Germany per month Archives - Page 3 of 3 - South Africans in Germany

July

Most people take their summer holidays in either July or August.
Favourite summer holiday destinations for most Germans are Spain, in particular Mallorca, Greece, and Italy. Another popular destination is Malta, where they speak English.
Traveling within Germany is also a great option, with destinations like the Ostsee, the Nordsee, Sylt , and Lake Constance making the top of the list.

Tourist accommodation types

The hotel descriptions in Germany are very different from those in South Africa. Here is a shortlist, of some of the most popular types, with a short description and

Travel in the Schengen Area

Travel within the Schengen Area “The Schengen Area is a zone comprised of 29 European states which have officially abolished passports and other types of border control at their mutual

The weather is perfect for outdoor activities and al fresco dining. The Germans calls a braai grilling, and they like to grill sausages, vegetables, and even cheese. There are some rules around braaing at your home and also for doing it in a public space.

Grilling in public

When you do not have braai facilities at home or want to have more space while meeting your friends for a braai, you can use the grills/fireplaces at a

Braai Season

Summer is finally here and it is time to invite friends to kuier around the braai. But before you light your charcoal, check out the rules and regulations that

In summer, public swimming facilities (Freibad) will be open to visitors. Other options are to swim at a beach, a baggersee or a lake.
You can find a list of all the lakes (der See/Seen) in Germany on this website.
Other outdoor activities that are very popular during summer are hiking and biking. There are many websites and apps available with easy-to-follow routes.
On our Community pages, you can find or create groups with similar interests like hiking.

Most fruit trees will be heavy with fruit by now. In Germany, there are rules about when you are allowed to pick fruit from trees that do not belong to you. The general rule is that if the trees belong to a fruit farmer you are not allowed to pick the fruit, if the trees do not belong to a fruit farmer, then you can pick fruit for your own use.
For each Bundesland, there might be different rules. Here is a short article about it (in German).
Websites with more information on where you can go pick fruit, also from farmers, are Mundraub and https://www.streuobstwiesen-boerse.de/,

Season	Summer
Time	Central European Time (CET), Summertime – the same time as South Africa until the last Sunday of October, when Wintertime starts (30 October 2022).
Weather	The average day temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. The days become shorter. There still many hours of sunshine

There might still be some Pollen in the air, have a look at the Pollenkalender here

Plan your month

everything you need to know

Festivals

The warmer weather and long nights means that the summer Festivals are in full swing.
Cities come alive with street parades, music, markets, food and enough to drink.

Holidays

In most of the Federal States, the Summer holidays will start in July. There are no public holidays in July.

Events

Events listed on our website

Virtual Kuier hoekie

08/08/2024 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – We invite you to join us for our monthly get-together in the virtual space. Our objective is simple yet meaningful – to foster camaraderie and companionship among the vibrant and diverse community of South Africans. Connect with fellow South Africans, share your experiences, seek advice and offer support. With a bustling network of individuals, we […]

Kearsney College Choir

29/06/2024 – 06/07/2024 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm – The renowned Kearsney College Choir and Rainbow Agency, KwaZulu Natal, have the honour to inform you that former Federal President Professor Dr Horst Köhler is the patron of the choir’s concert tour to Germany from 28 June to 6 July 2024. Professor Dr Köhler will attend a concert of his choice. Kearsney College Choir has […]

Trevor Noah Tour – Berlin

01/08/2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Trevor Noah Off the Record Tour. The actual time is not published yet, estimated it will be in the evening We are not the organisers of this event it is shared for information purposes only Tickets via the Trevor Noah website – this will take you to the Eventim Website

Fokofpolisiekar / Die Heuwels Fantasties

12/07/2024 @ 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm – After a sold-out show in 2023, Fokofpolisiekar is back. This time they bring their friends from Cape Town, Die Heuwels Fantasties, as support. There is no better live combo showcasing the best of African rock and African alternative music than these two acts. It will be energetic, melodic and full of nostalgia as these two […]

Some foods and drinks to try

01.

Mirabelle plums are sweet and delicious

02.

the best you will find at Italian Gelato shops. Do try Spaghetti Eis

03.

Strawberries (Erdbeeren), Red currant berries (Johannisbeeren), Blueberries (Blaubeeren), Gooseberries (Stachelbeeren) and Cherries (Kirschen) are still in season

04.

Aperol Spritz
Campari Orange
Elderflower Cocktail (Hugo)
Spritzers(Schorle)
Fruit Punch (Fruchtbowle)
Cold Duck (Kalte Ente)
Sagria
Beer and wine cocktails

05.

Another seasonal fruit is the Damask Plum ( Zwetschgen). It is not to be confused with normal plums (Pflaumen). Most bakeries will sell Zwetschgenkuchen or Zwetschgendatschi. Eat it with a big dollop of cream or ice cream. You can also substitute the Zwetschgen for Mirabellen

06.

most bakeries will have some baked goods featuring Rhubarb

Fruit and Veggies in Season

Vocabulary

German Barbecue	das Grillfest
a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer.	die Gemütlichkeit
Man-made quarry filled with water	der Baggersee
Lake	der See
Ocean	das Meer
Beach	Beach
Vacation	der Urlaub
Trip	die Reise
Accommodation	die Unterkunft
Streuobstwiesen	Man-made Orchards and a form of fruit growing that is designed for multiple uses. The tall trees that are “scattered” in the landscape carry various fruits such as apples, pears, cherries, plums or walnuts. The meadow can be used as pastureland.

Sources

Swimming in Germany

Swimming options Private swimming pools are not so popular in Germany, but there are good public swimming options available. Public swimming pools / Öffentliche Schimmbäder

Cycling

The entire cycling scene in Germany took some getting used to when I arrived here. In South Africa its sort of all kitted out serious

Outdoors

Most South Africans love being outside the house. This can sometimes feel like a challenge in Germany, but I have learned very quickly that you

Weather in Germany

German Climate Germany’s climate is temperate and marine, with cold, cloudy winters and warm summers and in the south occasional warm föhn wind. The greater

June

The beginning of Summer and the longest day of the year will be on 21June, in Berlin the sun will rise at 04:43 and set at 21:33.
The long days are perfect to enjoy a beer after work in one of the many beer gardens or invite friends over for a braai.
You might also be invited to German Grillfest, and don’t be surprised to see sausages, vegetables, and even cheese on the grill.

Grilling in public

When you do not have braai facilities at home or want to have more space while meeting your friends for a braai, you can use the grills/fireplaces at a

Braai Season

Summer is finally here and it is time to invite friends to kuier around the braai. But before you light your charcoal, check out the rules and regulations that

It is also time to get your cozzies out as some public swimming facilities (Freibad) will be open.
Other options are to swim at a beach, a baggersee or a lake.
Hiking and riding your bicycle or mountain bike are also very popular activities. Great websites for trails are Outdooractive or Komoot. Both are available as apps.

Unique weather conditions:
die Schafskälte – Between June 4th and June 20th (usually on the 11th of June), there is often a cold snap in Central Europe. The cool and humid air flowing in from the northwest causes the temperature to drop. When this happens, the weather changes significantly, which can lead to the first – severe – thunderstorms of the year and put a considerable damper on a good summer lookout.

Folk saying (Bauernregel) Die Siebenschläferregel – “Ist Siebenschläfertag ein Regentag, regnet’s noch sieben Wochen danach” – According to this rule, the weather conditions that occur during the period around 27 June can significantly influence the weather for the rest of summer.

Season	Summer
Time	Central European Time (CET), Summertime – the same time as South Africa until the last Sunday of October, when Wintertime starts (30 October 2022).
Weather	The average day temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. The days become longer and there are more hours of sunshine