Göttingen

Distinguished by its famous university, where the Brothers Grimm served as professors and librarians between 1830 and 1837, the fetching town of Göttingen buzzes with student life. Young people on bikes zip past bookshops and secondhand boutiques; when night falls, the town’s cozy bars and cafés swell with students making the most of the drinks specials and free Wi-Fi on offer.

In the streets around the Rathaus you'll find magnificent examples of Renaissance architecture. Many of these half-timber, low-gable buildings house businesses that have been here for centuries. It’s also a large and modern place and boasts the shiny stores, chain coffee shops, and other trappings you’d expect of a 21st-century German town. Though not strictly on the Fairy-Tale Road (despite its association with the Grimms), Göttingen is still well worth visiting.