The north-western German port city of Bremen has a number of claims to fame. It is the centre of Germany's space industry and home to the country's second biggest Airbus factory, a Mercedes factory and Beck's Brewery (founded in 1837).

Various food manufacturers are located here, including Kellog's, Kraft Foods and the Nordsee sea-food chain.

The city is a mixture of ancient and modern architecture – medieval masterpieces mix surprisingly easily with space-age structures.

Woodland and country parks are always within easy reach, and the mighty River Weser, which flows through the centre of the city on its way to the North Sea, some 60km away at Bremerhaven, offers plenty of leisure opportunities.

Bremen's famous sons include composer and big-band leader James Last and the legendary Manchester City goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann.

Trautmann, a German war hero then prisoner of war, was injured after diving at the feet of a Birmingham City player 15 minutes before the end of the 1956 FA Cup Final. He played through the pain and helped preserve his side's 3-1 lead. An X-ray three days later revealed he had broken his neck.

Friday

Our OLT (Ostfriesische Lufttransport) flight – a 50-seat, Saab 2000, propeller-driven aircraft, leaves BIA at 5.10pm, bang on schedule. A drink and generous meal is served by the only stewardess as we head north-east at low altitude.

We drop into Hamburg, where we say goodbye to half our passengers. Fifteen minutes later we're airborne again and no sooner are we at cruising altitude then we prepare to land in Bremen – 20 minutes early, at 8.25pm.

We take a cab the 7km journey to our hotel; the trip costs a wallet- busting 20 euros.

We drop our bags, grab a drink in the bar, then head into town to take our first look at Freimarkt (Freemarket). This is one of Germany's oldest fairs, dating from 1036, and is a huge two-week-long party that spills from its huge fairground home (more than 300 stalls and 30-plus rides) right across the city.

We just have time to catch the tram (from Use Akshen) to Domsheide, in the city centre, a mere 4km, or 15-minute, ride away to the east. We then walk towards the floodlit sky above Hauptbanhof, Bremen's main railway station, the landmark nearest to Freimarkt. The generator-driven fairground lights are bright, the rides huge, impressive and complex, the decibel level high.

The atmosphere is lively, rowdy, but friendly. Peter talks me into paying for a couple of rollercoaster rides (five euros each) and we try our luck at a couple of sideshows. There is delicious food everywhere you look – sausages, steaks, chocolate, nuts ice-creams, chestnuts, hot and cold fish, corn on the cob.

At 1am, we head back to the hotel on the night bus (show your tram ticket and you can ride home for just one extra euro).

Saturday

After a fortifying breakfast, football is also on the menu – the city's Bundesliga side Werder Bremen are entertaining fierce rivals Herta Berlin.

We take the tram and head back to the city centre, then through it to Weserstadion. After collecting our tickets we join the ever-growing, increasingly beer-fuelled crowd of fans that are gathering by the food and drinks stalls outside the ground.

There's plenty of banter between the two sets of fans; Herta's blue and white army are in the minority but they are making most of the noise. The atmosphere is boisterous – watched over by groups of huge sinister, black-shirted police – but good-natured, and we see no trouble. Kick-off approaches so we take our (30 euro) seats with 45,000 others – most dressed in the green and white of Werder – and are swept along as the home side overwhelm their opponents 5-1. Brazilian star Diego and Chelsea on-loan player Claudio Pizarro lead the way.

The win boosts Werder's league standing and is a morale booster for their home Champions League encounter against Panathinaikos four days later (see Factfile).

After the game, we are swept by the crowds back to the tram stop and take a standing-room-only ride to the city centre to reacquaint ourselves with Freimarkt.

It's exactly like the previous night, except busier and more sober – and the weather is friendlier. Family groups dominate, with locals taking their chance to enjoy this year's attractions.

Sunday

It's time to check out the real Bremen, so we head back to the centre, leave the tram in the centre of the city at Obernstrasse and soon find the Market Square tourist office where we collect a walking tour map, the highlights of which include:

Bremen Town Musicians: A bronze statue, erected in 1953, depicts the story of the four animals – a donkey, dog, cat and cockerel – from the Brothers Grimm fairytale. The animals, all past their prime, leave their homes and decide to travel to Bremen, a place known for its freedom, to live without owners and become musicians;

Market Square: This impressive square, filled, when we visited, with a small funfair, food stalls and a medieval crafts market, is an impressive mix of outstanding buildings, including the Town Hall; Ratskeller (wine cellar); Roland Statue (at 5.5 metres tall the biggest and most impressive of Germany's 26 Roland statues – built to represent market rights and freedom; the twin-towered St Peter's Cathedral (more than 1,200 years old and featuring Gothic architecture from the 13th century); State Parliament (designed in 1966 and a controversially modern building of concrete and glass in its day); and Guild Hall (a magnificent building which dates from 1537/38);

Schnoor Quarter: Bremen's oldest district, and a maze of 15th- and 16th-century houses – many of them now occupied by artists, goldsmiths and cafe owners – and narrow alleys;

St Martin's Quay: A pleasant section of the Weser riverbank where you can take a cruise, or watch the boats glide by;

Bottcherstrasse: The gilt relief Bringer of Light signals the start of the 110-metre pedestrianised arcade which is full of beautiful, expensive shops, restaurants, museums and a carillon made from Meissen porcelain (rings at noon, 3pm and 6pm). That night, it's dinner at the hotel – snack menu only is fine but expensive with burger and chips and a couple of drinks each at almost 40 euros.

Monday

The alarm clock springs into life at some ungodly hour – we need to be at the airport in good time for our 6am flight back to Bristol.

Our journey over a cold, dark Germany, English Channel and slowly lightening England is smooth but uneventful, punctuated by a welcome breakfast. We land 10 minutes early.

To watch videos from Stephen's trip, log on to www.westerndailypress.co.uk/bremen

Innside Premium Hotel Bremen, Stermentor 6, 28237 Bremen, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 421 24270; fax: +49 (0) 421 2427 427. Email: bremen@innside.de; Website: www.innside.de

S mart, full of fun and colour, the Innside is one of a new small bunch of hotels that has sprung up to offer a comfortable place to lay your head, or serve as a base to explore some of the most interesting places in Germany.

How do you get there? German airline OTL flies from Bristol International Airport (its only UK airport) to Bremen via Hamburg. We took a cab from the airport, our chatty driver explaining in some detail Bremen's geography, its industrial demise and footballing turmoil along the way. You could take a tram to the city centre and then out to the hotel.

First impressions: We arrived in an enormous car park, right on the River Weser in a newly developed, fairly unloved industrial area a couple of miles from the city centre. The site was home to the ill-fated Space Centre which closed in 2004 after being open for less than a year. A huge cinema complex, concert hall and top-end shopping centre are slowly winning support. The hotel is bright, fresh and modern with a welcome to match. Early, essential questions were answered court- eously and with enthusiasm.

What are the rooms like? Modern and colourful, with a futuristic design. The look is all mirrors and stainless steel, deep blue and orange. It sounds naff, but it works – and gives a crisp, 21st- century feel to the place. All the standard niceties are covered, except there's no tea and coffee and the nearest safety deposit box is in reception. Another odd touch was the glass panels in the wall that separate the bathroom from the bedroom. You couldn't see through, but it meant the bedroom was lit up whenever the bathroom was in use – not great for any middle-of-the-night visits. The bathroom itself was faultless – tiled throughout, with a great shower, free toiletries and giant shaving mirror. An unexpected but welcome surprise was that the mini-bar, stocked with two beers, a couple of soft drinks and a bottle of water, will, should you wish, be topped up twice, for free. Another bonus was that, despite the hotel being busy we never heard a murmur from fellow guests.

What else can you do? The stylish, neon-rich Starwalker bar, just by the lifts, serves just about every cocktail in the universe and a variety of good draught and bottled beers. There is a small (empty when we visited) fitness area with a one-person bubble bath and sauna. Hiring a bathrobe demands a surprising 50 euro deposit.

What's on the menu? We broke fasts both mornings and tested dinner on the Sunday. Breakfast was good, with a mix of Continental cheeses, cold meats, salad vegetables, fresh fruit and juices (including squeeze-your-own oranges), cereals, yoghurts and pastries and the standard cooked elements. Three items stood out – the egg chef was superb; the fresh bread rolls were lovely; the piddling, crinkled sausages were terrible, an embarrassment to this banger- loving nation. Sunday dinner was an unchallenging snack menu only in a virtually deserted restaurant. Two cheeseburgers and chips with a couple of drinks each came to a whopping 40 euros. Lunch and room service is also available.

Any gripes? The hotel bills itself as Bremen's first non-smoking hotel and boasts that miscreants will be fined to cover the cost of fumigation. It didn't take a genius to work out that someone had been breaking the rules in our room not very long before we arrived… the room reeked. And, if you want easy access to mainstream action, maybe this place is not for you – it's a 10-minute walk to the tram; then a 15-minute ride to the city centre. Taxis are expensive.

How much does it cost? There are 162 rooms (studios and suites). Single studios cost from 92 euros a night; doubles from 112 euros. Single suites cost from 112 euros, doubles from 132 euros.

The verdict: A good weekend break hotel – quiet. spotless and comfortable. But if good sausages and easy centre-of-town access is key, you should try somewhere else.

SW

Stephen White and his son Peter travelled to Bremen courtesy of OLT and Bristol International Airport.

They flew with OLT from Bristol to Bremen via Hamburg. OLT flies from Bristol to Bremen every weekday. Return flights cost from £79.40 one way, including taxes. To book, visit www.olt.de

They stayed three nights at the Innside Premium Hotel Bremen (see Weekend Retreat, right).

Freimarkt 2009 will be held from October 16 until November 1. For more details visit www.freimarkt.de

Werder Bremen: the team ended 2008 eighth in the Bundesliga. On Wednesday, November 4, Panathinaikos ran out shock 0-3 winners over Werder and, although this was the home side's only defeat in the tournament, they finished third in their qualifying group behind their Greek rivals and Inter Milan and thus failed to qualify for the last-16 knockout stage. Werder will now play AC Milan in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. For more details visit www.werder.de

Bristol International Airport is the UK's fifth biggest regional airport. Its extended executive lounge enjoys unrivalled views across the runway. Facilities include free newspapers, drinks and snacks, and telephone, fax and wireless internet access. The lounge is free for all business-class passengers but can also be booked in advance for a one-off fee of £16 per passenger (children under 12 not allowed).

Two Bristol Flyer bus services operate between Bristol city centre and Bristol International Airport. A return journey costs £8.

If you choose to drive, it pays to book parking at the airport in advance.

Pre-booked prices start from £26.99 for three days in the long-stay car park, or £29 for eight days in the Silver Zone car park.

For more information about the airport or to book the executive lounge, bus tickets or car parking, visit the website at www.bristolairport.co.uk