Brunswick (Germany)

Brunswick (German: Braunschweig) is a city of around 250,500 people (2018) in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser.

The date and circumstances of the town's foundation are unknown. Tradition maintains that Braunschweig was created through the merger of two settlements, one founded by Bruno II, a Saxon count who died before 1017 on one side of the river Oker - the legend gives the year 861 for the foundation - and the other the settlement of a legendary Count Dankward, after whom Castle Dankwarderode (Dankward's clearing), which was reconstructed in the 19th century, is named. The town's original name of Brunswik is a combination of the name Bruno and Low German wik, a place where merchants rested and stored their goods. The town's name therefore indicates an ideal resting-place, as it lay by a ford across the Oker River. Another explanation of the city's name is that it comes from Brand, or burning, indicating a place which developed after the landscape was cleared through burning. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church from 1031, which give the city's name as Brunesguik.



Understand
Brunswick was a city of importance in medieval Germany. Economically, it was situated at the intersections of major trade routes; moreover, the river Oker was navigable from Brunswick, allowing access to the sea port of Bremen. It was among the last nine cities of the Hanseatic League.

Politically, Brunswick gained importance through one of its most important rulers, Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria. During his reign, Henry founded several German cities (among them Schwerin and Munich), defying his cousin German Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, and married Richard the Lionheart's sister Matilda of England, thus establishing familial ties to the royal family of England, which still exist. His son, Otto of Brunswick, was crowned German emperor in 1209. To document his claim to power, Henry had the Lion monument erected in 1166, which also appears in the city's coat of arms. You can still find the red lion on the coat of arms of Scotland and the British Royal Family.

Brunswick is considered having been one of the most tumultuous cities of Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe (next to Paris and Ghent). Numerous constitutional conflicts ended in uprisings and civil unrest.

Despite its rich medieval tradition, Brunswick's appearance today owes much to its almost complete destruction during World War II. Allied bombing destroyed 90% of Brunswick's medieval city centre (leaving only 80 of over 800 timberframe houses). Only a small number of buildings have been re-erected; the majority of downtown buildings nowadays exhibit the sombreness of 1950s post-war architecture.

An important industrial hub, the district of Brunswick is home to many companies, such as the steel industry in Salzgitter (Salzgitter AG) and Peine, or Volkswagen in Wolfsburg.

The region of Braunschweig is the most R&D-intensive area in the whole European Economic Area investing a remarkable 7.1% of its GDP in the research & technology sector (places two and three go to Varsinais-Suomi and East Anglia with 4.1% each). It is home to the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the national institute for natural and engineering sciences and the highest technical authority for metrology and physical safety engineering in Germany. Part of its assignments is the accurate measurement of time. It is responsible for the German atomic clock CS2 and the longwave time signal DCF77. In addition, the PTB operates time servers for the distribution of time on the internet.

Brunswick is further known for its universities Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften, Welfenakademie Braunschweig, and 19 research institutes, among them the Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute (the Federal Agricultural Research Centre until 2007), and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research.

Braunschweig was declared Germany's City of Science in 2007.

By plane
The nearest commercial airport is Hannover Airport (approximately 30–40 minutes by car, or around 1 hour by train).

Braunschweig Airport is mainly a research airport and is primarily used by the Technische Universität Braunschweig, the German Federal Agency of Aviation (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt), and the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation (Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung). It is, however, served by Volkswagen Air Services, Volkswagen 's corporate airline, with a few destinations in Europe (Prague, Poznań, or Ingolstadt). Tickets can be booked through the airline, or directly at the airport.

By train


Due to its location in the centre of Germany, Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof is well-served by German national railway company Deutsche Bahn. There are lots of high-speed trains ICE that stop in Brunswick.

Picturesque Goslar and the Harz Mountains, as well as the Luneburg Heath can be reached by local train. Travellers can purchase a Niedersachsen-Ticket, valid on local trains in the whole state of Niedersachsen for €21 for a single ticket, or €29 per ticket valid for up to 5 people. A Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket, which is valid for up to 5 people for all local routes of Deutsche Bahn in Germany on weekends (Saturday and Sunday).

Brunswick main station is not very close to the centre, and the surrounding area does not offer a lot of sights worth seeing (Ringcenter commercial centre and the clubbing area behind it Stereowerk/Cube 11. Take the bus or tram from here to reach your final destination in Brunswick.



By car
Brunswick is served and easily reached by the German Autobahn highway system. Autobahns include one of Europe's main traffic artery the A2 (sometimes jokingly referred to as Europe's biggest parking lot since traffic jams are not uncommon, especially on Fridays). In addtition, the A39 cuts through Brunswick, connecting the city with adjacent Wolfsburg and Salzgitter, and merging into A7 to Kassel and Frankfurt. City autobahns are the A391, A392 and A395.

Depending on the traffic, Berlin can be reached in two hours - Hamburg, Bremen and Kassel in one hour and a half, Frankfurt in 3½ hours, Hannover in 30–40 minutes, and Magdeburg in one hour using the autobahn. Goslar and the Harz mountains are approximately 30–40 minutes away by car.

By bus
Brunswick serves as a major stop for bus travel throughout the country and Europe, thanks in large part to its central location. Buses frequent cities in Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Tour operator Tours'' offers low-cost (and often bumpy) trips to European metropolises.

For information on domestic bus routes see Long distance bus travel in Germany

The (Zentraler Omnibus-Bahnhof or ZOB) is on Berliner Platz between the main station and the German Mail building (next to the Steam Locomotive monument).

Get around
The city centre is easily explored on foot. Most places of interest can be reached walking. The downtown shopping district is a car-free pedestrian zone. In case you need to visit places further out, you can rely on the public transportation system.

By car
All major car rental companies have branches in Brunswick. But since Brunswick's highways tends to get gridlocked during rush hours (neighbouring Peine is the county with the largest number of commuters in Germany, most of which commute into either Braunschweig or Hanover). Moreover, Brunswick is rumoured to have the highest per-capita-density of traffic lights in Germany. Try to count your number of stops when moving around by car in Braunschweig.

Brunswick has many parking garages, which are organized through a pretty efficient parking guidance system. You can access information on spaces available, fees, and opening hours via your cell phone at wap.braunschweig.de

By public transportation
The Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG serve the city and the district of Braunschweig. Places within city limits are easily reached by public transportation, either bus or tram. Ticket prices vary depending where you need to go based on various zones.

Prices are available here. Tickets can be purchased at the driver, at certain stores, or via cell phone. The price for a one-way ticket within city limits is €2.50 (€2.30 by mobile, €1 less for children 6-14), or €5.50 for a day ticket (€5.30 by mobile) (Dec 2018).

Information on schedules and connections can be found either at the BSVAG itself, or on the EFA site, where you can look up connections for all of Lower Saxony and Bremen.

By taxi
Taxis are comparatively expensive in Germany, and Brunswick is no exception. They are usually used by locals on weekends (after buses and trains stop running) for a ride home, or if you need to move lots of luggage to, e.g. the train station. The concept of sharing a cab with strangers is foreign to locals and drivers alike, although some people can be persuaded to share a cab, if your stop is on the same way (and when cabs are sparse, e.g. in inclement weather).

Publicly registered taxicabs - those with yellow signs on top which say Taxi and are usually taxi-colored (creamy eggshell color) - can be phoned ( or ) or hailed. Private companies, such as MiniCar or HighlineTaxi, only pick you up with a prior reservation.

Sports

 * Watch a game of Eintracht Braunschweig, Brunswick's traditional football team which plays in Germany's second division. 23,500 people can watch the games in the stadium in the north of Brunswick.
 * First division basketball team Braunschweig New Yorker Phantoms plays at Volkswagenhalle.
 * Brunswick is home to the very successful (twelve times German champions, most German Championships of all teams) first division American Football Team New Yorker Lions Braunschweig. They play their home games (season roughly May to September, pre-season in April, playoffs in September/October) in the same stadium as Eintracht Braunschweig.

Festivals

 * Traditionally on the Sunday before Rosenmontag the Schoduvel takes place. Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) is the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday (usually in mid-February). It marks the beginning of Lent and is the highlight of the German Karneval (carnival). The Schoduvel is the largest carnival parade in Northern Germany and the fourth largest in Germany, behind those of the traditional carnival strongholds of Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Mainz. The term originates from Low Middle German, meaning "to shoo the devil". It was first documented in 1293, making it the oldest recorded carnival celebration in Germany. However, this tradition has not been a continuous one in Brunswick. Schoduvel celebrations include dressing up in costumes, dancing, heavy drinking, and the parade of Schoduvel floats. Usually candies are thrown into the costumed crowds lining the streets among cries of "Brunswick" to which the spectators respond "Helau". The procession starts at 12:30 and ends around 17:00. Afterwards, the crowd continues drinking and celebration in bars along the procession route and in the bars of Magniviertel.
 * The Brunswick Schützenfest (German "marksmen's festival", a traditional festival featuring a target shooting competition) is celebrated with the Braunschweiger Masch each June. Over 70 rides and several beer tents attract a crowd from Brunswick and the surrounding area. Highlight are the fireworks on the last Friday. Usually, although taking place in June, it rains during the Masch. Legend has it that this festival is hexed, since the festival site used to be the old Jewish cemetery.
 * Traditionally over the Pentecost weekend, Brunswick's castle square turns medieval during the annual Medieval Market Fair .
 * The festival Kultur im Zelt takes place each August and September, featuring acts, readings, bands, and stand-up comedians in a circus tent in Bürgerpark. Tickets should be bought in advanced, as this festival is usually booked out pretty early.
 * On every first September weekend, the quaint neighborhood Magniviertel is host to the Magnifest. During this weekend, the whole area is closed is for car traffic, and food stands and band stages are erected throughout the Magniviertel. Artisans offer their products during the day, whereas bands play and people celebrate during the evening and nights. Drinking goes on until way past midnight.
 * The festival Kultur im Zelt takes place each August and September, featuring acts, readings, bands, and stand-up comedians in a circus tent in Bürgerpark. Tickets should be bought in advanced, as this festival is usually booked out pretty early.
 * On every first September weekend, the quaint neighborhood Magniviertel is host to the Magnifest. During this weekend, the whole area is closed is for car traffic, and food stands and band stages are erected throughout the Magniviertel. Artisans offer their products during the day, whereas bands play and people celebrate during the evening and nights. Drinking goes on until way past midnight.

Buy
Brunswick has a lot of options for shopping for a city its size, making it one of two major shopping locations in Lower Saxony (the other one being Hanover). Shopping opportunities in Brunswick can more or less be broken down into three sections. Schloss-Arkaden is a large shopping mall in the re-built façade of old Brunswick Palace. It is Brunswick's main shopping spot, boasting over 150 shops and stores, and attracting people from Lower Saxonay and neighbouring Saxony-Anhalt. The mall's parking garage is in the centre of Brunswick's downtown area, making it a good spot to park, especially on weekends when the city is crowded.

The downtown shopping area is roughly delineated by Lange Straße, Bohlweg, Bruchtorwall, and Güldenstraße. Many shops and eateries can be found within, such as:


 * Mini-mall, formerly “City Point”, on the opposite side of the book store “Graff”. It hosts the "Decathlon" and “Primark” stores.
 * The shopping area features three shopping passages. Welfenhof connects Packhof and Lange Straße, and is home to a recommended tobacco store and one of Brunswick's finest cheese delicatessen. Burgpassage hosts a variety of stores on two floors. When walking towards Burgpassage from the Wrestlers' Fountain, turn left before entering it to get into Schlosspassage. This rather small passage will lead you to night club Tango.
 * Brunswick-based fashion chain New Yorker's flagship store (Schuhstraße 27, 38100 Brunswick) is in the downtown shopping area. The building is hard to miss due to Northern Germany's largest video screen.
 * German department store chain Karstadt has three branches in Brunswick. The main branch offers higher quality clothing, stationaries, toys, etc. The basement contains an extensive grocery and deli. The branch Gewandhaus carries books, consumer electronics, chinaware, etc. Brunswick souvenirs are sold on the first floor. The branch Sporthaus sells sporting goods.
 * A good address for books is book store Graff, close to Welfenhof has a wide selection on books about Brunswick. They also have English books in stock. Read your latest purchase in their café, overlooking the Sack shopping street from their third floor.
 * When shopping for electronics, Mediamarkt on Lange Straße is a good address.

Nestled in the shadow of Schloss-Arkaden lies Magniviertel, the only Medieval neighborhood that survived World War II more or less intact. The small timber-framed buildings house little art shops, wine stores, pawn shops, and stores selling health food. Great for a relaxed stroll on an otherwise busy Saturday. In summer, sit down on one of the bars or cafés and watch people play boules in the yard of St. Magni church on a Saturday afternoon.

Souvenir shopping
The best general address for Brunswick-related articles is Braunschweig Stadtmarketing Touristinfo. Besides souvenirs, they sell Braunschweig Phantoms fan articles, tickets for various concerts and theatre plays. Moreover, you can book guided tours and rent audio guides (e.g. of Medieval Brunswick ).

Brunswick chinaware, mugs, and steins can be bought at Karstadt am Gewandhaus(Poststr. 4-5).

For a wider selection, pay the Eintracht Fan Shop a visit at Eintracht-Stadion (Hamburger Straße 210), or the one inside Schlosscarree.

The pharmacy Hagenmarkt-Apotheke (Hagenmarkt 20) carries Stadtrath, a herbal liquor, distilled in Brunswick.

Eat
Having been one of the most important cities of medieval Germany has left its traces in the Brunswick cuisine, be it the Mumme (Brunswick Mum) (apparently the oldest man-made nonperishable food) or its rich selection of sausages and cakes. Take the opportunity to shop for Mumme specialities. A must-try are Eulen und Meerkatzen (owls and guenons - Ulen un Apen in Brunswick dialect), which, according to legend, were baked by Braunschweig trickster Till Eulenspiegel to play a prank on the people of Brunswick, and which are to this day sold by Braunschweig bakeries. Watch out for seasonal food; the asparagus grown in the Brunsick district is regarded as one of the best in the world, curly kale, served as Braunkohl, is a specialty of the Brunswick region, as well as the local chanterelles. A good opportunity to try Brunswick specialities is the Christmas market in December. Vendors have lots of local food to offer, and you can try and share various dishes without having to sit and order in a restaurant

Budget

 * When you are in the city centre some good options for a fast meal are the pizza restaurant in the 'Burg Passage' and the Dutch French fries "Imbiss" near 'Karstadt'.
 * Turkish-German dish doner kebab places can be found all over town (like in any major German city). Most renowned for its Doner are the Bohlweg (Beyti Grillhaus and Kebab Haus), Tandir near night club Merz, and the Dönerdreieck (Doner Triangle - Mesopatmien Grill, Güney Grill, Olive, and others) wedged in between the downtown shopping district and the red light district.
 * When you are in the city centre some good options for a fast meal are the pizza restaurant in the 'Burg Passage' and the Dutch French fries "Imbiss" near 'Karstadt'.
 * Turkish-German dish doner kebab places can be found all over town (like in any major German city). Most renowned for its Doner are the Bohlweg (Beyti Grillhaus and Kebab Haus), Tandir near night club Merz, and the Dönerdreieck (Doner Triangle - Mesopatmien Grill, Güney Grill, Olive, and others) wedged in between the downtown shopping district and the red light district.
 * Turkish-German dish doner kebab places can be found all over town (like in any major German city). Most renowned for its Doner are the Bohlweg (Beyti Grillhaus and Kebab Haus), Tandir near night club Merz, and the Dönerdreieck (Doner Triangle - Mesopatmien Grill, Güney Grill, Olive, and others) wedged in between the downtown shopping district and the red light district.

Clubs

 * DAX Bierbörse, in the centre.
 * DAX Bierbörse, in the centre.

Sleep
Brunswick, as would be expected of a city of this size, has a large number of excellent hotels, many in or near the city centre.

Go next

 * The German Half-Timbered House Road traverses the district of Brunswick in Wolfenbüttel and Schöppenstedt.
 * The Lower Saxon Asparagus Road (German: Niedersächsische Spargelstraße) is a tourist route that confers recognition of the asparagus as a delicacy in the region.
 * The Harz-Heide Road is a road that runs over the Harz mountains in Germany through heath (German: Heide) landscape and which is known for its beautiful scenery.
 * Elm-Lappwald Nature Park
 * Visit the Jägermeister destillery Mast-Jägermeister AG, manufacturer of the 70-proof digestif of the same name in Wolfenbüttel
 * The Harz mountains can be reached by public transport (Trains to Bad Harzburg, Wernigerode or Goslar).
 * Magdeburg is less than an hour by train.
 * Göttingen is one hour by ICE high speed train.
 * Wolfenbüttel with its library is 9 min by train (or 27 by bus).
 * The Autostadt Wolfsburg, home of the Volkswagen, is 16 or 24 min by train.
 * phæno, a museum with 250 experimental stations in Wolfsburg.
 * The former border control post at Marienborn near Helmstedt is now a memorial site.