My partner was born and raised in Lower Saxony, Germany, a region filled with beautiful rivers, mountains, fertile land, and to the north, the North Sea. He still has plenty of family and friends that reside in Braunschweig and in the village of Bortfeld, which is located just a few minutes from Braunschweig.On a beautiful June morning, we took a BlaBla car, a car pool sharing app, from Hannover to Brunschweig and arrived in less than an hour. Once we got off, we were greeted by his father who brought us to his home for a lovely breakfast with the family. The remainder of the day was dedicated to exploring this beautiful city, which was founded in 861.The family and I explored the city on bikes, they were kind enough to let me use the little sisters bicycle. Only a 10 minute ride from their home was the quaint old town market, which was filled with loads of landmarks from the 800’s and on.The city was named after a man named Bruno, a Saxon Count, and the word wik, which refers to a resting place where merchants would rest after trading.The famous lion stands as the city’s landmark, which was created after Henry the Lion, the Duke of Saxony in 1142. One of the most remarkable landmarks in this city is the St. Blasius Cathedral, which was created during Henry’s reign. This large Lutheran Church is used for cathedral and collegiate churches.Inside of this beauty, a large wooden crucifix from the 12th century is on display along with a massive bronze candlestick with seven arms. Henry the Lion was buried in a limestone tomb in the nave. Inside the cathedral one can find plenty of gems such as Secco’s paintings, Our Lady’s Altar, and several other crypts.In the vicinity of the Altstadmarkt, Old Town market, you can stroll past town hall, the Church of Saint Martin, and pictured above, Gewandhaus, the former house of the drapers’ guild.After we left the Burgplatz area, we rode down a green path that led us to Burgerpark. My partners father recommended we kayak and visit the Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universitat Braunschweig.It was a perfect recommendation. We kayaked down the Oker river, chatted, got an arm workout in, and enjoyed the simple beauty all around. The river wasn’t crowded and hearing the paddle swift through the water, prepared us for another serene activity, a walk through the botanical garden.Along with libraries, parks, local hubs, and religious institutions, I always make my way to botanical gardens. Most host wonderful species that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This one was medium sized but enjoyable to walk through. I’ve been in some that feel endless, like the one in the Bronx, NY. I guess if you have a full day to spare in a garden, it’s no problem.In our case, we had to head back to Hannover in a couple hours, so the garden was just right. After our stroll we rode our bikes back to the family’s home and rested for a bit before we were dropped off at the train station. 
This city is about the size of my hometown in California, just under 250,000. It’s not overwhelming or too crowded but still offers it’s residents some good cuisine, entertainment, and serenity. I will be coming to this city often to visit my partners family, and, it’s something I know I’ll forward to every time. There will always be more to see and to do. Until then Braunschweig.