Before the first customers arrive

A closer look

A morning in a neighbourhood bakery, where knowing a name matters as much as knowing an order.

The story starts in Zittau. Taking time to listen reveals a different picture from the one a quick visit leaves behind. The people here describe their work in terms of small decisions, familiar faces and things they want to keep going.

What connects us

Crossing a border can change the language on a sign without changing the questions people ask. Where can we meet? What can we make together? And how do we leave space for somebody who has never been here before?

For this story, the everyday details matter: an open door, a shared table, a place to stop on the way home. They give the larger idea a shape that someone else can recognise.

Continue exploring

The places and stories collected below offer another way into the same subject. Follow a nearby route, meet another voice or find the programme connected with this story.