With the news that some of London’s shops have already opened their Christmas sections, we thought now might be a good time to highlight some great wintry destinations for a German course. So what if it’s in the mid-twenties outside, you’ve got your swimming gear on and the barbecue is sizzling in the garden? It’s never too soon to plan your winter German course…
Freiburg
photo: David G
Winter in the Black Forest really feels like winter. The pine-covered hills surrounding the town are normally decked with snow from early December and Freiburg itself often has a pleasant sprinkling of the white stuff, the scent of Glühwein and roasted nuts wafts through the streets from the Christmas market and the beautiful cathedral reverberates to the sound of the winter concerts. Just wonderful.
Find out more about German courses in Freiburg.
Salzburg
photo: gatanass
Europe’s finest Baroque city is gorgeous in the winter, when the Christmas market fills the streets, the classical concerts move indoors and the hills are alive with the sound of… snowboarders! The Alps around Salzburg are home to some excellent skiing resorts, including the Salzburger Sportwelt and a number of small resorts where you will have the pistes (or backcountry) to yourself. The cross-country skiing is also excellent, if you have – or wish to develop – thighs of steel.
Find out more about German courses in Salzburg.
Berlin
photo: kalidoskopika
Not fussed about snowy mountains? Prefer to get your thrills and spills at 48 hour techno parties than on the ski slopes? Berlin remains one of Europe’s most appealing cities, where new and often inexplicable delights await around every corner. The museums on Museum Island are spectacular at any time of year, the area around Kreuzberg is hip (whatever the grumbling locals may say) and there is, of course, a Christmas market. It gets chilly but you will see Berlin as a student city in full swing.
Find out more about German courses in Berlin.
Vienna
If the North Pole is where Santa co-ordinates his present-distribution empire, then Austria’s capital is the epicentre of the Christmas market universe. Perhaps that’s only natural, in a country that looks like the inside of a snowglobe from November until March. Like those shops in London, Vienna’s Christmas market is edging earlier and earlier into the calendar, but there’s loads to see and do in this vibrant city with an imperial history, including museums, heady nightclubs and those famous cafes.
Find out more about German courses in Vienna.
Heidelberg
photo: mockstar
Heidelberg Castle is one of Europe’s finest renaissance sites. Lightning strikes in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries and various wars since have left the castle in a state of disrepair, but it still attracts around a million visitors each year. And then there is the famous university. Stroll along Philosophers’ Walk in the snow and follow in the footsteps of Germany’s great minds from the last millennium. The shops around Hauptstrasse are great at any time of year but particularly in the crisp winter air.
Find out more about German courses in Heidelberg.
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