Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Locals are generally accommodating and
fairly helpful towards visitors, and many will
volunteer assistance if you look lost. This po-
liteness does not necessarily extend to friendli-
ness, however, and in public, people usually
maintain a degree of reserve towards strangers
- you won't find many conversations striking
up on the bus or in the supermarket checkout queue. On the other hand, in younger com-
pany it's easy to chat with just about anyone, particularly in studenty hang-outs.
Shaking hands is common among both men and women, as is a hug or a kiss on the
cheek, especially among young people. When making a phone call, start by giving your
name (eg 'Smith, Grüss Gott'). Not doing so is considered impolite.
Importance is placed on the formal '
Sie
' form of address, especially in business situ-
ations. Among younger people and in social settings, though, people are much more re-
laxed about using '
Sie
' and '
Du
'.
The website
www.kulturportal-bayern.de
is your
guide to Bavarian culture, with sections on fine
arts, film, museums, traditions and much, much
more.
Sport
Football
Mention
Fussball
(football, soccer) in Bavaria
and passions will flare. FC Bayern München
has dominated the Bundesliga on and off for
the past two decades and has won the German
championship 21 times, most recently in 2010.
It's also had some success in the UEFA Cham-
pion's League, reaching the final four times,
but winning the competition only once. The team packs plenty of actual and financial
muscle and attracts some of Europe's best players. The other Bavarian teams in the Bun-
desliga as of 2013 are 1 FC Nürnberg, FC Augsburg and SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
The football season runs from September to June, with a winter break from Christmas
to mid-February.
The Goethe Institut website (
www.goethe.de
) is a
superb place to start for detailed info on all aspects
of German culture.
