Brunswick, Medieval city in Lower Saxony, Germany
This city in Lower Saxony stretches along the Oker River, where half-timbered houses stand beside modern university buildings and research institutes. Wide green spaces run through the urban area, while the old center around Burgplatz displays several preserved medieval churches and squares.
Duke Henry the Lion made this place his residence in the 12th century and built Dankwarderode Castle, turning it into the center of his territories. Bombing during World War II destroyed large parts of the old town, though some quarters survived and were rebuilt in the following decades.
Locals gather in the cafes around Kohlmarkt, where a weekly market fills the square with regional produce on Saturday mornings. Students shape the daily rhythm of the streets, especially in the bookshops and pubs along Lange Straße, which stays busy from morning until late evening.
The main train station connects the city to high-speed and regional rail lines across Germany, making arrival straightforward from most directions. The center is easy to explore on foot, as most points of interest lie within a few hundred meters of Burgplatz.
Burgplatz displays a bronze lion sculpture from 1166, considered the oldest freestanding large sculpture north of the Alps, originally positioned in front of the castle. The figure seen today is a replica, while the original rests in a nearby museum to protect it from weather.
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