Looking to book a trip to Germany in 2016? If you have clients that love beer, nature, or some combination of the two, the German National Tourist Office has released a series of tips to help you get the jump on the coming year.
2016 marks the 500th anniversary of the German Beer Purity Law, the oldest food regulation in the world. Still in force today, the German Brewers Federation has submitted an application to UNESCO to have the law protected as a world cultural heritage.
In 2016, various events will mark the 500th anniversary, including the “Fest zum reinen Bier,” which takes place from April 22-24, 2016 in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, where the law was first declared in 1516.
For nature lovers, Germany has 104 nature parks, accounting for approximately one third of Germany's land area. The Black Forest National Park is the country's newest -- established January 1, 2014, it spans well over 24,000 acres and offers a mix of mountain heathlands, old protected forests and moors that visitors can explore hiking, cycling, or on horseback.
2016 also marks some notable cultural anniversaries in Germany. The Kreuzchor in Dresden, one of the oldest and most famous boys' choirs in the world, is marking 800 years. Visitors can attend a festive church service, an organ concert or open-air concerts with the Dresden Philharmonic.
Looking further ahead, October 31, 2017 will mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, kicking off the Protestant Reformation. Leading up to the anniversary, visitors can discover important Luther memorials such as the houses where he was born and where he died, and see important exhibitions like “Luther and the German Language”, which takes place from May 4, – October 31, 2016 at the UNESCO World Heritage Wartburg Castle in Eisenach.
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