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Collecting shells on the seashore, vacation down on the farm, fun on horseback or lots of excitement in one of Germany's many leisure parks. Germany's family-oriented reputation is not earned by chance. This is the country where vacation makes children's hearts beat faster and offers parents balsamic relaxation. For sports fans especially, Germany has much in store: numerous ski regions with coaching programs for all ages, exhilarating landscapes for cycling, walking and hiking and kilometers of coastline for watersports galore.

Visitors coming to Germany for healing and convalescence are also well catered for in the many spas and health resorts. Fancy a family vacation in Germany? Just click your dream leisure pursuits!

A seaside vacation is the stirring sight of foam-topped waves, the peacefully sparkling salt flats. It is the bracing briny air, the feeling of sand between the toes, the whispering wind, the screech of gulls and the soft lap of surf on the shore. A seaside vacation is also nature pure. The salt flats with their astounding flora and fauna. The nature and bird reserves. The North and Baltic seas, the ebb and flow, dunes, beaches, dikes and marshes.

The North Sea and Baltic Sea stretch from the Netherlands to Poland, giving the landscape wonderful diversity. The canals in Ostfriesland, the lowland lakes of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the inland Hanseatic towns, the small harbours and the exclusive seaside resorts beckon invitingly for more than just a visit. Leisure pursuits along the coast are prolific: riding on the beach, surfing, sailing, rambling, cycling, pottering about, swimming or building sandcastles. For vacationers all, whether families with children, sportspeople or simply relaxation seekers, the seaside has indeed lots to offer. A good infrastructure, with hotels in all categories and an excellent and varied cuisine, make a vacation on the German coast and its islands an attraction for all seasons.

Rusticate in Germany and enjoy all its typical pastoral pleasures. Whether you opt for farmhouse accommodation or hotel, the rural tranquillity of out-of-the-way villages helps you to shake off hectic, anonymity and everyday stress. Spend a carefree vacation with your family in nature's bosom and gather new stamina.

German Leisure Parks - Every one of Germany's 30 leisure and theme parks is an adventure for the whole family. Whenever possible try to plan your visit on a weekday. It is also advisable to get there early and to foresee 5 - 6 hours. If a major park is on your schedule, plan a full day.

German Nature and National Parks - Offer a completely different type of experience. Whereas the 10 German national parks are geared to the all-round protection of nature and the unique landscape, the goal of the 96 nature parks and 3 Europa parks is relaxation and recuperation.

Germany has a great deal to offer for vacations all in white. In addition to Germany's classical ski regions like Allgäu, Oberbayern and Schwarzwald, all types of wintersports are possible in Harz, Thüringer Wald, Erzgebirge, Hunsrück, Siegerland, Sauerland, Fichtelgebirge, Frankenwald, Odenwald, Eifel, Rhön and the Schwäbische Alb. And ski fans wanting to wedel down German mountains in summer just strap on grasskis.

A walking holiday in Germany puts spring in your stride. There is a dense network of rambling routes cared for by regional walking clubs. These clubs are organized within the "Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine" (walking and mountaineering association) and they inform you about routes, hostels and lodges in their respective regions. For those aspiring higher the Deutsche Alpenverein (DAV), maintains around 300 lodges among the alps and lower mountains. They offer walkers and mountaineers cosy accommodation by wind and weather. The DAV also looks after a network of trails stretching about 15,000 km throughout the Alps. Details can be obtained from the regional tourist boards. Here you can get information on walking possibilities with and without guides and usually buy the appropriate maps. Or you set your sights further along one of the many long-distance rambling trails which take you through some of the lovest scenery with unique sights. Information on long-distance trails in the Alps foothills can be obtained from the relevant association. For a care and burden-free tour many rambling regions offer a special service: walking without baggage. Instead of humping unnecessary pounds along, you just notify the transporter of you daily destination.

For cycling enthusiasts Germany also has lots to offer. First rate cycle tracks criss-cross cities and link towns and villages. They encircle lakes and escort rivers. They make a cycle tour an appealing and interesting pursuit. Cycles can be hired in virtually all larger German towns and cities (tip: ask at the main station). For those with a little more time in Germany, a cycle journey is highly recommended. A well maintained network of cycle routes connects most places of interest. Especially pleasant: one pedals almost always along traffic-free routes.

Regardless of what you opt for, with a vacation in Germany you have backed the right horse. Equestrian sport is offered in numerous resorts, for example in riding schools and riding clubs. Not to forget the many hacking and pony farms. The individual tourist boards will be happy to assist you. For riding in the open each federal state has its own code of behaviour. The central association "Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung" can tell you more. Please do not hesitate to pester the regional tourist boards with your questions.