The historical theme continues in Einbeck. The town is famous for its beautifully preserved half-timbered buildings, and so I start with a stroll through the streets. My destination is bang in the historical town centre: the Einbecker Brewery. A tour of the brewery takes in the old vaults. We pass the brewing copper and filtration on our way to the bottling plant, where the Einbecker beer is bottled. Einbeck is famous for its bock beer, which can of course be sampled all over town. I opt for the Brodhaus at the Marktplatz. This is the oldest pub in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), and I’m served five freshly drawn beer varieties to sample. Next I follow the beer trail through the town centre and learn a bit more about Einbeck and its beer. And incidentally, even Till Eulenspiegel – a picaresque folk legend from late medieval Germany – tried his hand as a brewer. The fountain at the Marktplatz serves as a reminder of his stories.

Einbeck is not only known for its beer, but also for its mustard. The Einbecker mustard mill is also located in the historical old town. Since 2010 it has reverted back to the stone grinding method, which was used to make mustard in Einbeck from 1923 until the fifties. I sample the different varieties and pop a jar of bock beer mustard in my shopping basket.