When I was a child, and travelling outside Germany was not quite as ordinary as it seems today, I remember Rimini as a word I used to repeat over and over in order to taste its seemingly impossible range of exotic resonance. In those days, most Germans travelled to the North Sea, as the climate was considered healthy and invigorating: dormitory style accommodations, home-made jam, the smell of boiled cabbage along the corridors and outside the neverending wind, which left your cheeks burning and did little to clear the grey skies. However, only a short while ago German travellers could be found everywhere in the world: no mountain was too high, no ocean too far, no beach too remote - just when you thought yourself delightfully alone, the bushes would part and out would step some impossibly tannedbeach-blond German, who would immediately declare with a giddy grin: "Isn't it lovely that there is nobody here?. " The wish to flee a small and highly populated country is easily explained - the more people live in close proximity, the higher the pressure to conform. Anything that sounds exotic and distant instantly smells of freedom and adventure, and during the recent economically affluent decades Germans spent much of their wealth as far from home as possible.

Today all that has changed again. The attacks of September 11 as well as an economic downturn have given everyone the opportunity to discover their own backyard. While there have been close to 20% less American, Japanese and other long distance travellers visiting Germany's shores, Germans themselves and other European visitors have more than made up for it. Germans seem delighted with what they find there, and they have reason to do so. However, while the rest of the world is making much of Germany's world class cities and and its high quality cultural events, Germans themselves are discovering the beauty and diversity of Germanys landscape and nature.
Discovering Germany by bike is en vogue, as are quiet days in its surprisingly plentiful forests (one third of Germany is covered by forest), or along its many rivers and lakes; canoeing, paddle-boating, swimming or just making stones dance on the surface of water. There arethirteen national parks, and many nature sanctuaries as well as nature parks where environmental protection is given top priority. Here, no one wants to sell anything, nothing demands immediate attention, far and wide no "event culture", just long forgotten friends: birds, trees, flowers, berries, mushrooms, grass, moss and butterflies. Here one revels in the ultimate of modern luxuries; peace, time and space. After 100 days on alpine pastures the cattle drive down to the villages and stables is as colourful and noisy as can be. The participating herdsmen are wearing the traditional costume of leather knee-breaches and Gamsbart hats, the cattle are decorated with flower garlands and hung with all manners of bells. There is music and schuhplatt'eln (the original Bavarian folk dance). This is rural adventure at it's best.
http://www.viabono.de/When the United Nations declared the Year of Ecological Tourism in 2002, the German Government immediatley matched this with a federal program of its own: Viabono is designed for those travellers who want to "experience Germany 's countryside and wilderness" and assists tourists in choosing environmentally sound travel options. One of the most successful initiatives of Viabono was the introduction of bicycle travel. Some 40 000km of long distance bike trails take you through all 16 federal states, from the North Sea coast to the River Danube in the south. Always within cycling distance is the next railway station, where you (and your bike) may easily switch to the Intercity Express, which speeds of more than 200km/h will take you from Frankfurt to Berlin in just under three and a half hours! images © German National Tourism Board]]

www.germany-tourism.de/e/9141.html has the best info for Bike & Rail travellers, route planners, bike tips and tricks etc. IN ENGLISH. PS. The title of this week's feature is the opening line of one of Germany'sfavourite folksongs. You'll find the rest of the lyrics and many more songs at http://www.aggi.de/freisongs/KEINSCHO.HTM