Germany is getting ready to host one of the biggest sporting events of the decade, the football World Cup.

The hosts Germany offers the best Europe has to offer, enchanting landscape, romantic castles, world-renowned spas, quaint villages, cities buzzing with action and yes, the Germans are interesting folk too. But just in case its natural beauties are not enough to inspire its visitors, there will be a lot more available for the fans in between games. Infact, there's plenty for the entire family - a huge list of cultural programs, as well as different leisure and local recreation activities are being offered to satisfy all.

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
The football only starts in a month or so, but there is one competition that has already kicked off - the spiting game, a tradition eagerly awaited by football fans. It generally consists of one country making a not-so-kind comment about another to set the spark, then await retaliation from the other side. Yes, football fans revel in such things!

Kickoff was in England this week when a popular newspaper prominently flashed the backside of German chancellor, Angela Merckels, while on vacation, with the caption "I'm big on the Bumdesliga". The German side fired back instantly, though still a bit on the shy side in my opinion, with the promise to give the English a good old thrashing at the World Cup.

Well, if anything, this episode has been a colourful start to a competition that has yet to begin, and is undoubtedly promising one hell of a football summer.

GERMANY PLAYS HOST TO THE WORLD
12 of Germany's most beautiful cities are ready to welcome football fans from around the world for the competition. And there will be so much more than just football at hand for fans and non-fans, from street parties to cultural tours.

In our website, The C Channel, there is a city-by-city profile of all 12 German destinations for fans and non-fans who want to live up close the emotions of the world's biggest football show.