3 Best Sights in The Fairy-Tale Road, Germany

The massive New Town Hall was built at the start of the 20th century in Wilhelmine style (named for Kaiser Wilhelm). The pomp and circumstance were important ingredients of the German bureaucracy of the time. Four scale models on the ground floor depict Hannover in various stages of development and destruction: as a medieval walled city, in the years before World War II, immediately following World War II, and in its present-day form. An elevator rises diagonally to the dome for a splendid view.

Bad Karlshafen's baroque beauty, the town's best example of the stunning architectural style, stands in surprising contrast to the abundance of half-timber houses found along the rest of the Weser. Inside, the building is still used for administrative purposes, so it is not accessible to the public.

A 15th-century statue of Charlemagne, together with seven princes, adorns the Gothic town hall, the only European town hall built in the late Middle Ages that has not been destroyed or altered, managing to survive in its original form over the centuries. It was Charlemagne who established a diocese here in the 9th century. The Rathaus acquired a Weser Renaissance facade during the early 17th century. Tours, given when no official functions are taking place, are in German and English and take you into the upper hall as well as the Golden Chamber, a magnificent plenary hall. Inside, the model ships that hang from the ceiling bear witness to the importance of commerce and maritime trade for the city. Their miniature cannons can even be fired if the occasion demands.