Stefan Strumbel, establish a compelling interaction between industrial materials and the natural environment of the Black Forest Highlands. The 1.5 mile Weinsüden-Kunstweg (Southern Wine Path) in Sasbachwalden winds through sunny vineyard slopes with 32 artworks and in Freudenstadt a three mile sculpture trail climbs to a hilltop panorama past more than 40 sculptures and ornamental fountains. The Black Forest does not ask you to go indoors to find art, it asks you to walk outside in nature.

Public art in the Black Forest

Maulbronn Monastery, part of the Staatliche Schloesser und Gaerten. c. Guenther Bayerl

The Monastery Route

The Klösterroute Nordschwarzwald, the Monastery Route of the Northern Black Forest, links four extraordinary monastic sites through some of Baden-Württemberg’s most beautiful landscape. The route begins at Kloster Maulbronn, the best-preserved Cistercian monastery north of the Alps and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Romanesque and Gothic architecture, silent cloisters, and intact medieval rooms create an atmosphere of rare stillness. From there it moves to Kloster Hirsau, whose sweeping ruins speak to the former greatness of one of Europe’s most influential Benedictine houses; then to the picturesque Kloster Maria Reuthin in Wildberg, set beside the River Nagold in a soft and peaceful valley; and finally to Kloster Alpirsbach, whose monumental Romanesque church is one of the finest examples of medieval ecclesiastical architecture in the region. The route can be walked on well-marked trails, cycled through valleys and over ridges, or driven at leisure – and whatever the pace, the experience is the same: forests, rivers, wide views across the Northern Black Forest, and a deepening sense of connection to the cultural roots of European history.

Christmas Markets In Southwest Germany Showcase Tradition And Regional Diversity

During Advent, the towns and villages of the Black Forest transform into a sparkling winter wonderland. Over 180 Christmas markets offer unique settings, handcrafted goods, and culinary delights. The Christmas market in Freudenstadt (December 4–14, 2025), home to Germany's largest market square, is particularly atmospheric, featuring handcrafted products and a curling rink. In the historic half-timbered town of Haslach, the new "Culinary Winter Market" (December 19, 2025 – January 6, 2026) invites visitors daily to enjoy regional specialties and music, accompanied by a nativity scene exhibition.

Linger in the town of Rottweil where the scent of gingerbread fills the air of the Christmas Market © Ralf Graner Photodesign

Art lovers will find plenty to enjoy in Karlsruhe: At the "Christmas Fair for Applied Arts and Crafts" (December 11–14, 2025), 40 exhibitors present high-quality, one-of-a-kind pieces from across Europe. In Rottweil, the oldest city in Baden-Württemberg, the Christmas market (December 4–14, 2025) enchants visitors with its medieval setting, children's workshop, and choral singing.

Against impressive architecture, the Christmas market takes place on Cathedral Square in St. Blasien (on three weekends in December 2025) – framed by the largest dome north of the Alps. Lörrach invites visitors to its Old Market Square from December 4–14, 2025, with arts and crafts, music, and delicious aromas. In Bad Säckingen, the market on Münsterplatz (December 4–7, 2025) offers regional products and a musical program amidst a historic backdrop.

A truly special experience awaits at the "Christmas Triad" in Pforzheim (November 21, 2025 – January 6, 2026): Christmas market, winter wonderland, and medieval market merge into a dazzling, glittering experience complete with an ice rink, Ferris wheel, and street performers.

Christmas Markets in the Black Forest

The half-timbered houses in the Black Forest town of Nagold are lit up especially this year for visitors. A giant ferris wheel also will be another first in the beautiful town. © Lightworkartpro, Manuel Kamuf

Action, Lights, Lanterns…Christmas in Nagold

When the first snow falls, familiar Christmas carols fill the air, and the holiday season draws near, a visit to the city of Nagold in the Black Forest in Southwest Germany is simply a must. Each evening, live music on the stage by the ice rink creates a festive atmosphere. From November 27 to January 6, 2026, take a leisurely stroll through the Winter Village on Longwy Square. Here you'll find culinary delights, enchanting decorations, and a varied program for all ages. A wonderful highlight to kick off the Advent season is Nagold's Night of Lights on November 28, 2025, from 5 to 10 PM. Right on time for the reflective season, the Nagold Christmas Market will enchant visitors from December 5 to 7, 2025. Among lovingly decorated stalls, festively adorned half-timbered facades, and a touch of winter magic, the city and dedicated local organizations invite you to enjoy a peaceful escape and a genuine holiday atmosphere. Highlights include: the giant ferris wheel on Vorstadtplatz, set up for the first time this year, and the historic town hall. From November 27 to December 26, 2025, the facades will glow with festive lights starting at 5 PM. Animated images, magical effects, and a new story each evening—the living Advent calendar creates a fairytale backdrop in the city of Nagold.

City of Nagold

Schloss Ludwigsburg just outside of Stuttgart that is still completely finished in the style in which it was built. A beautiful Baroque palace in the town of Ludwigsburg. c. SSG and Thomas Buehler

Castle Courtyards Aglow: Christmas with the SSG

The Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg (SSG), or State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg, sets the stage for a truly magical winter and Christmas season across its many historic sites. As the gardens and grounds enter their quieter phase, the frost-kissed landscapes, bare trees and soft winter light lend the sites a serene, festive ambience. For example, Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart welcomes visitors for winter tours on weekends and holidays, offering both the architecture and surrounding views in a calm winter splendour. In the run-up to Christmas, many of the monuments managed by the SSG host atmospheric markets and seasonal events. The historic courtyards, cloisters and castle grounds are transformed into illuminated, festive spaces offering artisanal crafts, music and traditional treats. One highlight is the festive “Winterzauber” (winter magic) program at Residenzschloss Mergentheim, where from early November an open-air rink and themed events enliven the Schloss hof.


The Kurfürstlicher Christmas Market at Schloss Schwetzingen about 20 minutes from Heidelberg runs from November 27 to December 21, 2025, offering a festive atmosphere with handcrafted goods, delicious treats, and family-friendly activities. Visitors can explore beautifully illuminated tents, enjoy mulled wine, and discover unique gifts. Highlights include a nostalgic carousel, a Christmas market featuring local and international specialties, and cultural events such as Advent concerts and theater performances. The historic castle and gardens also offer special tours and winter experiences. The combination of seasonal architecture, historic gardens and festive programming makes the SSG-managed sites wonderful destinations for winter visits — whether for a quiet stroll, family outing or evening market experience.

State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg

Ships docked in Constance Harbour are often decorated at the Christmas season.© Achim Mende
Lake Constance - Four Countries, One Magical Christmas Lake

During Advent, Lake Constance (Bodensee) transforms into one of Europe’s most enchanting winter destinations, where Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein share their traditions along one shimmering lake. This cross-border charm makes the region unique: visitors can experience four different cultures of festive joy within just a few days. In Konstanz, the largest town on the lake, the Christmas Market stretches from the medieval old town all the way to the harbour. A true highlight is the “Weihnachtsschiff” (Christmas Ship), anchored by the waterfront and glittering with thousands of lights. Nearby, Überlingen enchants visitors with its atmospheric Christmas market, set among historic squares and festively decorated lanes. The lakeside promenade glows with lights, creating a romantic atmosphere perfect for a winter stroll. Meersburg, with its half-timbered houses and medieval castle, offers a truly magical Advent market on the castle square.

Between Christmas and New Year, the town also hosts special seasonal events and concerts, keeping the festive mood alive right into the New Year. Another highlight is the Christmas Garden on Mainau Island, where dazzling light installations transform the famous flower island into a sparkling winter wonderland for the whole family. Across the region, guests can enjoy unique christmas markets, festive cruises on the lake, and culinary treats – from German Lebkuchen and Austrian pastries to Swiss chocolate specialities. Families, couples, and Christmas enthusiasts alike will discover the joy of exploring diverse traditions so close together. Lake Constance is more than a holiday – it is a magical journey across four countries united by one festive lake.

See Masterpieces By Monet, Matisse, Degas And Picasso In The First-Ever Exhibition Of This German Family’s Private Art Collection In Berlin

The Scharf Collection features French artworks from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as contemporary pieces from around the world.

“The Scharf Collection: Goya—Monet—Cézanne—Bonnard—Grosse” is on view at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie / David von Becker

Over four generations, one German family built a sprawling collection of European masterpieces. Now, those artworks are on public display for the first time.

Titled “The Scharf Collection: Goya—Monet—Cézanne—Bonnard—Grosse,” the exhibition is on view at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin through February 15, 2026. It spotlights about 150 artworks by renowned painters across three centuries, including old masters like Francisco Goya, Impressionists like Claude Monet, modernists like Pablo Picasso and contemporary artists like Germany’s Katharina Grosse.

No Title, Katharina Grosse, 2000 The Scharf Collection

“We go from Goya to Grosse,” said René Scharf, the current owner of the collection, at the exhibition’s opening, per the Associated Press’ Geir Moulson.

Scharf said he hopes visitors will draw connections between artworks from different time periods and genres—such as how Monet’s hazy blue Waterloo Bridge (1903) informs Grosse’s works, which were created a century later.

The exhibition begins with etchings by Goya, such as his series Disasters of War (1810-1820), according to Euronews’ Leticia Batista Cabanas. It continues through Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Finally, the show ends with modern and contemporary artworks, such as Daniel Richter’s We’ll Never Stop Living This Way (2009).

In addition to seeing renowned artworks in person, visitors will “dive deep into the historical developments” and “learn about the different personalities who have been collecting and preserving the collection,” Anette Hüsch, director of the Alte Nationalgalerie, tells Artnet’s Jo Lawson-Tancred.

Waterloo Bridge, Claude Monet, 1903 The Scharf Collection

The collection was started by Scharf’s great-grandfather, Otto Gerstenberg, who led a life insurance company in Berlin. Born in 1848, Gerstenberg began his art collection by acquiring prints by old masters like Albrecht Dürer, Goya and Rembrandt, according to the museum. Around 1900, he started collecting French impressionists like Monet and Edgar Degas. As his interests continued to expand, he acquired a large collection of art by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and some of these works are “a centerpiece of the show,” per the AP.

When Gerstenberg died in 1935, he had collected some 2,200 artworks. During World War II, some pieces were destroyed by air raids or looted by Russian soldiers, but his daughter, Margarethe Scharf, saved most of the collection. In 1961, the surviving artworks went to her sons, Walther and Dieter Scharf, who incorporated them into their own art collections.

Dieter developed an interest in Surrealists like Salvador Dalí, while Walther and his wife, Eve, maintained a focus on 19th-century French art, according to Artnet. The couple added more Impressionist paintings by Monet, Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, along with works by Post-Impressionists like Paul Cézanne and Pierre Bonnard. Their son, René Scharf, is the current owner of the collection. René and his wife, Christiane, have since added contemporary paintings by artists such as Grosse, Richter and Sam Francis.

We'll Never Stop Living This Way, Daniel Richter, 2009 The Scharf Collection / Jens Ziehe / VG Bild-Kunst

The family has loaned individual pieces from the collection to museums, but many of the artworks in the exhibition have never been publicly displayed. As Scharf tells the AP, when the Alte Nationalgalerie first contacted him about showing the collection, “We asked ourselves, ‘What happens if we do nothing?’ Then maybe 30, 40 or 50 people per year will see the collection, and only a very small part of it, because we can’t hang everything at home.”

In the end, the family decided that the artworks should be displayed for anyone who wants to see them. “The collection deserves to be seen publicly,” he says.

“The Scharf Collection: Goya—Monet—Cézanne—Bonnard—Grosse” is on view at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin through February 15, 2026.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/author/sonja-anderson/

Floats At Germany’s Carnival Parades Satirize Leading Political Figures

Throngs of revelers took to the streets of Germany’s Carnival strongholds on Monday, accompanied by floats that satirized the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, German politicians, former U.S. President Donald Trump and many others.

Shrove Monday parades are a traditional high point of Carnival celebrations in Cologne, Duesseldorf, Mainz and other places in western Germany, drawing large crowds of locals and visitors.

Every year, floats address current national and global political issues with biting sarcasm.

This year, a larger-than-life Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy progressed through the streets of Cologne with a sign reading “To be or NATO be.” Zelenskyy wants Ukraine to be able to join the Western military alliance.

In Duesseldorf, a float depicted Trump stabbing a Ukrainian soldier in the back — a reference to opposition among Republicans to aid for Ukraine. Another had the ex-president and 2024 presidential candidate carrying scissors and a U.S. flag cut into the shape of a swastika.

In Mainz, a “Barbies and Ken” pink car float featured Russian President Vladimir Putin behind the co-leaders of two German political parties, the far-right Alternative for Germany and the new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, that criticize sanctions against Russia and oppose weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

The war between Israel and Hamas was also a theme. A float in Duesseldorf depicted a figure in military garb labeled “Hamas” pushing what appeared to be a family toward an Israeli tank.

Germany’s unpopular government came in for lampooning, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz portrayed as a sloth and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as an elephant in a porcelain shop, the German equivalent of a bull in a china shop.

AP

Gone In 9 Minutes: How Celtic Gold Heist Unfolded In Germany

BERLIN (AP) — Thieves who broke into a southern German museum and stole hundreds of ancient gold coins got in and out in nine minutes without raising the alarm, officials said Wednesday, in a further sign that the heist was the work of organized criminals.

Police have launched an international hunt for the thieves and their loot, consisting of 483 Celtic coins and a lump of unworked gold that were discovered during an archeological dig near the present-day town of Manching in 1999.

Guido Limmer, the deputy head of Bavaria’s State Criminal Police Office, described how at 1:17 a.m. (0017 GMT) on Tuesday cables were cut at a telecoms hub about one kilometer (less than a mile) from the Celtic and Roman Museum in Manching, knocking out communications networks in the region.

Security systems at the museum recorded that a door was pried open at 1:26 a.m. and then how the thieves left again at 1:35 a.m., Limmer said. It was in those nine minutes that the culprits must have smashed open a display cabinet and scooped out the treasure.

Limmer said there were “parallels” between the heist in Manching and the theft of priceless jewels in Dresden and a large gold coin in Berlin in recent years. Both have been blamed on a Berlin-based crime family.

“Whether there’s a link we can’t say,” he added. “Only this much: we are in touch with colleagues to investigate all possible angles.”

Bavaria’s minister of science and arts, Markus Blume, said evidence pointed to the work of professionals.

“It’s clear that you don’t simply march into a museum and take this treasure with you,” he told public broadcaster BR. “It’s highly secured and as such there’s a suspicion that we’re rather dealing with a case of organized crime.”

Officials acknowledged, however, that there was no guard at the museum overnight.

An alarm system was deemed to provide sufficient security, said Rupert Gebhard, who heads the Bavarian State Archaeological Collection in Munich.

Gebhard said the hoard was of great value both for the local community in Manching and for archaeologists across Europe.

The bowl-shaped coins, dating back to about 100 B.C., were made from Bohemian river gold and show how the Celtic settlement at Manching had links across Europe, he said.

Gebhard estimated the value of the treasure at about 1.6 million euros ($1.65 million).

“The archaeologists hope that the coins remain in their original state and reappear again at some point,” he said, adding that they are well documented and would be hard to sell.

“The worst option, the melting down, would mean a total loss for us,” he said, noting that the material value of the gold itself would only run to about 250,000 euros at current market prices.

Gebhard said the size of the trove suggested it might have been “the war chest of a tribal chief.” It was found inside a sack buried beneath building foundations, and was the biggest such discovery made during regular archaeological excavations in Germany in the 20th century.

Limmer, the deputy police chief, said Interpol and Europol have already been alerted to the coins’ theft and a 20-strong special investigations unit, codenamed ‘Oppidum’ after the Latin term for a Celtic settlement, has been established to track down the culprits.

Germany Announces New Coronavirus Measures For Fall And Winter, Expecting Cases To Rise

The German government on Wednesday said basic coronavirus requirements would remain in place during the coming fall and winter, when experts expect COVID-19 cases to rise again as people spend more time indoors.

Face masks and presenting proof of a negative coronavirus test will be mandatory from October until early April at hospitals, nursing homes and similar institutions with vulnerable people.

Passengers on airplanes and making long-distance trips by train and bus also will have to wear masks during that period, as they do now.

However, Germany’s 16 states have the authority to adopt their own rules depending on how severely the virus affects their areas. State governments could decide to require masks on local public transportation, in schools for students in fifth grade and up, and at public indoor events.

Community facilities such as schools, prisons or asylum-seeker shelters may implement regular testing again if COVID-19 case numbers rise, Germany’s health and justice ministers said in a joint statement.

The government also plans a fall vaccination campaign.

“Germany should be better prepared for the next coronavirus winter than in previous years,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said a special effort would be made to keep schools open, while states will “only be able to impose a mask requirement at schools if this is necessary in order to be able to continue to provide in-person teaching.”

“Children have a right to school education and a school day that is as carefree as possible. School closures must therefore not be allowed,” Buschmann said.

The new regulations still need to go to Cabinet and parliament for approval but are expected to pass.

Stuttgart Sheds Remnants Of Pandemic, Fall Festivals Dominate SouthWest Germany’s Capital City

Starting this August, Stuttgart will shed the remnants of the pandemic as the city embraces its beloved festival season. This fall, no less than three enormous festivals will welcome visitors from near and far.

Stuttgart’s annual wine village with hundreds of wines made by local and regional growers will be located under bountiful arbors in the the city center on the Schiller- and Marktplatz from August 17 to September 4. Less than one month afterward, the 175th Stuttgart Beer Festival (September 23 to October 9) will get underway on the Cannstatter Wasen fairground along with the Agricultural Show. Then the Historical Festival (September 24 to October 3), that takes place every four years commemorating the founding of the Stuttgart Beer Festival, will be in full swing on the Palace Square in the city center.

Wine is an important characteristic of Stuttgart’s city life as it is made and sold in the vineyards all around the city. Light fruity reds, such as Trollinger, Lemberger and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and dry whites, including Riesling, Kerner, Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Sauvignon Blanc are most prevalent. Stuttgart's vineyards stretch right into the heart of the city, making the city the only German metropolis with its own municipal wine estate. Wine has been grown here ever since Roman times, and owes its excellent quality to the first-class soil, the favourable climate and the accumulated expertise. Throughout the year, the wine hills of the Württemberg wine region offer endless opportunities for hiking, biking, tastings and organized tours on foot, in a vintage bus or on a Segway. https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en/sights/vineyards-to-the-city-center

The annual wine festival at the end of August is a special time as the whole city comes together to celebrate their city and viniculture. Award winning wines from all over SouthWest Germany, including new wines produced by third and fourth generation wine growers, are presented alongside traditional favorites in beautiful bowers in the city center in the city center. Visitors can mingle with locals and enjoy tasting 500 different types of wines from the region. Cozy wine booths with around 30 hosts serve wines, accompanied by Swabian specialities, such as Käsespätzle (cheesy noodles), Maultaschen (filled pasta), Schupfnudeln (potato noodles) with Sauerkraut, and sweet treats. https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en/e-46th-stuttgart-wine-village-2022#2022-08-17

The annual beer festival, or the Stuttgart Beer Festival, is second only to Oktoberfest in terms of size and popularity. Originally a harvest festival, the “Cannstatt Agricultural Festival” has long since developed into a popular public celebration. Seven beer tents, the historic wine tent and the Alpine Village will open their doors on September 23 to the public and the fairground rides will get underway. Approximately 320 showmen, hosts and stallholders, along with a double-looping roller coaster, autoscooters, modern attractions or old favorites will be at the Wasen. In the festival tents hearty dishes such as grilled knuckle of pork, fried steak along with the Maultaschen are served to go with the mugs of beer. Each year the festival opens with a grand procession with magnificently decorated brewery drays drawn by four or six horses, and with groups from all over the region dressed in traditional costumes. https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en/e-stuttgart-beer-festival-2022#2022-09-23

Every four years, parallel to the Stuttgart Beer Festival, Southwest Germany's largest trade exhibition for the agriculture, forestry and food sectors with nearly 700 exhibitors is also held at the Wasen fairground. This year the focus will be on livestock, technology, nature and nutrition under the motto "Landwirtschaft erLEBEN!" (the Agriculture Experience).

The Historical Folk Festival, which takes place every four years, celebrates the founding of the beer festival. It founded over 200 years ago by King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and his wife, Queen Katharina to support the country's agriculture, which had suffered greatly in the aftermath of the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Tambora and the Napoleonic Wars. It is a very family friendly event right in the heart of Stuttgart on the Palace Square with old-fashioned bands and costumes, entertainment, including showmen such as jugglers, artiste, illusionists and a flea circus. There are also attractive traditional fairground rides, including a nostalgic big wheel and a rollercoaster from the 1930s. The Jubilee Column in the middle of Palace Square will be decorated in the style of the Fruit Column – the emblem of the Beer Festival – with agricultural produce. www.historisches-volksfest.de/en

Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg, known as SouthWest Germany. It is easily accessible from all major European cities by train and plane and hotels are plentiful. A new direct flight from Atlanta to Stuttgart also will be starting this October with Delta Airlines.

Germany To Loosen COVID-19 Entry Rules Over The Summer

Germany’s health minister says the government plans to suspend a pandemic rule requiring people to show proof of vaccination, a negative test result or recent recovery from COVID-19 to enter the country over the summer.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told the Funke newspaper group in comments published Wednesday that the rule, which applies to everyone age 12 and above regardless of where they are traveling from, will be suspended from June 1 to the end of August.

Germany has not had any countries on its list of “high-risk areas” for the coronavirus since early March.

Confirmed coronavirus case numbers have declined steadily in Germany in recent weeks, and most restrictions have been lifted.

However, the government last week announced plans to spend another 830 million euros ($889 million) to buy vaccines that would help the country deal with a series of possible variants in the fall.

Munich To Stage 1st Oktoberfest After 2-Year Hiatus

BERLIN (AP) — The annual Oktoberfest festival is on again for this fall, the city of Munich said Friday, following a two-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dieter Reiter, the mayor of the Bavarian capital, said the popular beer festival will be held without restrictions from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3 - Germany’s national day.

The Oktoberfest, first held in 1810 in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese, has been canceled dozens of times during its more than 200-year history due to wars and pandemics.

The announcement was welcomed by the Bavarian hotel and restaurant association.

Germany Wipes Its List Of COVID ‘High-Risk Areas’ Clean

BERLIN (AP) — Germany is removing all countries currently on its list of “high-risk areas” as part of a rethink of its coronavirus travel rules that took effect on March 3rd.

The country’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said that from now on Germany’s list will only include places where high infection rates are linked to variants of COVID-19 that are more virulent than the currently dominant omicron variant, which in many cases leads to relatively mild illness.

That change will result in the current list of “high-risk areas,” which contains dozens of countries and territories, being wiped clean from Thursday on. Health Ministry spokesman Andreas Deffner said Wednesday, however, that Germany will still require people to show proof of vaccination, recent recovery or a negative test to enter the country.

People arriving from “high-risk areas” who either haven’t recovered recently or been fully vaccinated have to self-isolate for 10 days, which can be cut to five with a negative test. Everyone arriving from those areas has to register online before arrival.

For countries that do end up on the list, quarantine requirements will be relaxed for under-12s — who will be able to avoid self-isolating with a negative test — and dropped for children under 6.

Germany’s coronavirus infection rate is drifting downward slowly after a wave of infections with omicron peaked last month. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country’s 16 state governors agreed in mid-February on a three-step plan to end most restrictions by March 20.

Fas’Nacht Traditions Held Dear But Not Celebrated this Year In SouthWest Germany

In SouthWest Germany, many towns particularly in the mostly southern Catholic regions from the Black Forest to Lake Constance, remember their annual celebrations of Fas’nacht: the time between Maundy Thursday and Shrove Tuesday when fools take to the streets and hilarity reigns.

Sometimes referred to as the end of the “Fifth Season,” from November 11 to Ash Wednesday, the five days before Lent from Maundy Thursday to Schrove Tuesday are a time of frivolity, hilarity, parades and foolery. In many parts of the mostly southern Catholic regions of SouthWest Germany, including Lake Constance and the Black Forest, the Fas’net traditions offer local color, costumes, parades, dialects and special recipes that go back hundreds of years. For planning purposes, here are some highlights that you can look forward to next year.

Just below the Hohenzollern Palace in the town Sigmaringen in the area of the Swabian Alb, Nauf auf d' Stang, nauf auf d' Stang cries on Shrove Tuesday mark the time of 10:00 a.m., when at the market fountain, the traditional marriage place for couples, all newly married men are carried around the fountain on a platform. In the town of Buchen, the highlight of the numerous events is the "Gänsmarsch," which takes place every carnival Sunday from 2:11 p.m. Masked foot groups come from all parts of the city and turn the parade into a fool's court, poking fun at current affairs and people from the region. Numerous "Huddelbätze," or jesters, dressed in colorful patchwork clothes made of hundreds of scraps of fabric, characterize the image of the "Carnival Night."

With 4,000 fools and 20,000 spectators in the town of Rottweil between Swabia and the Black Forest, the Rottweiler Narrensprung or Fool’s Jump, is one of the most famous events of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival year after year. On Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. and again on Shrove Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the colorful dance of Rottweiler fools streams out of the Black Gate for a procession lasting several hours through the historic old town. Federahannes and Guller, Gschell and Schantle populate the town with their wooden masks and tease visitors along the roadside.

In the Black Forest town of Schiltach on Shrove Monday from 1:00 p.m., numerous imaginatively decorated wooden tubs roll in the ice-cold water "da Bach na." Forty teams are allowed to start every year. Anyone who makes it to the finish line with dry feet will be greeted with the call "Pforz trocke". If you fall "batsch wet" into the water, you certainly have the loud mockery of the spectators on your side.

Also in the Black Forest town of Elzach, the Schuttig is a jester figure with a red shaggy robe, an eerie wooden mask and a snail hat which is said to go back to the "wild men," who were considered winter demons in the Middle Ages. During the Great Schuttig Parade on Carnival Sunday and Tuesday (each at 3:00 p.m.) you can marvel at the numerous variations of the masks, which date back to the Baroque period. They have a particularly demonic effect during the torchlight parade on Sunday evening, when the entire old town is bathed in torchlight from 8:00 p.m.

Ho Narro!, Narri Narro!, Juhu! and Huhuhu! are cries from the fools who take to the streets in the towns around Lake Constance. Carnival marching bands, masquerade parties, balls and general revelry dominate the time before Ash Wednesday. Some towns and villages celebrate the Wecken, or Fool’s Rousing, when the fools prance through the streets in the early morning with fanfare and drums. Another tradition is Hemdglonker on Fat Thursday when everyone wears white night shirts and hats and parades through town. This stems from a time when students would reproach their teachers for their mistakes and weaknesses.

The children get their own fun on Monday in Constance during the Wurstschnappen, or sausage grab, after the children’s parade. And, in the spa town of Überlingen, a special parade, Hänselejuck, takes place on Saturday night when the Hänsele Fools are lit by Bengali flames and accompanied by Carnival musicians and hop and dance through the town snapping their whips and heckling the crowds on their way to the shores of Lake Constance.

Last but not least, if you are not able to visit SouthWest Germany during the carnival and Fas’net time, the towns are still very charming and there are at least four museums (websites in German) dedicated to the Fas’net traditions. Also, we are including links to Fas'nacht recipes and the making of the wooden masks and these pages are in English.

Fasnachtsmuseum Schloss Langenstein, Orsingen-Nenzingen fasnachtsmuseum.de

Fasnachtsmuseum Narrenschopf, Bad Dürrheim narrenschopf.de
Narrenmuseum Niggelturm, Gengenbach narrenmuseum-niggelturm.de
Fastnachtsmusem Narrenburg, Hettingen fastnachtsmuseum-narrenburg.de

Traditional Recipes: https://www.tourism-bw.com/things-to-do/wine-dine/traditional-doughnuts

Traditional Costumes and Masks: https://www.tourism-bw.com/things-to-do/culture/narri-narro

Travelore News: Ryanair To Close Base At Germany’s Frankfurt Airport

Budget airline Ryanair said Friday that it plans to stop serving Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest, at the end of March. and close its base there.

Ryanair said it is closing its base in Frankfurt and reallocating its five planes there to other airports that “have responded with lower airport charges to stimulate traffic recovery.”

The airline complained that instead of providing incentives as the aviation industry struggles with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Frankfurt Airport “has chosen to increase prices even further, making Frankfurt uncompetitive with European airports.”

The Ireland-based company said that all Frankfurt-based flight crew “can secure alternative positions within the Ryanair network” and that passengers affected by cancellations would receive notifications and refunds “over the coming days.”

Berlin is Back! Five Reasons to Visit the German Capital in 2022

. With new daily nonstop flights on United Airlines from Washington DC and Newark to Berlin, the new Humboldt Forum, a focus on Modernism and the city's legendary local vibe, Berlin is ready to again welcome North Americans. Certain COVID-19 protocols apply.

Here are five reasons why Berlin should be on your travel list for 2022:

1. Ease of Travel Starting on March 4, 2022, United will again be flying daily from Newark to Berlin on their Boeing 767-300 aircraft, followed by a new daily connection from Washington DC to Berlin, launching on May 6, 2022, using Boeing 767-400 equipment. The IAD-BER flight is the only U.S. service connecting the two capitals.

In Berlin, passengers are landing at Berlin's new BER airport Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt, a large, modern airport which started operation in October 2020. It is conveniently connected to the city by public transportation and to the German rail system, from underneath the main terminal.

2. New Landmark Building: The Humboldt Forum Europe's most significant cultural project is now open to the public. Located adjacent to Museum Island in Berlin's historic center, the Franco Stella-designed full-size reproduction of a former 16th century Hohenzollern palace, replicates three of the original baroque facades, with a minimalist fourth façade, a massive, covered courtyard and a state-of-the-art interior. The Humboldt Forum is Berlin's new top highlight and is designed as a unique venue for the dialogue between world cultures.

The Humboldt Forum features almost 323,000 square feet of exhibition space, including the Ethnological Museum, the Museum for Asian Art and the Berlin Global exhibition. Workshop spaces for cultural education, and the Lustgarten outdoor space are complemented by eventually seven restaurants ranging from bistro-style to gourmet dining. Some 1000 events per year will take place at the Humboldt Forum in the future, underscoring the institution's purpose of being a space for discourse and culture.

3. For Architecture Buffs: Spotlight on Modernism
From Schinkel to Foster, from romantic palaces and classical buildings to industrial heritage sites and the stunning contemporary structures of post-Wall Berlin, the city's architectural styles are diverse and noteworthy.

In 2022, Berlin will put a special focus on Modernism. Highlights include the Mies van der Rohe-designed New National Gallery, an iconic steel and glass landmark of modern architecture, which completed a six-year renovation in 2021, and features 20th-century masterpieces by various artists from Europe and North America.

Kicking off on September 30, 2022**, the Triennial of Modernism 2022 is a cooperation of the cities Berlin, Weimar and Dessau and will focus on the Bauhaus movement and modernist architecture. Starting with Berlin's UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Modernist Housing Estates, an extensive program of architectural tours, exhibitions, public events is planned throughout the city, designed to take an in-depth look at the architectural and social heritage of modernism.

4. Berlin for Foodies
In recent years, Berlin has become the place to be for young, creative chefs from around the world … and for those who want to sample a creative and diverse menu. Berlin's cuisine is influenced by culinary traditions from around the world, but also sees contemporary, lighter interpretations of traditional German cooking. The 23 Michelin star-rated restaurants – including the 3-star Rutz, CODA, a 2-star-rated dessert only restaurant and Cookies Cream, a vegetarian star-rated restaurant – offer refined culinary choices. Berlin is also the vegan/vegetarian capital of Europe, featuring the highest density of vegan/vegetarian options, as well as sustainable restaurants. Street food like the Turkish Döner and the traditional currywurst offer great mid-day or late nigh snacks, and food halls are a gathering place for Berliners and mainly feature local delicacies.
Seems overwhelming? There are several food tours which take visitors on culinary journeys and are well worth the (reasonable) cost.

5. Active and Independent: Exploration made Easy

Off on your own? The new subway line U5 now connects major cultural highlights. In operation since December 2021 with three stunning new metro stations, the extended U5 subway stops at Berlin's top sights, including Brandenburg Gate, City Hall, Unter den Linden, Alexanderplatz, and Museum Island.

The new U5 extension not only makes sightseeing even easier, but also leads visitors off the beaten path and discover the hidden gems along the way.

Exploration by bicycle had long been a popular way to see the city. Berlin is mainly flat and offers about 390 miles of bike paths, many of which are separated from the main traffic flow. Bike rentals are about Euro 12/day. For those preferring guided tours, there are many options, ranging from history, to tours along the trail of the Berlin Wall or food rides.

Information on travel to Berlin at http://www.visitberlin.com

Germany Proposing To Ban The Unvaccinated From Nearly Everywhere

Germany’s health ministry is preparing sweeping measures next month that could exclude unvaccinated people from many areas of public life if Covid-19 infection rates continue to rise.

What is being proposed?

The measures, which would be among the strictest in Europe, would ensure that only those who have been vaccinated against the virus, have recovered from an infection, or those who can demonstrate a negative test result would be able to access many facilities.

The Health Ministry indicated that the government was considering the idea of imposing restrictions that they called the “2G rule,” on unvaccinated people in the event that infections and hospitalizations continue to rise. This would only allow vaccinated or recovered people to attend certain facilities while unvaccinated people would be excluded.

This could ban the unvaccinated from going to restaurants, gyms or hairdressers,, indoor sports and large outdoor events or participated in other activities.

“Tests are therefore becoming a prerequisite, for example, for access to hospitals, old people’s and nursing homes, indoor catering, events and celebrations, but also for visits to the hairdresser or the cosmetic studio. The same applies to indoor sports or accommodation, for example in hotels and guest houses,” the government said on Tuesday.

“I say to all those of you who are still unsure: A vaccination doesn’t just protect you, it protects the people you care about, the people who mean a lot to you, your loved ones,” Merkel said.

Source: https://www.politicsvideochannel.com/

Germany Requiring COVID Tests For Unvaccinated Travelers

BERLIN (AP) — Germany will require people entering the country who haven’t been vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19 to show a negative test result starting Sunday.

The change approved by the Cabinet on Friday applies to people 12 years old and above. It comes amid increasing concern about infections brought back from summer vacations pushing up Germany’s relatively low case rate. School holidays in some German states will end in about a week.

At present, unvaccinated people traveling by air are required to test negative before they get on a plane to Germany, regardless of where they are coming from. People crossing into Germany by other means of transport will now also have to prove their status. Authorities are expected to conduct spot checks at land borders rather than impose blanket controls.

People arriving from countries listed in Germany’s highest risk category as “virus variant areas” will also have to present a test if they are vaccinated or have recently recovered. That list currently includes Brazil and South Africa but no European countries.

Germany’s disease control center said this week that more than four-fifths of the infections in Germany are still domestic, but there has been an increase in infected people who were probably exposed to the virus abroad -- particularly in Spain and Turkey, two popular vacation destinations.

Germany’s infection rate remains much lower than several other European countries, but it has been creeping higher since hitting a low of 4.9 new weekly cases per 100,000 residents on July 6. On Friday, the figure stood at 16.5 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week.

That is worrying officials at a time when the more contagious delta variant has become dominant in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, while vaccinations have slowed. By Thursday, 51.5% of Germany’s population was fully vaccinated and 61.5% had received at least one vaccine dose.

Authorities are trying to come up with creative ways to whet more skeptical Germans’ appetite for vaccination. On Friday, a vaccination center in the eastern town of Sonnenberg offered a free bratwurst to all comers — which, according to regional public broadcaster MDR, was met with a bigger uptake than usual in the first few hours.

Health Minister Jens Spahn noted that “in general terms, travel is easier with a vaccination — the vaccinated spare themselves testing and, in principle, don’t have to go into quarantine.” He added that “the offer of vaccinations for everyone in the summer stands. We have enough vaccine.”

As well as tweaking the entry rules, the Cabinet decided Friday to simplify Germany’s risk category system. It is cutting the number of categories from three to two — eliminating the lowest tier, for which barely any practical restrictions applied anyway.

Re-Opening Of The Görlitz Synagogue As Culture Center In The State Of Saxony, Germany

After years of extensive renovation, Görlitz in the eastern state of Saxony has now reopened its synagogue as a nationally and internationally recognized cultural monument for visitors and events: Cultural Forum Görlitz Synagogue.

Anyone visiting the synagogue in Görlitz will undoubtedly be overwhelmed by its architectural beauty and the fascinating play of colors in the dome hall. A gold-plated scale pattern and majestic-looking lions adorn the ceiling. Precious materials in fine workmanship emphasize the east wall with the Torah shrine.

Consecrated in 1911, it is a miracle that the Jewish sacred building is still preserved. During the pogrom night on November 9, 1938, the imposing building was set on fire, but the fire brigade put out the flames and saved the building. Completed in the style of reform architecture is one of the few synagogues in Germany that survived National Socialism and the Kristallnacht. It is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm and there are audio guides in English for five Euros. The Synagogue is the most visible evidence of Jewish history in Görlitz. Those interested can also explore other locations, for example the Jewish Cemetery or the Old Synagogue, now a house of literature. The Jewish inhabitants of Görlitz were an important and influential part of the citizenry, and many of their houses and town villas are still preserved today.There is more information to Jewish life in Görlitz to be found here.

During the GDR era, the orphaned building was used as a warehouse for theater sets but it was not really sustained and increasingly deteriorated. Rescue and securing of the building began after 1990. It was gradually renovated at a cost of millions. In the meantime, the nationally significant cultural monument shines in new splendor. The Torah shrine, the most sacred place in a Jewish house of God, is open at a central point where the Torah scrolls were previously kept.

The Dresden architects responsible for the synagogue’s design, William Lossow and Max Hans Kühne, also designed the main train station in Leipzig. They used modern technologies, including the flat reinforced concrete dome, that arches over the main room with a span of 16 meters. Above it the steel skeleton construction rises 33 meters with a high tower. The builders wanted to confidently show that Judaism has found its place in society.

After 1945, a Jewish community no longer formed at the synagogue. The monument has been owned by the city of Görlitz since 1963. As today's cultural forum, the synagogue can be used in very different ways: for education, concerts, lectures, festive events and conferences. The house is also open for individual visits with a multimedia guide. A prayer room in the former weekday synagogue is available for devotions and services.

Perhaps one of Germany’s most charming towns and once a major place of commerce, Görlitz is a center of Lusatian and Silesian culture, and it will be 950 years old in 2021. Its Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque and Art Deco buildings, cobble-stoned streets, red roofs and old churches and the synagogue are a tribute to the city’s beauty and culture. Many have to come admire this hidden jewel in eastern Saxony, including movie directors and producers. Some have nicknamed the city, “Goerli-wood” as movies, such as Grand Hotel Budapest, The Book Thief, Inglourious Basterds, Around the World in 80 Days and The Reader among others have been filmed in the city. Special tours follow in the footsteps of famous actors and directors. Information about tourism in Görlitz can be found at https://www.goerlitz.de/Tourismus.html

Berlin Museum Centering On Germans Expelled After WWII Opens

BERLIN (AP) — Germany has opened a museum exploring the fate of millions of Germans forced to leave eastern and central Europe at the end of World War II, along with other forced displacements of the 20th and 21st centuries — a sensitive project that has taken years to realize.

The Documentation Center for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, is opening more than 13 years after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government gave the plan the go-ahead. Housed in a late-1920s building in downtown Berlin, it features some 700 exhibits over 1,500 square meters (16,000 square feet).

“This center was discussed at length and intensively, in Germany but also with our partners in Europe,” Merkel said in an address to the opening ceremony, welcoming the presence of the Polish, Czech and Hungarian ambassadors. “The discussions about this place really were not always easy, but they were important.”

Merkel said the new center, complete with a library, “fills a gap in our coming to terms with history.” Still, making the project reality was long viewed as “an impossible balancing act,” according to the center’s director, Gundula Bavendamm.

Controversies revolved around one central question, Bavendamm told reporters ahead of the opening: “How can the exodus and expulsion of Germans at the end of and after World War II be portrayed without raising the slightest doubt that this country is aware of its lasting responsibility for the German crimes of World War II and the murder of European Jews?”

The project centers on the millions of Germans who fled from advancing Soviet forces or were kicked out of parts of eastern and central Europe as Germany’s borders were moved westward after the war, “in the historical context” of Nazi crimes, said Bavendamm — the project’s third director.

“Without the Nazi policies of expulsion and annihilation, 14 million Germans wouldn’t have lost their homes as a result of flight and expulsion,” she added. “But that doesn’t change the fact that their expulsion by the Allies and the eastern and central European states in the aftermath of World War II was also an injustice.”

In its efforts to provide context, the exhibition explores “forced migration as a phenomenon of modern Europe,” including displacements during World War I, the arrival of Vietnamese “boat people” in West Germany in the 1970s, the fallout from the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1990s and the European migration crisis of recent years.

Exhibits include some 30 passports, including a German Jew’s passport stamped with the letter “J” in the Nazi era, a “Nansen passport” for stateless refugees from 1937 and a modern-day provisional refugee passport. There is the diary of a girl from East Prussia, a territory Germany lost at the end of the war, chronicling sexual violence.

There’s also a bicycle used by a Syrian refugee to cross the Russian-Norwegian border in 2016. And there are audio accounts by people recounting their arrival in Germany.

By GEIR MOULSON

Germany Cancels Oktoberfest For 2nd Year Over Virus Fears

BERLIN (AP) — Bavarian officials on Monday canceled Oktoberfest festivities for a second year in a row due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, saying there are too many risks in hosting the celebrations — which bring in visitors from around the world — during a global pandemic.

Bavarian Governor Markus Soeder said it was with “heavy hearts” that they decided to call off the festival for which the state is known globally, but that with coronavirus numbers still stubbornly high and German hospitals already struggling, it had to be done.

“Oktoberfest will be held again, and will be big again,” he pledged.

Germany is in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown that includes a ban on large gatherings, with an infection rate of 146.9 new weekly infections per 100,000 residents.

Bavaria is slightly below the national average with 145.4 new weekly infections per 100,000, according to the country’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute.

Oktoberfest typically attracts about 6 million visitors from around the world and had been scheduled from Sept. 18 to Oct. 3.

The combination of huge tents full of people and the consumption of large quantities of alcohol, as well as the possibility for mutated varieties of the virus to be brought in from abroad, made it particularly hazardous to go ahead with the festival, Soeder said.

After Oktoberfest was canceled last year, about 50 of the southern German city’s beer halls and other establishments hosted smaller parties under strict coronavirus guidelines. Mayor Dieter Reiter said the hope was that it again would be possible to have open-air beer gardens and patios open under certain restrictions.

However difficult the decision to cancel Oktoberfest, it would have been worse if the city waited too long and had to call it off after preparations were already underway, he said.

“For me, personally, it was no easy decision because it is a huge date in the calendar for the mayor,” he said. “Much more importantly, it’s a huge shame for the millions of fans worldwide.”

Under Germany’s national “emergency brake” legislation passed last month, measures limiting personal contacts, closing leisure and sports facilities and shutting or restricting access to many stores kick in for areas which have more than 100 weekly new cases per 100,000 residents for three consecutive days. Restrictions also include a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew.

German Museums Tentatively Reopen As Virus Restrictions Ease

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — More than 100 Andy Warhol originals have been hanging on the walls of Cologne’s Museum Ludwig since mid-December with nobody to view them after coronavirus restrictions shut down galleries across the country.

That changed on Tuesday as the doors were opened to limited numbers of guests, after authorities eased restrictions to allow some museums, galleries and certain other cultural venues to begin receiving visitors again.

“We’ve been working on this exhibit for three and a half years and for the last few weeks it was ready, but couldn’t be shown,” curator and museum director Yilmaz Dziewior told The Associated Press.

“You can imagine how happy we all are here at that house that finally the audience for whom we created the exhibition can also see it.”

Museums throughout Germany closed at the beginning of November as coronavirus cases increased. Under new regulations, museums in areas with fewer than 50 new infections weekly per 100,000 residents can open without major restrictions, other than standard mask, hygiene and distancing rules.

When the rate is between 50 to 100 as in Cologne, tickets are being limited to online purchase and restricted in numbers. For the Warhol exhibit they quickly sold out through Sunday. A new batch will go on sale Monday so long as the coronavirus numbers don’t change dramatically.

The ex­hi­bi­tion was organized by the museum in concert with London’s Tate Mod­ern in col­lab­o­ra­tion with the Art Gallery of On­tario, Toron­to and the As­pen Art Mu­se­um, Col­o­ra­do.

It seeks to illuminate the influence of Warhol’s immigrant background and his own homosexuality through his works, as well as how he dealt with death and religion, the museum said.

“Just as his celebri­ty por­traits and Co­ca-Co­la bot­tles held a mir­ror up to Amer­i­can so­ci­e­ty, Warhol stands for a di­verse, queer coun­ter­cul­ture that found its ex­pres­sion not least in his New York stu­dio, the Fac­to­ry,” the museum said in its description of the exhibition.

Cologne resident Karl Eiband was one of the lucky ones who got tickets to Tuesday’s opening of the exhibit, and said that for him it restored a little piece of one of the many things he has been missing during the pandemic lockdown.

“Like my evening beer, I miss art,” the 44-year-old said. “And since I don’t have the resources to hang a tiny Warhol in my living room, I visit the Museum Ludwig because it’s my living room for culture and art.”

The exhibit, “Andy Warhol Now,” runs through June 13.

Germany Limits Travel From French Region Over Virus Variant

BERLIN (AP) — Germany announced Sunday that travelers from France’s northeastern Moselle region will face additional restrictions because of the high rate of variant coronavirus cases there.

Germany’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, said it would add Moselle to the list of “variant of concern” areas that already includes countries such as the Czech Republic, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Travelers from those areas must produce a recent negative coronavirus test before entering Germany.

The Moselle region in northeastern France includes the city of Metz and borders the German states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Clement Beaune, the French minister for European affairs, said France regrets the decision and is in negotiations with Germany to try to lighten the measures for 16,000 inhabitants of Moselle who work across the border. Specifically, he said France does not want them to face the daily PCR virus tests that Germany has applied elsewhere to travelers along some borders.

“We don’t want that,” he said.

Beaune said France is pushing for the use of easier, faster testing methods and for tests every 2-3 days rather than daily. More talks were expected later Sunday, he said.

The weekly rate of new infections in Moselle, at more than 300 per 100,000 people, is well above the average for France’s eastern region and the national average. In Germany, the number of cases per week currently stands at almost 64 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The Robert Koch Institute recorded 7,890 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Germany over the past day, taking the total to over 2.4 million cases. The death toll rose by 157 to 70,045.