Germany

A recent survey placed two German airports among the worst in the world this summer for delayed flights. The Local readers told us Frankfurt airport is particularly bad.

Water shortages across the continent, from France through Italy, Spain and beyond, are creating a critical situationEurope’s worst ever drought in picturesEurope’s most severe drought in decades is hitting homes, factories, farmers and freight across the continent, as experts warn drier winters and searing summers fuelled by global heating mean water […]

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Beer is a major part of German culture and hops are a crucial ingredient in its production. These are the country's four main hops-growing regions.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will remain a member of the ruling Social Democrats (SPD), the party said Monday, finding his ties with Vladimir Putin did not breach its rules.

Summer is up, tourism is recovering from pandemic years, and people are stuck at chaotic airports. Here are your rights if something goes wrong.

In our weekly roundup, The Local Germany team looks at how energy bills are increasing, pig-dog insults, tourist spots in Saarland and cultural etiquette when it comes to birthdays.

Germany's much-talked about €9 ticket offer ends later this month. But a think tank has suggested that a toll system for drivers could provide funding to subsidise public transport, as well as to upgrade the roads network.

Due to high Covid infection numbers throughout the summer, it’s now possible to get a sick note from a doctor over the phone again for some illnesses. Here’s what you need to know.

With climate change causing temperatures to rise in Germany, the head of the Robert Koch Institute has warned that this will lead to an increase in the spread of tropical diseases.

If you are serious about buying a property in Germany, either to live in or as a form of investment, you'll need to know these important rules on everything from residency to taxes.

In 400 years, Heinz-Glas, one of the world's biggest producers of glass perfume bottles, has seen off many crises - including World Wars and the oil shock of the 1970s in the last century alone. But Germany's current energy emergency strikes at the heart of its very existence.

The more the sun shines in the southern German town of Aurach, the more likely it is that Jens Husemann's solar panels will be disconnected from the grid -- an exasperating paradox at a time when Germany is navigating an energy supply crisis.

Germany has unveiled a draft of new Covid laws to run until April next year, with mask mandates set to remain in force, but lockdowns and school closures ruled out. Here's what we know so far.

Many Brits may be considering spending time in Germany or even moving for work or to study. Here's a look at the rules.

At his remote woodland home, Ben Green is trying to stay positive about a collapse of the food supplyBen Green doesn’t have to worry that Vladimir Putin might cut off Europe’s gas this winter, fret about a seasonal revival of Covid-19, or panic about a looming global food crisis.Green weaned himself off gas when he purchased the five-hectare (12-acre) […]

As the final month of Germany's €9 ticket offer is underway, we asked readers what the government should bring in to replace it. Here's what they had to say.

From the Goethe Institute to online tutors, there are countless ways to learn German. Here's how to navigate all the different types of language school and pick one that suits your needs.

Breakthrough in the decades-old cold case comes after scientists conducted an isotope ratio analysis of the man’s bonesGet our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcastPerth scientists have breathed life into a decades-old German mystery of an unknown man’s body found floating in the North Sea, by using a new forensic technique that […]

New proposals drafted by the Green Party have set out plans for two new cheap travel tickets in Germany as well as a shake-up of the country's travel zones. Here's what you need to know.

Businesses along the river say drought means they are on the verge of having to shut productionGermany’s Rhine, one of Europe’s key waterways, is just days away from being closed to commercial traffic because of very low levels caused by drought, authorities and industry have warned.Crucially, the impending crisis could lead energy companies to cut […]

Germany's energy crisis is the result of decades of failing to take action - and now residents face tough times. Brian Melican looks at what went wrong and asks why Germany isn't doing more to become energy independent given the scale of the problem.

If gas becomes scarce in winter, the German government is concerned it could start a chain reaction that would cause millions of household heaters to stop working, German media reported on Friday.

With rents surging in many major cities across Germany, many long-term renters are now on the lookout for a more secure alternative. Housing co-ops may just provide the answer.

People prefer to keep busy rather than to enjoy a moment of reflection, researchers findLosing oneself in one’s thoughts or letting the mind wander is an underrated activity that is more rewarding the more it is practised, an academic study has claimed.Psychologists who studied a group of more than 250 people encouraged to engage in directionless […]

Repeated explosions have prevented firefighters in Berlin from putting out a blaze in a forest to the south-west of the city that started at a police munitions site. More than 100 firefighters were battling the fire in the German capital's well-to-do Grunewald district, reported Deutsche Presse Agentur. Homes were not directly threatened by the flames, but […]

Firefighters struggle to contain blaze that began at munitions site used to store second world war bombsRepeated explosions have prevented firefighters in Berlin from reaching a blaze in a forest to the south-west of the city that started at a police munitions site used to store second world war bombs.The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday […]

Schröder, who is facing investigation over Kremlin links, says he has nothing to apologise for over friendship with Russian leaderRussian-Ukraine war – latest updatesThe former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder has come under fire for a private meeting held with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, after he travelled on holiday to Moscow to meet […]

Tabloids claim outcome of Wembley final is fraudulent and complain about referees’ decision not to penalise victorsAs the German football team licks their wounds following their defeat at Wembley, at least some of the disappointment is being channelled into speculation as to whether the team was fairly treated, even maybe defrauded out of victory. In […]

Mothballed facility in Lower Saxony gets emergency permission to run until AprilA coal-fired power plant that had been mothballed has become the first of its kind to be put back on to the network in Germany, as debate rages over how Europe’s largest economy will cope without Russian gas.The facility in Lower Saxony, which is owned by the Czech energy […]