Germany

With over 5,000 different brands and kind of beer in Germany, you might spend a lot of time trying all the types, but since beer is extremely inexpensive to buy in the country, you won't spend a lot of money. The most popular type of beer in Germany is dark beer, which is preferred served colder than most beers.

The Germany highways, commonly called Autobahns, contain no speed limit.

The famous beer festival, Oktoberfest, is held in Munich, Bavaria.

So in the noisy pubs and taverns in Germany, how do you request a beer? For one beer, you use your thumb, as if you were hitchhiking. For two beers, you raise your thumb and forefinger, or just your forefinger. If you only use your forefinger, then you will get two beers, which is only a problem if you wanted one!



Schools are not all day affairs. In the United States, the school day would be considered a "half day" since German schools release kids at one p.m. The reason is that teachers instruct during the morning and hand out enough homework for the afternoon, which children can finish at home.

Over 150 castles exist in Germany, making it one of the most castle-populated countries in the world. Many are used as hotels, but most are still being habited by the rich.

One strange, but fun fact about Germany is that you can find over 1,000 different kinds of sausages that range in flavor, consistency and spiciness.

In Bavaria around 1040 A.D., a group of Benedictine monks started the Weihenstephan Brewery, which is still in operation and is the oldest brewery in existence that produces beer.

In 1963, John F Kennedy visited Germany and proclaimed "Ich bin ein Berliner," which wasn't a problem to say, but many Germans found the statement amusing because a "Berliner" is also a kind jelly doughnut.

Germany is the birthplace of the Garden gnome. They were first crafted and displayed sometime in the 1800's in Germany and soon spread across Europe and eventually around the world.

Germany is second behind Ireland in amount of beer consumed per person. Beer or "Beir" is listed as a food in some menus in the Bayern region and is served in larger servings.

Germany has more than 400 officially recognized zoos, which is the most in the world. If you included wildlife parks, aquariums and other natural reserves or parks, you can visit almost 700 registered zoos and gardens.

Do you wear Adidas shoes? This brand of shoe had its start in Germany. In fact, "Adidas" is made from the beginning six letters of the designer's name, Adi Dassler.

Daylight savings time was first adopted in Germany in the middle of World War I. It is still considered DST, or "Summer Time."

Beginning in 1248, the Cologne Cathedral took 632 years to construct, finally completed in 1880.

Across the country, a workweek is six days, as oppose to a five-day workweek in most countries. Called "Werktage," (or workdays) the week consists of Monday through Friday and Saturday. Many stores close before two p.m. anyway, so it's not a complete workday for most workers.