Hannover’s annual Schützenfest is a heady combination of nostalgic fairground fun, traditional food and a marksman’s festival. As far as events go, labeling the Schützenfest as “annual” seems a bit anticlimactic, given that 2015 will mark its 484th year. Festivities continue from July 3–12, wrapping up with a 7.5-mile grand parade of more than 10,000 riflemen, dancers, artists and entertainers.

Elsewhere in northern Germany, relax with a decaf in Bremen, the city where it was created. The city’s coffeehouse culture dates to 1673, when the first coffee shop in any German-speaking country opened its doors. Later, in 1903, coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius filed his patent on the process of decaffeination. Today, an afternoon break for coffee (or tea) and cake is an embedded tradition. Great places to try: Schnoor-Teestübchen at 1 Wüstestatte, Kaffeemühle at 212 Am Wall, Café Sand at 106 Strandweg and Allegretto at 5 Knochenhauerstrasse.