Carnival in Germany began in ancient times, masked Teutons made as much noise as possible to chase away the evil spirits of winter. Now in the Cologne area it begins with 'Weiberfastnacht', where women take over the streets and no necktie is safe from the large scissors they carry.

There is a Fairy Tale Road in Germany, which, as it follows in the footsteps of the Brothers Grimm, leads to a castle filled world of fantasy, sagas, myths and legends, through forests, beautiful countryside and medieval villages.

Frederick II of Prussia is one of the most famous German Rulers, both for his military successes as a brilliant strategist, and for the ground breaking domestic reforms he introduced into his country.

Once upon a time there were two very dissimilar brothers, whose combined talents produced European folk and fairy tales which were anything but sweet and gentle bedtime stories. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Sophie Scholl was 21, a leader of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group of Munich University students, and one of many Germans who did not support the Nazi regime, when in February 1943 she was executed for treason, together with her brother Hans and their friend Christoph Probst.

The Cologne Cathedral took over 600 years to complete. Construction began when Cologne was part of the Holy Roman Empire, and was finished in 1880 when it was a city in newly United Germany, with Wilhelm I as the first German Emperor. Now it is one of the country's most important monuments.

It is a quirky way of trying to tell the future, melting a heavy metal, dropping it into water and divining the future from the shape it makes. Originating in antiquity 'lead pouring' remains a favourite amongst the many German New Year traditions, but there is an 'eco-friendly' version.

It could be used to make small ginger cookies, tasty on their own or dipped into a warm drink, building bricks for a Witches Cottage, Gingerbread Men, Christmas decorations or an Oktoberfest Heart, but whatever you create with this Lebkuchen recipe it will always be delicious. With spice mix recipe.

Potato salads have become a favorite throughout Europe but the original Warm Potato Salads came from Germany, where hot vinegar and bacon dressings served over vegetables and potatoes have been a staple of the country’s cuisine for centuries.

Speculaas were a special Christmas cookie, but now both they and the paste, a popular alternative to peanut butter and chocolate spread with the German young, and not so young, are year round favorites. Here are recipes for a quick and easy Cookie, Spread and 'Ready To Use' Spice Mix.