31
votes
Is the fishermen's greeting "Petri Heil" accepted all around the world?
This answer is based on the meaning of "Petri Heil", I have hardly any first hand knowledge of the use of this phrase.
For starters it is certainly restricted to countries where the majority religion ...
- 21.7k
30
votes
Accepted
Are grey squirrels really bad for the overall habitat in Germany?
Yes, they do damage habitats, namely from bark stripping, and disease. This is why the UK class them as a pest. However it is not limited to grey squirrels as red squirrels also strip bark, but they ...
- 15.4k
24
votes
Accepted
What is this red bug infesting some trees in southern Germany?
As per Aravona's comment, this is a firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus).
According to Wikipedia, they are not dangerous and nothing to worry about. German version has way more info about this than the ...
- 461
23
votes
Accepted
What are these strange seeds that looks like a mini porcupine which you can find all over Germany?
These are not exactly the seeds, but the hull of the seeds of the horse chestnut.
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aesculus_hippocastanum_fruit.jpg
- 4,447
18
votes
Accepted
Is the fishermen's greeting "Petri Heil" accepted all around the world?
I grew up in Italy, in a fishermen's village on the Adriatic Sea. I never heard this expression, and I am pretty sure I've never heard it anywhere in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, I think that a "...
- 304
17
votes
What type of fires/stove can I use in Germany?
Official Fireplaces / "Grillplätze"
I think the only legal option you have is to find / plan your hike along "official fireplaces". These are specially prepared places with solid ...
- 12.7k
16
votes
Accepted
Legal situation for camping in the German Elbsandsteingebirge
Yes, there are special places where you are allowed to sleep outside if you are climbing there.
And by "outside" I mean without a tent, because these locations are (more or less) ...
15
votes
Accepted
Is Germany or any of Europe really rabies free?
As your travel advisory links state, the ‘rabies-free’ designation ignores bats. This is also mentioned on the CDC list of rabies-free countries which you link to:
The countries on this list are ...
- 3,752
14
votes
Is the fishermen's greeting "Petri Heil" accepted all around the world?
In case you do not mind a regional-based mutation, among Czech fishermen a very similar greeting can be heard: "Petru zdar!" or "Petrův zdar", which has the same meaning as "Petri Heil". However, I ...
- 141
14
votes
Are grey squirrels really bad for the overall habitat in Germany?
Excellent answers already; one point no-one has covered is that greys will occasionally eat eggs / chicks of small birds. Wikipedia says there is a lack of evidence on the actual impact of that, but ...
- 273
13
votes
Accepted
A skeleton with elfish ears - which animal was that?
That looks like the spine and pelvis of a raccoon: .
Although the raccoon is not native to Germany, they were introduced there in the 1930s and can be found in the wild. The map below shows raccoons ...
13
votes
What type of fires/stove can I use in Germany?
I am from Austria and can confidently talk about the situation here, but most of it will carry over to Germany, as we are culturally quite close.
As to what most people would do when hiking: for day ...
- 1,509
12
votes
Accepted
What is this marker stone
These are markers of the former "Deutsche Bundespost". They show where to find cable trays.
Manchmal stehen sie unscheinbar am Wegesrand: Markierungssteine aus
Beton mit einem eingegossenen BP.
...
- 23.5k
11
votes
Accepted
Open, fjell-like landscapes in Germany
similar to the Highlands in Scotland or Scandinavian fjell
Not in Germany.
Although they share some similarities at a first glance, Scotland and Scandinavia have become two quite different landscapes ...
- 27.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Dos and Don'ts in an area signed with the shield "Rabies! Endangered District" in Germany
If you see a sign like this, you should either
Ignore it, or
Contact the local municipality (Gemeinde) to have it removed.
As Gistiv stated, Germany is rabies-free since 2008, but it seems that ...
- 3,752
9
votes
Is the fishermen's greeting "Petri Heil" accepted all around the world?
I grew up in a fishing community on islands north of Scotland, and never once heard this. The folks up there used English and Norse greetings, but not a German one, so I would imagine it is German-...
- 24.9k
9
votes
Legal situation for camping in the German Elbsandsteingebirge
According to German law, bivouacking (defined as sleeping outside for one night without a tent) is generally allowed in Germany, but only outside from nature protection areas. Camping is generally ...
- 890
9
votes
Hiking alone: a website that alarms the police if something happens
If you genuinely have no one who you can use as an SAR contact you could purchase a emergency satellite signal device which can be used to emit an SOS signal that will be detected in an emergency even ...
- 191
8
votes
How to stalk lynxes in the black forest?
I have to be honest with you here: I don't think you will be successful in observing any wild Lynx. That is unless you are willing to commit a lot of time and quite potentially a fair bit of money ...
- 12.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Good two-day tour for the "Trekkinghütten" in the saxon switzerland
While I've never been to these cabins, I've been climbing and hiking in this area. In the map below I've outlined two route suggestions in purple, which you can vary as you please (and as you go). ...
- 1,451
7
votes
Dos and Don'ts in an area signed with the shield "Rabies! Endangered District" in Germany
At first of all how old is this picture? Because many sources say that Germany is rabies-free since 2008. (second Source) But I'm not a 100% sure if there has to be a case of rabis to put up those ...
- 834
6
votes
Accepted
Is this a cockroach? If so, which one?
This looks like a Pedostrangalia revestita (i totally ripped this from the site below. I have no idea if this is correct, I am still looking for the English and German terms (in German it is a kind of ...
- 1,532
6
votes
What kind of cockroach is this?
The first one could be a German cockroach (Blattella germanica). The seconds one though… not sure if it is a cockroach?
Perhaps you could catch sharper photos with a bit more lighting?
- 160
6
votes
Open, fjell-like landscapes in Germany
In addition to @gerrit's answer:
If you can dispense with elevation (and in consequence also with valleys) but look for open landscapes, there are some moors, e.g. the Hohe Venn at the Belgian border ...
6
votes
Accepted
Can I swim in a natural monument in Bavaria, Germany?
Art. 9 BayNatSchG – Naturdenkmäler says:
[...]
(3) Naturdenkmäler werden durch Rechtsverordnung unter Schutz gestellt.
(4) Vorbehaltlich einer anderweitigen Regelung in der Rechtsverordnung ist es ...
5
votes
Am I allowed to "wild-camp" in my car?
If you are allowed to drive there, and the land is not privately owned, you are allowed to sleep there, although different state have their own law.
Everyone may enter public forests and you may ...
- 1,532
5
votes
A skeleton with elfish ears - which animal was that?
First: it is very difficult to exactly determine the species of a skeleton, much more so a partial one (at least if you can not do DNA analysis). I have worked on archaeological digs where we ...
- 12.7k
5
votes
Which authorities to consider in Germany when planning an archery course?
Any authority in Germany is required by law to direct you to the correct office to deal with your question (Amtshilfe). A good starting point would be the receptionist at the local council (this could ...
- 248
5
votes
Dos and Don'ts in an area signed with the shield "Rabies! Endangered District" in Germany
Even if the existence of rabies in that area is real, there is really very little you would do differently.
I live in a area (New England, North America) where rabies is present. In your words, the ...
- 21.4k
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