Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

Deutsche Bahn releases new schedules and updates for summer

The vacation period is just around the corner, and many of us are already planning day trips and holidays around the country – possibly with the €49 Deutschlandticket in tow. If you’re planning to travel by train, it could be worth taking some time to get familiar with Deutsche Bahn’s new schedule and changes for the summer months. 

Unfortunately, the news is a little bit mixed, since Deutsche Bahn is seizing the opportunity while many are off work to carry out some badly needed renovations on busy sections of the railtrack. That means you can expect some disruption from July 16th until August 12th on the Cologne to Frankfurt Airport high-speed line, and journeys on the Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim are set to take an extra 30 minutes. From August 17th, upgrades on the popular line between Hamburg and Berlin will delay journeys between the Hanseatic city and the capital by around 45 minutes each way. 

It’s not all bad news though: along with its new summer schedule, Deutsche Bahn also announced it would be adding new high-speed trains to its international routes and has unveiled a range of juicy offers for football fans during Euro 2024. The physical Bahncard is also being phased out entirely, but you can easily add a digital version on the DB Navigator app. 

Tweet of the week

The excitement was palpable in the German capital for the opening matches of Euro 2024, and in true Berlin style, no expense was spared in the decorations.

Berlin pulling out all the stops for the football pic.twitter.com/4rdyEg1gwp

— Slow Travel Berlin (@slowberlin) June 13, 2024

Where is this?

No, this isn’t German goalkeeper Manu Neuer with a new haircut – it’s Hilla the sea lioness predicting the outcome of the opening Euro 2024 match at Leipzig Zoo on Thursday. According to the slippery oracle, Scotland was likely to score in the first half before Germany equalised in the second at the kick-off game on Friday. The ‘predictions’ were made on the basis of the Californian sea lioness’ own goal-scoring record. If she keeps it up, we think she could be in the running for a golden boot.

Did you know?

We all know that Germans like to keep things ordentlich, but nowhere takes it to such extremes as the southern German region of Swabia. Though many of the stereotypes about this region are less-than-flattering, one aspect of the local culture that Swabians can be proud of is their knack for keeping things clean and tidy.

Swabians are so keen to keep their houses in order that they even have a tradition known as the Kehrwoche, or sweeping week, in which neighbours take it in turns to clean communal areas. This was historically done on a Saturday afternoon in preparation for Sunday, but there’s no legal stipulation in Swabia to clean at a particular time. 

READ ALSO: Thrifty Swabians and haughty Hamburgers – A guide to Germany’s regional stereotypes

That said, the Kehrwoche is so ingrained in the Swabian mentality that people in Stuttgart or elsewhere in the region may well find a clause in their rental contract setting out when (and what) they’re expected to clean. So next time you’re in that part of southern Germany, be sure to look out for spotless doorsteps and streets.