✨ Exciting things ahead in 2023 ✨

Major anniversaries, one-off events, and some changes to Germany Travel Picks

Happy new year! After a false restart last autumn, Germany Travel Picks is now well and truly back in the saddle - but with a couple of small changes. I will continue to send the newsletter out every other Tuesday and will be covering the same content, however for the time being at least, I’ll be adjusting the format to make it easier to digest (and, if we’re honest, a little less time-consuming to put together).

I’ll also be introducing a new monthly issue, which will feature stories from my travels around Germany (currently scheduled: Mannheim, Berlin and some more of my home turf, the Rheinhessen wine region) including behind the scenes action and personal recommendations. This extra issue will be available to paid subscribers only, and I’ll give you a bit of a warning before I send the first one out.

Thank you for your patience during Germany Travel Picks’ absence last year. If you have any travel questions, future newsletter requests or hot tips for events 2023, please do share them with your fellow Germany fans in the comments.

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Germany in 2023: Major anniversaries and events

Whether you’ve already arranged travel to Germany for this year or you’re sitting at your desk dreaming about it, there are some one-off events and celebrations taking place that you might want to squeeze into your itinerary. From the horticultural to the historical, these five experiences will make for unforgettable holiday highlights - or a very good excuse to book a trip.

Please check individual sites and destinations for up-to-date COVID-19 regulations.

The Special Olympics World Games, Berlin

The Olympiastadion, Berlin | Photo credit: Samuel Svec

This summer, the Special Olympics World Games will take place in Germany for the very first time. Berlin’s Olympiastadion, originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics, will be hosting the world's largest sporting event for athletes with intellectual disabilities, which is held every two years. Some 7,000 athletes in 190 international delegations will compete in 26 different sports, from horse riding, basketball and powerlifting to table tennis and rhythmic gymnastics. The opening ceremony will take place on June 17 - artists to be confirmed. June 17-25.

Berlin 2023 Official Website | Accessibility | Instagram

150 Years of the Völklinger Hütte, Völklingen

The Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site | Image credit: Günther Bayerl / Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte

Germany's former largest producer of iron girders might not sound like the most compelling of tourist destinations, but as the world’s only fully preserved ironworks from the industrial era, it’s well worth a visit. The first monument from the height of the Industrial Revolution to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Völklinger Hütte (Völkingen Ironworks) is today also a unique location for international exhibitions, festivals and concerts. Follow the visitor walkways past historic constructions such as the inclined ore lift, enjoy panoramas of the industrial landscape from the 45-metre-high viewing platforms, and stroll through the wilderness of the former coking plant, which has been reclaimed by local flora and fauna and is filled with birch trees, butterflies and a 10-metre-high sculpture of King Kong.

Völklinger Hütte Website | Accessibility | Instagram

300th Anniversary of the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe, Dresden

Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden | Image credit: David Brandt

2023 sees the start of a six-year celebration of the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) at Dresden’s Residenzschloss (Royal Palace). If such lengthy celebrations seem over the top, wait till you see the vault itself: built in the 18th century by August II, the series of increasingly opulent, mirror-walled rooms are bursting with magnificent jewellery, precious objects and statuettes - as well as the largest green diamond ever found. The highlight is arguably the Pretiosensaal (Hall of Precious Objects), where rock crystals and ostrich eggs are displayed alongside bejewelled gilded vessels. Daily visitor intake is limited, so booking in advance is recommended.

Historisches Grünes Gewölbe Website | Accessibility

BUGA 23: Bundesgartenschau Mannheim

The new Luisenpark | Image rendering: BEZ + KOCK Architekten

First held in 1951, Germany’s biennial national garden show, the Bundesgartenschau, this year takes place in the city of Mannheim. The show will extend across SPINELLI, a residential area and parkland that was once a US military base, to the Luisenpark municipal park, which sits on the bank of the river Neckar, and you’ll be able to see all of it from above on a brand new 2km-long funicular cable car ride. Over 5,000 events are scheduled to take place during the course of the show, from flower shows and lectures on the environment, sustainable agriculture and food security, to cultural exhibitions and sporting activities. April-October 2023.

Bundesgartenschau Mannheim Website | Instagram

500th Anniversary of the Bayerische Staatsorchester, Munich

During its 500-year history, the Bayerische Staatsorchester (Bavarian State Orchestra) has staged several world premieres, won numerous awards, and been led by eminent musical directors such as the 19th century German composer Richard Strauss. As the house orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera House) in Munich, its 144 members perform both the pit for ballet and operas and on stage for chamber and symphony concerts. Celebrate the orchestra’s half-millennium by attending one of the many concerts and events planned throughout 2023.

500th Anniversary Website | Bavarian State Opera House Website | Accessibility | Instagram

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How to Explore German History, Architecture, and Delicious Food on a Green Vacation • Testing the waters on a journey through Germany's prettiest spa towns, from Aachen to Baden-Baden • Where to go in 2023 (Leipzig, #14) • Incredible experiences for 2023 (Paragliding in the Bavarian Alps, #15) •