Despite its name – 'Dom' means 'cathedral' in German – the Hamburg Dom has little to do with religion. The Dom is a huge funfair that takes place three times a year in Hamburg. From 21 March to 21 April 2014 the vast festival grounds will be packed with more than 260 rides and attractions, promising plenty of fun for everyone. Those with a sweet tooth will be in their element too, with around 40 confectionery stalls offering candy floss, roasted almonds, gingerbread hearts and much more besides. If you can't make it to Hamburg this spring, you always have the chance to visit the Summer Dom in August or the Winter Dom in November.

Spring is welcomed in some style at the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz. On 22 and 23 March 2014 the traditional Frühlingserwachen (spring awakening) will be taking place in Wörlitz. The highlight of the two-day festival is the grand parade through the town on Saturday. Other attractions include a spring market, concerts, a gondola race and performances outside Wörlitz Palace.

The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz is one of 38 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany. There are three others in Saxony-Anhalt: the old quarter of Quedlinburg, the Luther memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg and the Bauhaus sites in Dessau.

The 'Inca – Kings of the Andes' exhibition, which will run from 11 April to 23 November 2014 at the Lokschuppen Exhibition Centre in Rosenheim, provides a fascinating insight into the pre-Hispanic culture of the Incas. Many remarkable exhibits will be on display including richly patterned textiles, rare offering bowls and gold jewellery. The Inca Empire, which consisted of around 200 ethnic groups, extended for almost 5,000 kilometres along the Andes. A fun-packed programme for children is being organised as part of the exhibition. As well as tours by torchlight and special tours for children and families, there will be the opportunity for children to celebrate their birthday at the museum.

You have until 18 May 2014 to see works by Andy Warhol at the Ludwig Gallery in Oberhausen Palace. The exhibition focuses on prints from Warhol's early years. Highlights include the Campbell's soup can and portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Mao Zedong.

The Ruhr region is home to a number of museums that merit a visit. The Zeiss Planetarium and the German Mining Museum in Bochum are well worth seeing, as is the Ruhr Museum in Essen, which documents the history of mining in the region. A must for art fans, meanwhile, is the Folkwang Museum.

Husum has a very special way of welcoming the arrival of spring. On 29 and 30 March 2014, this town on the North Sea coast plays host to the Crocus Festival, during which more than four million crocuses transform the castle gardens into a vast sea of purple. The crowning of the crocus queen is a highlight of the event alongside the arts & crafts fair and special guided tours of the town.

The small harbour town of Husum makes an excellent base for exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea or for boat trips out to the North Frisian islands or the Hallig islands.

The theme for the 2014 Magdeburg Telemann Festival, which runs from 14 to 23 March, will be 'Generations. Georg Philipp Telemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach'. C.P.E. Bach was Telemann's godson and so they had a very close bond, which was reflected in their music. The diverse programme therefore also includes works by the younger generation of composers. During the festival high-calibre guest performers, including the St. Thomas choir from Leipzig, will take to the stage in Magdeburg. Another festival highlight will be the production of the opera 'Otto', which was the result of Telemann's reworking of Handel's 'Ottone' and is now being brought to life as part of an international project.

The 14th 'edition' of the international literature festival lit.COLOGNE will be taking place from 12 to 22 March, welcoming a host of notable authors and other creative souls to Cologne. The festival presents traditional readings – from authors such as Cornelia Funke and Frank Schätzing – alongside numerous other literary events. These include British musician Frank Turner reciting his lyrics and the twelfth award ceremony for the German Audio Book Prize. And at lit.KID.COLOGNE, there is plenty to get children and young people excited about reading.

The town of Calw in Baden-Württemberg is hosting a series of events in honour of Hermann Gundert that will run until August 2014. Gundert, grandfather of the famous writer, poet and painter Hermann Hesse, was born in Stuttgart and spent much of his life in nearby Calw. He also lived for many years in India, where he translated the Bible and other works into Malayalam, and compiled a dictionary and systematic grammar. Over the course of the year, there will be Ausstellungen, guided tours, talks and even cookery courses shedding light on the life of Hermann Gundert.

There's not long to wait now for the highlight of the travel world's calendar, the International Tourismusbörse trade fair in Berlin (ITB). Between 5 and 9 March, keen travellers can gather information for their next trip when some 11,000 exhibitors come from far and wide to the halls of Berlin Exhibition Centre. This year's guest country is Mexico. Destination Germany and many of its federal states, towns, cities and regions will also be out in force at the ITB, providing lots of interesting and practical information for your next trip. Whether it's a cultural adventure, an activity holiday or a city break – there's something for everyone at the ITB.

Starting on 13 February, Europa-Park in Rust presents its new show 'Teatro Colosseo by Leonardo', which runs until 5 April 2014. During the 90-minute spectacular, you enjoy an exquisite three-course meal in a historical spiegeltent. This 20th century 'mirror tent', decorated all around with faceted glass, enchants audiences with circus romanticism and nostalgic charm.

In the coming season, which opens 5 April, Europa-Park will have a brand-new indoor attraction called 'Arthur in the Minimoys Kingdom'.