The Hanse Sail regatta in Rostock , capital of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , was the result of a great sea change. During the first summer after German reunification, the town and the region hosted the first Hanse Sail to celebrate the freedom of their reopened sea borders. Every year since 1991, this big, exciting maritime festival has attracted up to a million visitors to Rostock's shores.

The Hamburg Cruise Days offer an unforgettable experience in one of Germany's grandest cities, so prepare to be wowed by a cruise event that is by far and away the best. Gaze in awe at the majestic ships and open your heart to the call of the cruise – these are three days devoted to all things maritime, to sumptuous food and quality entertainment. No fewer than seven liners are calling at Hamburg during the festival and will be anchored in the port.

This is the federal state of Hessen's annual celebration and Germany's oldest and largest regional fair. Always held in a different town, it presents the state, its regions and its towns through a week of events spanning arts and culture, customs, a range of music, exhibitions and speciality Hessian cuisine.

The Schützenfest fair in Hannover ranks as the biggest of its kind in the world. For ten days, over 250 fairground rides, carousels, try-your-luck stalls and drinks stands transform the capital of Lower Saxony into one gigantic funfair. The highlight is the riflemen's parade when more than 10,000 riflemen, dancers, artistes and entertainers together with numerous magnificent floats form a twelve-kilometre procession that makes its way through the city centre.

Mainz is well known in Germany for its carnival antics – but let's not forget that the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate also hosts another, equally exciting event – the Midsummer's Eve Fair. Attractions here include the splashtastic Buchdruckertaufe or Gautschen , a traditional baptism ritual for apprentice printers and typesetters, along with theatre, comedy, entertainment and music on six city-centre stages. The fair always culminates in style with a fireworks display above the Rhine.

The people of Hamburg know how to party. Not once but three times a year they team up with visitors for northern Germany's biggest funfair – which lasts a whole 30 days. For almost a month in spring, summer and winter, people flock to Heiligengeistfeld in Hamburg to enjoy fairground rides, food and drink, and shows. There are reduced prices for families on Wednesdays – and attention turns skywards on Fridays for the massive fireworks display.

Oompah bands and pop music, costumed processions and a 21st century funfair – Straubing's Gäubodenfest is the region's second-biggest fair after the Munich Oktoberfest . A truly Bavarian blend of past and present, it offers an eye-catching range of attractions. As well as fairground rides and beer tents there are boxing matches, a craft market, the Ostbayernschau trade show and romantic lantern trips on the Danube.