German tourists are well-known for their insatiable enthusiasm for traveling and experiencing other countries and cultures. As much as they like to venture out and explore destinations abroad, they also very much enjoy vacationing at home. Some of Germany's most popular destinations among tourists from home and abroad are the country's coastlines and especially the inviting islands which dot both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea shores. While the German islands are markedly different from the typical tropical paradise image often associated with an island vacation, they have much to offer to the tourist and tired traveler: from gorgeous sandy beaches to dramatic cliffs, from unspoiled nature to posh resort towns. Each island is unique in its landscapes and attractions but all of these gorgeous destinations will leave you relaxed, revived and eager to return.

Explore some of Germany's Favorite Island Getaways

Recipe Ideas for your Summer Picnic

Nothing captures the essence of summer quite like a great outdoor picnic. Whether you are enjoying a day at the beach, in the mountains, at a park or at your favorite spot in the countryside, we have put together a collection of delicious light snacks which would make great additions to any picnic basket. After a leisurely hike or fun games and activities at the beach everyone will have worked up a good appetite and that's when it's time to break out your well-packed picnic baskets and coolers. Light summer snacks like fresh fruit and salads as well as sandwiches make perfect picnic food.

Here's an important rule of thumb for picking the right salads and sandwich toppings: avoid lettuce which will wilt easily as well as ingredients which spoil fast and require constant refrigeration.

See just how easy it is to add a German twist to your next picnic by exploring our collection of picnic-friendly recipes.

A Summer Picnic Recipe Collection

You just may have the answer ...

In our continued efforts to make it easier for the fans of Germanfoods.org to to communicate with us, we have created the Ask Germanfoods page. The response has been great but we soon had to realize that all our combined knowledge of and expertise on Germany's culinary culture seems to be no match for the insatiable curiosity of our readers. While we can usually easily provide the big picture on most culinary topics and trends when it comes to authentic German foods, many questions we get are too specific in either geographic or cultural terms. Just because we don't have answers to all your questions, doesn't necessarily mean that knowledge isn't out there somewhere. This month we would like to encourage you to read through some of the questions submitted by other fans of Germanfoods.org and see whether you just may have the answer they have been looking for. It's time to share your culinary knowledge about Germany and your local expertise when it comes to the best sources for German foods in your area.

Visit the New 'Ask GermanFoods