Cuckoo Clocks began life in Germany not Switzerland, and were a way to profit from snow filled winter months in the Black Forest, now part of the 'high tech' state of Baden Wuerttemberg. Still filled with tradition, unspoilt scenery, Roman era health resorts and the Black Forest Clock Route.

There is a Chancellor Angela Merkel Barbie Doll, German affection for red Hungarian paprika sees it added to everything from potato chips and grilled meat to sauces, in Bavaria beer is officially classified as a food, and phone calls are answered only by the surname, not a greeting. Some fun facts.

Germany has a spirited music scene ranging from classical to techno and pop, one seventh of the world’s opera houses, almost one million students at state music schools, and one of its most popular singers has a continuing live show hit with a song sung in praise of a grilled sausage.

The European Union's Anthem, the 4th movement's choral finale from Beethoven's 9th symphony, The Ode to Joy, is emotive and idealistic. Its first performances were thought revolutionary, but now it has been heard in everything from Die Hard to Japanese New Year celebrations and Olympic openings.

An iconic German born composer and child prodigy who broke new ground in Western classical music, and continued to produce musical masterpieces even when profoundly deaf.

Fast facts for Germany, the country and its people. Richly diverse, the world's fifth largest economy, filled with castles, medieval villages, unspoilt nature, mountain ranges, stunning scenery, culture of every variety, and a complex history.

For centuries herbs and plants have been used in German folk medicine, making viable effective medical treatments. With its conventional equivalent, and as part of the country's integrated healthcare, for the majority of the population natural medicine is as relevant today as it ever was.

Karneval, chaos before Lent, especially in Germany's wine regions. Crazy, zany but not enjoyed by everyone, so "Karnevals-Fluechtige" avoid Carnival areas where strangers embrace, bars make 40 percent of their annual earnings, and "The Fifth and Foolish Season" takes over city streets.

A festival is not a festival in Germany unless there is some type of favourite food involved, and for Karneval, Germany's Mardi Gras, it is Faschingskrapfen or Berliner, the Carnival Jelly Donut.

January brings "International Green Week" the biggest fair for food, agriculture and horticulture in the world, which takes place in Berlin each year. It has been held there for over 80 years, a 'one-of-kind' culinary tour of the globe which has kept in step with the times.