October 2021

October in Germany can still be mild and sunny, it is then referred to as a goldener Oktober.
The leaves are turning yellow, red, orange and brown. It is the perfect time to take beautiful nature photos.
Traditionally there should be many harvest and wine festivals, but due the Corona pandemic, most have been cancelled this year.
If you are interested in wine, take a drive on the German wine route, which is the oldest scenic drive in Germany. You can find more information here.
A boat ride along one of the large rivers, such as the Rhine or the Neckar, will reward you with spectacular autumn vineyard views.
It is also a good time to go hiking, just make sure you have the correct clothing and shoes.
If is is getting to cold outside to do sport, try some of the indoor sports, such as indoor soccer, quash, badminton (das Federballspiel), volleyball, handball or ice skating.

Heidelberg Castle in Autumn

Season	Autumn
Time	Central European Time (CET), summer time, same as in South Africa. From 31 October 03:00 am, it will be winter time and the clocks are turned back one hour.
Weather	The temperatures average between 5.9 °C and 13.2 °C. It could be warmer or colder, depending on the location. When the temperatures are mild and sunny, it is called a “goldener Oktober“. The average daily sunshine is 3.7 hours.

Public Holidays

Holiday	Date	Bundesländer
Tag der Deutschen Einheit	3 October	All
Reformation day	31 October	Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Nierdersachsen, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schl-Holstein, Thüringen

Observations

Holiday	Date	Bundesländer
Erntedankfest	First Sunday in October	All
Wintertime	31 October 2020	All

School Holidays and Terms

Holidays Season	Date	Information
Autumn Holidays	Depends on the Bundesland	https://www.schulferien.org/Schulferien_nach_Ferien/Herbstferien/herbstferien.html

Festivals for October

27 Aug to 5 Dec	Pumpkin festival in Ludwigsburg
Cancelled this year	The Oktoberfest in Munich. Planned for 2022
Cancelled this year	The Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. Planned for 2022
30 September to 9 Oct	Filmfest Hamburg
October	List of wine festivals. Article from DW – Germany’s most beautiful wine festivals

Foods to try

October is still very much pumpkin season! You will see a variety of squashes and pumpkins in the shops and farmstalls.
Savoy cabbage (der Wirsing) is one of the cabbages I like to use in my cooking. In most restaurants you will now find Rahm-Wirsing as a side dish. Have a look at some of the recipes.
One of the lesser known vegetables in season is the Black Salsify or scorzonera (die Schwarzwurzel)
If you want to warm up, try some hearty food, such as deer goulash (das Hirschgulasch) with red cabbage, Rouladen, Linseneintopf or Kartoffelsuppe.
For the beer drinkers, it is time for Festbier or Marzën

Fruits and Veggies in Season

Vocabulary

Autumn	der Herbst
Autumn leaves	die Herbstblätter
Savoy Cabbage	die Wirsing
Black Salsify	die Schwarzwurzel
Pumpkin	der Kürbis
Pumpkin seed oil	Das Kürbiskernöl
Apples	die Äpfel
Turnips	die Steckrüben
Quinces	die Quitten
Elderberries	die Holunderbeeren
Wintertime changeover	die Winterzeitumstellung

Sources:

Weather in Germany
Seasons and events