Bremen, Germany

The first thing that struck me about Bremen was its idyllic windmill located right next to the city. I almost thought I overslept on the train and arrived in the Netherlands. The walk from the main station to the city centre is long but pleasant as shops and kebab houses on either side of the streets will distract you from the distance.

Once you arrive in the town there’s everything for your shopping needs. From discount supermarkets in the basement of the Galeria Kaufhof to upscale kitchenware in Karstadt and everything in between. Actually, I was rather delighted with the shopping here and almost forgot about visiting the town.

During Christmas, there are two Christmas markets right by the river. The most exciting food I had in the normal market was a deer burger, which really wasn’t that great. But when you see people dressed in period clothing in the medieval Christmas market, you don’t really mind that the food is only mediocre.

The oldest section of the city is the Schnoor, where the narrow streets host buildings dating back to the 11th century. Again, the tourist shopping here is great plus it has an information centre with free maps and useful travel tips. If you go on a good day, you might even be able to snap up some Instagram-worthy photos.

I’d really recommend spending a day here in summer with one or two museum visits, any more and you’ll start to run out of things to do. That said, while the attractions are worthwhile, there’s really not too many of them to keep you there for long.