Andrea is a woman of German-French heritage who lives in Forbach, a French community very close to the border between France and Germany. Here, she takes us on a tour of this historically rich place, introducing us to some of the important monuments as well as remnants of the wars.

When you think of surfing, Hawaii probably comes to mind, but Munich, Germany? For years, the Eisbach stream was symbolized the exotic side of Munich, but in recent years it has become one of the city's major tourist attractions. So head to Bavaria and catch a wave, dude! (video copyright dpa)

Monsters for Christmas? They are the sinister contrast to our friendly Santa Claus: While the latter likes to turn a blind eye to naughty children, the Krampus rattles his chain to get the necessary respect from the little ones. The Krampus run in Munich always takes place on two Sundays during Advent.

A sensational find is the focal point of a new exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bremen. In 2005 restorers discovered a work, which till then had been unknown, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch hidden behind the piece "The Child and Death."
Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

Good things come with time: after fourteen years, the rapper and producer Moses Pelham has completed his trilogy "Geteiltes Leid" ("Shared Suffering").
Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

The audience at the International Model Train Exhibition in Göppingen, Germany was mostly men. But when it comes to the landscape construction on a smaller scale, women have taken over. To all these fanatics, their model trains aren't just toys - they're much more than that!
Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

At fashion shows beauty glistens on the runway, but behind the perfect shows there is a lot of work going on. While the celebrities make themselves comfortable in the VIP area and the photographers snap pictures of stars and starlets in the lobby, behind the scenes everything is being made ready for the big performance. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

Mobbing is more than just disagreeing about something. It is when children or teens are terrorized mentally or physically over a longer period of time by their peers.
Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur (The German Press Agency)

Did you miss your German class last week? Well you can be glad you didn’t live in the Middle Ages, as the concept of punishment in those days was… torturous. The director of the Middle Ages Torture Museum of Rüdesheim/Rhein shows us the instruments of torture used on people who misbehaved, and points out that some Middle Age methods such as waterboarding are still used by some dubious governments today. Viel Spaß beim Lernen!

Bad luck for Diane! She is captured by Markus, the soul snatcher, at the medieval market in Durlach near Karlsruhe. Take a look at the rough customs of the Middle Ages and how she ransoms herself. This Yabla exclusive video contains many expressions using the obsolete "Royal We" or Pluralis Majestatis.

Diane has just ransomed herself from the claws of Markus, the soul snatcher, and already she abandons herself to the vice of gambling. Have fun with this second part of our Yabla Exclusive video from the Middle Ages. This Yabla exclusive video contains many expressions using the obsolete "Royal We" or Pluralis Majestatis.

The tears flowed freely when the victor's crown was placed upon her head. Anne-Kathrin Kosch has been chosen Germany's most beautiful woman. Miss Germany 2011 loves wearing stilettos and, in her free time, she enjoys martial arts. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

Knud Seckel sings the famous Falcon song by “Der von Kürenberg,” which is likely one of the most well-known Middle High German texts. It originates from around the year 1160. The author, Der von Kürenberg, is said to have come from and worked in the Bavarian/Austrian region and is considered as the first minstrel singer known by name who sang in German.

German comedian Michael Mittermeier produced a documentary about his Burmese collegue Zarganar, who was arrested and sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for joking about the Burmese regime. Mittermeier talks to “dpa video” about his documentary and the role of humor in the fight against totalitarian systems. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

German champion alpine ski racer Maria Riesch likes to show her glamorous side as well sometimes. In an elegant evening dress she celebrates her bronze medal win at the Kandahar slope at the trendy club P1 in Garmisch. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]