Traum Zeit in Duesburg
The setting of this music festival, which features classic, pop, jazz, and electronic music, is impressive: The concerts take place in the former smelting works in Duisburg, where blast furnaces, gas tanks, kettles, pipes, and chimneys create a unique backdrop for concerts, light shows, and visual projections.
- When: June 21-23, 2013
- Where: Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord
- Website
What's Happening in June?
Traveling to Germany in June? This month, Germany's summer festival season is in full swing, and you can catch some of the best German events and festivals. Many festivities will be outdoors, so you can fully enjoy Germany's warm June weather. This month kicks off with a Germany's largest open-air music festival: More than 150,000 rock music fans gather each summer at the race track of the Nuerburg Ring to get up and get down at "Rock am Ring". The star-studded lineup of international rock bands keeps the fans dancing for all three days.
When: June 7 - June 9, 2013
Where: Nuerburg Ring
Guided Tours in Hamburg
Whether this is your first visit or you are a seasoned traveler to Hamburg, a guided tour can offer interesting insights into the city's history and culture, either by foot, bus, bike, or even Segway.
But of course, the best way to experience Hamburg is by boat. Hamburg is a harbor city - its port, which was founded in the 12th century and is almost as old as the city itself, is the largest one in Germany and the second busiest in Europe. A cruise around the harbor is a unique way to see one of the world's largest working harbors. Tour company Abrich offers one or two hour boat tours that take you up and close to gigantic container ships, ship yards and state-of-the art terminals; you'll also experience the sprawling Hafencity development and the historic warehouse district. There is also a romantic twilight tour past Hamburg's illuminated bridges, warehouses, and docks.
For more info, check out our Guide to Recommended Guided Tours in Hamburg.
Gay Museum in Berlin Open Again
Berlin is home to the Schwules Museum, the world's first Gay Museum, which opened in 1985 in the district of Kreuzberg. On May 18th, the museum re-open in its new premises in a former printing house, covering more than 1,600 square meters on three floors.
Besides its permanent exhibition "Self-Awareness and Endurance: 200 Years of Gay History", which explores the history of gay Berlin, from its wild times during the Golden 20s, the persecution of the Nazi regime, to the present day, the museum will also host various special exhibitions. The unique library of the museum holds around 10,0000 books on homosexuality, and the archive is filled with a collection of films, photographs, costumes, art works, and periodicals dating back to 1896.
New address of the Schwules Museum:
Leipzig Celebrates Richard Wagner
Leipzig, where Wagner was born on May 22, 1813, celebrates the composer's 200th birthday with range of events under the slogan "Richard - Leipzig born and bred"; a highlight in 2013 will be the Leipzig Wagner Festival, which presents some of Wagner's most famous operas including 'Parsifal', 'Rheingold' and a children's version of 'The Ring of the Nibelung'. Coinciding with the festival is the Wagner Congress for the international Wagner associations, as well as a six-day musicology conference at Leipzig University on the life, work and legacy of the city's famous son (May 16 to 26, 2013).
Carnival of Cultures in Berlin
Berlin is at its best in summer - beaches along the river Spree, outdoor festivals, open-air movies, lush parks and lakes galore... it's the loveliest time in the German capital. If you are visiting Berlin next weekend, make sure to check out the city's unique summer carnival, Carnival of Cultures in the district of Kreuzberg.
The four-day street street festival, which celebrates the multicultural spirit of the German capital, starts May 17th and features exotic food and drinks, concerts, performances, and parties. Highlight of the colorful festivities is the carnival parade on Sunday, May 19th, which brings a bit of Rio de Janeiro into the streets of the German capital: Soak up hot samba rhythms, and enjoy Brazilian drummers, Congolese singers, Korean culture groups, and artistic larger than life puppets.
Find out when, where and how to celebrate in our Profile of the Berlin Carnival of Cultures 2013.
Festivals in Germany
(Photo: svenwerk)
Long Night of Music in Munich
From hip-hop and blues, to jazz, sing-alongs, and church music: This Saturday, between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., you can explore Munich's vibrant music scene during the "Long Night of Music" with only one ticket (15 euros). Free shuttle buses will take you to more than 400 concerts all over Munich's city center. The shuttle buses start at Odeonsplatz.
- When: May 11, 2013
- Where: 120 different venues in Munich
- Website: Long Night of Music Munich
Happy Birthday Hamburg
This weekend, the city of Hamburg throws a three-day birthday bash to celebrate the 824th anniversary of its harbor. The festival kicks off on May 9th and takes place along the pier called St. Pauli Landungsbruecken right at the harbor. Local food, drinks, and many special events on land and water, including dragon boat races and a tugboat ballet make this a great festival for the whole family.
For more information on the program, check out the Hamburg Festival Website
Hamburg Travel:
(Photo: Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images)
A Night Out
Tonight, April 30th, Germany celebrates Walpurgis Night, or Hexennacht - "witches' night". According to German folk tales, this is the night when witches fly to Mount Brocken in the East of Germany to hold a celebration and await the beginning of spring.
So what can you expect in this magical night? Many people dress up as witches and flock to Mount Brocken, located in the Harz region of Germany. Big bonfires are lit, and the "witches" dance around the flames. If you want to skip the dressing up but still want to go dancing, visit one of the many Tanz in den Mai ("dance into May") events, held all over Germany.You can dance all night long to celebrate the spring of spring - tomorrow, May 1st, is Labor Day, a public holiday in Germany. Shops, banks, and offices are closed, so there is no need to get up early.
Related Articles
What's on in May?
Are you traveling to Germany in May? Then you picked a wonderful month: The weather is usually warm and sunny, the summer crowds haven't arrived yet, and you can take part in many German festivals, events, and holidays. And May starts off just right: May 1st is "Tag der Arbeit", Labor Day, which is a public holiday in Germany. Many families use this day-off for a picnic in the park, while whole villages in Bavaria come together to raise a traditional "Maibaum" (Maypole) with colorful ribbons and carved figures to celebrate the beginning of the summer.
Find out what's on in one of the loveliest months in Germany, from the stunning firework festival "Rhine in Flames", to concerts, and art fairs, in our monthly overview Germany in May 2013.