DESPITE being a frequent traveller I had never experienced the pleasure of visiting Germany prior to my recent trip to Bremen.

I imagined a sprawling city with lots of industry and I was not disappointed but what I did not expect was such magnificently persevered history, writes Worcester News reporter Liz Sharpe.

Its exquisite main square, Marktplatz, containing the city’s 1,000 year old medieval cathedral, provides a perfect focus point.

At the heart of the square is the breathtakingly impressive town hall. The building’s brick Gothic architecture is an incredible sight to behold and it’s not just the outside that’s spectacular, the interior treats us to intricate carpentry and beautiful paintings.

Alongside the town hall is the statue of Roland, both of which have stood since the 15th century and were selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Tucked away is the city of Bremen’s most famous symbol, the Town Musicians from Grimms' Fairy Tales, a bronze statue by Gerhard Marcks, erected in 1953 stands proudly.

Visiting the Bremen Ratskeller feels almost holy and provides a spiritual journey – even for a non-believer.

It has the world's greatest selection of exclusively German wines with more than 600 varieties.

It is one of the oldest and most famous wine cellars in Germany and we were lucky enough to tour the candle-lit Rose Cellar, which stores the country’s oldest cask wines.

The cellar offers the aroma of century-old wines.

This includes a famous rose wine, a vintage Rüdesheim, dating back to 1653, thought to be the oldest wine in the world, now protected by UNESCO.

Only the cellarmaster Karl-Josef Krötz and the current mayor of Bremen Carsten Sieling are allowed to sample it.

Not far from the city centre, visitors can sample bohemian lifestyle at the Viertel, an area of Bremen filled with colourful entertainment, arts, bars and restaurants as well as unusual street art.

Here it is peaceful and quiet despite being so close to the hustle and bustle of city life.

Whilst in this part of the city we headed to Resturant Küche 13, which provided a delicious meal of caesar salad, followed by a main of succulent and perfectly cooked pork.

Just off the main square, visitors can flock to the Schnoor, the medieval city centre.

The Schnoor, meaning string, was where ropes and cables were produced.

Well known for its crafts, this beautifully petite area of the city does not feel like a city at all, its remote and quiet cobbled streets remind me of something out of a fairy tale.

Beer is part of Bremen’s culture, with a history dating back to the 11th century, after a hold at Bremer Union Brauerei for 50 years, brewing started up again in 2015.

A guided tour of the brewery proved an interesting addition, with visitors encouraged to sample a selection of different beers.

The brewery holds an annual Bremen Oktoberfest in September.

After the tour we headed for dinner in the brewery restaurant where I enjoyed the Bremer Wurstsalat, a sausage salad with gherkins followed by a delicious Schokoladen Crème Brulee, a chocolatety twist on the familiar classic.

The city centre has a fantastic and easy-to-use metro system but it is easily walkable for families too.

With Lufthansa flights from Birmingham to Bremen taking just three hours, the city really does have everything you need for the perfect getaway.

For more information about fights and itineraries, go to lufthansa.com.

For further information about Bremen, go to www.germany.travel or visit www.bremen.de.