Italy vs. Spain vs. Germany (best, life, country, people)

[Thepastpresentandfuture]

These 3 European countries appears to be easy to discuss together, and can encourage a lot of thought provoking responses. I also would like to see people's preferences for their overall favorite and least favorite country out of the selected options in Europe.

I created a European and Asian version with 3 countries being selected in each continent/region and established a similar theme/pattern for both while being in different continents. For the Asian version of this thread topic, you can view it here: http://www.city-data.com/forum/world/1609503-taiwan-vs-south-korea-vs-thailand.html

These are some specific characteristics/qualities that can be discussed: *You can either pick just one country in these categories as your most favorite for that, or rank all 3 countries there from most favorite to least favorite. Try to include some brief explanations if you want to.

Other aspects of this topic can be talked about too but we should try to focus on these categories and questions first before that:

Excitement/Things To Do

Cities/Towns

Nature scenery

Culture

Quality of life

Music scene

Food/Dining scene

Education

Politics/Government

Economy

History

Nightlife

Architecture

Number of annual foreign visitors

Sociological/racial/ethnic diversity

Most peaceful to least peaceful

Least corrupted to most corrupted

Most impressive to least impressive

How do people in Italy, Spain, and Germany view each other?

Which two countries are most similar to each other?

What single country is most different from the other 2 countries?

What country would you choose to live in and is best for that?

What country do you think is best to visit?

[theunbrainwashed]

I chose Spain, mostly because I'm ethnically Spanish for the most part so I would gain the most acceptance there. The weather is pretty decent, falls short on a lot of things though. But, I'm already pre-assimilated, can communicate and survive in the country and that should matter first, IMO. Plus about a million or so Brits call it home part time or full time so it can't be all bad when it comes to quality of life

[Trimac20]

Haven't been to Europe yet...hopefully soon...so I can't do an in-depth comparison.

For me Italy has always been no. 1, although Germany is up there, but Italy for the history and culture. All boast nice scenery. Germany is probably the easiest to travel to/live in.

My rank would be:

Italy
Germany
Spain

[GER308]

Excitement/Things To Do Italy, Spain, Germany

Cities/Towns Italy, Spain, Germany

Nature scenery Italy, Germany, Spain

Culture Italy, Germany, Spain

Quality of life Germany, Italy,Spain

Music scene Germany, Italy,Spain

Food/Dining scene Italy, Spain, Germany

Education Germany, Italy,Spain

Politics/Government Germany, Italy,Spain

Economy Germany, Italy,Spain

History Even

Nightlife Spain, Germany, Italy

Architecture Italy, Germany, Spain

Number of annual foreign visitors Italy, Spain, Germany?

Sociological/racial/ethnic diversity Germany,Spain, Italy

Most peaceful to least peaceful Germany, Spain, Italy

Least corrupted to most corrupted Germany, Spain, Italy

Most impressive to least impressive Italy, Germany, Spain

How do people in Italy, Spain, and Germany view each other?

Which two countries are most similar to each other?

What single country is most different from the other 2 countries? Germany

What country would you choose to live in and is best for that? Even

What country do you think is best to visit? Italy

I have been living in Germany now for exactly 12 years as of today. I an happy here and live better then ever in California but if it were possible I would choose to live in Italy then Spain then Germany. Mostly because I am an ocean/sea person I sail, windsurf, and surf. The north of Germany has sea enough but I also am a bit of a mountain person as well and like too rock climb ski. North Germany is too flat for me.

[chascarrillo]

Excitement/Things To Do: Depends on what you're looking for. I think the three have plenty to do

Cities/Towns. Germany has amazing cities, but I prefer the spanish and italians ones. The italians are more impressive, but the spanish are cleaner and better maintained.

Nature scenery. The three countries have beautiful nature scenary, I can't choose one. There are parts of Italy and Spain that are very similar.

Culture: Italy has always been a cultural referent in the world.

Quality of life: For me, as a mediterranean, I prefer Spain and Italy, but If you want to have a good work, a good wage and to have a family with many facilities, Germany.

Music scene: Spain

Food/Dining scene: Italy in general, but my favorite dish is Spanish, gazpacho and tortilla de patata.

Education: Germany. I don't know that much, but rom what I heard, the German education system is very efficient

Politics/Government: Germany.

Economy: Germany, don't need to explain.

History: In ancient history Italy, Middle and Modern Ages Spain. Since XIX century Germany. Anyway, the history of the three countries is linked. Sothern Italy was spanish during three hundred years. The first Spanish first emperor was german, and he ruled both territories. This king invaded northern Italy and the Duchy of Milan was part of the Spanish Empire. After the first Spanish Republic, Spain had an Italian king, Amadeo of Savoy.

Nightlife: Spain, by far.

Architecture: I can't choose one

Number of annual foreign visitors: Spain, is the third country in the world with more tourists, after France and USA.

Sociological/racial/ethnic diversity: Spain and Italy have a similar ethnic diversity. Celtic and nordic north, south influenced by Africa. I don't know that well Germany so I can't speak about his racial diversity.

Most peaceful to least peaceful: I think Germany is the most peaceful internally.
But in foreign relations I think Italy or Spain.

Least corrupted to most corrupted: Least corrupted Germany. Spain and Italy are both really corrupted.

Most impressive to least impressive: The three. Venice, Florence have no competition, the same as Cordoba mosque, La Alhambra or Toledo. Berlin is one of the most vibrants cities in the world and I really love the cities along the Rhein.

How do people in Italy, Spain, and Germany view each other?
I'm spaniard, so I can only speak about how the spanish people see the others. The spaniards use to think that italians are really similar and they are like brothers, people with a very similar culture and way of life. see them as friendly, extroversive, noisy and that they like to have fun, just in the same way that the spanish think about themselves.
the Spanish believe that the Germans are serious, closed, hard workers and highly responsible. For us, they are boring but in general we didn't have a bad idea of them, until Merkel came to power and has been dedicated to impose austerity policies. In spaniards is growing feeling of resentment towards everything German. The attitude of the Germans when they are in Spain does not help. I'm from a very touristic region, I go to Mallorca very often, here are jokes that the island is almost a Geman Lander. The Germans come with a sense of superiority and without mixing with the Spanish. They have their own neighborhoods, their own bars or their own schools. I have German neighbors living here for over 20 years and have not yet learned to speak Spanish. Their children were born here, go to a German school and speak very little Spanish.
My city is really popular among italians, near the 3% of the population is italian, and they say that they choose Spain because we are almost the same and that the people in Italy think the same.

Which two countries are most similar to each other?
Italy and Spain. Share latin roots, linked history, similar language and mediterranean way of life, traditionally catholics.

What single country is most different from the other 2 countries?
Germany

What country would you choose to live in and is best for that?
For the life that I like, Spain or Italy. I'm spaniard and I was living in Italy for an internship during one year. Previously I made Erasmus in Slovenia, that is a very different, and I think similar to Germany, and although I loved, I'm latin.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

I chose Spain, mostly because I'm ethnically Spanish for the most part so ....

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Haven't been to Europe yet...hopefully soon...so I can't do an in-depth comparison.

The responses almost have to be biased especially for anyone who is from, or with roots in, the region. I suppose only a complete outsider with in-depth experience in the three countries, plus perhaps a few others in the region, could have a less-biased view (there are always personal biases).

Among these three, I am biased towards Italy. Overall, among the three, I think Spain is the most "western", though it has been shaped by its Muslim and Americas experiences, Germany by its eastern European origins and vocation, while Italy is historically a Mediterranean country, right smack in the middle of it, only fractionally tied to Europe, but over the past 1,400 years or so that fraction has been the dominant one, and probably will be for the foreseeable future.



Excitement/Things To Do: Italy. On a day-in day-out basis, Italians are actually quite predictable, but I refer mainly to the museums, archeaological sites, churches, and cultural events.

Cities/Towns: Italy, maybe also Germany. Spain has great towns, but not as many.

Nature scenery: Italy, from head to toe, probably has more variety, but Spain also has mountains and seas, while German seas are way up north.

Culture: Italy.

Quality of life: for contemporary industrial life, probably Germany.

Music scene: well, Italy sort of invented modern European music (i.e. classical music) and the Austrians at the height were masters of at least northern Italy. But flamenco guitar is awesome.

Food/Dining scene: Italy.

Education: Germany.

Politics/Government: Italy at the bottom, Spain not that much better. For sure Germany at the top.

Economy: Germany

History: Italy

Nightlife: It's equally dark everywhere, except maybe Paris.

Architecture: Italy.

Number of annual foreign visitors: I believe that Spain edges out Italy, but see latest statistics.

Sociological/racial/ethnic diversity: don't know, maybe Spain.

Most peaceful to least peaceful: Germany, just guessing Spain and Italy about the same (I believe the question is referring to domestic tranquillity).

Least corrupted to most corrupted: Germany, Spain, Italy.

Most impressive to least impressive. In terms of what? Anyway, Italy, Spain, Germany.

How do people in Italy, Spain, and Germany view each other? Too complex a question for a one-liner.

Which two countries are most similar to each other? Spain and southern Italy, Germany and northern Italy.

What single country is most different from the other 2 countries? Germany.

What country would you choose to live in and is best for that? Italy. Best for what? To live in? Probably Germany, but, perhaps perversely, I prefer semi-chaos to pristine order, and I prefer the historical depth and cultural variety of Italy to Spain.

What country do you think is best to visit? Spain. Ever beautiful Spain.

[irish_bob]

they all have their plus points , spain and italy are reasonabley similar and both are very different to germany

[cojoncillo]

Excitement/Things To Do: Spain, everything is centered around fiesta. Italy and Germany close early, not centered in fiesta, tapeo, bar crawling. Italy is more cultural, not fun.

Cities/Towns: Italy and Spain, German cities are dreary, the real ones were bombed.

Nature scenery: Spain, hands down. Just the extension and variety of Spain (Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean). No comparison whatsoever.

Culture: Italy, Spain

Quality of life: Spain, Italy

Music scene: I don't know, I guess that modern music festivals are all around. Classical music, Germany.

Food/Dining scene: Spain, Spanish food is right now the best or among the best in Europe, far more variety that Italian food. No comparison.

Education: None

Politics/Government: Germany

Economy: Germany

History: Italy

Nightlife: Spain

Architecture: Italy.

Number of annual foreign visitors: I believe that Spain edges out Italy, but see latest statistics.

Sociological/racial/ethnic diversity: Italy (abysmal difference between north and south not existing in Spain)

Most peaceful to least peaceful: Germany, Spain, Italy

Least corrupted to most corrupted: Germany, Spain, Italy

Most impressive to least impressive. In terms of what? Very relative question

How do people in Italy, Spain, and Germany view each other? Spanish are Toreros, Italians are Spaghettis and Germans are Kartofelns

Which two countries are most similar to each other? Spain and Italy, Northern Italy is similar (also ethnically) to Catalonia

What single country is most different from the other 2 countries? Germany.

What country would you choose to live in and is best for that? Spain

What country do you think is best to visit? Italy

[chascarrillo]

Originally Posted by bale002

Nature scenery: Italy, from head to toe, probably has more variety, but Spain also has mountains and seas, while German seas are way up north.

In terms of variety, Spain wins over Italy.
It's also the second most mountainous country in Europe, after Switzerland.

[Geggo]

When I saw the poll I thought, great, finally a football (soccer) poll and being a German wanted to vote for Germany: despite playing mediocre, they won the first two matches in the current European championship. But now I am disappointed, just another 'which country is better' poll.