The Schlossgrabenfest held in the centre of Darmstadt is the biggest music festival in Hessen and, with around half a million visitors, one of the largest open-air events in Germany. From 24 to 27 May 2012, around 100 acts will be offering an exciting mix of practically every style of music across four stages and two dance areas. A range of international food and drink caters both for small or larger appetites.

There is plenty on offer this weekend for music fans in Düsseldorf, the regional capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, as it hosts both the Jazz Festival and the Schumann Festival. From 25 to 27 May 2012, ninety-two top acts will be appearing at the Düsseldorf Jazz Festival, one of the biggest in Germany. The Schumann Festival, which runs until 4 June 2012, offers contemporary interpretations of works by the famous German composer of the Romantic era, Robert Schumann.

The focus is firmly on DJing and music production at the DJ Meeting trade fair in Dortmund on 23 May 2012. Newcomers, professionals and music enthusiasts can find out about all the latest technology available for playing, mixing and producing music, and can pick up valuable tips at the many free workshops, talks and seminars.

There is plenty going on in Ulm for all the family over the next seven weeks. From 23 May to 7 July 2012, the town is hosting the Ulmer Zelt festival, which features concerts, cultural events, a beer garden and children's activity lawn. Regional and international artists provide a varied programme of entertainment that has something for everyone.

The German Meteorological Service has now officially confirmed what many locals and visitors in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania already suspected – that this federal state in the north of Germany is the sunniest in the whole country. Analysis of data from over 30 years has shown that this region has more hours of sun on average than anywhere else in Germany – great news too for the many holidaymakers flocking to the seaside here!

Young people, families, and fans of cartography and geocaching have until 10 June 2012 to catch a fantastic interactive exhibition at the Museum of Art and Cultural History in Dortmund, marking 500 years since the birth of Gerardus Mercator. This great scholar was the first cartographer to view the world in its entirety and drew up highly detailed maps for large areas such as states and continents.

Until 8 June 2012, the 'Pompeii – Disasters at Mount Vesuvius' exhibition at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle (Saale) provides a wealth of information about this famous event in history. Under the patronage of German President Joachim Gauck, 500 exceptional exhibits are on display, many for the first time outside Italy. Special children's tours are also available to make the subject more accessible to a younger audience.

Every year as the weather gets warmer, thousands of people flock to the beer gardens of Germany. In 2012, the beer garden is celebrating its bicentenary – it was 200 years ago that brewers were officially given permission to sell beer in the shady gardens above their cellars. Beer gardens are now part and parcel of life in Germany, especially in the south. Indeed, one of the largest beer gardens in Europe is the Hirschgarten in Munich, Bavaria.

IMEX in Frankfurt is the international exhibition for the conference, incentive travel, meetings and events sector. From 22 to 24 May 2012, more than 3,000 hotels, conference centres, destinations and event organisers will be presenting their services in an exhibition space of 17,500m².The programme includes numerous talks and seminars and promises a wealth of information for those in the industry.

The annual Middle Rhine Music Festival is once again offering a varied programme of music spanning different genres. A whole host of concerts are taking place at exceptional venues in the Middle Rhine Valley until 26 August 2012. Wine and music, the romance of the Rhine and ten years of UNESCO World Heritage status provide the themes for the festival.