No doubt there’ll be some commentators who will say that Germany, already a sophisticated, wealthy country, doesn’t need such an accolade. The likes of Sri Lanka, where many people are still living in substantial poverty, make more worthy recipients.

So why now? Why has Germany been recognised this time round? Lonely Planet justifies its choice by picking out the 100^th anniversary of the Bauhaus movement, which will be celebrated next year, particularly in Weimar, the epicentre of everything Bauhausian.

I would suggest, however, that a slightly obscure (as far as most of the world is concerned) movement in architecture and design is not the whole story, but just the last bit of heat that finally brought the kettle to the boil.

Germany’s recent resurgence as a tourism destination properly began back in 2006, when it hosted the World Cup. The press descended on the host cities, as did huge numbers of people who wouldn’t normally choose to visit Germany, and they found a destination that conformed to the stereotype of efficiency, but was also hospitable, good looking and good value.

That, combined with the enormous success of Berlin as a trendy post-Wall citybreak destination, gave visitor numbers a healthy boost. Since then two other major factors have chimed in: the boom in river cruising (Germany has three of the greatest cruise rivers, the Rhine, the Danube and the Elbe), and the steady rise of tourism to Christmas markets. Both have introduced travellers to the sort of German towns which weren’t massively damaged by bombs in World War II.

Quite what effect the Lonely Planet nomination will have remains to be seen, of course, but Germany’s tourism figures have been rising inexorably, year by year, for the last decade, so that direction of travel will certainly continue.

After months of non-stop work, I convinced my sister Mia to get away for a few days and spend some quality time together, on a luxury trip along the Baltic Coast of Germany.

Our starting point was to be Berlin, but before we set off northwards for our ten-day scenic drive, we had a bit of time in the city for a little sightseeing.

The last time I was in Berlin was back in the winter for a friend’s art exhibition and it rained the entire time, so now, with gorgeous early summer weather, I was excited to walk around a bit. We headed out and hit the classic sights, grabbing a quick lunch at a bistro on Alexanderplatz, a square where much of Berlin’s urban history is captured, and then walking along the remains of the Berlin Wall. Mia had never been to the East Side Gallery before, where the Wall is covered in murals, and that’s one of my favourite places in Berlin. It is such a strong statement.

We were lucky enough to be staying in the Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome, right by the Museum Island, and walked back to the hotel past Berlin’s iconic monuments as the sun started to set. Dinner in the hotel’s La Banca restaurant was a foretaste of the sea: I had salt baked cod with wild herbs.

Next day we hopped into our rented convertible and headed for the coast. The drive was serene and remarkably beautiful, and the Baltic, when it came into sight, was a hue of deep cobalt blue.

Our first stop was Stralsund, a charming Hanseatic town, and the gateway to the beautiful island of Rugen. We took a short walk around the city’s old square before crossing the bridge.

Rugen itself is spectacular and was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. The island is untouched and picturesque, surrounded by vast strands of white sandy or pebble beaches set against chalk white cliffs. In our time here, we went on a hike along the cliff-lined peninsula to Rugen’s easternmost point. We then emerged from amongst the thick trees onto the white sandy south beach, where it was bathed by crystal clear water.

Rugen is famous as a spa destination, and our hotel, the Travel Charme Kurhaus Binz, housed the splendid Puria Spa, so after an active day we could sign up for the likes of Hawaiian hot stone treatment.

After Rugen, we turned the car towards Hamburg, stopping in Schwerin to visit the city’s castle, a veritable Disneyland, complete with turrets, fortifications and elongated spires.

And then we were in Hamburg itself, a fashionable and artistic city, which provided the perfect final destination. Our trip ended with some dazzling shopping and a great dinner in the Jacob’s Hotel restaurant, which has two Michelin stars.

Nicole Harris is a travel and lifestyle journalist for Luxuria Magazine, a publication of Europe Luxury Car Hire. 

How quickly this summer’s events have moved on. I was in Greece earlier this week, on the non-migrant shore. It wasn’t so long ago that that country, when it was in conflict with Germany about austerity and bank loans, threatened to send all its refugees on to Berlin, no questions asked. At that time, Angela Merkel’s face was appearing on posters in Athens, daubed with a Hitler moustache.

None of the Greeks are saying bad words about the Germans now – at least they weren’t in my hearing. They don’t dare. Merkel’s humanity has been relieving the Balkan bottleneck, and the Greeks are doing just what they had threatened to do – pointing refugees towards Berlin, no questions asked.

The pressure that the refugee movement has placed on Greece, in times of economic strife, has been difficult, and unfairly onerous, but to give the Greeks credit I haven’t heard much in the way of official complaint. Tourism, however, has inevitably suffered, with Lesbos and Kos losing their traditional international visitor arrivals hand over fist.

So will the same happen in Germany, as it surpasses its stated total this year of 800,000 refugees? What impact will that migration have on tourism? Certainly, Munich station has become something of scrum these past few days. Who knows what will happen when Oktoberfest kicks off, bringing huge numbers of beer-drinkers to those same platforms. The odd heavy drinker may even find himself waking up in a camp!

Whether there will be any other conflict between tourism and refugees remains to be seen; there’s a lot of available space in former eastern Germany where many towns are half empty, but these are not places where tourists yet go. They also tend to be strongholds of the Far Right.

The official line from the embassy is very upbeat: “the refugee story has no impact whatsoever on Germany as a tourist destination. Germany is and remains an open and friendly country that receives all visitors with a smile and a big welcome.”

That ‘big welcome’ is good PR for brand Germany, of course. And it is also a connection with history. One of the stories that doesn’t get told in the English-language history books is the huge migration at the end of World War II, where between 12 and 14 million German-speaking refugees were transported across a much diminished Germany and deposited on regional towns and cities. In most cases local residents were forced to give up rooms in their houses to these unwelcome visitors, and many of the newcomers remained with their hosts, as deeply resented ‘guests’, for years, until Germany’s economic recovery was sufficient to breathe back new vigour into their lives.

The ex director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, described it as “the biggest forced migration in Europe’s history, possibly in all history.” It is still a strong memory in the minds of many Germans, and in the end, the country came out of it very well.

More recently, there was German re-unification, and the massive movement of people that that produced. From which Germany has also emerged very well.

But those were people of the same culture. Absorbing 800,000 plus non-German speakers from a very different culture will be a tough task.

What a night! 1-0 over Argentina! The World Cup is ours! Germany’s national headlines are beside themselves with pride and joy.

And yet, there is very little about the man who made it all happen, who held all the strings and who remained a quiet, reserved, cool cucumber until the very end. Under him, the team have won 75 out of 110 international matches, became runners-up in the European Championship 2008 and have now brought the World Cup trophy home – which makes him the most successful team chief since 1984.

But still Germans don’t really get Joachim Löw, the manager of the German national football team. Even after the quarter final the nation discussed whether he’d have to go soon. Possibly after the semi-final – or at the latest after the final! Imagine this discussion in the UK or Brazil.

You get funny answers when you ask for the reasons why. According to Der Spiegel, even seasoned sports journalists could only muster answers like: “He wears his watch on the wrong side… His hair is dyed… He is stubborn, he is arrogant, he is a country bumpkin… He loves Klose too much… He doesn’t use Klose enough… He shows no emotions… He plays too much like Spain… He plays too little like Spain.” Etc

Throughout all this Löw has held his head high and said very little. Whereas his predecessors’ careers were a rollercoaster of ups and downs, he has remained continuously – pardon the pun – on the ball, grouped and regrouped his resources, until he didn’t just have a collection of good football players but a fantastic young team that could withstand any pressure and still score. The World Cup final serves as a perfect allegory for his way of working: blood, sweat and tears, constant vigilance and a whole lot of hard graft.

It remains to be seen if the German people still want him to leave.

This is the time of year that tourism boards from the northern coasts of Germany start to cover their websites with images of one particular piece of outdoor furniture: the Strandkorb. If you don’t know what I am referring to, then see the lead picture on our Facebook page.

There’s no direct translation for Strandkorb – ‘beach chair’ isn’t sufficient – because they don’t exist in English-speaking countries. On UK beaches, we tend to erect flimsy plastic windbreaks and then cower behind them, but the German solution for cold, wind-blown beaches is far more effective; a substantial adjustable wickerwork half-hut which can be rotated like a sunflower to catch the rays, whilst protecting its occupants from the wind.

Proper Strandkorbs have room enough for two in the padded and lined interior, plus a protective hood, a sun visor, fold-out foot rests, stowable tray tables and compact storage behind your ankles. Give them a set of wheels and a decent motor and they’d probably keep up with most traffic on the autobahns, too.

They have a proper lineage, having been invented in 1882 under Emperor Wilhelm I by Wilhelm Bartelmann, chief basketmaker to the imperial court who came up with the design after an elderly aristocratic lady suffering from rheumatism asked him to build a seat that would protect her from the wind and sun on the beach.

You don’t have to be elderly or rheumatic to get the best out of them. Strandkorbs are usually for rent for around €8/10 per day, and you can buy them (in Germany) for around €3-400. Transporting them elsewhere in the world will be costly, of course, but if you take the plunge and invest, you could be the envy of your neighbours, sitting snug in your back garden, tanning gently whilst the cold wind howls all around.

This year the Germans have published the results of their first census since 1987, and it has revealed some interesting trends. Firstly, it notes a decline in the overall population to 80.2 million, which is 1.5 million fewer than had been presumed. The majority of the ‘missing’ are actually 1.1 million foreign citizens (ie Russians in the former east, NATO soldiers in the former west) who have since left.

It also records what everyone already knew: that the working population has made a general move westwards (unemployment rate circa two percent), to where the economy is stronger, leaving the east (unemployment rate circa four percent) under-populated. This is particularly shown in the age balances, because it is the elderly who have stayed behind: in eastern states, on average 22-25 percent are over 65; in the western states, that figure is more like 19-22 percent.

In general, it is becoming a nation where the elderly dominate. Germans have been prudent about birth control, so there are 12.6 million children, but 17 million over 65s, which is partly why employers have been so welcoming to overseas workers. And it is slowly becoming more ethnically diverse, with nearly one in five citizens coming from a migrant background, mostly concentrated in the south and west.

For Berlin, the darling of the short-break industry, the figures don’t look good.  As you’d expect, its population has a higher proportion of under 18s than the surrounding states, and the proportion with a migrant background, at 23.9 percent, is particularly high. But its economic problems are considerable, because it has virtually no industry, apart from government and tourism; the unemployment rate in Berlin, at 4.9 per cent, is the worst in Germany.

The survey took account of the views of some 26,000 people, asking them to rate the 16 nations (and the European Union) on whether their influence was “mainly positive” or “mainly negative”. Germany came out top, with 59 percent rating it positively. Followed by Canada, UK, Japan and France, with the USA in eighth place, above China and South Korea. Iran was bottom. Even countries like Spain and France, where elements of society have been vociferous about Germany’s economic policy, showed increased respect for Germany when polled.

However there’s not so much respect being shown on the Comments section underneath the article on the BBC’s website, where a large number of contributions have had to be censored, presumably for offensive content.

Of course, here at Schloss Wunderbar we’re not surprised by the news. We knew it all along. But it is worth pondering the possible reasons.

Firstly, it must be about careful diplomacy. There may be some loud voices raised against Germany’s economic policy, particularly in southern Europe, but the silent majority likes the leadership shown. Somebody had to take a firm stand.

Further afield, Germany has stayed clear of the likes of west African wars, or the Middle East conflict, and although it has contributed manpower to peacekeepers in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has kept its political profile low.

Secondly, it must be about jobs. The strength of the German economy, combined with the government’s continued and well-publicised interest in recruiting skilled people from overseas, means that many in less-comfortable countries view the nation as a possible source of well-paid employment.

And finally, it must be about all the stuff we talk about on this site. When you go to Germany as a tourist or on business, you discover good value hotels, (relatively) friendly people, well organised transport, fine landscapes, interesting architecture….I could go on. They just seem to have got it right. And more and more people are recognising that fact.

Read the BBC story.

You probably wouldn’t choose Mannheim as a stand-alone city break in Germany. The city itself, and particularly its immediate surroundings with Ludwigshafen, home of the chemical giant BASF, on the other side of the Rhine, are too industrial. However, if you are in this part of the country, a quick detour will be very worthwhile.

Located at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Neckar, Mannheim offers a magnificent Baroque castle, a beautiful art nouveau ensemble around a water tower, some of the best German shopping and a great choice of cafés and restaurants. That’s why the locals love their Monnem, as it’s called in the local dialect.

Mannheim is particularly famous for its ‘chessboard’ layout. The city centre and its streets between the Neckar and the castle were laid out in a grid formation in the 17th century. Cutting right through it is the popular shopping boulevard Planken, a wide pedestrian zone. At the end – or beginning, whichever way you want to see it – stands the mighty fine art nouveau architectural ensemble, the Friedrichsplatz square. Its water tower, the city’s landmark, was built between 1886 and 1889. Both it and the statue-rich fountains in front of it are particularly spectacular when they are lit up by night.

Go al fresco in art nouveau surroundings

The best way to enjoy all this is sitting al fresco in one of the cafés and bars around the Friedrichsplatz. As soon as the sun comes out, so do Mannheim’s rich and beautiful and the rest as well. Particular favourites amongst the cafés are ‘Dolceamaro’, featuring a baroque-modern interior and Mediterranean-inspired menu, and just next door ‘Café Flo’, a quirky little bistro-type place that is almost as famous in Mannheim as the water tower. And heading towards the Neckar from here, past the city’s green lung Luisenpark, there’s the ‘Bootshaus’, a restaurant and bar above the local rowing club, with a great terrace for a summer evening.

At the centre of Mannheim’s shopping mile is the Engelhorn department store at O5 on the Planken. Still family run, it can easily hold its own next to Berlin’s or Munich’s fashion emporiums. Apart from every possible type of men’s, women’s and kids’ clothing, there’s a fabulous accessories department and coffee bars dotted around on several floors. Right at the top, ‘Faces Lounge’ is a popular café and bar in the evening with a great terrace and views over Mannheim, plus, one floor above, ‘Le Corange’ offers fine dining with equally impressive views.

Perfect for shopping and culture

Mannheim’s cultural scene doesn’t disappoint either with the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, the Technomuseum and the Kunsthalle art gallery as the stand-out locations. The Nationaltheater with its own ensembles for opera, ballet and theatre as well as the Rosengarten concert hall offer a varied programme.

And, of course, there’s the stunning Baroque palace right next to the Planken. It’s the largest of its kind in Germany and partly occupied by the city’s university. The building has been extensively renovated over the past years and is well worth a visit.

Meanwhile the latest urban development to watch out for is the redevelopment of an old granary on the Rhine right opposite Ludwigshafen. The ‘Speicher 7’ complex includes a chic boutique hotel and gourmet restaurant. So maybe Mannheim is worth a stand-alone city break after all.

Website www.germany-statistics.com has been charting the penetration of the likes of Facebook and Twitter, and quotes the following figures: ‘Germany holds tenth place in terms of Facebook users, with 22.6 million people registered from Germany on the website. The largest number of users is within the age group 25-34, followed by 19-24 years. The popularity of Twitter has increased for the past one year. It is the 17^th most popular website in terms of visits. The enterprise level social network website “LinkedIn” users for Germany ranks second and has 2 million users. The Facebook penetration rate in Germany is 28.26 percent. SchuelerVZ, which is the biggest social network in Germany for school students, has 7.4 million students as its members, ranging from ages 12 to 18 years old. In terms of business networks apart from LinkedIn, Xing dominates in the German market. Since, Germans tend to be very private and do not freely share their personal information: they feel that storing their personal data online is not safe.’

They may be right. This very interesting clip from youtube is from neighbouring Belgium, but its message is universal, and it seems to support the case for being extremely cautious online. Salutary stuff.

Actually, I’m not sure I’m all that bothered, but this may be largely because I’ve just got back from driving a hire car in central Germany, and I’m pretty sure I exceeded several local speed limits, and even went through a traffic light when it was just turning red. Although I might have got away with that one.

Should I be expecting an unwelcome envelope on the doormat with a Knöllchen, or do the Germans not pursue foreign drivers, in a reciprocal arrangement? I very much doubt it.

What I do know, however, is how much more law-abiding the Germans are, especially when it comes to local speed limits. Where we in the UK tend to sail gaily onwards, paying scant attention to the occasional built-up area, they stamp on the brakes and crawl. In some instances I would barely have noticed the ‘built-up area’ if it hadn’t been for the driver in front me, massively slowing down – and then massively accelerating when the restriction was past (surely an ecological nightmare).

My excuse was that I had a carefully-timed itinerary to complete, obviously assembled by someone who knew the road network and didn’t have to factor in getting lost and trying to find parking spaces in the destinations. But I know that’s not really an excuse; I should have been paying more attention to local regulation.

So the next time you plough through a village in deepest Englandshire, en route from somewhere to somewhere, take pity on the person in the car in front who slows down diligently at the 30mph sign; it’s probably a hire car driven by a German who hasn’t read the Daily Express.