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| Official Press Newsletter of the German National Tourist Office |
New York, July 2013 |
For years, German gourmet cooking was known for its Spartan tendencies and German cuisine generally consisted of hearty home cooking, dumplings, sausage and marinated pork roast. But in the last few years, the country has bucked this stereotype to become a powerhouse of European gourmet cuisine. Just take a look at the haute cuisine Michelin stars: the number of two-star restaurants in Germany has doubled in the last two years, from 18 to 36. Or take the small town of Baiersbronn with 7 stars across there restaurants.Have an open mind (and belly) and happy travels!
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One town, 3 restaurants, 7 stars
Neither Berlin, Hamburg nor Munich take the crown as Germany’s gourmet capital, but the tiny town of Baiersbronn in the Black Forest which boosts two restaurants with three Michelin Stars and a third with one star. To put all this in perspective, consider that Baiersbronn has the same number of three-star restaurants as London and twice as many as Chicago. The first chef to scoop three stars was Harald Wohlfahrt of the Schwarzwaldstube Restaurant. He was awarded the three stars in 1993 and has trained many young chefs, amongst them Jörg Sackmann, who now runs theSchlossberg Restaurant with one Michelin star. The last of the “Baiersbronn Three” is Claus-Peter Lumpp from the Hotel Bareiss who earned his third star in 2007.
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German gourmet trails
While Germany’s major towns have an excellent reputation for great food, there are other ways to discover German cuisine such as on dedicated food trails, for example. Did you know that more than 120 varieties of cheese are produced in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany? TheCheese Route runs for 310 miles and the specialty cheeses from the region are still a real insider’s tip. Further south, theLower Saxony Asparagus Route highlights the most important asparagus-producing areas of the region where a fifth of all German asparagus is grown. The fields are a dominant feature of the landscape from early March, with the spears themselves being harvested from the end of April to the end of June (Midsummer’s Day).
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Landshut Wedding © Die Förderer e.V. Landshut |
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Landshut Wedding of 1475
The Landshut Wedding is one of the largest historical pageants in Europe. In 2013, from 28 June to 21 July, theBavarian town of Landshut will commemorate the wedding of Hedwig, the Polish King’s daughter, and George, the son of the Duke of Landshut. During the three-week festival, around 2,400 participants don traditional medieval costumes to re-enact the marriage. The event takes place every four years and visitors can witness the faithful re-enactment of the marriage celebrations, which are set against an idyllic backdrop of historical houses and Gothic buildings. Today the 60,000 inhabitants of Landshut welcome 600,000 to 700,000 visitors during the three weeks of festivities.
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Eremitage © Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung |
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Bayreuth celebrates 200 years of Richard Wagner
This year is a special one for the Wagner festival (July 25 – August 28), often referred to as the Bayreuth Festival , as 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner ’s birth. The annual celebration is centered around the Festspielhaus Opera House which the famous composer himself helped design. Prominent figures such as Edvard Grieg, Franz Liszt, Peter Tchaikovsky and Friedrich Nietzsche have been hosted here in the past. The Festspielhaus was opened in 1876 and it remains one of the world’s most prized musical venues thanks to its incredible acoustics, hidden orchestra pit and extravagant décor. The demand for tickets is enormous: More than half of a million applications are received annually for the 58,000 tickets available.
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Tourists in Berlin © GNTB |
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Germany recognized for culture
The high international recognition for Germany’s cultural resources has been confirmed by a recent study. In the 2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, published by the World Economic Forum, Germany received very good ratings for its cultural resources in an international comparison of 140 countries: Destination Germany’s cultural treasures were awarded 6.3 out of a possible seven points by visitors from other countries. Germany achieved its top rating of 6.8 points in the health and hygiene category. As a tourist destination, Germany secured an impressive second place in the overall rankings behind Switzerland.
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Contact
German National Tourist Office
Wibke Carter
Public Relations Manager North America
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2000
New York, New York 10168-0072
Fax: +1 212 661 7174
Phone: +1 212 661 7175
wibke.carter@germany.travel
www.germany.travel
Pictures in the newsletter are available free of charge and publication is permitted for media coverage about the travel destination Germany only. Please state the photographer and picture source with every publication.
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Maralyn D. Hill, The Epicurean Explorer
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