What Makes Germany Special: Heritage, Culture and Regional Pride
Fifty-five World Heritage Sites, the music of Bach and Beethoven, the printing press and a great bread culture. A guide to what makes Germany special.
By Ceylon Trends · · 2 min read
Germany holds one of the richest heritages in Europe: 55 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, great cathedrals and palaces, composers who shaped the history of music, the invention that spread the printed word, and regions each fiercely proud of their own dialect, food and traditions. Here is what makes it special.
Fifty-five World Heritage Sites
UNESCO lists 55 World Heritage properties in Germany, almost all of them cultural. Among them:
- Cologne Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece that took centuries to complete
- Aachen Cathedral, linked to Charlemagne
- Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, a royal landscape of palaces and gardens
- Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau, birthplace of modern design
- Wartburg Castle, where Martin Luther translated the New Testament
- Würzburg Residence, one of Europe's most magnificent baroque palaces
The music of Germany
Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, born in Bonn, and many other composers made Germany central to the history of classical music. Its orchestras and concert halls are still among the most celebrated in the world.
The printed word
Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, developed in Mainz in the fifteenth century, transformed how knowledge spread around the world.
Bauhaus and design
The Bauhaus school changed architecture and design across the twentieth century, and its clean, functional style still shapes how the world builds and designs today.
A country of regions
Germany is a country of strong regional identities, with dialects, food and traditions that change from one part of the country to another. Many people feel their deepest loyalty to their city or region, a feeling captured in the word Heimat.
Bread, markets and festivals
Germany's bread culture is famous, with a huge variety of loaves and rolls from local bakeries. Christmas markets fill town squares in winter, and every region has its own festivals and traditions.
Carrying the pride with you
Cathedrals, castles, great music, the printed word and fierce regional pride: Germany gives its people a great deal to celebrate. That pride is what our Germany designs are made for, and our guide to choosing a gift based on someone's home town shows how to make it personal.
Questions and answers
How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites does Germany have?
UNESCO lists 55 World Heritage properties in Germany: 52 cultural and 3 natural, including Cologne Cathedral, Aachen Cathedral and the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin.
What does Heimat mean?
Heimat is a German word for the place where you feel you belong: your home town, region, landscape and community, more than just the house you live in.
