Experience Germany Like a Local

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German Souvenirs Recommended by a German

He came into the office and put down a ziplock bag of sand on the counter. It was time for him to check out. Being in the hospitality business on an island in Florida, you have the joy of meeting a lot of interesting people. Seeing the questioning look on my face, he told me that he takes sand from every beach he stays at, writes the name of the hotel on the bag, and takes it home. Then, very calmly, and very seriously, he admits that he will die someday, and that he wants his children to visit the beautiful beaches that he’s been to, and when they do, to return his sand back to that beach. I was still baffled by his story when he drove out of the parking lot, and told all my colleagues about his idea.

While we do not collect sand from Germany to bring home, Denise is always on the lookout for children's books from local artists and I look for chocolate, mainly Milka and Kinder products. Every year we pack our suitcases to the maximum weight allowed, crammed with keepsakes that we treasure for many years to come (except for the chocolate, which gets eaten inappropriately fast).

When you go to Germany, here are 3 souvenir ideas to look for, either for yourself or a loved one back home:

1. When I tell someone that I am from Germany, another comment I always hear is that Germany has great beer. And traditionally we drink our beer out of a beer stein or glass. But don’t believe that every family uses a stein with a tin lid and paintings on it, many of which are kind of tacky. If you want a stein that Germans use, buy a normal beer glass, like a Halbe (0,5 liter glass, pictured on the right) or the Maßkrug (1 liter glass, pictured on the left).

German Souvenirs Recommended By a German - Tourist is a Dirty Word Blog

2. The German sweets I miss the most after chocolates are German gummy bears. The German company Haribo is famous for their gummy bears, and has all kinds of wacky flavors and shapes not available in the states. You want Smurfs gummies? Done. Craving a peach? They make a peach shaped and flavored variety. How about small soda bottles that look like they're half filled with cola, but have no caffeine? Well, that's very specific, but yes Haribo makes that too! Happy Cola by Haribo is one of their all-time best sellers, featuring half clear, lemon flavor, half tangy, cola flavor. Even the smaller grocery stores usually have a good selection of flavors, so grab whatever you like. ...The German gummies have natural coloring and real fruit juice, making the taste and texture substantially different from American gummy bears, which are made in Turkey.

Haribo Gummies and Other German Souvenirs

3. Even if you go to Germany in the summertime, choose a Christmas tree ornament that reminds you of your vacation months later, when the weather is cold and stormy. Most tourist stores which sell a T-Shirt or mug will also have a special corner dedicated to Christmas ornaments. You can pick one that shows an iconic landmark, a handmade nutcracker or a little pretzel ornament. Just don’t ask for a dill pickle ornament. It's a long story, and you might think of it as German, but it is an American tradition. If you're concerned about keeping it safe, go for a wooden ornament. If you love Christmas as much as we do, go crazy in one of the Käthe Wohlfahrt stores, which are entirely Christmas themed all year long. For more German Christmas souvenir ideas, check out our earlier post about Bringing German Christmas Home With You.

Glass or Wooden Ornaments German Souvenirs

Perhaps most importantly, if you see something that you really like, go ahead and BUY IT! Don't wait until after dinner, or when you're on your way back to your hotel at the end of the day, or look around some more to see if you can find it for less money. There's a universal rule - Buy It or Forget It. The store WON'T be open after dinner, it WON'T be open tomorrow (even though the sign said it would), it will cost even MORE money in the next town, and so on. Go bargain hunting when you are back home. Don't stress out on your vacation.

Do you have something you'd add? Do you have a favorite souvenir? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Bonus Resources:
• Taste Test Results
of German Gummy Bears vs. American Gummy Bears! Who will win!?
• Read Collecting Souvenirs: A collaboration on What Souvenirs Travel Bloggers Collect from Wanderphile blog

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Thank you For Reading! Denise & Sebastian | Photo by Irene Fiedler