Landhaus Seela

Head out to Wolfenbuttel

by jayhawk2000

These days it is a suburb of Braunschweig, a 10-minute jaunt from the Hbf, but Wolfenbuttel's royal pedigree shines through with its ducal schloss, esteemed library and some 600 handsome half-timbered buildings.

For 3 euros each we toured the royal apartments of the schloss with the usual ornate plastwork and displays of frocks, porcelain, portraits and table settings. However, the period rooms spanning 320 years of aristocratic frippery went right up to the 1950s complete with kitsch touches.

Across the road is a famous library (once Europe's largest) full of maps and manuscripts, but as it was raining we made a beeline for the nearest coffee shop instead. Have a look at www.hab.de/index-e.htm and see what you make of the library.

The main church in town (Hauptkirche) has wonderful details inside including an enormous organ, decorated pulpit, interesting memorials and plenty of carvings.

We would have lingered longer if the weather had been better or the shops open, but after a couple of hours we felt we'd seen everything this lovely but small town has to offer.

Adult Education Center in the Alte Waage

by Nemorino

Inside the building you can see how the oak beams were joined together by traditional methods, without using iron nails or screws.

The Adult Education Center (VHS) is a large municipal institution which has its headquarters here, and also uses classrooms in other parts of the city.

I was happy to see that in their many English language courses they are still using the same series of textbooks that I introduced in my presentation when I was here ten years ago.

Second and third photos: Here on the top floor, under the slanting roof, is the beautiful seminar room where I did my presentation and workshop for the English teachers in 1997.

Fourth photo: "Volkshochschule Braunschweig" placards in the entrance hall.

Dom: Lion Benches

by Kathrin_E

A little and rather new detail both north and south of the church is worth a look and a chuckle: the benches with the funny stone lions. Those along the Burgplatz side were made in the 1990s, those along the southern wall are very new. Each lion is different. Check them out...

Serious warning: If you want to sit down on these benches and rest, check them for bird p** first.

Gewandhaus

by Kathrin_E

The Gewandhaus was built in the 14th century by the cloth merchants as their guild hall and later enlarged several times. It closes the Southern side of the Altstadtmarkt square.

The beautiful Eastern facade in renaissance style witrh its elaborate decorations was added in 1590-91. What we see today is a post-war reconstruction. The architect and the stonecutters were honest, though. While 99% of the reconstruction were copied from photographs of the original, one of the faces was turned into a portrait of... Picasso.

The renaissance portal facing the market square originally belonged to a pharmacy building in Hagenmarkt which was destroyed during the war.
Originally a row of half-timbered houses covered the front towards the square. The one you see there today is not original, though, it was built in 1948 using pieces of an old house in the suburb.

~~~ my place of birth ~~~

by matseb

"I lived here from 1971 to 1992"

It's OK for a visit if you're interested in history. Otherwise it's rather boring. Nice spot for old buildings: Magniviertel across Schlosspark, Alstadtmarkt and of course the fort (Burgplatz). Adjacent to it, there's a good historical regional museum (Landesmuseum).