For a little over a week, I've been staying in Frankfurt, Germany, visiting family and friends and, of course, exploring the city's downtown region, museums, and quaint towns north of the metropolitan area. Much of this city fills me with pleasant memories from my youth, growing up in Bremen. For instance, walking down narrow, brick-road streets will take me back to afternoons spent with my grandmother as we would frequent a nearby bakery or pick up a few of my favorite German snacks, Milch-Schnitte being my absolute favorite. When I walked through one of Frankfurt's neighborhood parks, the scents of Himmelsherold and wheat flowers took me back to play dates with neighborhood friends when we spent summer days adventuring in nature.

The residential town Königstein im Taunus, in the northern urban region of Frankfurt, is a peculiar place to visit and a must-see for people who enjoy a small village-like setting. Königstein is filled with small boutique shops, outdoor food markets, spas, salons, and clothing stores. I will note that the Königstein fortress is its most valuable possession. It is one of Germany's smaller fortresses, but it offers a breath-taking view, if you're willing to climb 180 stairs and navigate through five to six-floor levels.

However, that in itself is an adventure, observing the aged wooden floors and squatting down to a catch a view of the landscape from the iron-barred windows. One is able to catch a view of the half-timbered houses and the Kleiner Feldberg of the Taunus mountain from the roof of the fortress.

Aside from Frankfurt's surrounding urban towns, the city's metropolitan region is filled with historical buildings and beautiful 19th-century architecture.

As far as food goes, I can attest that German bakeries use fine ingredients to make brotchen (German bread). An intrinsic part of Germany's culture is within the quality of its bread. If you plan to visit Germany, you should be prepared to put on a few pounds and gain an inch or two in the waist, but don't worry too much because people here are health-conscious and food is composed of high-quality ingredients.

I appreciate that the city is well kept and, for the most part, free of litter, a true reflection of the Germans' pride in their country. The average traveler would also appreciate Germany for its cultural diversity and liberalness, but of course, this is not to say that some German's aren't more moderately conservative in their daily rituals and with their values. However, people in Germany are more relaxed, which seems to be the case with a lot of Europeans. They tend to their own business and comfortably live within the boundaries of their unique existence.

Happy travels!