Made in Germany

A typical German drinks beer during Oktoberfest, dressed in leather trousers, complete with a traditional Bavarian hat (Seppelhut) on his head. The original German is blond, has blue eyes and is cool and reserved. They prefer to eat sausages (Wuerstchen) with sauerkraut. German music consists only of Beethoven and Bach.  Such cliché's and stereotypes about a German person are endless. Again and again, a German will get questions on what a "typically German" is. What can be typical about a country in which more than 80 million people live? What are typical German products that are made in Germany? This journey will amaze you!  The group will learn about traditional and modern goods that are made in Germany.  You will also learn how technology has affected different industries.  This enlightening journey is full of surprises! 

Tour suggestion

Day 1: Arrival Munich

The tour begins, as it should, under the influence of Bavarian tradition – you will start with an unforgettable evening in a cosy brewpub. A traditional Bavarian menu, consisting of typical cuisine, will be served. If you wish to complete the setting, we encourage you to join in and rent a Dirndl and Lederhosen from a rental company (famous Bavarian Trachten-costume for ladies and gentlemen respectively). Overnight stay in the Munich area.

Day 2: Munich in a nutshell

Discover Munich, the capital city of the province of Bavaria, during a city tour. Afterwards, a veal sausage breakfast (Weisswurst) awaits you. You will also receive a Weisswurst recipe, so that you can take a piece of Bavaria home to share. Afterwards, there is a good possibility that you will be able to look around the new BMW World. In the afternoon, you will travel to the Allianz Arena stadium (visit subject to availability). Here, you will be shown a film about the origin of the Arena stadium, the player cubicles, the players' tunnel, the pitch, the interior of the stadium, the press club and the upper deck.  You will also have the chance to take a walk outside of the Arena stadium. Dinner and overnight stay in Munich

Day 3: "The castle of the fairy-tale king" – Neuschwanstein castle

From 1869 - 1886 Ludwig II commissioned the building of Neuschwanstein castle "in the authentic style of the old German knights". The reclusive king commissioned the building of the castle as a retreat from the public eye.  Ironically, after his death, the castle became the most visited place in Europe. Evening meal and overnight stay in the Lake Constance area.

Day 4: From the Island of Flowers to the flying Zeppelin

We start with a visit to the largest attraction in the Lake Constance region, the Mainau Island. Disappear in a diverse variety of plant life and admire beautiful gardens which have been cultivated with loving care. Every season has something new to offer - roses, tulips, and dahlias. Your tour guide will guide you through the history of Count Bernadotte and his family. The first test flights of the Zeppelin, the fabulous hot air balloon invented by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, took place here over Lake Constance.  In the afternoon, you will visit the Zeppelin Museum - the world's most extensive collection on the history and technology of the famous airship. Become a passenger on the Zeppelin on entering the replica of the LZ 129 Hindenburg and allow yourself to be transported back to the years 1936 and '37.   Dinner and overnight stay in the Lake Constance area.

Day 5: Cuckoo Clocks & Black Forest Cake

Whether they are revered as fine objects of artistic craftsmanship or dumped as kitsch, they refuse to be silenced! The famous cuckoo clocks represent one of the best-known products from Germany's southwest. The Black Forest Museum harbours one of the largest collections of Black Forest clocks. During your visit, you will gain valuable knowledge about the manufacturing of these and many other Black Forest products. Before you depart for Stuttgart, do indulge in a slice of famous Black Forest Cake ... and coffee!  To round off the day, you can visit outlet stores carrying the best know fashion brands in Germany. Check out the Hugo Boss outlet in Metzingen, where you can shop designer fashion items at an affordable price in a shopping centre of over 4,000 m². Dinner and overnight stay in the Stuttgart area.

Day 6: The Genius of German Car Builders

This day belongs entirely to the world-renowned automobile manufacturers - Porsche and Mercedes. Both companies have their roots in Swabian soil and have managed to make a significant impact on the automotive industry around the world.  This is due in large part to the meticulous nature and entrepreneurial spirits of the founding fathers.  In the Porsche Museum, you can marvel at "60 Years of Sports Cars – Made in Germany”.  During the visit, you will learn about the history and philosophy of the company.

We will round off your day with a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum, including an excursion to the summerhouse of Gottlieb Daimler in Bad Cannstatt. Here, the brilliant inventor rubbed shoulders with his colleague, Wilhelm Maybach, back in 1883. They worked privately and meticulously and until they eventually designed the first ever small high-speed engine.  The evening will come to an end in a Stuttgart restaurant over a dish of Maultaschen, the Swabian national dish of square dumplings filled with meat.

Overnight stay in the Stuttgart area.

Day 7: Franconian Bocksbeutel bottle

Today we start off with a half-day excursion on the Franconian Wine Road. Discover the romantic landscape teeming with tiny wine villages. Here, the selected grapes are cultivated for outstanding wine, which is bottled in the famous Bocksbeutel bottle, uniquely pot-bellied and short-necked. Visit the Juliusspital hospice, which is over 430 years old and is on one of the top vineyards in Germany. During a wine tasting session in the memorable cellar vaults, you will learn about different grape varieties, vineyards, wine culture as well as different smells and flavours. As a souvenir, you receive another 0.25-l-Bocksbeutel bottle to take home. Dinner and overnight stay in the Wurzburg area.

Day 8: Drinking culture & Literature

Beyond a vast selection of beer and wine, a very good brandy is also produced in Germany - the Asbach Uralt from the picturesque town of Ruedesheim am Rhine.  Ruedesheim am Rhine is also a UNESCO world heritage site.  During the guided tour in the visitor's centre of the brandy distillery you will learn about the production of the Asbach - from the grape to the distillery and storage of this rare product. After a small brandy tasting session, you will continue your journey to Mainz, where the legendary inventor of letterpress printing, Johannes Gutenberg, was born. The museum in his honour is where you will receive a comprehensive overview of the origin of lettering and the art of printing.

Do you know who the most famous son of Frankfurt is? The answer is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Even though he spent most of his life in Weimar, two of his best-known works - "Goetz von Berlichingen" and "The Sorrows of the Young Werther" were written here in Frankfurt. We will visit the house where Goethe was born, as well as the museum, where you become well acquainted with the most important German poet and thinker. Dinner and overnight stay in the Frankfurt area.  

Day 9: Departure

Copyright program and pictures: © APPINA TRAVEL GmbH