Three times a year the Heiligengeistfeld grounds in Hanseatic Hamburg are transformed for northern Germany's most famous funfair: the Hamburger DOM. Following the success of the 2012 DOM events, which welcomed around 10 million visitors, the new season kicks off on 22 March 2013 with the spring edition. The fair runs until 21 April 2013, offering unforgettable days out for visitors young and old.

Set back from the lively hubbub of the fairground and its many rides, Hamburg offers a variety of cultural attractions just a stone's throw from the DOM grounds. The famous Planten un Blomen Park, the Landungsbrücken jetties on the Elbe river and the St. Pauli quarter are all within easy reach.

The Thuringian Bach Festival is taking place this year from 22 March to 14 April. Thuringia's biggest classical music festival will again offer a wide range of events, shedding light on the history of Johann Sebastian Bach and his family. Towns and cities in the 'music state' of Thuringia, such as Weimar, Jena, Eisenach and Erfurt, will be hosting concerts, talks and dance performances during the three-week festival.

The Easter break is incorporated into the programme, with church services and interpretations of the St. John and St. Matthew Passions, bringing together culture, music and religion.

From 6 to 10 March 2013 the travel world will be congregating in Berlin for the industry's annual highlight – the ITB international travel fair. Around 11,000 exhibitors from over 180 countries will be at Berlin Exhibition Centre providing prospective travellers with all kinds of information on every aspect of their trip and offering them a wonderful opportunity to discover the whole world in only a few hours. Destination Germany will also be represented in several exhibition halls, giving international visitors the chance to get ideas and inspiration for their next holiday in Germany.

And this year, for the first time, it will also be possible to book a holiday right there and then at the ITB.

After wrapping the Reichstag in Berlin and creating The Wall for the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition , Christo is back in Germany with yet another sensational art project. The internationally renowned artist will be using over 20,000 square metres of translucent material and 500 metres of rope to create his Big Air Package sculpture. A world first, it will be installed at the gasometer in Oberhausen and is a cultural highlight not to be missed.

Even though the Ruhr's year as European Capital of Culture is over, the region is increasingly promoting its appeal as a cultural destination and breathing new life into its former industrial buildings.

German wines are among the most popular and best-quality wines in the world. There is an opportunity to sample some of these on 9 and 10 March 2013 at the 4th Esslingen Wine Forum. Vintners from Esslingen, Stuttgart and the Rems valley will be showcasing over a hundred wines from the Württemberg vineyards at the event.

Baden-Württemberg is known for producing excellent wines and in the summer hosts many delightful wine festivals against a backdrop of vine-clad hills. But people don't just come to the south of Germany for the wine. They also come for the food and drink, the beautiful scenery, the culture and the countryside.

Every March the harbour town of Husum is transformed into a sea of purple as some four million crocuses start to flower outside the castle, heralding the long-awaited spring. The Crocus Festival, taking place this year on 23 and 24 March, is a wonderful opportunity to admire the flower-filled castle gardens. A highlight for nature lovers, the event also attracts many visitors because of the Sunday shopping.

Located on the World Heritage Wadden Sea, Husum is an ideal base for excursions to the islands of Heligoland and Sylt which makes it well worth visiting especially in spring and summer.

Classical music will take centre stage in Bad Elster in 2013 as the town celebrates 200 years since the birth of composers Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi.

Events taking place in Bad Elster cover a range of genres and include the Wagner Festival in May and, with a special focus on Wagner and Verdi, the 13th Chursachsen Festival in September and October. The latter is being held at the King Albert Theatre, also the venue for the Mozart Festival in March. Visitors to these events can also enjoy food and drink, health and wellness benefits and a wide choice for tourists in the unique ambience of 'royal Saxony'.

Bad Elster is one of Germany's leading spa towns and a popular destination for health-related travel.

The 63rd international film festival in Berlin – the Berlinale – is taking place from 7 to 17 February 2013. Every year, film fever sweeps the capital and the stars of the big screen can be seen walking the red carpet in front of crowds of cheering fans. The Berlinale is the world's biggest public film festival. Around 400 films screened at Potsdamer Platz and the Friedrichstadtpalast offer something for everyone, from big-budget international productions to experimental independent films and art house cinema. The films aim to captivate, inspire and broaden the horizons of their audiences.

If you're interested in taking a look behind the scenes you might like to visit Babelsberg Film Park in Potsdsam, located only a short distance from Berlin.

While other regions in Germany are still gripped by carnival fever, people in northern Germany are celebrating a festival of their own on 21 February 2013 – the biikebrennen. In accordance with an ancient North Frisian custom, bonfires are lit along the North Sea shores of Schleswig-Holstein in an effort to drive out the winter.

This atmospheric festival is popular with locals and visitors alike, and burns brightest in the seaside towns of St. Peter-Ording and Husum and on the North Frisian islands. Food and drink also play a part in the festivities, as the lighting of the fires is traditionally followed by a hearty meal of curly kale.

Loccum Abbey in Lower Saxony is hosting an exceptional programme of cultural entertainment from 21 March until Reformation Day on 31 October 2013. Visitors can look forward to numerous festivals in the abbey grounds, guided tours of the abbey and more than a hundred concerts and readings. With such a wide variety of events, including a number of organ recitals and an open-air concert by Mousse T., there is sure to be something for everyone.

Along with Maulbronn Monastery, Loccum Abbey is one of the best-preserved abbey complexes in Germany and attracts many thousands of visitors.