Hannover

A little off the Fairy-Tale Road, and probably better known internationally as a trade-fair center than a tourist destination, the Lower Saxon capital's attractive mix of culture, arts, and nature justifies a visit here all the same. Home to leading museums, an opera house of international repute, and the finest baroque park in the country, it's a place that packs a surprising amount into a city of only half a million people. Conveniently centered between the city's main train station and its pleasant inner city lake, most of Hannover's major attractions, including its fine New and Old Town Halls, are within an easy walk of one another. In spring and summer the city's parks fill with picnicking families, while fall and winter are celebrated with the second biggest Oktoberfest in the world and cheery Christmas markets respectively.