Forsthaus Appartements

Canoeing and boating

by Nemorino

The Oker is a pleasant little river that is too small for commercial traffic but fine for canoes and other small boats. It flows right through Braunschweig, in fact it splits into two parts to go around the city center, which thus is on an island.

There are several places to rent canoes and other boats. The one called "Bootsstation Braunschweig" is centrally located by the bridge where the Kurt-Schumacher-Straße crosses the river, near Kennedyplatz.

The folks in the photo are paddling on the Oker River just south of Braunschweig, near Richmond Palace.

Burgplatz

by Colzy

If you visit Braunschweig then you simply have to visit Burgplatz (Castle Square). Luckily it is right in the centre of town and very close to the pedestrianised walking area. It is very impressive to stand in the middle of the square and view the full 360 degrees which is incredibly beautiful. In summer, there are often festivals held in the square and in winter it is the site of the town's famous Christmas markets.

Burgplatz is comprised of a group of buildings of great historical and cultural importance at the centre of Braunschweig. The statue of the Lion of the Castle (Burglowe) is located at the centre of the square.

Rathaus (Town Hall)

by sabsi

The town hall of Braunschweig looks very "ungerman" to me. It has this certain Britain or Belgium style of architecture that makes it rather unusual and pretty. It is located right next to the Burgplatz in the centre of town.

In front of the town hall you can inform yourself about Braunschweig's bid for Europe's capital of Culture 2010.

Alte Waage and St. Andreas Church

by sabsi

I loved the view of "Alte Waage" with St. Andreas church behind it. The original building was constructed in 1534. It was used as a weighing house and a warehouse. Unfortunately it was used as the home for Hitler Youth in WWII and was destroyed in an air raid in 1944. It was rebuild and reopened in 1994, now being the home of Braunschweig's Volkshochschule.

Brewery or history?

by Sjalen

Take your pick - there are two breweries and a lot of history in Braunschweig. A city many people miss on their way to more exciting cities further south, or just to the Harz mountains nearby.

I went here several times as a child with my relatives in nearby Wolfsburg but then I was of course not a VT member :))) It has taken me until 2005 to come back to actually look at sights and not just visit the odd child-friendly museum. As we went in November, the weather did not invite us to strolls between cafes along the stream just off the city centre. Instead, we strolled the streets and looked at the history - something that proved a bit tricky at times since the city council has decided to recreate the old castle smack bang in the centre, thereby demolishing a nice park and turning it into a building site for a few years. If only they were to reconstruct the whole castle as it was, but oh no, they are only making the facade look the way it did. The interior will become a shopping centre!

Do go here if you have time to spare. Although war damaged, there is still plenty of good architecture and some nice museums thrown in. At least give the city a chance whilst changing trains - something most people seem to do here, travelling between Hannover and the Harz.