A garden tells the story of the last Ice Age, while a guided tour of the works explains steel production: Salzgitter offers very different ways to explore history and landscape. Since 2 July 2006, the 2,000-square-metre Ice Age Garden has been part of the Städtisches Museum Schloss Salder. Together with the permanent archaeological exhibition “50,000 Years of Life in Salzgitter”, it shows the living conditions of the Neanderthals who hunted in the northern Harz foothills at the beginning of the last Ice Age. Corresponding finds come from Krähenriede in Lebenstedt.
From the Ice Age to steel production
The Städtisches Museum Schloss Salder presents the history of the region from prehistory to the early 20th century. The Ice Age Garden adds a tangible dimension: it brings the subject of the permanent archaeological exhibition to life outdoors, too. All museum departments offer guided tours, workshops, children’s birthday parties and hands-on activities as part of their educational programme. If you would like to attend a particular activity, check the relevant date in advance.
Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, a company of Salzgitter AG, offers a different insight. It runs tours of the steelworks, explaining the steelmaking process from the blast furnace for pig iron to semi-finished and finished products in the rolling mills. Individuals and small groups of up to 15 people can take part. The minimum age is 16, and participants need at least average fitness. The tour involves long walks and stairs and is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.
Water sports and protected nature
Salzgittersee is the water sports centre of south-eastern Lower Saxony. It covers 75 hectares and extends 2,120 metres from north to south. It is used by sailors, windsurfers, rowers and canoeists. These measurements give an idea of the lake’s size, while the water sports listed show what it is used for.
The area around Heerter See offers a contrast in nature. The 272-hectare site of former settling pond 3, including a small remnant of the former woodland, is protected. A walking route runs around the Heerter See nature reserve and European bird sanctuary and is considered a special experience for nature lovers. The protected landscape and walking route appeal to different interests from the water sports at Salzgittersee.
Salzgitter-Bad is also set in a landscape-rich area: the town lies nestled in the Salzgitter Hills and makes a good starting point for long walks through varied countryside. One of the viewpoints is the Bismarck Tower on the 272-metre-high Hamberg. The tower was built in 1900. Twenty-four stone steps lead to the first platform; another 57 wooden steps take you to the topmost of the four platforms. It is one of three Bismarck towers made of metal, although it is not made entirely of metal. From viewpoints such as this one, you can look out over the northern Harz foothills.
Churches, castles and an open-air stage
At Schloss Ringelheim, the monastery church, rebuilt and newly constructed in the Baroque style in 1694, hosts the Ringelheim Organ Days every May. As future programme plans may change, it is worth checking the dates for your chosen year. The Flachstöckheim estate park offers another kind of culture: an open-air stage stands in the former English garden of the noble von Schwicheldt family, where concerts and children’s theatre performances are held.
The history of buildings in several places goes back a long way. Gebhardshagen Water Castle in Salzgitter was built around the year 1000 and is one of the oldest water castles in the state of Brunswick. In the castle keep, rebuilt at the Lichtenberg castle ruins, a permanent exhibition explores the castle’s history and archaeological finds. The two places offer different points of reference for history: the water castle as an early structure, and the keep as a venue for an exhibition about the castle and its finds.
Another theme awaits you in the Rose Garden: the graduation pavilion is a facility for salt production. Its wooden framework is filled mainly with bundles of blackthorn twigs; the pavilion invites you to breathe in the air, which is considered beneficial to health. Together with the museum, industry, churches and castles, it expands the range of attractions with a different aspect connected to salt.
Visitor information
Salzgitter-Ringelheim has its own railway station, with regional train connections. The nearest bus stop to Schloss Ringelheim is called “Goslarsche Straße” and is served by routes 650 and 656. Check the timetables before you travel, as they may change. When planning your visit, you can group the destinations by your interests: museums and archaeology, waterside and natural landscapes, industrial history, or buildings and events.
Discover more destinations: Bad Salzgitter, Lebenstedt, Gifhorn, Aurich, Helmstedt, Osterholz, Goslar, Delmenhorst.
Back to the regional travel overview: Lower Saxony.
