Bovenden combines a lively market with opportunities for culture and exercise. When planning your trip, it is worth choosing a focus: Should your stay be mainly about the history of Plesse Castle, longer hikes or a visit to the market? These themes offer different experiences; you can take them into account when deciding how long to stay and where to stay, without making every day the same.
History and views at Plesse Castle
Plesse Castle was first mentioned in 1015 and is considered one of the most significant hilltop castles in southern Lower Saxony. You can walk through the inner courtyard and see the remains of the former chapel and manor house. The walls of the keep are four metres thick. From its ramparts, the view stretches across the Leine Valley, the Solling and the Harz; the Great Tower also offers panoramic views. Eichsfeld and Goethelinde at Plesse Castle also offer views over the Leine Valley. The castle grounds are open year-round; check the opening conditions before your visit.
Forest trails and a variety of routes
The Plesse Forest offers an extensive network of hiking trails. Well-maintained paths lead from the Plesse Castle car park through the surrounding forest; the wooded landscape is also ideal for long walks. At HĂĽnstollen, the prehistoric rampart and its observation tower are a hiking destination in their own right. The Bielstein circular hiking trail offers a different kind of route: from Mariaspring, it passes through a rugged gorge to the large sandstone cliffs at Bielstein.
Lohberg has extensive hiking trails, with benches offering views of the old village of Bovenden and the Leine Valley. The yew forest reserve is home to trees more than 170 years old. The yew forest on the southwestern slope of the Hainberg is the largest contiguous stand of yew trees in the Federal Republic of Germany. Alongside scenic trails, the forest and its old trees are another option to explore.
The market and opportunities to stay active
The Bovenden market focuses on freshness, quality and seasonal relevance. More than 20 vendors offer regional and non-regional specialties; the number of vendors and the product mix may change.
The Generations Park is located in Wurzelbruch Park. Its fitness equipment supports endurance, strength and mobility; there is also a sandstone climbing wall for children. These are different ways to stay active from taking longer hikes or spending time in the forest landscape.
Plan your journey and stay
Bovenden has a town bus connection to Göttingen. Nearby motorway access provides another way to get there; rail connections are available in Göttingen, Northeim and Nörten-Hardenberg. Check current timetables and road conditions before setting off, as transport services and road conditions may change.
A cultural attraction in Göttingen
In Göttingen, the Forum Wissen adds a scientific perspective to the cultural experience: visitors can learn about ongoing research and teaching there. The permanent exhibition “Spaces of Knowledge” covers 1,400 square metres and explains how knowledge is created. Its twelve rooms display more than 1,400 objects from the collections of the University of Göttingen. This makes a visit to Göttingen different in focus from Plesse Castle: here, the emphasis is on the creation of knowledge and university collections, while there it is on the historic castle and its views.
Discover more destinations: Scheden, Brochthausen, Friedland, Dankelshausen, Obernfeld, Staufenberg, Duderstadt, Nienhagen
For the main travel overview: Göttingen.
