50+ Fun Facts About Germany You Won’t Believe

Germany is located in western-central Europe and is the home of a number of things we use, drink, and eat every single day: cars, beer, bread. But what else is there to know about them? Here are some facts about Germany that you probably didn’t know:

1. It has a population of 81 million people.
2. The biggest Beer Festival in the world is the Oktoberfest in Munich. It’s a 2-week long festival
3. There are about 7,000 different types of beers in Germany and at least 1,300 breweries.
4. To get a beer in Germany, you show your thumb. To show your first finger means that you want 2 beers: one with the thumb, and one with the finger.
5. A fine for stealing an Oktoberfest glass is $60.00
6. The tradition of the Christmas tree originated from Germany.
7. Germany is nicknamed the “Land of Poets & Thinkers”
8. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Germany.
9. Nearly 1/3 of the country is covered in forests.
10. Germany leads the way in climate protection and the development of renewable energies.
11. There are many national parks in Germany include the Bavarian Forest National Park, Jasmund National Park, Harz National Park, and the Wadden Sea National Parks among others.
12. It’s the major economic powerhouse in the European Union, and also one of the largest economies in the world!
13. Gummy bears and the legend of the Easter Bunny originated in Germany.
14. Berlin has the largest train station in Europe.
15. Germany shares borders with nine other countries. Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
16. Any form of discrimination against gay and lesbian people is illegal. As it should be!!
17. The government in Germany is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic.
18. There are over 300 different kinds of bread in Germany.
19. Germany is one of the world’s leading book nations. The first-ever printed book was written in German!
20. There are over 2,100 castles in Germany.
21. Some of the castles have been transformed into museums, hotels, or cultural art centers for people to enjoy.
22. Germany is home to numerous natural resources: copper, nickel, uranium, coal and natural gas.
23. Most of the taxis are Mercedes.
24. Germany is the second-largest exporter of cars in the world.
25. It’s illegal to run out of gas/fuel on the Autobahn (the major highway).
26. There’s also no speed limit on the Autobahn. The “recommended” speed limit is 130km (or 80mph).
27. Germany was the first country in the world to adopt Daylight Saving Time.
28. There are over 400 zoos in Germany.
29. The Berlin Zoological Garden is one of the world’s largest zoos with 1,500 species of animals.
30. Don’t jaywalk – it’s actually illegal there.
31. Colleges in Germany have been tuition-free since 2014.
32. There are over 1,000 kinds of sausages in Germany.
33. They are known to consume more pork than any other meat.
34. Berlin is 9 times bigger than Paris and has more bridges than Venice.
35. Holocaust denial is either implicitly or explicitly a crime in 17 countries, including Germany.
36. During World War II, Coca-Cola syrup was difficult to import into Nazi Germany. Because of that, they recreated the classic orange soda known as Fanta.
37. Some leftover WWII bombs are discovered in Germany every year and defused.
38. 2/3 of the population are Christian.
39. There are around 4 million Muslims and 100,000 Jews.
40. Germans believe it’s a basic human instinct to be free, so if a prisoner tries to escape jail, there’s no punishment for it.
41. Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig von Beethoven. Recognize any of these names? Of course, you do, they’re famous German composers!
42. The coffee filter was created in Germany in 1908.
43. The world’s tallest cathedral is in Ulm at 530 feet tall.
44. “Hansel and Gretel,” “Snow White,” and “Rapunzel,” were created by German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
45. It’s a law that Sundays are a day of rest and silence–so don’t even think about cutting your grass! Stores are closed too.
46. Germans invented the accordion.
47. Germans are the third most efficient country in the world to recycle.
48. The cuckoo clock was invented in Germany in the 17th century.
49. The typical weather in winter is cool, cloudy, and wet. The typical weather in the summer is mild with an occasional heatwave.
50.  Prostitution is legal. It’s considered a real job too!
51.  It’s a wedding tradition that the bride is often “kidnapped” by friends before the wedding and the groom must hunt for her as she is taken to different taverns and the groom must buy drinks for his friends.
52. The Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland was inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle.