I'd think many people would go there because of the cultural experience as opposed to the Rockies here in AB. It's a vastly different experience in that part of the world. Have you been to Germany/Switzerland? Just curious as my Dad used to take the 3 hour drive to the Swiss Alps from Baden when I was a kid. Never got to go myself but I do remember the Gasthaus's, the Black Forest, castles, and the Karneval(Fasching) where the witches would take us kids from our parents and put us in their wooden barred wagon if we didn't have a ward around our necks . It was horrifying as a 5 year old.
Would've maybe like to go to Germany, as thats where my father came from. We never made it there as a family, and less working class people did go back on such pilgrimages at the time. none of us are jetsetters. Parents never set foot on a plane and never really wanted to. They came over, immigrated, on a freighter with some low cost steerage type accommodation, which is to say none other than cots. The rust bucket took close to two weeks to cross in rough atlantic winter conditions and mom thought she was dying. I think she never wanted to travel far again after that experience.
This is more philosophical than anything but my parents immigrated 7yrs after WWII. They wanted to sever connection with Germany, and the memories contained there. Many war immigrants here being like that.
Sounds like your dad was on a military base and so a different experience with the country, culture. We were a german immigrant family and yet had a lot of misgivings, passioned disagreements, etc. Going to school we were told pretty much to assimilate, and not even acknowledge our heritage, except our surname was obvious picking. To fit in here, growing up in 50's(brother) or 60's (me) you had to distance from all things German to not be the subject of school yard ostracism. I mean its fine, I understand it, I understood the hate, accepted it really. But as a family none of us kids wanted to go to Germany and our parents didn't want to further "German" us, knowing full well how this would impact our lives in Canada.
All that said, I still feel German connection somehow, even though there is no connection. Not with family relatives, nothing. Parents chose to not maintain or further any connections. The old country also doubling as the bad country. My parents flee'd there probably looking to distance from endless horrible memories.
The reality is I probably won't ever go visit. Especially in pandemic times it just seems like future is very much an unknown.
Its interesting that you mention the specific tradition and how it impacted briefly as a child. My parents acquainted us with endless german lore, tales, faebles, and its just so dark, disturbing, and part of a very punitive psyche towards children. Most of it being meant, seemingly, to intimidate, scare us. Ward us from the evil we evidently were just for being children...
There exists somewhere in that german psyche a very dark, mean spirited ethic. Spare the rod spoil the child and much much worse. I wanted no part of any of that even if my parents were very much punishment inclined. We were severely beaten as kids, really for anything. Beatings were unavoidable in the home. From parents that rarely knew any happiness or pleasure and that had experienced too much suffering, misery, and hardship. Who instead were both alcoholics to cope with even existing.
I can't say it doesn't impact me still. It remains part of who you are.
Sorry for all that, but probably no to Germany, too many bad memories of the underlying culture. Or the evil that did exist.
Way too much for a hockey board, I realize, but where my head is at presently.
I mean this is the kind of parenting guidance my parents had....man
Harsh Nazi Parenting Guidelines May Still Affect German Children of Today
Absolutely stunning for real! I've always wanted to explore Norway and Sweden, get in touch with some of my roots and take in the natural beauty there. Finland is on the list too because it seems interesting like the people that inhabit it 
