Springtime For Germany: or How I Learned to Love Lederhosen

A witty and eye-opening trip round much misunderstood Germany and the German people - contains nudity

From inedible bread to bad weather, no sense of humour and excessive speed at securing sunloungers, Germany and the German people have had a terrible reputation among the British since time immemorial (or 1914). So, going where very few travel-writers and holidaymakers have gone before, Ben Donald has visited Germany in order to overturn stereotypes (if he can’t reinforce them) and, at the same time, fall back in love with travel.

From the massed ranks on the nudist beaches of Germany’s north coast, via intimate encounters in the steam-rooms of Baden-Baden and the brothels of Hamburg (where he makes his excuses and leaves), to the rite of passage that is wearing Lederhosen to the Oktoberfest, the author has put his body and his dignity on the line to get beneath the skin of this most maligned of countries. He even goes to see a German stand-up comedian. In (where else?) England. And what emerges is a Germany that will surprise many who thought they knew the country and its people; an eye-opener in other words - especially those nudist beaches.