The town of Dessau is dedicating its anniversary year in 2013 to its UNESCO World Heritage sites. To complement the grand anniversary festival from 5 to 7 July 2013, special events are taking place throughout the year, such as exhibitions, plays and concerts focusing on the Bauhaus and master houses and the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz – both of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Also well worth a visit is the annual Kurt Weill Festival, dedicated to the life and work of this captivating composer.

In addition to the UNESCO World Heritage sites that are being celebrated this year, Saxony-Anhalt is home to three further World Heritage sites that are among the cultural and natural highlights of the region.

With an area of 16,000 hectares, the Baden wine region is the third-largest wine region in Germany. Surrounded by the Odenwald hills and the Black Forest on one side and the Vosges mountains on the other, it enjoys the sunniest and warmest climate in Germany. Because the Baden wine region is spread out across a long, thin strip of land, it is divided into nine smaller regions with very different soils that produce very different wines. This is one of the leading wine regions in Europe and is best known for its excellent pinot varieties.

A region of pretty wine villages and varied scenery, Baden is also home to the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany, some of which can be found along the Baden Asparagus Route. Active holidaymakers are well catered for as well with numerous cycling and walking trails.

From 17 to 19 May 2013 the streets of Holzminden will be transformed into a stage for exciting theatre productions. At the 12th International Street Theatre Festival, artists from all over the world will be putting on great shows right up close to their audiences. At around 40 music, dance, theatre and acrobatics performances, visitors will encounter characters from the past and the future.

When visiting the region, it is well worth getting out into the countryside. The Solling-Vogler National Park offers people who like to get active on holiday the opportunity to go walking or cycling, and the Weser Cycle Route and Bike&Rail Route are ideal for exploring the Weserbergland hills.

The Carnival of Cultures captures the multicultural character of Berlin and has taken place in the German capital, along with its Whitsun Festival, since 1996. From 17 to 20 May 2013, it is once again bringing together music, arts and crafts and fantastic food and drink from many different countries, taking visitors on a miniature tour around the world. The highlight is the street parade on Whit Sunday that celebrates Berlin's cultural diversity with a dazzling display of dancing in traditional costumes. Other entertainment includes a fun-packed children's programme for families and numerous music events.

This fantastic event is just one of the many facets that make Berlin such a great place to visit. As well as its historical sights, Berlin features a number of museums both on Museum Island and elsewhere in the city, which reflect only a small part of creative Berlin .

During the Pentecost weekend from 17 to 19 May 2013 Düsseldorf will be transformed into a city of swing and dance. The 21st Düsseldorf Jazz Rally features more than 80 concerts across 35 different venues. As well as classic jazz, the artists will be performing music in the funk, soul, blues and rock genres.

Germany's biggest jazz festival is just one of the many attractions in this city of fashion and culture on the Rhine. For instance, Düsseldorf's Media Harbour is well worth a visit for its architecture alone. For lovers of art there is the Kunst im Tunnel gallery with its collection of works by young artists, while the Open Source Festival is an annual highlight showcasing the city's diverse, dynamic and often experimental clubbing and pop culture scene.

The German Cyclists' Federation (ADFC) recently added two cycle routes to its list of four-star quality paths. This quality seal indicates routes have fulfilled minimum standards in criteria such as signposting, surface conditions and safety.

One of those that now has four-star accreditation is the Aisch Valley Cycle Route, which stretches for 136 kilometres from medieval Rothenburg all the way to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Bamberg. The other is the Regnitz Cycle Route, which also leads to Bamberg and gives cyclists a choice of two routes from Nuremberg. Both quality-certified routes are a great way for families in particular to explore Germany by bike, away from busy roads.

Services along the route – another important criterion for the accolade – include a wide choice of Bed & Bike accommodation, as well as plenty of places to eat and drink.

This year sees an age-old tradition continued in the shape of the world's biggest port festival – the Hamburg Port Anniversary. From 9 to 12 May 2013 around 1.5 million visitors from far and wide are expected to join the celebrations for the 824th Hamburg Port Anniversary taking place between HafenCity and Övelgönne museum harbour. They have a varied programme to look forward to with events on land, on the water and in the air to highlight the very best of the city described as the 'gateway to the world'. This year's event will once again feature breathtaking opening and closing parades of 300 or so seafaring vessels, as well as the tug boat ballet, dragon boat races and much more besides.

As well as traditional favourites such as the spectacular fireworks display, there's a very special treat in store for visitors this year. The world's only 5-star-plus cruise ship – the MS Europa 2 – will be christened before setting out on her maiden voyage.

To mark 50 years of the Porsche 911, the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart will be hosting a special exhibition from 4 June to 29 September 2013 revealing the secrets behind this iconic sports car's success. The long tradition, the timeless looks and the many racing triumphs mean that you don't have to be a fan of cars to appreciate the flagship Porsche model.

There are another two special exhibitions at the Porsche Museum this year. The first of these, which opened on 16 March 2013 and runs until 29 March 2013, explores the construction and architecture of the museum itself. The other exhibition, on display from 15 October 2013 until early 2014, is called 'Porsche Sports Cars' and celebrates the anniversaries of other sports models.

Deep in the heart of winegrowing Württemberg, Stuttgart boasts many more attractions aside from the Porsche Museum and Mercedes-Benz Museum. There are the Wilhelma Gardens for instance, or ballet productions at the state opera house.

Munich city centre will be abuzz with music on 11 May 2013 when the Long Night of Music gets under way. At 120 venues there will be 400 live concerts as well as dance performances and comedy shows, plus four tours to guide visitors through the musical heart of the city.

Munich has something for everyone with a wide range of entertaining cultural events on offer throughout the year. Besides music and the arts, the Bavarian capital also features lots of museums exploring art or technology, for example. And year after year, the world's biggest beer festival – Oktoberfest – attracts millions of visitors from every corner of the globe.

Outlet City Metzingen is a top shopping destination situated in the home town of Hugo Boss in southern Germany. Shoppers can take advantage of huge discounts on international brands at various events such as the late night shopping specials on 10 and 31 May 2013. From Thursday to Saturday the Shopping Shuttle provides convenient transport links to local hotels, the airport, the exhibition centre and the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

But international shopping is not all that Metzingen offers. The town is also worth a visit for its historical architecture, its centuries-old winegrowing tradition and the Swabian Alb biosphere reserve.