Three Hyper-Specific Reasons to Visit Germany

The itinerary for Cars, Breweries, and Beer Halls, our June 2022 trip to Germany, should give you a good idea of the highlights of the trip. But a vacation is so much more than the highlights. Sometimes the best memories come from the small things, the specific things, the little delights. Here are three little, hyper-specific reasons you should travel to Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart. 

​1. DITSCH Are you ready to have the best soft pretzel of your life? Hot, fresh, perfectly salted, and costing less than one euro, Ditsch's pretzels have been our favorites for years. Founded in Mainz in 1919, Ditsch has been making authentic Bavarian pretzels for over a century, and now has over 200 locations in Germany. 

​2. AMPELMANN This jaunty fellow with a nice hat and a confident stride was born in East Berlin in 1961, when new traffic light walk signs were designed. After the Berlin wall fell in 1989, the city sought to standardize its symbols. The beloved, distinctive Ampelmann was initially discarded in favor of the nondescript signal that had been used in West Berlin. After campaigns and protests from the people of former East Berlin, Ampelmann became the official walk signal for the unified city of Berlin. Both a mascot for East German nostalgia and a popular tourist icon, Ampelmann can now be found on everything from t-shirts to lounge chairs to beer steins. Keep your eye out for special versions where he carries an umbrella, backpack, or camera, or for his female counterpart, Ampelfrau, created in 2004.

3. LITERALLY UNDERGROUND BAKERIES Germany has excellent public transportation. High-speed trains crisscross the country, and the S-Bahn (surface rail) and U-Bahn (subway trains) in cities such as Munich, Berlin, and Stuttgart will take you everywhere you need to go. But besides their convenience, speed, and overall excellence, there is another reason to love those S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines. In many stations, you'll find tiny locations of delicious bakery chains right on the platform. We can't think of a better way to spend a few minutes waiting for your train than grabbing a sweet pastry and a cup of tea. After all, what journey can't be improved by the addition of a chocolate croissant? The real question is, why is this not a fixture on train platforms the world over?
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