Wolfenbüttel combines a half-timbered old town with courtly history, literature and waterways. The old town has more than 600 half-timbered houses. If you are looking for a hotel for a cultural stay, the palace, Lessing House and main church offer different points of interest, complemented by routes that take in the historic waterways and the Oker River.
Half-Timbered Houses and Palace History
The city tour takes you through Wolfenbüttel’s historic old town. Wolfenbüttel Palace developed from a medieval moated castle and is the second-largest palace in Lower Saxony. Particularly striking are the High Baroque state apartments of the former Duchy of Brunswick: they are the only ones preserved in their original form. The ceremonial and private rooms, designed between 1690 and 1740, show what court life was like at the former residence of the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
You can also arrange palace tours outside regular opening hours. Advance registration by phone or in writing is required; tours are also available in English or French. When planning, you can therefore choose between a tour of the old town and a closer look at the palace’s history without treating the two as the same experience.
Lessing and the Library
Gotthold E. Lessing lived in Lessing House in Wolfenbüttel from 1777 to 1781. He set up his study in Eva’s death chamber and wrote the drama “Nathan the Wise” there. The house thus links a specific place with Lessing’s life and work in the city.
The Herzog August Library was founded in 1572 and became famous around the world as the “eighth wonder of the world.” Its collection comprises approximately one million volumes, including around 350,000 volumes dating from the 15th to the 18th century. When planning a visit, note the difference between the library and its museum rooms: the latter are closed to the public for an indefinite period. Check the current status of the rooms before your trip.
Church Architecture and Memorial
The main church of Beatae Mariae Virginis is considered the world’s first major Protestant church building. Notable features include a wooden high altar carved by Freiberg sculptor Bernhard Ditterich, a pictorial depiction of the Passion, and an elaborately decorated organ with 53 stops. Visitors can also descend into the Guelph crypt. Free public tours, with no registration required, take place on the second Friday of each month from 5 to 6 p.m.; check the date before your visit.
Opened in November 2019, the documentation center at the Wolfenbüttel Prison Memorial presents the multimedia permanent exhibition “Law. Crime. Consequences. The Wolfenbüttel Prison in the Nazi Era.” The documentation center and its permanent exhibition are freely accessible; check the current visitor information before your visit. The historic sites on the prison grounds are separate: groups must register at least 14 days in advance, and visits are possible only subject to special security measures.
Waterways and the Oker
The Waterways audio tour leads to five stops with visible traces of Wolfenbüttel’s historic waterways. You can explore it independently on your smartphone at any time; the tour is free. This offers a way to discover the city’s history through its waterways, rather than solely through the palace, library and church architecture.
The Oker River flows through Wolfenbüttel. Its banks and floodplains provide habitats for birds, fish, small mammals, and plants on land and in the water. Okeraue Canoe Rental offers individual trips through the species-rich river floodplain. It is a seasonal business and is closed during the winter months. If you are planning a canoe trip, check the current operating information before your journey. This clearly distinguishes the seasonal activity from the audio tour’s self-guided stops, which are available year-round.
Discover more destinations: Elbe, Denkte, Börßum, Lucklum, Sickte, Kneitlingen, Schöppenstedt, Erkerode.
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