The Bach Festival returns to Leipzig from 14 to 23 June 2013, this year with the theme of 'Vita Christi'. Leipzig is the perfect venue for such a festival because it is home to the St. Thomas choir as well as many sites associated with Bach. The extensive programme reflects the diversity of Bach's works and highlights his connection to the music city of Leipzig. It places emphasis not only on theatre and music but also on the subject of religion. The wider programme includes other events such as 'BACHmosphäre' and the family programme 'b@ch für uns'.

The classic maritime event Kiel Week continues to delight crowds year after year. From 22 to 30 June 2013 Kiel plays host to one of the world's biggest competitive sailing events. Sailing enthusiasts and international elite sailors race in thrilling regattas that will have all types of visitors on the edge of their seats. There's also a variety of music and food & drink in store for spectators on the beaches and in many other spots along the Kiel Fjord and in the city centre. During Kiel Week, the Krusenkoppel open-air theatre is transformed into a huge adventure playground, where younger members of the family can let off steam under supervision. The highlight of the festival is the tall ships parade featuring a great many sailing ships, steamships and yachts.

Of course, Kiel is also worth a visit at any time of year and offers a range of other events, including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival – one of the world's biggest classical music festivals.

The Fête de la Musique began life in France in 1982 and has long since established itself as an annual music festival across 340 locations worldwide. The popularity of this music event is evident from the growing number of participating towns and cities. A total of 34 German destinations now take part in the celebrations, including Berlin, Bremen, Hannover and Cologne.

On 21 June 2013, the official start of summer, audiences will once again be treated to music of every style imaginable. Bands, orchestras, choirs and soloists will be taking to the stage to perform at the free concerts.

From 18 to 20 May 2013 the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen plays host to 'agilia – the fun starts at 50'. The leisure and recreation consumer fair for young-at-heart people aged 50 and over gives the region's clubs in particular the chance to present themselves. From bridge to golf, dancing to self-defence, a whole spectrum of leisure activities is showcased. But the event is not just for those with a passion for sports or health and wellness – it also provides information on social concerns, such as loneliness and poverty among the elderly. There will be a programme of talks and musical performances as well.

The positive response from the 20,000 visitors to agilia 2012 in Wiesbaden proved that people aged 50 and over really are in the prime of their lives and place great importance on leisure, entertainment and quality of life. agilia returns to Wiesbaden from 29 November to 1 December 2013.

With its internationally acclaimed wines and its modern wine architecture, Franconia is the embodiment of a 21st century wine region. The 6,000 hectare expanse of vineyards borders with the Rhön hills to the north, Steigerwald Forest to the east, the Tauber Valley to the south and the Spessart hills to the west. The silvaner and müller-thurgau white-wine grapes and the domina and pinot noir red varieties are among those that flourish on the steep, stepped vineyards along the Main and its tributaries. A large proportion of Franconian wines are sold in distinctive bocksbeutel bottles, which to this day denote the wine's geographical origin as well its superior quality.

Deep in the heart of the winegrowing region lies the baroque festival city of Würzburg, whose UNESCO World Heritage Residenz Palace is well worth a visit. The region can also be discovered via the River Main Cycle Route – Germany's first ever cycle route to be given a 5-star quality rating by the ADFC.

This year, jazz musicians from Europe and the USA will once again be heading to the German Baltic coast for the JazzBaltica Festival . JazzBaltica 2013 is taking place for the second time in the new venue of Niendorf in Timmendorfer Strand between 28 and 30 June 2013. A new JazzBaltica ensemble of musicians from the Baltic region is formed each year, giving new impulse to the jazz genre. The festival provides a platform for musicians, in particular emerging artists, to showcase their talents.

With its seven-kilometre sandy beach, Timmendorfer Strand makes a fantastic destination for a day trip or holiday, especially for families. Whether it's trying out the huge range of sports activities on land or at sea, enjoying delicious food in a gourmet restaurant or having a picnic on the beach – there's something for everyone here.

Have you always dreamed of watching cowboys and Indians fight it out with bows and arrows and guns – just like in the movies?

Then be sure not to miss the Karl May Festival in Bad Segeberg, which recreates the days of the American Wild West. Now in its 61st year, this annual event is always a big hit with visitors, whether young or old. With impressive stunts, breathtaking pyrotechnic effects and superb acting, the festival brings to life the stories of Winnetou in 1870s America. The festival is on from 22 June to 1 September 2013 at Bad Segeberg's open-air theatre, which has capacity for 7,500 people. Yeehaw!

Visitors to the island of Rügen can look forward to a brand-new tourist attraction opening in May 2013: a treetop walk at the beach resort of Prora. The path, which winds its way through the trees above the rooftops of the island, is a fantastic experience for the whole family and also forms part of the new natural heritage centre on Germany's biggest island.

From an 80-metre-high viewing tower shaped like a giant bird's nest, visitors will be able to see vast swathes of Rügen – from the flint fields to the World Heritage beech forests in Jasmund National Park.

The former Carlshütte foundry provides a unique setting for NordArt, one of Europe's largest exhibitions of contemporary art, which is taking place this year from 8 June to 6 October. The foundry halls seem almost out of place against the natural landscape – but it is exactly these contrasts that make the foundry such a perfect venue for the event, an annual fixture since 1999. The exhibition shows a creative side to northern Germany, which is so often portrayed as rather bleak and rugged. The exhibition rooms available here offer the 200-plus artists from all over the world an opportunity to showcase their work in an appropriate environment.

There is yet another highlight in store for art and media buffs in Frankfurt: for the very first time, the Schirn art gallery on Frankfurt's museum embankment is exploring the impact of the glam rock movement of the early 1970s, which was started by famous musicians such as David Bowie and Marc Bolan. Organised in collaboration with Tate Liverpool and the Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, the exhibition, entitled 'Glam! The Performance of Style', shows the wide-ranging influence that the glam era had on film, photography, fashion, graphic design, performance and installation art, painting and sculpture.

In addition to the Schirn, Frankfurt offers an exceptional collection of museums along the southern bank of the river Main.