Brush up on five centuries of art

at the Leipzig Museum of Fine Art, which has finally opened its doors after a 5-year construction period. The most costly new museum in eastern Germany since 1945 has already raised local hackles, with many describing it as a blot on the landscape. But few would deny the collection, featuring works by Lucas Cranach, Caspar David Friedrich and Max Beckmann, more than makes up for it.

Catch industrial metal band Rammstein on the German leg of their European tour, which kicks off in Nuremberg on Monday. One of Germany's most successful pop exports, Rammstein's stunning pyrotechnic shows are the stuff of rock legend. Berlin's finest will be on tour till Dec. 18.

Shake off the winter blues at "TANZ made in BERLIN," a dance festival hosted by the capital until Dec. 12. Twelve productions by the city's leading contemporary dance choreographers will be shown at venues across town, including the sophiensäle and the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz.

Settle down for a 6-hour theater marathon at the Munich Kammerspiele Theater. If the count-down to Christmas is feeling a little too frivolous, check out Andreas Kriegenburg's production of Friedrich Hebbel's "Nibelungen," a play that plumbs the depths of the German soul.

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to some old school cabaret in Hamburg. The Bajazzo Christmas Variety Show features Felicitas the Clown romping through an evening of acrobatics, juggling, comedy, tricks and trapeze. Head to the Hansa city until Dec. 17 for a taste of traditional yuletide entertainment.