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Where is the country of Germany located? Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. Germany has a moderate maritime climate (type Cfb), with relatively mild winters, no extremely hot summers and precipitation throughout the year.

Due to the various mountain and hill areas, you will still find quite a bit of variation in the weather in Germany. Within a radius of one hundred kilometers you can have to deal with large differences in temperature and weather, especially if there is a higher zone in between. It is also not guaranteed in Germany that it will get warmer towards the south. The long-term average temperatures show that the Northwest is indeed cooler in the summer months than the rest of Germany, but in the winter months it is exactly the other way around. Because most of the cold then comes from the north and east and the northwest and the temperature in the west of the country are positively influenced by the North Sea, it seems that the further you go into Germany from the Netherlands, the colder it gets. This is especially noticeable in higher elevations,

Unpredictable spring months

Because Germany has less influence from the sea than in the Netherlands and the number of factors that influence the weather is even greater, Germany has to deal with unpredictable spring months, where there can also be fairly large differences within the country itself. A weather change of twenty degrees in temperature difference within 24 hours is quite possible. In general, the first spring-like days usually occur in March, with spring really breaking through in April. In some years, a longer period of radiant spring weather can wait until May. A significant relapse after a warm period is something that also regularly occurs. Early spring is the driest period of the year for large parts of Germany, in the course of spring the chances of precipitation increase,

Warm summer months

On average, the summers in Germany are slightly warmer than in the Netherlands and the chance of tropical weather or a heat wave is also slightly higher. Yet it can also be a miserable summer for weeks in our eastern neighbors, with a fair amount of precipitation, little sun and relatively low temperatures. If you book a sun holiday to Germany, you will always have to take this into account. However, it is also very possible that you will have sunny weather for two weeks with summer or tropical temperatures. This especially happens if there is a powerful high pressure area over Germany or slightly north of Germany. Faults then have almost no chance and warm air is mainly supplied from the east.

Those who are afraid of hurricanes, whirlwinds or other extreme weather phenomena do not have much to fear in Germany. Rain and thunderstorms can be intense, especially after a period of very hot and clammy weather.

Precipitation

Most precipitation falls in Germany during the summer. In the winter months there is a good chance that precipitation will fall in the form of snow, especially in areas above five hundred meters. The rain can have a showery character, but days with long wet periods are certainly possible.

Every year in Germany about 400 to more than 2400 millimeters of rain falls. The average is around eight hundred to nine hundred millimeters, making the country slightly wetter than the Netherlands. The regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are the wettest. Weather station Balderschwang receives the most precipitation on an annual basis: an average of 2450 millimeters.

The driest regions of Germany are Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. This area is bordered on the north by Berlin and on the south by the Thuringian Forest. Weather station Atzendorf (Marbeschacht) is the driest place in Germany with an average of 399.2 mm of precipitation per year.

Winter Sports Germany

In the winter months you can enjoy winter sports in various places in Germany. Because the mountains here are not as high as in neighboring countries Austria and Switzerland, the snow security in Germany is less. The exception is the extreme south of Bavaria, where the Alps begin and excellent ski areas can be found at altitudes of up to almost three thousand meters. A very well-known winter sports resort in this area is Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which lies almost against Switzerland, where the traditional ski jumping is followed by millions of television viewers on New Year’s Day. The Dutch are also mainly found in Sauerland, especially in places like Winterberg and Willingen. The main reason that many compatriots can be found here is the short distance to the Netherlands. Within a few hours you will be on the slats, provided there is snow of course. Winter sports in Germany are therefore ideal if you can only get away for two or three days. Not only winter sports enthusiasts enjoy a white layer, traffic in Germany also regularly has to deal with winter conditions. Because Germany is slightly cooler than our own little country, the chance of snow and sleet is a lot greater than with us. Every year on television and the internet you see images of hundreds of kilometers of traffic jams and a large number of traffic accidents on the German highways as a result of heavy winter showers that completely disrupt traffic. It is not without reason that it is now mandatory in Germany to drive with winter tires when there are winter weather conditions. Your grip and braking distance improve a lot compared to summer tires or the so-called ‘all season’ tires.

Vacation in Germany

Germany has been one of the favorite holiday destinations among the Dutch for years. The short travel distance and the versatility contribute to Germany’s success as a holiday destination. Think of city trips, active holidays, round trips and wonderful relaxing holidays. In Germany, renting a holiday home is becoming increasingly popular. Interhome is a provider where you can search and book holiday homes and apartments in Germany.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Germany

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Germany? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Because Germany is a neighboring country of the Netherlands, the weather in this European country does not differ much from the weather as we know it. Germany has a temperate maritime climate, in which the geographical location and the landscape partly determine the weather. There are a number of hilly areas, but in the extreme south Germany really has mountains that belong to the Alps. Despite the differences that you can find within Germany in terms of weather and climate, there is a period that you can generally indicate as the best time to travel to Germany. That is from May to September. This period does not guarantee pleasant weather, but does offer the greatest chance of good travel weather for various travel purposes such as city trips, walking, cycling, round trips or a relaxing holiday.

Sun holiday

For those who wish for summer temperatures, the months of July and August are the best months to travel to Germany. Summer days can occur in June, September, but also in May, but that chance is a bit smaller than during the period that coincides with our summer holiday. For all German destinations, you can never be sure that you will have good weather. September can bring beautiful late summer weather, but can also bring the first seriously autumn-like days with lots of rain and wind.

Winter sports

Germany is a winter sports destination where you will find various winter sports areas. Popular among the Dutch is Hochsauerland, where the winter sports resorts of Winterberg and Willingen are located. With altitudes of about eight hundred meters, this is not the snowiest ski destination. Snow cannons are regularly used here to lend nature a hand. The best months for a winter sports holiday in Hochsauerland are January and February.

In the south of Germany, especially in the federal state of Bavaria, there are many more opportunities for winter sports. The highest slopes are more than two thousand meters above sea level, which means that these places have more snowfall and the winter sports season lasts longer. You can often ski and snowboard here from mid-December and the season lasts until the end of March.

Christmas markets

Germany is the country of the Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte). A large number of towns and villages have one or more of these winter markets. For those who want to experience such a German Christmas market, late November until just before Christmas is the time to do so. Some Christmas markets are a little shorter because they start later.