Celle



Celle is an historic town in the Lüneburg Heath in Lower Saxony.

Understand
With its rows of timber-framed houses, its imposing ducal palace and historic old town, it is easy to see why Celle is such a popular tourist destination for German and foreign visitors alike. It is in the German state of Lower Saxony on the banks of the River Aller and on the southern fringes of the Lüneburg Heath, and makes a great base for an excursions into the Heath, and to the nearby cities of Hanover and Brunswick. The mystical and legendary Harz Mountains are also within striking distance, about 1½ hours drive to the south.

Steeped in history, Celle was the official residence of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg and, later, of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from 1378 to 1705. Its castle was then converted into a magnificent Schloss that became the summer residence of the prince-electors and kings of Hanover, ancestors to the British royal house of Windsor.

It has a 300-year-long association with the military; its barracks housing, at various times, Prussian infantry, Wehrmacht smokescreen troops and British Army units. Having survived the Second World War virtually unscathed, Celle still has that whiff of aristocratic charm about it, whether you're strolling through the French Gardens, sitting in the grounds of the palace, boating on the river or exploring its maze of timber-framed shops. In short, Celle is a must for anyone touring Northern Germany!

History
Celle is at least a thousand years old: the first written record referred to it as Kiellu ("fishing bay") in 993. The town received much sought-after rights to mint its own coins in the 11th century, and, by the end of the 13th century, Celle had become a ducal seat. In fact it was Duke Otto II the Strict who decided that the old fortified residence in Altencelle was no longer suitable, and built a new settlement next to the site of the present castle. Celle's importance grew, being granted town rights by Otto in 1301, the same year that work on the town church (Stadtkirche) began.

In 1378 Celle changed hands becoming the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg. They were ousted in 1433 by the princes of Lüneburg, one of the branches of the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ancestors of the British royal family. In 1452 Duke Frederick the Pious founded a Franciscan abbey here and, 12 years later, the town boomed thanks to its monopoly on the shipping of grain. The Reformation came to Celle in 1524, championed by Duke Ernest the Confessor, whose portrait still graces one of the best-known timber-framed buildings in the old town, the Hoppener Haus.

The rule of Duke George William in the second half of the 17th century saw a cultural renaissance as the castle was turned into a Schloss or palace, ornate gardens took the place of fortifications, and the baroque theatre was created. When the last Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg died in 1705, Celle passed to the prince-electors of Hanover. Although no longer a ducal residence, the town grew in stature as an administrative and judicial centre for the region. When George, Elector of Hanover, ascended to the British throne as George I, Celle became a possession of the British Hanoverian line.

Celle has a long association with the military. In 1842 the Cambridge Dragoons Barracks was built for the regiment named after Prince Adolphus, the Duke of Cambridge. It later became Goodwood Barracks after the Second World World and from 1976 to 1996 was the HQ of Germany's Panzerbrigade 33. In 1989 it was renamed again to Cambridge-Dragoner-Kaserne known locally as CD Kaserne and is now an event centre run by the town. It is also the temporary home to the Schloss Theatre during the renovation work 2010-2012. In 1872 another barracks was built for the 77th Prussian Infantry Regiment, that became known in 1938 as the Heidekaserne ("Heath Barracks"). After the war the barracks, the longest brick built residence in northern Germany was used by the British Army until 1993. Today it has been restored and houses the new Town Hall offices.

A third barracks on the northern outskirts of the town was built for German Smokescreen troops in 1936, formerly known as Sekt Kaserne. Since 1945 the camp has been occupied by British Forces in Germany and was renamed Trenchard Barracks but often retains the German name 'Hohe Wende', which refers to the road running along the northern perimeter where carriages would have to turn in the days before mechanisation. It was vacated by the last British Troops in Celle in July 2012.

There is a small air base at Wietzenbruch, a suburb on the south western corner of Celle which is a wing of the German Army's aviation training school. This base played an important role in the Berlin Airlift operation delivering coal to west Berlin. In the 1920s a silk mill was built that later became part of the German war machine, producing parachute silk for Wehrmacht paratroopers.

In 1929 the original Karstadt department store in the town centre was opened, its façade being identical with that of the one on Berlin's Hermannplatz. The store was pulled down in the 1960s and replaced by a modern building, which was meant to resemble Celle's timber framed houses.

During Kristallnacht, the coordinated attack on Jews in Nazi Germany on 9/10 November 1938, the synagogue in Celle escaped total destruction because it was next to a leather factory and parts of the historic old town. In addition the raiders had no ladders so the damage was limited to about 2 metres from the floor. On 8 April 1945 Celle suffered its only major bombing raid during World War II, when much of the industrial estates and railway goods yard were destroyed. A train carrying about 4,000 slave workers and civilian prisoners to Belsen Concentration Camp was hit, causing hundreds of casualties, but some of the prisoners escaped into nearby woods. SS guards and Celle townsfolk took part in the infamous 'Celle hare hunt' (Celler Hasenjagd), killing several hundred prisoners of war over the next four days. The number of victims has not been determined. Several people were later tried and convicted of war crimes. Celle surrendered without resistance to advancing British troops from 15 (Scottish) Division on 12 April 1945.

Today, Celle is a modern, self-governing town and capital of Celle county. It lies 35 km north-east of Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, to which has direct road and rail links. On 1 January 1973, Celle ceased to be an independent town (Kreisfreie Stadt) and became the largest borough in the new county (Kreis) of Celle. It lost the parishes of Ummern, Pollhöfen and Hahnenhorn and gained Hahnenhorn, Helmerkamp, Hohne (a village east of Celle, not to be confused with the Army base), Pollhöfen, Spechtshorn and Ummern).

On 25 July 1978 there was a false flag bombing of the prison, which was blamed on the Red Army Faction, but later admitted to have been carried out by the Lower Saxony Intelligence Service. It later became known as the "Celle Hole".

By plane

 * The nearest airport to Celle is Hanover which is a main international airport with regular flights from all over the world with services to most European capitals and major cities. The airport is situated in Langenhagen which is 11 km to the north of Hanover centre and has easy access to the autobahn.  It is the ninth-largest airport in Germany and is one of very few German airports which are open 24 hours a day, although there are very few flights between 23:00 and 04:00.  The centre of Celle is approximately 39 km from Hanover airport with an estimated driving time of 35 minutes.  Hanover airport is also accessible by a combination of trains, buses and taxis.
 * There is also an international airport in Bremen which has many of the budget airlines operating regular flights to most European countries. The airport is close to the city centre and there is a tram which departs every 5 to 10 minutes (on Sunday evenings up to 30 min) to Bremen city centre and the journey takes 11 minutes and costs €2.30.  This airport is also close to the autobahn links but is 114 km and a 75-minute journey to Celle centre.
 * Hamburg International Airport is approximately 8 km north of the city centre and is the fifth busiest airport in Germany. S-Bahn service S1, operated by Deutsche Bahn operates, every ten minutes between the airport and Hamburg central station (21 min away), where you can connect to hourly trains to Cells (1 hr 8 min). It is part of the HVV fare organisation offering tickets for all modes of public transportation in Hamburg. There is a Radisson Blu Hotel on the airport site.  Although this airport is 141 km away from Celle and will take approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes by car it is still a viable alternative to Hanover and Bremen airports.

By train


Celle is served by hourly ICE trains on the Hamburg to Hanover route. Several long distance trains also arrive from Frankfurt and Munich daily. During trade shows (Messe) in Hanover, Deutsche Bahn will add extra trains on the Hamburg to Hannover route.

Regional Metronom trains link Celle to Uelzen, Hanover and Göttingen. Celle is also the terminus for routes S6 and S7 of the Hanover S-Bahn network; a 35-45 minute trip from Hanover Hbf.

The local network is extensive, but predominantly to the south-east. Within a 25-km radius there are the following stations: Ehlershausen, Otze, Escheds, Grossurgwedel, Burgdorf, Mellendorf, Bennemuhlen, Isernhagen, Bissendorf, and Dollbergen. Hanover provides better connections travelling from the east or west.

The railway station is a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute taxi ride west of the Celle Altstadt.

By car
Celle is 28 km from the nearest autobahn but is on the main B3 route which runs from north to south. Access from Hanover centre (nearest city) would be via the A37 which connects to the B3 in a north-easterly direction and the journey is 42 km and will take approximately 35 minutes.

Driving from Bremen (westerly direction) will be on the autobahn A27 which connects to the A7 to the south-east of Walsrode. The A7 runs south for a further 14 kilometres and the junction for the Celle route is Buchholz. The B214 from Buchholz to Celle centre is a direct route with a distance of 28 kilometres and an average driving time of 30 minutes.

Travelling from the north (Hamburg) is also via the route A7 and the junction to the south-east of Soltau leads directly onto the B3. The B3 route to Celle centre is a 42-km (43-minute) journey through very pleasant undulating countryside passing through Bergen town centre.

Get around
Celle is on the B3, and the town centre is capped north and south by small industrial shopping areas which cater for the larger furniture stores, garden centres and car dealers galore. These small areas based around Harburger Heerstraße in the north and Braunschweiger Heerstraße in the south are easy to find by car however they are close enough to be a reasonably cheap taxi fare.

Celle's historic Altstadt is easy walking. When you get tired, take a cheap and frequent bus. Time tables can be found here

The town centre is pedestrian friendly with many of the streets car free.


 * Taxi The main taxi rank is managed from Kirchstraße 40A, +49 51 41 709 899 or visit their web site
 * Coach and horses, For those with time a coach and horses trip around the town can be boarded directly in the town centre opposite Karstadt (department store).

See
Celle survived the Second World War largely unscathed with the result that its Altstadt, with around 450 half-timbered houses dating from the 16th to 18th centuries, is largely complete and creates a unique historical and cultural ambience. To the south and west it is flanked by two parks. Important attractions are Celle Palace (built in 1292) and the town's ancient church (Stadtkirche). The palace houses the oldest working Baroque theatre in Germany (built ca. 1675) and it has its own theatre company. The Old Town Hall has a typical gabled roof in the "Weser Renaissance" style and in its basement is the Ratskeller, one of the oldest pubs in Lower Saxony, built in 1378.

As might be expected of a town with a population of over 70,000, Celle has a comprehensive range of shops from department stores like Kaufhof to small specialist shops as well as a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars catering for most tastes.


 * Altstadt. The old medieval town centre has a large pedestrian-only zone that wends through a wonderful tapestry of timber-framed houses and shops. Stop for dinner, drink a beer, buy a watch; mostly just stroll.Guided tours around the town run on a regular basis to find out more contact: Guest management service, Markt 14-16, +49 51 41 12 454, fuehrungen@Celle-Tourismus.de www.Celle-stadtfuehrungen.de

Budget






Mid-range




Sleep
There is a good range of hotels in Celle, many catering for the overflow from the trade fairs (Messe) that are regularly held in Hannover, about 40 minutes drive away. At these times bookings may be affected.

Go next

 * Lüneburg Heath - Celle is the heath's southern gateway and a great base for exploring this unique natural landscape. In particular, the Southern Heath Nature Park (Naturpark Südheide) north of Celle is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists with its network of cycleways and hiking trails, forests and open heathland. It is also possible to canoe local heath rivers, such as the Örtze.
 * Uelzen – visit Holdenstedt Castle and its English landscape garden
 * Hanover - is about ½ hour away by road or rail and the capital of Lower Saxony. Visit the Herrenhausen Gardens, the Old Town Hall or Hanover Zoo. Follow the "red line" tourist trail and visit many of the historic sights.
 * Brunswick - the "Lion City" with its historic Castle Square, Dankwarderode Castle, Old Town, Lion Monument and other historic attractions.
 * Harz Mountains - including the mystical Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz with its Alpine Garden. Explore the mountains by steam train on the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway network. Walk along the spectacular Bode Gorge from Thale. Visit historic Goslar and Blankenburg, ski at Braunlage or visit the many show mines and other visitor attractions.
 * Wolfsburg - is about 1 hour away by road. Famous for the VW Autostadt Museum, a great day out for the whole family. Just a walk away from the town centre, which also has its own design outlet centre, and 5-min drive from the city lake, with a great pool complex and numerous boating and cycling activities around the lake.