You’re at Göttingen, Germany and have seen everything here? Or you plan to go here and want to know what you can see on a day-trip or an excursion starting from Göttingen? Check out this list of nice things to do (sorted by distance, ascending) somewhere around the city.
Relax at the nice Wendebachstausee and make a barbecue: officially this lake is used to store water to prevent floods. In fact, it is a beloved place for swimming, walking around and having a barbecue. In summertime there is also a small bar where you get something to eat and drink and you’ll also find toilets (distance: 10 km, 0:15 h). Read more…
Discover a mountain duo and explore two castle ruins: fields of wild garlic, two mountains, two castle ruins and amazing views – what does one need more for a nice excursion? If you’re in the mood for climbing a 432 meters high mountain duo and exploring ancient ruins – then make your way for the Gleichen (distance: 14 km, 0:22 h). Read more…
Climb on sandstone rocks, discover caves and jump over crevices: Deep in the Reinhäuser Wald (Reinhausen forest), you can find the Jägersteine or Jägerstein (hunters stone), an impressive sandstone formation with different small caves to explore, passages to pass through and crevices to jump over. It’s a lovely hiking destination and a good place to just hang around and play a bit in nature (distance: 16 km, 0:23 h). Read more…
Discover a secret hide-away in a cave and feel like Indiana Jones while climbing a large rock: The lower German verb ‘hurkuzen‘ meaning ‘to hide away‘ is very much unknown today – but it gave the name for a nice sandstone formation in the Reinhäuser Wald (Reinhausen forest) near Bremke belonging to Gleichen. Within the rock, you will find a man-made cave at a height of 3 meters in which you can climb via a wooden ladder. Hide for a while but afterwards don’t forget to explore the rest of the region (distance: 16 km, 0:23 h). Read more…
Watch puppets play theatre at the Theater der Nacht: it is a very special puppet theatre in an old firefighters building at Northeim. It already looks magical from the outside. Check their program on the web and try to book early: they’ve got special seats for children to ensure that nothing and nobody blocks their view (distance: 21 km, 0:22 h). Read more…
See an abandoned tower from the 80s and walk through an old quarry: not far away from Hann. Münden you can visit an old volcano, the Hoher Hagen. It was used by famous mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauß for measuring the kingdom of Hannover. Today you can see the new Gaußturm, which is already abandoned and walk through an old quarry. On your way back stop at Dransfeld at the restaurant Franks Piraterie – a TV show made it famous (distance: 21 km, 0:29 h). Read more…
Make a trip to medieval times at the castle Berlepsch: near Witzenhausen you can find the well-preserved medieval castle. Explore the castle grounds, walk around in the forest, participate in a medieval event or watch the battle of the knights (see dates on their website). If your looking for a place for lunch get to Schinkels Brauhaus at the city center – it’s worth the way (distance: 22 km, 0:25 h). Read more…
Spend some time in a local deer park: When you’re at Göttingen and want to see some animals, you don’t have too many options: the city just has the Kehr with some deer, wild boars and squirrels. A good option is the amazing Tierpark Sababurg at Hofgeismar, belonging to Hesse. But there is also an underrated option not far away: the Wildpark Hardegsen. It is owned by the small city of Hardegsen (7,500 inhabitants) and you don’t have to pay an entrance fee (distance: 22 km, 0:26 h). Read more…
Look at tropical plants and switch over to Austria: at Witzenhausen you can find a remote faculty of the University of Kassel – and that is why a tropical green house exists there (look up the limited opening hours on their website). There you can see how coffee, cacao, vanilla, pineapple and oranges grow. Afterwards walk the few meters to the Wiener Café at the city center and order cake and coffee like at Vienna (distance: 30 km, 0:30 h). Read more…
Explore a castle ruin at the place where three countries meet: the castle Hanstein at Bornhagen, Germany is one of the most beautiful castle ruins of the region. It is not far away from the point where the three federal countries of Hesse, Lower Saxony and Thuringia meet. It is said that the castle exists since the year 820 but the first written proof is from around the year 1000 CE. It was home to the house of Hanstein and later inaccessible while Germany was divided (distance: 30 km, 0:30 h). Read more…
Search for the ruin of a robber-knight fortress in the forest: between Hemeln and Glashütte (both belonging to Hann. Münden) you can park your car next to the road and follow a track into the forest. There you will find the donjon of the Bramburg from the 11th century and you can search for rests of the walls and play in the wonderful forest. Best combine this with cake and coffee at the restaurant Klostermühle Bursfelde (distance: 30 km, 0:32 h). Read more…
Take a look at the private art collection of a regional entrepreneur: Hans-Georg Näder acts as patron for many local initiatives. He is also collecting art and next to his home he opened a small private art museum, the Kunsthalle HGN. In this five-level building with industrial chic, made of ferroconcrete and rusting iron he presents his private collection and the works of befriended artists (distance: 30 km, 0:33 h). Read more…
Discover a small town with lots of half-timbered houses: the city center of Hann. Münden is rich of beautiful places. Walk over the old Werra bridge, take a look at the beautiful old town hall, climb up to the Tillyschanze and the Weserliedanlage. Take a boat tour on the three rivers of the city, hike through the forest, explore a swamp or discover an abandoned railway tunnel (distance: 32 km, 0:27 h). Read more…
Swim in green water or have a barbecue in a quarry: old quarries often make nice lakes for swimming – but this one is special as it is located next to some big rocks and you’ll have the feeling of being at the Alps. Swimming is unsupervised and at your own risk. The Grüner See is located at Hundelshausen, a part of Witzenhausen (distance: 35 km, 0:34 h). Read more…
Sweat in the tropics while watching butterflies: if you like it hot you should go to Uslar. There you’ll find a greenhouse with tropical temperatures. Inside different butterflies fly around and wait for visitors. This place is closed during winter times – even though the tropical temperatures would be great then. Afterwards get yourself some cake and coffee at the Landcafé Gollart (distance: 36 km, 0:35 h). Read more…
Enjoy nature at Gut Herbigshagen and visit the headquarters of the Sielmann-Stiftung: close to Duderstadt, Germany you will find the farm Gut Herbigshagen that educates children and brings them in closer contact to nature. You can walk around, see some animals typical for the region, try balancing games, visit a tree house and have a picnic – but there is also an eatery that sells drinks and small dishes (distance: 37 km, 0:40 h). Read more…
See lots of cars and motorbikes at the PS.Speicher: it is a special museum located at Einbeck and definitely fun – especially for people who love cars and/or motorcycles. The exhibition also includes small games that entertain children while the adults enjoy design, history and technology (distance: 40 km, 0:37 h). Read more…
Search for unicorns in a cave: researchers have come here for a very long time as the 700 meters long cave is filled to large extent with sediment that contains the bones of extinct animals like mammoths, cave bears and cave lions. In 1672 the physicist Otto von Guericke reported that he had found a unicorn there which motivated the famous mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to get there and to construct a unicorn from bones (distance: 40 km, 0:40 h). Read more…
Meet local and exotic animals at the Tierpark Sababurg: maybe the best excursion from Hann. Münden and only 25 kilometers away. The Tierpark offers a children’s zoo with penguins, meerkats, wallabies and rabbits, a playground, a show with birds of prey, vast green fields with a large number of animals living freely, a farm with farm animals and a great restaurant. The price is more than fair and I could get there several times a year (distance: 45 km, 0:51 h). Read more…
Welcome to the jungle! Explore the virgin forest close to the Sababurg: the forest Reinhardswald contains many nice areas. The Urwald is a large Virgin forest where trees look like they would look if humans wouldn’t regularly cut them to produce paper and furniture out of them. In three paths with different length you can walk through the forest and enjoy the German jungle (distance: 47 km, 0:53 h). Read more…
Learn about natural history at the Ottoneum: natural history museums always are good for having fun and learning a lot. Kassel has its own one – the Ottoneum. They have a dinosaur in front of the building but the star are the changing exhibitions here (check their exhibition schedule online in advance; distance: 48 km, 0:38 h). Read more…
Take a look at the Transrapid, a steam engine locomotive and numerous tramways:The Technik-Museum is located in the Wolfhager Straße within the giant buildings of the Henschel factory. It is maintained by a private association and presents items about energy technology, machine construction, electro-technics and mobility. There are many, many interesting items but the stars of the museum are the Transrapid, the steam engine Drache from 1848, numerous tramways and a large collection of fire brigade vehicles (distance: 49 km, 0:38 h). Read more…
Think about death: It’s a topic humans normal try not to think about: the death that awaits us all. At Kassel, Germany you can find the Museum für Sepulkralkulturthat gives you a place to debate about this topic. It is a museum dedicated to death and the specific rites that exist around the world. You can see how in other times and other cultures people cope with the fact that life isn’t endless (distance:48 km, 0:39 h). Read more…
Learn more about the Brothers Grimm and their work: The Grimmwelt at Kassel, Germany is a museum at the Weinberg near the city center dedicated to the life, work and publications of Jacoband Wilhelm Grimm – well known as the Brothers Grimm. It was opened in 2014 and is a replacement for the Brüder-Grimm-Museumexisting until then at the Palais Bellevue (distance: 48 km, 0:39 h). Read more…
Destinations more than 50 kilometers away
Watch the Weser from up above and have a nice coffee break: the Weser-Skywalk is a metal platform high above river Weser and it gives you very good views on the Weser valley. You can hike up from different locations and on different routes or use the car park close-by. Afterwards you can go for a coffee bran to the fantastic Bauerncafé Erlenhof it has a good playground, you can visit some animals and shop for decorations (distance: 50 km, 0:53 h). Read more…
Swim between rocks that look like at Asia: at Kassel you can go swimming at the big Kurhessentherme. It is a spa with different pools, a lazy river and a long slide. There is also a good sauna section, a restaurant and numerous parking lots in front. The spa had a bit come to age in the last years but has been renovated recently (distance: 52 km, 0:47 h). Read more…
Watch bears and wolves outside of cages: it is a bit ‘alternative’ and their educational concept is a bit old-school – but a visit to the Bärenpark Worbis is always nice. You can see bears and wolves walk around without seeing them in cages or behind bars. It is a zoo you can leave with a good feeling if you care about the animals (distance: 55 km, 0:38 h). Read more…
Feed wild animals, watch raccons and alpacas and play on a vast playground: the Bergwildpark Meißner or Wildpark Germerode is home to different deer, stags and goats that wait to get in touch with you. You can have a long walk on the vast grounds, watch some animals you normally don’t get to see and sit down at a beergarden while the children play at a nice playground which also contains a small water playground for the summer (distance: 51 km, 0:47 h). If you are here at the end of June you can also enjoy some opium poppy fields close-by. Read more…
Take a look at a rococo-style castle and walk through a nice park: Close to Calden, Germany you can find the Schloß Wilhelmsthal within the Schloßpark Wilhelmsthal. It completes the historical triumvirate of castles and landscape gardens of the Kassel region – formed together with the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe and the Staatspark Karlsaueat Kassel. Therefore this castle and park is also maintained and preserved by the Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel(mhk). It is a nice place and always good for a relaxed walk through the fields and the forest. (distance: 58 km, 0:46 h). Read more…
Visit a flowstone cave in the Harz mountains: caves and mines are always a bit magical. The Iberger Tropfsteinhöhle is a flowstone cave in an area that was in early days a reef. That explains what can be seen there. To visit you’ll have to join a guided tour, but you normally don’t have to book in advance. In a building in front you’ll also find a small museum, a coffee bar and a shop (distance: 60 km, 0:46 h). Read more…
Visit a wonderful landscape garden and enjoy water games: The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is a 2.4 square kilometers large vast landscape garden at a mountain belonging to the Habichtswald. It is located at the city quarter Wilhelmshöhe of Kassel, Germany. The Bergpark is designed in the style of an English landscape garden with baroque and neo-classical elements. It is especially famous for its water games that use 200 to 300 years old techniques and work without electricity (distance: 61 km, 0:49 h). Read more…
Discover a romantic castle ruin with a mace: The Löwenburg (lions castle) is an artificial castle ruin within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany. It was built in neo-Gothic style from 1793 on and was the private retreat and later burial place of William I, landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (distance: 63 km, 0:51 h). Read more…
Visit the Herkules and enjoy good views on Kassel: It is the town’s landmark of Kassel, Germany and visible from nearly everywhere in the city: the octagon with the Herkules monument on top. It is one of the central buildings of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. The building is located on the back of the 526 meters high Karlsberg mountain in the Habichtswald (distance: 66 km, 0:51 h). Read more…
Visit a theme park (nearly) without electricity: if you’re travelling with children the Familienpark Sottrum at Holle near Hildesheim is a good destination. There is so much to play around and discover that no one will miss the big electrical entertainment machines normally found in theme parks. Play with water, train your senses and feed goods – – visit is always fun for kids and adults (distance: 73 km, 0:53 h). Read more…
Ride a train into a mine that is a UNESCO world heritage site: the Rammelsberg is an important former mine at Goslar. You can learn more about the life of a miner, enter the mine itself (on a guided tour) and discover different areas belonging to the mine. Getting there is also fun for kids as you enter the miner using a narrow miners train and they also have al elevator outside on the mountain that you can try in summer times (distance: 81 km, 1:06 h). Read more…
Visit the Grottenolm in its underground home: the Grottenolm is a shy animal living in the dark. A lot of years ago some of these animals have been brought into the Harz mountains and they now live at the Herrmannshöhle – if you’re lucky you can see them there. If not the cave is still worth a visit (distance: 86 km, 1:25 h). Read more…
Walk between treetops at the Baumwipfelpfad Harz: at Bad Harzburg you can walk between the tops of trees and look down into the forest. And you can try if you feel comfortable with standing on a glass floor high above the ground. Combine your visit with a trip by cable car to the mountain next to it. This area is also a nice place for hiking (distance: 90 km, 1:04 h). Read more…
Walk over the Edersee dam and explore the vicinity: the Edersee reservoir is not always full of water – but the region is absolutely full of fun. You’ll find a fantastic Tierpark with local animals, walk through treetops at the Baumwipfelpfad or play at the water playground AquaPark close to the dam (distance: 94 km, 1:13 h). Read more…
Destinations more than 100 kilometers away
Walk through the trees in a nature reserve: the natural reserve Hainich in the former east of Germany contains huge beautiful forests and is easily reachable via motorway A38. The heart of this place is for tourists the metal path through the treetops where you can learn more about life in the trees and enjoy good views. There is also a simple eatery outdoors and a small shop (distance: 106 km, 1:29 h). Read more…
Discover mystical rock formations and climb on top of them: the tectonics of the earth created them, the rain formed them over a long period of time. The Externsteine look crazy and many generations of mankind used them for their different purposes. Today you can climb up on some of them and discover what earlier generations left. There is also a visitors center and a restaurant (distance: 108 km, 1:45 h). Read more…
Take a steam engine train to mountain Brocken: everybody loves steam engine trains and a visit to the highest mountain in northern Germany is always a good idea. You can enter the trains at different stations along the way and have to pay quite a big amount of money (so enjoy the ride!) before you get to the top where you’ll hopefully have good views. Elsewise there are two restaurants on top (distance: 111 km, 1:18 h). Read more…
Spend all your money at the ‘Erlebniszoo’: it is a fantastic zoological garden at Hannover with lots of nice animals to discover and a giant playground. For the different sections the created a great scenery and you really have the feeling of being somewhere else in the world. I would say it is worth the money but I’m always a bit shocked when I see the prices. (distance: 118 km, 1:18 h). Read more…
Play some hours at the phaeno: within a fantastic building next to the main railway station of Wolfsburg you can find the science center phaeno. It is a large playground with a high number of experiments you can do yourself, a fire tornado, a laser show and a restaurant absolutely focused on children (distance: 137 km, 1:33 h) Road more…
Enjoy a big miniature railway and ride a mini train: most people like miniature railways and one of the best is the Modellbahn Wiehe (even if it isn’t comparable to the giant Miniaturwunderland at Hamburg). You can watch a lot of trains running three lovely designed landscapes, have a coffee at their coffee bar and ride a mini train that runs around the building (distance: 155 km, 1:41 h). Read more…
Visit Bernd das Brot, eat good sausages and feel like at Firenze: Erfurt is worth a journey! Walk through the green egapark with nice plants, animals (there is also a butterfly greenhouse) or meet children’s heroes like Bernd das Brot – Erfurt is home the Kinderkanal (TV channel for children). Check out the nice Krämerbrücke with houses on top of it and taste Thüringer Rostbratwurst (distance: 189 km, 1:56 h). Read more…
