(From top): People stand under a light installation called Blue Goal, designed by artist Michael Batz; for the upcoming World Cup, German company Deutsche Telekom has decorated the dome of the TV tower in Berlin to resemble a giant soccer ball; a guest room decorated with soccer accessories at a hotel near Hamburg

Are you prepared to party hard in Germany? And for an entire month? Soon all roads (and air routes) will lead to the country as the thrilling 2006 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 9. And till July 9, fans from across the world are going to pour into Germany to follow the cup through the 12 cities hosting the 64 matches. “World championships (and of course the Olympic Games) are known to galvanise hordes of tourists to countries that host the sporting events,” says Thomas C Thottathil of Cox & Kings. No surprise then that Indian travel agencies are registering healthy bookings to Germany for the months of June and July.

Soccer fever is catching on and the stage is set for a Big Football Bash in Germany. Besides the hysteria generated by soccer, official Fan Fests are slated to rock the 12 host cities across the country. Barring the eight final group matches, 56 matches will be beamed live on giant screens at the Fan Fests. Cultural shows and rock concerts by top artists (including Bryan Adams) will keep fans charged.

Here’s what fans are in for: Berlin’s Strasse des 17 Juni (17 June Street) will convert into a two-kilometre long party venue and an eye-catching sculpture of giant books with the names of famous German authors is sure to grab attention. An artwork ? constructed with 780 soccer stadium chairs ? now stands in Nuremberg while light installations made of fluorescent tubes or Blue Goals will glow at selected points and on prominent buildings in Hamburg.

A gourmet festival in Hanover will treat everyone to cuisines from the participating countries. Frankfurt’s Main River will make a great backdrop for a soccer carnival/Fan Fest. Hotels across the country are also busy decorating rooms with soccer accessories.

Some more FIFA trivia: The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is expecting some five million additional overnight stays by domestic German tourists and foreign visitors. And the World Cup is set to contribute in the region of nine billion to 10 billion euros to Germany’s gross domestic product. Germany’s immediate neighbours, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, will be the main places where visitors will come from.

Indian fans making their bookings pronto have the option of adding these countries to their itineraries. And luckily for them, the excellent links between airports in Germany and neighbouring European countries will ensure a smooth passage.

The good news is that tickets to league, quarter final and final matches are just a phone call away. India’s top travel agencies are busy planning trips for travellers. The two-night, three-day FIFA Package from Travel Corporation of India (TCI) is offering category 3 tickets (those are the cheapest ones) to the Quarter Final in Frankfurt on July 1, along with a return ticket (economy) on Gulf Air, accommodation in a three-star hotel (breakfast included). This costs about Rs 62,000 per head. Those who want to build in more matches around July 1 can do so at an additional cost and this will get them tickets to the desired matches as well as two nights accommodation in the city where the match is on.

But if you’d rather attend the Quarter Final in Berlin on 30 June, it’s best to settle for a package from Cox & Kings. For Euro 1,928 per person (twin-sharing), you can avail of return airfare (economy) to Berlin on Emirates. The cost includes airport taxes, a ticket to the Quarter Final match, three nights stay (on room only basis) at Comfort Hotel Lichtenberg (check in 29 June onwards for three nights). There are packages to the league matches as well (package price is the same).

SOTC has decided to go just for customised packages. The packages will include return airfare, accommodation in any category of hotel of choice and complimentary tickets to the matches. Since most travel agencies are customising packages, it’s up to you which matches you want to attend. Look at paying upwards of Rs 60,000 per head for a two-night stay (airfare, and tickets to matches included).

With fans poised to stream in from around the globe, Germany is gearing up to accommodate them in over 500 hotels in some 50,000 rooms in establishments ranging from two to five-star hotels. What’s more, if you are keen to make your own reservations, then hotels can be booked by logging on to www.fifaworldcup.com.

As the eyes of some 40 billion TV viewers worldwide fix on Germany in the coming weeks, GNTB hopes to promote the country as a cultural destination, a shoppers’ paradise and a wellness stop. And it does promise to be a heady cocktail: haute cuisine (and lots of beer), operas, a vast choice of museums, theatres, shopping malls ? and of course, loads of soccer.

Here’s where to head in Germany for the FIFA World Cup matches:

• Berlin, the German capital offers a huge dose of history.
• Dortmund, that’s known for its shopping boulevards and concert halls.
• Frankfurt, a commercial hub, has football excitement centred along the banks of the Main river.
• Gelsenkirchen (near Cologne), that’s Germany’s hub for football what with its newly-built Arena AufSchalke.
• Hamburg, Germany’s second largest metropolis, is one of Europe’s biggest ports.
• Hannover, that offers not just football but a rich arts scene.
• Kaiserslautern, the vibrant student town is also the footballing capital of southwest Germany.
• Cologne (Köln), which offers a 2,000-year-old historical and cultural heritage.
• Leipzig, that may be a great venue for trade shows but has a delightful nightlife.
• Munich, that’s loved for its Big-City style, rural charm and the famous Oktoberfest.
• Nuremberg, to gaze at Gothic churches and hang out at cobble-stone squares.
• Stuttgart, for it’s a city that’s always in season.

My favourite holiday

Eina Ahluwalia,
jewellery designer

After a consultancy assignment in Istanbul earlier this year, a colleague/friend, her daughter and I traveled to Cappadocia in central Turkey. This is Turkey’s most visually striking region, especially the “moonscape” area around the towns of ?rg?p, G?reme, U?hisar and Avanos, where erosion has formed caves, clefts, “fairy chimneys” and sensuous folds in the soft volcanic rock. Besides the landscape, this area is famous for medieval frescoes in rock-hewn churches, and underground troglodyte cave-cities upto eight levels deep, excavated as early as Hittite times (1900 to1600BC)

We stayed at U?hisar village Les Maisons de Cappadoce where our “studio-cave” had a terrace overlooking the Pigeon Valley. The village has a natural rock fortress, which is the tallest point in Cappadocia, and has a spectacular, panoramic view.

The most awesome part of the trip (and one of the reasons we had planned it) was that Cappadocia was directly on the path of the Total Solar Eclipse on March 29. It was amazing to watch the eclipse from between the White Valley and the Rose Valley, with other eclipse watchers from all over, sipping Anatolian wine, sharing jokes and planning to meet at the next eclipse in 2008!

Route map

OK. Let’s assume you hate football and want to travel as far as possible in the opposite direction. How about heading to Lord of the Rings country (otherwise known as New Zealand)? Thomas Cook has tied up with Tourism New Zealand to launch four special summer packages (lasting between 10 and12 days) that are priced just under Rs 1 lakh per head. A popular choice is the package called New Zealand Naturally that will take you to Rotorua, Te Anau, Queenstown, Wanaka, Auckland, Glacier Region and Christchurch (Rs 95,080). Other options are Kiwi Discovery that covers Christchurch, Queenstown, Auckland, Rotorua and Dunedin (Rs 95,750) while with Unspoilt New Zealand, you’ll travel to Auckland, Greymouth, Rotorua, Waitomo, Christchurch, Kaikoura and Nelson (Rs 95,920).

Southern Sojourn journeys take one through Christchurch, Queenstown, Te Anau, Dunedin, Greymouth, Glacier Region, Wanaka and Milford Sound
(Rs 95,000). The Kiwi Way Discount Book that comes with the package offers coupons on various activities and at different places included in the trips. Valid till September 30, the packages include single entry visa, airfares, accommodation with breakfasts, sightseeing and car rentals. For more — www.newzealand.com