8 ways you know it's summer in Germany

In Germany, most ice cream shops are only open during the warmer months of the year. When the first rays of sunshine appear, nearly everyone walking through town only has one hand free; the other is gripping a cone full of the sweet stuff. While in some countries cones may be reserved for kids, many German adults stay young by ordering their ice cream in what's called a Hörnchen, Waffel or Tüte.

Germans are notorious for their phobia of stuffy rooms, which means they are constantly opening the window no matter how wet and cold it is outside. Warm weather means more windows stay open even longer. After all, air conditioning is rare in this country where hot days can practically be counted on one hand. It's a pity, then, that window screens are just as rare, because flies sure aren't.

Germany's 16 states rotate the start of their six-week summer school break so the country's Autobahn doesn't get clogged when families take off. But that doesn't quite work. Even though Germans are not having enough children to increase the population, everyone, it seems, has school-aged kids. So you need to calculate extra time when traveling on weekends. But during the week streets are empty.

"There's no bad weather, there's only the wrong clothing," goes a wise German saying. For those who don't want to miss out on outdoor activities despite Germany's finicky summer weather, there's one solution: pants with zippers that can be shortened when the mercury rises. Since they're so practical, many Germans can be spotted wearing them during their entire summer vacation.

Germans are known for being quick to complain, and if you lived with the German weather you would be, too. But since average summer temperatures in Germany hardly reach 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees F), you'd think people would jump for joy when thermometers do finally climb to 25 or 28 degrees - or even higher. But it's then that the real chorus of complaints begins: "It's so hot!"

Instead of installing precautionary A/C units for the rare event of amazing weather, German schools and workplaces declare "hitzefrei" (literally, heat free) when temperatures climb to unbearable levels. In some cases, workers are sent home when their workplace exceeds 26 degrees Celcius. In schools, the limit varies by state. Those already on vacation don't get to make up the extra free day.

That Germans love to swim is evident in the extraordinary number of public pools found in every city. There are two types: indoor and outdoor. The latter follow a schedule similar to the ice cream shops, so they are taken advantage of during the short summer season. Private backyard pools are a rare luxury. When you're at the public pool, just be sure to warn the masses before you dive in.

Germans value their vacation time - after all, most have six weeks per year - and don't want to leave anything to chance. That's why it's common for people to book all-inclusive stays at sunny destinations in Spain, Turkey or Italy. Breakfast, lunch and dinner (German-style) are included. It's not hard to find last-minute discounts, but beware: You don't alway get what you see in the catalogue.