The c/o pop international music festival is on in Cologne until 24 June 2012 and sees the city on the Rhine transformed into one big party! Over 20 venues will be hosting 50 concerts over five days and nights, offering music fans everything they could possibly wish for – a great atmosphere, friendly people and a programme of music covering various genres and featuring newcomers and internationally acclaimed artists.

The Church of St. Lawrence in Schönberg, a small town between Lübeck and Wismar, provides a fine backdrop for music and art until 22 September 2012. While the neighbouring towns of Lübeck and Wismar are famous for their Hanseatic old quarters, which are now World Heritage sites, the Schönberg Summer of Music delights visitors with a programme ranging from traditional church music to modern jazz in a friendly atmosphere.

The new exhibition at the Baden State Museum in Karlsruhe entitled 'Baden! 900 Years. Stories of a State' is a wonderful way to get to know this fascinating part of south-west Germany. The exhibition, on until 11 November 2012, is organised chronologically into nine sections, allowing you to take a journey through the history of the Baden region.

Computer technology goes back 100 years in Chemnitz and was important for the city's economy for a number of decades. A new exhibition at the Saxon Museum of Industry, which runs until 9 September 2012, traces the history of computing in Chemnitz from the calculating machine to the supercomputer.

The cultural highlight in Ettlingen near Karlsruhe in the Baden region is the annual palace theatre festival, which has seen high-calibre plays staged in the baroque palace courtyard for over 30 years. This year's festival is on until 18 August. The wonderful summer programme also includes plays for children and young people, concerts and a combination of culture and fine cuisine.

The Greifensteine theatre festival takes place in Ehrenfriedersdorf near Chemnitz in a natural arena set amidst the rocks of the Erzgebirge mountains. It runs until 2 September 2012 and features three premieres as well as plays for children and concerts. There is also another chance to catch the spectacular late-night production of 'Walpurgis Night in Flames' against the backdrop of the rocky crags.

The small wine-growing town of Erbach in the Rheingau has been celebrating its Strawberry Festival for more than 70 years. Until 18 June 2012 visitors can enjoy delicious punch made from local strawberries and Rheingau wine, along with many other culinary delights with and without strawberries. In addition to the festivities in the market square there is a large funfair for young people
on the banks of the Rhine, and the wineries and restaurants in the surrounding area also join in the fun.

The Hamburg Ballet Festival, now in its 38th year, is a real highlight and traditionally marks the end of the season at the Hamburg Ballet . As well as the premiere of 'Renku', the latest production choreographed by John Neumeier, and a guest appearance by the San Francisco Ballet, there will be many other exceptional performances until 1 July 2012.

The Quedlinburg Summer of Music is a classical music festival that is first and foremost dedicated to promoting church music. But it is not just the quality of the music that has made this event famous far beyond the region, it is also the beautiful architecture of the church venues that attracts the many visitors. This year's Quedlinburg Summer of Music continues until 8 September.

The famous composer Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was born in Munich but lived for more than 40 years in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. A festival of music is celebrated here every summer to commemorate one of the town's most famous sons. Internationally acclaimed conductors, soloists and major orchestras will be performing works by Richard Strauss until 22 June 2012.