May in Germany starts with May Day, the day that the world discovered Hitler had died on April 30, 1945 and traditionally a day of protests in various cities, particularly Berlin. In May, there are great annual events - spring and summer festivals, fireworks displays, several great music festivals - lots of jazz in May in Germany. The May calendar of events for Germany is chock full of great things to do from the North Sea to Bavaria.
May Festivals include the Hamburg Harbor birthday which includes tall ship and tugboat parades as well as music, food and arts and crafts. In Munich, you can go to the Spring Festival (Fruhlingsfest) and to the May Dult, a great flea market festival. North Sea Week on the island of Helgoland is a tremendously popular sailing event and the Bodensee Festival on Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen celebrates culture on the shores of the lake. Hannover starts its international fireworks competitions and concerts at the Herrenhauser Gardens and perhaps once of the most fantastic of all, the
Rhine in Flames kicks off for the season.
May is a great month for music (as is almost every month in Germany) take in the Dresden Dixieland Festival, the Dresden Music Festival, the Dusseldorf Jazz Rally or the concerts at Bruhl Palace to name a few.
The Asparagus Festival in Darmstadt is in full swing in May and the Mosel wine festivals start the season in earnest. It's your last chance to get Maibock beer in Munich this year and the tiny town of Assmannshausen on the Rhine celebrates a very charming red wine festival.
In May, Germany is alive with color, with sidewalk cafes and great festivals and special events. The days are longer, the tourists have not yet descended for the summer holidays and the summer festivals start in May.
