Near a motorway junction on the edge of Oldenburg, the Best Western Hotel Heide, Oldenburg, Germany, is a friendly three-star-superior hotel with cosy rooms, free Wi-Fi throughout, an on-site restaurant serving a generous breakfast buffet, a summer terrace, and free parking. In the warmer months the terrace makes an easy spot to unwind after a day out, perhaps over coffee and cake, and the city centre is only a short ride away. Secure underground parking is also on hand for those arriving by car. Oldenburg is a green residence city in north-west Germany, once the seat of grand dukes. Its handsome palace now holds an art museum, the pedestrian old town buzzes with cafes and markets around the Lambertikirche, and the Schlossgarten and a ring of parks spread leafy walks through the centre. Marshes and dykes of the North Sea coast lie within easy reach for a day by the sea.