One million spectators and ten thousand runners: when the Berlin Marathon is on, the entire capital is on its feet. A marathon steeped in history through one of Europe's most exciting cities.

Founded in 1996 as a ' Hamburg cycle race for pros and amateurs', Germany's biggest cycling event more than lives up to its name and has become a true classic in the cycling calendar.

Hamburg is not only a cycling hotspot – as the Hamburg Marathon goes to show.

Swimming for 3.8 kilometres, cycling for 180 kilometres and then a marathon run to finish: that is the challenge awaiting the 2,000-plus athletes from more than 50 countries that compete in the Ironman in Frankfurt . Facing such a tough programme, the athletes probably won't be taking too much notice of the fascinating cityscapes and scenery in Germany's banking capital and the beautiful surrounding region . Fortunately, there are many spectators on hand who can enjoy all this for them!

The 2006 World Cup proved to the world – if it didn't know it already – that Germany is crazy about football. Every summer, millions of football fans look forward with great excitement to the beginning of the new Bundesliga season. Many stars of the German league have also won fans abroad.In recent years, players such as Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski have thrilled thousands upon thousands of spectators – and not only on home turf.

The Kiel Week regatta, held in the regional capital of Schleswig-Holstein , is the largest sailing event in the world and a festival celebrated by millions. Besides the top sporting action, Kiel Week presents sailing in all its fascinating diversity – from classic yachts and cutter regattas on Kiel's inner firth to the grand parade of tall ships on the second Saturday of the event.

You might not necessarily associate Düsseldorf with winter sports, but North Rhine-Westphalia's regional capital has hosted the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup since 2002. What started out as quite a crazy idea – a skiing world cup in a city far from the usual skiing areas – is now a firmly established event.