London, 28 November 2006 – In the year when everyone’s eyes were on the football pitch, Simon Calder set out to explore the hidden Germany. His journey led him away from the fan festivals and stadiums to towns such as Wuppertal and Worms, where he found undiscovered beauty and welcoming hosts. For his article ‘Worms turns’ (The Independent, 10 June 2006) Simon Calder has been awarded this year’s Germany Travel Writers’ Award for the best travel article on Germany by the German National Tourist Office.
This year’s runner up is Molly Mangan with her article ‘Off the wall’ (Evening Standard, 02 February 2006), a fascinating trip to Berlin’s decadent past and über-cool present.
The third prize has been awarded to Andy Elliott for his article on a holiday on the German coast. The article was published in numerous regional and local publications during spring/summer 2006 (e.g. ‘Beach combing the German coast’, Birmingham Post, 20 May 2006; ‘Germany with a twist’, Express and Star, 03 June 2006; ‘Sun, sea and sausages in Germany’, Press & Journal, 10 June 2006).
Udo Grebe, Director UK & Ireland of the German National Tourist Office, congratulates the winners: “2006 has been a great year for Germany. The media coverage of our country has been fantastic, not only during the FIFA World Cup, and we would like to thank all the journalists who have written and reported on Germany throughout the year for their support and excellent work. Especially, we would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s Germany Travel Writers’ Awards for their outstanding contribution to the success of the travel destination Germany.”