People

Predominantly Caucasian, with a significant Turkish minority. Germany has also absorbed many refugees from the former Yugoslavia.

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Religion

34% Protestant, 34% Catholic, 4% Muslim, 28% unaffiliated or other. There are about 74,000 Jews (the pre-Holocaust figure was over half a million).

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Female Travellers

Germany is generally a safe place for women to travel, even alone and even in the cities. Of course, this doesn't mean you can let your guard down and trust your life to every stranger. Simply use the same common sense that you would at home. Getting hassled in the streets happens infrequently and is usually limited to wolfwhistles and unwanted stares. In crowded situations, ie on public transport or at events, groping is a rare possibility. Going alone to cafes and restaurants is perfectly acceptable, even at night. In the cities at least, bars and clubs don't have to be off-limits either. If you don't want company, most men will respect a firm but polite 'no thank you'. If someone continues to harass you, protesting loudly will often make the offender slink away with embarrassment – or will at least draw attention to your predicament.

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Gay & Lesbian Scene

Germans are fairly tolerant of homosexuality, but gays (Schwule) and lesbians (Lesben) still don't enjoy quite the same social acceptance as in certain other northern European countries. As elsewhere, cities are more liberal than rural areas, and younger people more tolerant than older generations.

Berlin is by far the gayest city in Germany, if not in all of Europe, but Cologne also has a lively scene and there are smaller but still vibrant ones in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich. In those cities gay couples holding hands or kissing in public is becoming more common and raises fewer eyebrows. Discrimination is more likely in eastern Germany and in the conservative south where gays and lesbians tend to keep a low profile. Germany's gay movement took a huge step forward in 2001 with the passing of the Life Partnership Act, sometimes called the 'gay marriage'. It gives homosexual couples the right to register their partnership at the registry office and to enjoy many of the same rights, duties and protections as married couples.

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Disabled Travellers

Overall, Germany caters well for the needs of people with disabilities (Behinderte), especially people who use wheelchairs. You'll find access ramps and/or lifts in many public buildings, including train stations, museums, theatres and cinemas. Newer hotels have rooms for mobility-impaired guests with extra-wide doors and spacious bathrooms. However, other disabilities (such as blindness or deafness) are not as well catered for, and German organisations representing people with disabilities continue to lobby for improvements.

The web page of the German National Tourism Office (www.germany-tourism.de) has an entire section dedicated to information about vacationing in Germany with a disability (under Travel Tips) with helpful links. Many local and regional tourism offices also have special brochures for people with disabilities. The Deutsche Bahn operates a Mobility Service Centre (tel 01805-512 512) whose operators can answer questions about station and train access, and can help you plan a route requiring minimal train changes. With one day's notice, they can also arrange for someone to meet you at the station and assist you in any way necessary. Generally, all ICE trains and most IC/EC, IR and S-Bahn trains can accommodate people in wheelchairs. Guide dogs are allowed on all trains. In cities, U-Bahns and buses are becoming increasingly wheelchair-friendly as well.