The 1,200-year-old Hanseatic city of Bremen

If not for my customers, I would not have heard of Bremen, a quiet and quaint town in North Germany. For years, they have been asking me to visit them and I finally made the trip from Vienna.

I arrived at Hanover Airport, about an hour's drive away from Bremen, in the evening. If you're flying into Bremen, pick a flight that goes directly to Bremen Airport as it is more convenient.

My customer picked me up and sped towards Bremen in his sporty Audi. The first thing I noticed about Bremen was how green it is. Large trees line the quiet roads and peaceful neighbourhoods. The dinner location was perfect - Meierei at Bürgerpark which is one of Germany’s best-maintained country parks.

The food at the newly restored restaurant was fantastic.

 More importantly I had the opportunity to finally meet up with the team I had been communicating with for years.

The next morning, I was taken through a quick stroll  across the Marktplatz through the “Schnoor Viertel” with its narrow cobblestone alleys down towards the river.

 

The city is famous for The Bremen Town Musicians which is a fairytale about the adventures of a donkey, a dog, a cat and a cockerel. You will see them everywhere in the town square. I was told that touching the legs of the donkey will bring luck, so here I am, grabbing the life out of those legs!

 Here they are again.

 

 There are lots of story books about them too.

Bremen's history stretches back more than 1,200 years, and is still tangible today. You can feel it in the Baroque and Renaissance ambience of the Marktplatz. I leave you to enjoy the pictures.

I was invited to lunch at Zur Nordseite an old country restaurant where the food is hearty and servings are huge. Every meal comes with sides like potato and salad served in large bowls. It's like eating three main dishes for lunch.