Brakel, Hanseatic city in Höxter, Germany
Brakel is an urban municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia situated on rising terrain near the Weser River region. The town spreads across several hillsides, featuring timber-frame houses from different periods and a market square that serves as the heart of community life.
The town was founded in 836 and grew into a major trading center during the Middle Ages. Its Town Hall, built in 1573, reflects the Renaissance style and marks the period when it flourished as a Hanseatic city.
The tale of Anneken comes from a story collected by the Brothers Grimm, and a sculpture at the town square well still honors this figure today. Locals celebrate this connection each year during the Annentag festival, keeping the story alive in their community.
The town sits on two federal highways, B64 and B252, providing good connections to larger cities. Several airports in the surrounding region make traveling from far away relatively convenient.
The Alte Waage building started as a knights' residential tower in 1350. Today it serves as an administrative center, showing how medieval structures were given new purposes over the centuries.
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