For more details go to 10. Gelsenkirchen Once called the "City of a thousand fires", Gelsenkirchen was also a coal area, but the mines have been turned into tourist attractions Gelsenkirchen is home to the FC Schalke 04 football team. Baron von M?hausen, the character created by Rudolf Eric Raspe "invites" guests to his concert and play in front of Bodenwerder city hall on the first Sunday of every month from May to October. Open Monday to Friday from 10am to 8pm, Saturdays from 10am to 7pm, closed on Sundays 9. Away with the fairies Do you believe in fairies? If so, hit The Fairy Tale Road as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. A 360-mile route through landscapes dotted with quaint villages and castles, it's an area steeped in fairy legends, in particular those told by the Brothers Grimm, the subjects of a museum in Kassel This year sees open-air theatre and puppet performances. At the Br?-Grimm-M?henfestspiele in Hanau some of the Grimms' tales are performed in front of the Castle Philippsruhe (0049 6181 24670; ).

Or choose an outdoor play or concert, from Shakespeare to the Sleepytown Jazz Orchestra, at the castle of Schloss Bevern (00 49 55 31 99 40 10; ) The marionette shows are mostly of a local nature. The Manufactum showroom is a bit Conranesque, with less furniture, focusing on classic designs from lighting to stationery. It sells great quality interiors and home ware classics with large dollops of nostalgia Prannerpassage, Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse 11. (00 49 892424 3669; ). It opens Monday to Friday from 11 am to 8pm and Saturdays 10am to 6pm Closed Sunday. (00 49 30 420 81 445; ).In Munich, head for F?H? a stylish complex of covered courtyards in the heart of the city. The Mitte gallery, Hackesche H?Hof 2, Rosenthaler Strasse 40/41, 10178 Berlin (00 49 30 28 27 01 5, ) 8.

Off-beat shopping For a one-stop shopping alternative to the high street try Berlinomat for the best in independent design. Browse the all-white interior for photo wallpapers from extratapete, a ring from the silver collection by Driegold or one-off streetwear from the house brand, Hotinaf Berlinomat is at Frankfurter Allee 89. The fortunate few will be asked to exhibit experimental and visionary concepts that integrate architecture into cultural, political and social processes. One former Aedes' exhibitor, Zaha Hadid, went on to become the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004 and has become known in the UK for designing stage sets for the Mind Zone in the Millennium Dome. But will this be anything more than an embellished car showroom? BMW is keeping it all tightly under wraps. For information see . 7.