The spectacular Dragon Boat Festival is being held for the seventh time in Frankfurt on 26 May 2012. Over 4,000 enthusiastic paddlers take part in this popular sporting event. Dragon boats and steerers are provided by the organisers and a varied programme of entertainment is laid on for the crowds, with 60 or so stalls appealing to all age groups.

Until 28 May 2012, there is a treat in store for anyone walking through the Stetten vineyards near Kernen in the Württemberg wine region. At the Culinary Wine Walk wine festival in Kernen, vintners and restaurateurs will be serving fantastic food and fine wines to walkers at five gourmet stations in the vineyards.

On 26 May 2012, more than 120 yachts will be going great guns in the waters between Kiel and Eckernförde. The 'Eel Regatta' (Aalregatta) offers something for all the family including short-distance races in Eckernförde bay on Sunday and accompanying entertainment on land until 28 May. Though known mainly for the regattas, this long-established event also has a reputation for being a fun, friendly occasion.

The Romantic Wine Nights in the wine region around Bingen are the ideal choice for an evening out with friends or with your loved one. Between 25 and 27 May 2012, local wines, delicious food and live music form a winning combination in the vineyards close to this town on the fringes of the UNESCO World Heritage Middle Rhine Valley. Breathtaking scenery, including views of the Rhine and its castles, provides the perfect backdrop for a special evening.

From 25 to 26 May 2012, Hamburg docks will again become one big stage for the Elbjazz Festival. It offers visitors a superb programme of music with over 50 concerts at unusual venues. The spotlight is also on jazz on the North Sea island of Borkum, where the Borkumer Jazztage runs until 28 May. So if you enjoy jazz, or even just music at offbeat venues, be sure to head to Hamburg or Borkum this Whitsun weekend.

Between 25 and 28 May 2012, professional performers as well as all sorts of people in colourful parade costumes will be celebrating the Carnival of Cultures in the streets of Berlin. The highlight of the event is the street parade on Whit Sunday, which sees over 5,000 people from 70 countries brought together by music, dance and the arts. A children's carnival and a variety of parties provide entertainment for all the family.

Over the Whitsun weekend, from 25 to 28 May 2012, the spotlight is on sekt, wine and brandy from vineyards in the Ahr wine region. On the historical market square in Ahrweiler, visitors will be discovering the bounty of the region, enjoying fantastic music and savouring the atmosphere. There are over 200 different wines just waiting to be sampled by connoisseurs and novices alike.

Only 70km from Berlin is Neuruppin, the birthplace of the famous German poet Theodor Fontane. The town is hosting the Fontane Festival until 28 May 2012, which offers culturally-minded visitors an eclectic programme of music, theatre and literature. Highlights include contemporary reworkings of Fontane's works, a Fontane poetry project and a musical theatre production of the novella 'Grete Minde'.

In 2012, the focus in Nuremberg is firmly on art and culture. To mark the 350th anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts, numerous exhibitions and events are being held that document the history of the academy and the works of its current and former students. Another highlight is one of Germany's largest exhibitions on Albrecht Dürer, which runs until 2 September in the Bavarian city.

The self-proclaimed 'oldest beer festival in the world' is taking place again this year from 24 May to 4 June in Erlangen in northern Bavaria. Every year, over a million people gather here to celebrate the Franconian version of the Munich Oktoberfest. A wide variety of fairground rides, delicious food and drink and many different types of beer make it great fun for young and old alike.