{"id":21261,"date":"2022-06-10T10:51:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T08:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=21261"},"modified":"2022-06-03T09:10:00","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T07:10:00","slug":"sightseeing-hamelin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/germany\/lower-saxony\/hamelin\/sightseeing-hamelin\/","title":{"rendered":"2 hours in Hamelin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The train stops in Hamelin, we have 2 hours until the onward journey – off we go, sightseeing on the fly, let’s see if it’s worth stopping by for a longer stop sometime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Hamelin is in Lower Saxony and when I hear the town’s name, I only think of the story of the Pied Piper. The story of the Pied Piper is based on a legend that dates back to 1284.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ratte<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hamelin was a member of the Hanseatic League from 1426 to 1572. The economic rise began in the 16th century. Some of the magnificent buildings of the Weser Renaissance, which can still be seen in the town today, were built during this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1664, the city was expanded into a fortress. Star-shaped bastions were built around the town, which were reinforced by further fortifications in the following years. For a long time, the town was considered impregnable and was the strongest fortress in the Electorate of Hannover. In 1806, Hamelin surrendered to the French without a fight after the Battle of Jena. Napoleon ordered the fortifications to be dismantled, leaving only two town towers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Rattenf\u00e4nger<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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During the Second World War, air raids and ground troops destroyed several houses in the historic inner city area of the town and the bridge over the Weser during their advance. From the end of the 1960s, extensive renovation of the old town began to counteract the decay of Hamelin’s half-timbered houses. Today the town centre is a pedestrian zone and there are beautiful half-timbered houses to discover.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A short stroll through Hamelin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Two hours in Hamelin are of course not enough to explore the entire city centre. We followed the Pied Piper’s Path through the town for a short distance, which is marked with special stones in the pavement. So we still had the chance to discover some really beautiful half-timbered and stone houses and even had the chance to climb up a church tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rattenf\u00e4ngerweg<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stiftsherrenhaus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The beautiful Stiftsherrenhaus dates from 1558. The half-timbered house was built by the merchant and mayor Friedrich Poppendiek and is characterised by rich ornamental and figural decoration on the front of the house. Ancient planetary gods and numerous biblical motifs are depicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n