Discovery Niedersachsen

Active and Extreme Culinary Niedersachsen Museums in Niedersachsen Wellness oases: fuelling stations for your well-being Experience nature at the holiday destination of Niedersachsen Towns of Niedersachsen Niedersachsen in Data, Numbers and Facts Information sheet Lower-Saxony Pictures

Active and extreme

Water sports
Athletes hearts will leap with joy in Niedersachsen, because thanks to certain steering manoeuvres, kitesurfers can be lifted up more than 10 meters into the air and cover a distance of up to 60 metres. In Hooksiel near Wilhelmshaven or at the Steinhuder Meer as well, there are beach areas marked out especially for kitesurfers. Kitesurfing is very popular amount younger people, today. The over 25 year olds rather enjoy windsurfing. Surfing schools on the East Frisian islands and on the North Sea coast also offer kitesurfing courses in addition to windsurfing courses. At the North Sea and lakes in Niedersachsen, there are at least eight waters sports facilities with wakeboarding and waterski possibilities. The boarders and skiers are pulled over the water by special rope systems and must then make an effort to stay on the boards.

Inline skating
There are excellent conditions for inline skaters at the holiday destination of Niedersachsen. In Ammerland there is a route network of more than 500 kilometres which is described in the SkateGuide Ammerland published especially. Friesland and Emsland also refer to themselves as skaters land. They provide countless asphalted and car free routes, no slopes, a lot of nature and fresh air.

Climbing
Climbing is also possible in Niedersachsen at one of the 21 high ropes courses or in the WeserLeine-Bergland, the largest climing area of Niedersachsen. Here, the limestone of the Ith is waiting for the lovers of holes, ledges and roofs. The western and southern Harz mountains also provide extensive climbing possibilities with fantastic granite and limestone routes. The Gttingen Forest with its limestone mountains is one example of the many climbing treasures.

Snow sports
The Snow Dome Slden in Bispingen provides snow sports in Niedersachsen all the year round. On Europes most modern indoor ski slope with a length of 300 metres and a width of up to 100 metres, the visitors can go skiing, snowboarding or simply tobogganing. Despite the indoor ski slope of 23,000 square metres, the organisers paid much attention to the gastronomy area for traditional aprs-ski. Of course, skiing is also possible outdoors in Niedersachsen. Hence, it only needs to snow in the Harz mountains and the guests will be presented with a perfect winter landscape for skiing, tobogganing or cross-country skiing. Braunlage and the other areas in Hochharz offer almost perfect conditions.

Mountain biking There are two areas at the holiday destination of Niedersachsen perfect for mountain bikers. The mountain bike region of the Nature Park Solling-Vogler in Weserbergland provides 15 round tours, 760 total kilometres of tour length and 17,000 metres of difference in altitude altogether. At the Volksbank Arena Harz, the cyclists are able to ride along a route of more than 1,800 km through the unique nature of the Harz mountains, often its appealing towns, such as Goslar or Osterode, are taken as the starting and finishing point. At the new race park, downhillers are able to explore their limits.

Nordic walking
Nordic walking combines normal walking with the advantages of cross-country skiing, without being dependent on the snow. Your health and muscles are strengthened in a smooth way. With only a little effort, nordic walking can be carried out by the young and the older - you only need a pair of special walking sticks. Walking parks and offers for nordic walking can be found all around the federal state. Contact Sara Honerkamp Presse I ffentlichkeitsarbeit 0511 / 270488 16 honerkamp@tourismusniedersachsen.de

Culinary Niedersachsen
The culinary delights of Niedersachsen are as diverse as the regions themselves: country guest houses and fine gourmet restaurants attract their visitors with hearty curly kale and sausage, fine fish, deliciously fresh asparagus and much more. Every area has its specialities. Of course, close to the coast, fresh fish can be found on the plates, in the heath, meagre and sandy grounds are harvested, the river regions, on the other hand, live from fertile fields and juicy meadows. In the mountain region of the Harz, the venison and the clear lakes and streams provide an inspiration for the local hosts sauce pans.

Specialities from the north

The people of Niedersachsen are practically longing for the first frost, because from November to March it is the curly kale season between Elbe and Ems. Kohl and Pinkel (curly kale and sausage) is the national dish of the north, so to say, whereas the infamous word Pinkel simply refers to a sausage made of bacon, belly meat, onions and spices. The fans of this dish are not only fascinated by its hearty taste: the curly cale meal is practically celebrated by clubs, businesses or friends on numerous kale trips. That is to say the meal tastes best after a long walk in the cold air.

Fish not only from the sea

Delicious fish, freshly caught and onto the plate a delicacy which is not only offered close to the coast of Niedersachsen. While the guest enjoys plaice, flounder and co. at this location, fish specialities can also be found in other regions all around the Elbe, Weser, Jade and Ems debouchures. The Steinhuder Meer and the Zwischenahner Meer are part of the best known eel estuaries. Trouts feel at home in the well waters and the small rivers of the Harz mountains with plenty of oxigen. Whether blue from the brew, baked, pickled or smoked the restaurants of the region offer sprout prepared in all kinds of ways. The Harz mountains do not only provide ideal living conditions for sprout. Venison, which is just as delicious, originates from the local woods. And there is another speciality coming from the low mountain range region: the Harz cheese. As cheese made of curdled milk, it is one of the oldest cheese types and has been a down-to-earth and healthy delicacy until today. 75 percent of all curdled milk cheeses are produced in Niedersachsen and are delivered to the cheese counters in Germany from there.

The white gold

The Asparagus Road of Niedersachsen connects the most important producing areas of the white gold on 750 kilometres. The route begins in Burgdorf near Hannover and leads up to the southern Lneburger Heide and beyond. A journey along the Asparagus Road in the merry month of May is a culinary event. There are asparagus festivities and markets in many places, asparagus princesses are elected and of course there is plenty of asparagus. It is served with sauce hollandaise or melted butter, with ham and the delicious heath potatoes from the sandy grounds of the Lneburger Heide. The best known markets can be found in Nienburg and in Burgdorf.

Healthy fruit
The Old Land is rightly referred to as Germanys largest fruit garden. Especially apples are grown in the Old Land in front of the gates of Hamburg on more than 10,000 hectares. But cherries, pears, plums and berries also find their way into our fruit shops from there. In Niedersachsen, local fruit is most of all used for preparing tasty cakes and desserts. In the countryside, the specialities prepared according to grandmothers recipe can be enjoyed in one of the numerous farm cafs to be found all over Niedersachsen.

Typical drinks from Niedersachsen

Those who eat well must also drink well. Traditionally, people like to drink beer in Niedersachsen. The most famous brewery is located in the town of Einbeck in the south of Niedersachsen: this is where, more than 600 years ago, bock beer was invented. Many of the breweries are happy to open their doors for visitors. Jever, Wittinger, Gilde, Herrenhuser, Wolters and Hrke are further famous beer specialities from Niedersachsen, such as the drinks high in alcohol content like Ratzeputz, Berentzen, Jgermeister and the Hardenberg-Wilthen spirits from the Keilerland. Emsland as an example is famous for its berry liquors. In Hannover, there is a special drinking custom: if one gets invited to a Lttje Lage, they will get a glass of hard liquor and a beer to be mixed in the mouth. In Ostfriesland things are much more serious when dealing with the national drink of tea. It is not only drunk, a tea cult is celebrated. Exactly measured amounts of the famous East Frisian tea are added to a pre-heated pot and topped up with boiling water. The ritual demands the Kluntjes, the candied sugar, not to be added to the cup after the tea. This provides the cosy sizzling sound when the tea is poured. The last thing is a spoon full of cream. And then: do not stir in any case. Real East Frisian tea is then enjoyed with each sip.

Contact Sara Honerkamp Presse I ffentlichkeitsarbeit 0511 / 270488 16 honerkamp@tourismusniedersachsen.de

Museums in Niedersachsen
There are several museums and culture institutions in Niedersachsen which have achieved a very good reputation beyond the borders of the federal state. With its Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig offers the biggest and most outstanding art museum of the federal state of Niedersachsen and also one of the most important museums of the old art of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Art Gallery Emden with the Henry Nannen collection consistently puts innovative art projects into effect to give young people an understanding of art. The Sprengel-Museum in Hannover presents art of the 20th century. It focuses on works by Max Ernst, Fernand Leger, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann and Niki de Saint-Phalle. The Art Museum Wolfsburg has made its mark in the art scene due to its collections and exhibitions on modern and contemporary art. The worlds first 24-hour Art Museum can be found in Celle. Here, among others, it is the collection Robert Simon that attracts the visitors. The Felix-Nussbaum-Museum in Osnabrck presents the works of the Jewish painter. The building was designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind. The Horst-Janssen-Museum in Oldenburg displays many unique copies by the artist.

Open-air museums
The open-air museums in Niedersachsen attract thousands of visitors every year. At the Mhlenmuseum Gifhorn, real mills from the whole of the world can be explored, the Museum Village Cloppenburg is probably Germanys oldest museum village with many ancient half-timbered houses and historical handicraft facilities. The Museum Kalkriese in Bramsche will be celebrating its great anniversary in 2009: 2000 years ago, Armenius was supposed to have defeated the Roman leader Varus with his Germanic tribes. The Museum and Park Kalkriese is an archeological museum with an adjoined open-air museum in the part of Bramsche called Kalkriese, in the Osnabrcker Land. Here, different findings from this time were discovered, as an example an old face mask of Roman warriors. Not to forget the Artist Village Worpswede in which painters such as Otto Modersohn, his wife Paula Becker-Modersohn and Fritz Mackensen lived and worked. Seven museums and museum galleries present the art history of Worpswede. Today, more than 100 artists and craftsmen are still living in the village.

Even more specialities

The Herzog August Library in Wolfenbttel (Bibliotheca Augusta) is internationally renowned. The research institution for the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times also houses the worlds most expensive book, the evangeliar of Henry the Lion which was auctioned for 32.5 million D-marks in 1989. The Roman and Pelizaeus Museum Hildesheim is a museum which is popular world-wide due to its important Old Egyptian collection. It also provides Europes second largest collection of china. The collection of ethnology at the Institute of Ethnology of the University of Gttingen is one of Germanys most important ethnological museums. In the year 2000, the permanent exhibition was reopened. Of course, there are also rather bizzare exhibitions and institutions in Niedersachsen, such as the Museum of Snoring in Alfeld, the Mussel Museum in Wremen or the Ammerlnder Museum of Ham dedicated to the preservation of the colourful Bentheim pigs. The Buddelschiff (ship in a bottle) can be found at the harbour in Neuharlingersiel, the worlds largest pocket watch is hung up in the Clock Museum in Bad Iburg and the Helicopter Museum in Bckeburg presents 40 exhibits altogether. Contact Sara Honerkamp Presse I ffentlichkeitsarbeit 0511 / 270488 16 honerkamp@tourismusniedersachsen.de

Wellness oases: fuelling stations for your well-being

Ayurveda, shiatsu, lomi lomi nui as Indian, Japanese and Hawaiian massages, thalasso therapy, hamam, water treading, algae baths as well as face treatments: the range of wellness offers is growing more and more. It is no longer only the women who gather at the beauty farms, wellness hotels and swimming oases. Beauty, health and well-being have also become mans business. The climate, air and water as well as the moor, brine and brimstone are the ingredients providing relaxation in this region. If they are applied properly, they can even help to overcome illnesses and strengthen the bodys defences. Garnished with a portion of the great natural landscapes of Niedersachsen and pleasureable meals, gathering strengh for everyday life is guaranteed.

A broad offer in the whole of the region

From the North Sea coast to the Teutoburger Wald and the Weserbergland up to the ranges of the Harz mountains, Niedersachsen offers very different temperature zones. Many healing natural resources can be found between the Ems and the Elbe. Therapeutic mineral and moor baths, sea baths, health resorts with a therapeutic climate and Kneipp spas offer an extensive provision and rehabilitation programme self-evidently under the watchful eyes of professional staff. Those searching for therapy and relaxation will find their individual health programme among the more than 30 spas and health resorts of Niedersachsen. The providers of accomodation have adjusted to their visitors needs in all spas of Niedersachsen. Whether in a small, familial guesthouse or a luxurious star hotel, the care of the guests can be individually adjusted to the therapeutic aim. Everybody will relax in a wonderful way and get fit for everyday life with the offers of the Spa Association Niedersachsen.

Excellent spas
During an inspection by the European Tourism Institute (ETI), Bad Pyrmont, Bad Harzburg, Langeoog and Bad Zwischenahn ranked among the first five positions in Germany. The towns of Niedersachsen attract their visitors with partly unique offers such as Bad Mnder with seven different spas, Gttingen with Europes only saline pan or the Badehaus Norderney as Germanys biggest thalasso centre.

Contact Sara Honerkamp Presse I ffentlichkeitsarbeit 0511 / 270488 16 honerkamp@tourismusniedersachsen.de

Experience nature at the holiday destination of Niedersachsen

Breathtaking natural landscapes, unique plants and rare animals there are many natural landscapes to experience in Niedersachsen. In two national parks, a biosphere reserve and more than one dozen nature parks, pure nature can be experienced during walking, cycling or water sports.

Biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserves are extensive model regions for cultivated landscapes in which an environmentally friendly handling of natural resources is performed. Since1997 the UNESCO has indentified the river landscape Flusslandschaft Elbe right in the east of Niedersachsen in the Elbtalaue as a biosphere reserve. The flora and fauna as well as the historical constructions are an experience for tourists, too. The information centre for the biosphere reserve Niederschsische Elbtalaue can be found at the castle Elbschloss Bleckede.

National parks
The national parks Harz and Wattenmeer in Niedersachsen are true treasures of nature. Seals and crabs, oystercatchers and mussles at the National Park Wattenmeer, lynx and fox, black woodpecker and wren, wild boar and red deer at the National Park Harz are protected as well as the complete flora. The slogan is Let nature be nature!. Visitors and tourists are informed about the importance of the National Park Harz at the National Park Education Centre Sankt Andreasberg and the National Park House Altenau-Torfhaus. There are two centres for the National Park Wattenmeer on Spiekeroog and in Wilhelmshaven, 12 towns on the coast as well as on the East Frisian islands provide further information at the national park houses. One of Niedersachsens newest World Heritage Site is the Wattenmeer. A resting place for migratory birds, it has an exceptionally large diversity of species. It is one of the worlds largest and most important tide-dependent wetlands. For these reasons, this 10,000 square kilometre area that sits in both Niedersachsen and the Netherlands has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009.

Nature parks
While the flora and fauna have a clear priority within the national parks, locals and visitors are focussed on at the nature parks. Here, the encounter of people with nature and the landscape comes first. Diversified relaxation for walkers, cyclists and lovers of nature is spelled in capital letters in these areas. The nature parks Bourtanger Moor Bargerveen on the Dutch border, Dmmer and Steinhuder Meer present the diversity of nature at the holiday destination of Niedersachsen. Just like the nature parks Elm-Lappwald in Braunschweiger Land, Lneburger Heide, Weserbergland, the northern Teutoburger Wald Wiehengebirge (TERRA.vita) and many other areas worth protecting.

Enjoy the vastness of the Wadden Sea

Since 2009 the German Wadden Sea is UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It belongs to the worldwide unique landscapes such as the Grand Canyon in the USA and Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The large wetland area of approx. 13,000 square kilometres is one of Mid-Europes last original natural landscapes and offers an indispensable habitat for many different kinds of animals and plants. Contact Sara Honerkamp Presse I ffentlichkeitsarbeit 0511 / 270488 16 honerkamp@tourismusniedersachsen.de

Towns of Niedersachsen

Braunschweig
Braunschweig is the town of the famous Welf Henry the Lion, which is why it is also known as Lions town. Braunschweig is located in the southeast of Niedersachen, it is the federal states second largest town, following the capital Hannover, and has around 245,000 inhabitants. It is however also known as a research and technology location, bearing the title of Town of Science 2007. Braunschweig is situated in the transitional area between the northern foothills of the Harz and the northern German lowland. The closest major cities are Wolfsburg, 35 km northeast, Hannover, 65 km northwest, Hildesheim, 45 km west, Magdeburg, 90 km east, as well as the two towns of Salzgitter (23 km) and Gttingen (110 km) in the southwest. The closeness to the Lneburger Heide and the Harz also makes it an attractive location, placing numerous destinations for excursions practically on the doorstep. But of course Braunschweig also offers a lot worth visiting: old halftimbered houses, numerous buildings steeped in tradition, churches, museums, a castle and many more. The river Oker surrounds the town centre of Braunschweig to the west and the. In the Year of the Emperor 2009 Braunschweig celebrated the anniversary of the crowning of Emperor Otto IV. son of Henry the Lion and Mathilde of England in 1209. Otto IV. was Germanys only emperor of the House of Welf. The town of Braunschweig celebrated the anniversary with numerous events. Economy The economic focus of Braunschweig lies in traffic engineering, finance, biotechnology and musical instruments manufacture. The VW and Siemens plants are well-known, whereas the latter was involved in the development of the railway engineering for the Transrapid in Shanghai. Volkswagen Bank, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Intel GmbH as well as Nordzucker AG also provide important economic and scientific impulses in Braunschweig. The music industry is represented by Wilhelm Schimmel Pianofortefabrik GmbH, Grotrian-Steinweg GmbH, the old violin maker family Rautmann as well as Sandberg Guitars. Braunschweig is a town of research and development with more than 16,000 students enrolled at the Technical University, the University of applied Sciences and the Fine Arts University. Furthermore, the town is the home of research institutions such as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI).

Famous The prince of mathematics Carl Friedrich Gau and the journalist, diplomat and politician Gnter Gaus are among the towns famous sons. This is where Henry the Lion, the impostor Till Eulenspiegel and the poet and author of the German national anthem, Hoffmann von Fallersleben lived and worked. From an athletic point of view, the 7-fold German Champion and 2-fold winner of the Eurobowl, the American football club Braunschweig Lions, is currently far more successful than the football club Eintracht Braunschweig. Culinary: Braunschweig is famous for its "Braunschweiger sausage, a soft-textured salami-style sausage. The small owl- and ape-shaped Ulen un Apen are the pastries from the Eulenspiegel story. Wolters and Feldschlchen are typical beers which are throughout Germany.

Celle
700 years of town history are kept alive in Celle. Today it is a modern half-timbered town full of life, topicality and tradition. Celle is a modern shopping and congress town. The cultural heritage of the residence and half-timbered architecture, which outlasted centuries, still coins the face of the town. Today you can find more than 500 lovingly restored half-timbered houses, self-evidently under monumental protection, in the old town. The district town of Celle upon the Aller is located around 40 km northeast of Hannover, 60 km northwest of Braunschweig and 120 km south of Hamburg. The Lneburger Heide lies directly on its doorstep. The town has about 71,000 inhabitants. It is famous for its rich half-timbered old town and the Castle of Celle with the oldest well-kept and used court theatre as well as the annual Celle Parade of Stallions where the most talented Hannover stallions are presented. Being a residential town, Celle is the home of a row of impressive constructions. The municipal church and the old town hall are the towns oldest buildings. The new town hall is an architectural delight, an impressive brick building from the 19th century which is one of Germanys biggest buildings of this kind. Economy The towns industrial engineering plants, drilling and oil technology, electronics, food production (crisp bread by Barilla Wasa Deutschland GmbH) as well as metal, wood and plastics processing are of special economic importance. But a printing ink plant, musical instruments manufacture (Moeck among others), tourism, orchid cultivation, paper processing (Werner Achilles GlanzfolienKaschieranstalt GmbH as well as DTLS Drilling Tools Logistic & Service GmbH) can also be found in Celle.

Famous The Celle Wasa Run, which takes place once a year on the second Sunday in March, is the towns athletic highlight. It is one of Germanys biggest running events below marathon distance. Today it also includes the disciplines of hiking and walking. The town offers specialties which are also known throughout the nation: the herb liquors with high alcohol content, Ratzeputz and Alter Provisor. Once they were produced in the old town of Celle, now they are made in the industrial area Westercelle. From a culinary perspective, the Rohe Roulade made of slices of roast beef is a must have. You can really only try it in Celle.

Emden
The economic and cultural centre of Ostfriesland shows what it is capable of: Not many other towns received as many new and future-oriented impulses and developed such a cultural selfconfidence. Emden is Niedersachsens smallest county borough, has around 52,000 inhabitants and is part of Ostfriesland, the region in Niedersachsen located in the most north-eastern part of Germany. Very close to Emden, the Ems flows into the North Sea, and in the south you will find the large bay of the Dollart. Due to its dock and several canals, Emden is a city of water. In the past, it was an important trading town and is still coined by its sea harbour, which is why industrial businesses such as Nordseewerke and VW established themselves during the past century. Emden has a great economic impact on the region. Larger towns in close vicinity are: Oldenburg (around 70 km southeast), Bremen (around 110 km southeast) and Groningen in the Netherlands (around 50 km southwest) as well as Wilhelmshaven (around 60 km northeast). The Dortmund-Ems Canal provides a direct connection to the Ruhr Area and Emden is the ferry harbour for the most western of the German isles: Borkum. Apparently Emden is the birth place of the Ostfriesen- jokes; the towns most famous sons are the comedians Otto Waalkes and Karl Dall. Economy The VW plant, with around 8,100 employees, it the towns biggest employer. In 1965 production started with the VW Beatle, today this is where the VW Passat is manufactured. Several supplier companies have established themselves in the Frisia Industrial Park. Until the end of 2009 ThyssenKrupp Nordseewerke was a big industrial employer. In January 2010 it changed owners and now belongs to the SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG. In the course of this, a new company was founded: SIAG Nordseewerke GmbH. Due to the selling of the company, the number of originally 1,400 employees was largely reduced. Emden lading port the third biggest in Europe tranships great amounts of vehicles as well as forestry products, construction material and wind energy systems. The shipyards, the construction and engineering industry, food business, fish processing, ship equipment business, shipyard suppliers, especially in the field of navigation and communication technology, as well as tourism and other services are further important sectors. Emden supplied the final equipment for the second of six cruise ships by Aida Cruises. The Aidabella attracted more than 25,000 people during its two-week lay period in the summer of 2008.

Famous Film director Wolfgang Petersen, comedians Otto Waalkes and Karl Dall, journalist, Stern magazine founder and donor of the Emden Art Gallery, Henri Nannen, and boxing world champion Heidi Hartmann are among the towns most known sons and daughters. From a culinary point of view, the inhabitants of Emden prefer hearty food and fish: green cabbage with smoked pork chop, smoked sausage and bacon are just as popular as matie and prawns. Corn schnapps goes best with the food and the green cabbage meal is often combined with the typical Frisian past-time of bosseln (street bowling). You shouldnt forget the following: Although both Emder and Emdener are the correct names for the Emden inhabitants according to the dictionary, the only term that accepted is Emder.

Gifhorn
Gifhorn is known as the Town of Mills: In the last 20 years the International Open-Air Mill Museum was developed as the most remarkable site in Gifhorn. With its 16 mills from all around the world, it is the biggest attraction at the Sdheide Gifhorn in the Lneburger Heide. Gifhorn is a district town located in the east of the federal state of Niedersachsen. It has around 42,000 inhabitants and is situated 20 km north of Braunschweig and 15 km west of Wolfsburg, in the river mouth angle of the Ise and the Aller. Apart from its Mill Museum, Gifhorn is also known for its old town which is coined by half-timbered houses. Economy In Gifhorn industrialisation started with peat production, two chicory plants (chicory = coffee replacement) and a brickyard. However, only the glassworks and a cannery were really successful. Today the towns biggest employers are IAV GmbH (engineering service provider for the automotive industry) and a few automotive suppliers such as Continental Teves, ArvinMeritor and Rcker AG. The majority of Gifhorn inhabitants works outside of town. Further companies established themselves in the industrial area Unternehmenspark Gifhorn Sd which was founded in 2009. Famous Gifhorn is the birth town of Anna Montanaro (musical singer). The town is also well-known for its marksmens festivals. The oldest list of marksmen originates from 1706. It is celebrated each year in the week of the 18th of June in remembrance of the Battle of Waterloo; almost all Gifhorn inhabitants were inducted to the army at that time. In the past, Gifhorn was referred to as Zickenstadt (doe town). This term comes from a time when the goat was the poor mans cow. In Gifhorn there were a lot of these animals. Town marketing communicated this term in a positive way and even created a matching logo, which was however replaced by the mill logo.

Goslar
The Emperors Town of Goslar looks back on thousand years of history. The findings of the first silver veins probably enticed the Saxon and Salian Emperor to build his largest and safest fortress in Goslar. Throughout centuries it was the most preferential seat of government in Germanys north. At the same time the region developed itself as a centre of Christian belief. In fact, the town was referred to as the Rome of the North. The one-of-a-kind silhouette of Goslar is characterised by its 47 churches and chapels with their numerous towers. The sight of the towers of the five large parish churches, which can be marvelled at from the imperial palace high above, is still very impressive today. The many narrow, cobbled alleys of the old town, where every house tells its own story, are a real adventure. Quiet corners are waiting to be discovered. Goslar is located between the northwest foothills of the Harz mountains and the town of Salzgitter. With a catchment area of around 250,000 inhabitants the town is an important centre in the Harz region. Goslar itself has approx. 43,000 inhabitants. The closest towns are Hildesheim in the northwest (50 km), Salzgitter in the north (30 km), Wolfenbttel (35 km) and Braunschweig (50 km) in the northeast as well as Magdeburg (100 km) in the east and Gttingen (70 km) in the southwest. The imperial palace erected on behalf of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Henry III is still one of the most famous sites today. From there you can also get a glimpse of the ore mine Rammelsberg which was named a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site in 1992 together with the medieval old town. As the only mine in the world, Rammelsberg was operated 1000 years; it wasnt closed down until 1988. Economy Due to the metal trade, Goslar had an important position within the Hanseatic League. Today medium-sized companies from the chemical industry as well as service providers, automobile suppliers, crafts, tourism businesses and congress services dominate the towns economy. The wellknown industrial area Bassgeige is the seat of 150 Goslar companies with more than 4,700 jobs. Famous Sigmar Gabriel (head of the SPD) and Aaron Hunt (football player at Werder Bremen) are among the towns famous sons. In 1824 a famous poet, namely Heinrich Heine, visited Goslar and wrote about the town in his Die Harzreise [Journey to the Harz Mountains]: Since our aunt has died, we can no longer go to the beautiful Schtzenhof in Goslar. But Goslar is also known for its annual awarding of the Goslar Emperors Ring, an internationally recognised arts award granted to contemporary artists.

Gttingen
As a university town and home of many important personalities, located between the Harz mountains and the Weser, Gttingen is the economic and cultural centre of southern Niedersachsen. The historical old town, the medieval town hall, the churches, half-timbered houses and street cafs invite the towns guests to stroll, visit and stay. The rich cultural life with its theatres, orchestras, museums and festivals is well-known far beyond the town borders. Gttingen is located in the southeast of Niedersachsen and is the federal states fifth largest town with approx. 121,000 inhabitants, following Hannover, Braunschweig, Osnabrck and Oldenburg. Around 26,000 students are enrolled at Gttingen University. Major cities in the close vicinity are: Kassel (approx. 38 km southwest), Hildesheim (approx. 70 km north), Braunschweig (approx. 92 km northeast), Erfurt (approx. 98 km southeast), Hannover (approx. 105 km north) and Paderborn (approx. 120 km northwest). Gttingen is located on the border of the Leine-Ilme hollow close to the Gttingen Forest the rivers Leine, Weende, Lutter and Grone all flow through the town. With its Georg-August-University, Gttingen is not only a university town with a long tradition (since 1737), but thanks to the excellence initiative, it is also the seat of an approved elitist university. Gttingen has numerous renowned research institutions, a rich cultural offer and was and is the birth and working place of many important personalities, a number of Nobel Prize winners among them. The town is also an important economic location for the region. Economy Gttingen is home to important research institutions such as five institutes of the Max-PlanckAssociation, the German Aerospace Center, the German Primate Centre, the Laser Laboratory Gttingen, the Research Centre for Forest Ecosystems, the Academy of Sciences, the Association of Scientific Data Processing, the IWF Wissen and Medien GmbH as well as, of course, the university clinic. Gttingen is the seat of the regional Measurement Valley business association which includes numerous companies and institutions that are also engaged in measuring technology. Satorius AG and the Mahr Group globally operating companies seated in Gttingen are among its members. Further branches represented in the town are the optical industry (Zeiss, Linos), laser technology (Hindalco), logistics (Zufall), vacuum systems (Trinos) as well as press distribution (Tonollo). Famous The singer Herbert Grnemeyer was born in Gttingen. 44 Nobel Prize bearers researched resp. worked in Gttingen, including Gnter Grass, Robert Koch and Max Planck. From an athletic point of view, Gttingen is currently very successful in basketball.

Hameln
Hameln is the town of the famous Pied Piper and the centre of the Weserbergland. The Pied Piper of Hameln, who appeared in 1284, has been the towns symbol and known all over the world for centuries. The Pied Piper Hall, the Pied Piper Open-Air Festival, the Rats musical and the Pied Piper Literature Award today Hameln could not be imagined without its famous legend. Hameln with its approx. 58,000 inhabitants is located in the southeast of Niedersachsen. The towns history goes back to the Stone Age. Hameln is part of the county of Hameln-Pyrmont and the centre of the Weserbergland which stretches along the Weser from Hannoversch Mnden to the Minden area. Major cities in the close vicinity are Hannover and Hildesheim, each approx. 50 km northeast resp. east, Bielefeld and Paderborn approx. 70 km southwest. Hameln is world-famous for its Pied Piper saga and has been successfully including it in its town marketing for a long time. The result: 3.8 million day guests a year, who are just as fascinated about the closeness to the countryside of the Weserbergland as they are about Hamelns legendary history with its pretty old town. Economy Hameln is an economic location with a great variety of industries. There are numerous small and medium-sized but also major companies such as BHW (part of Postbank). In the engineering sector, the plants of ABG Ingersoll-Rand Allg. Baumaschinen GmbH (part of Volvo), Reintjes GmbH and Stephan-Werke are worth mentioning. Further large-scale companies are: Vorwerk Teppichwerke GmbH & Co. KG (textile and carpet industry), Kampffmeyer-Wesermhlen Hameln, Vogeley GmbH and VITAM (food industry), E.ON Westfalen Weser AG (energy business), C. W. Niemeyer (publishing house and editor of the regional daily newspaper). In addition, there are a great number of jobs depending on tourism. Famous If you think of Hameln, the first thing that comes to mind is the legend of the Pied Piper. It goes back to the excerpt Hmelschen Kinder published in the 13th century. Today and from a historical perspective, it is associated with the incentive of young people to settle in certain regions. In the 19th century the Brothers Grimm changed the historical contents into the world-famous legend of the Pied Pieper which has been translated into 30 languages. Angry about the fact that the inhabitants of Hameln did not pay him for chasing rats, he lead the towns children away by playing his pipe, making them vanish forever. Today the figure of the Pied Piper has become an advertising bestseller. For 700 years groups of amateur actors have been staging the legend at the open-air theatre and fascinating tourists between the months of May and September. Among others, Stefan Wehmeier, International Chess Champion, is a famous personality of the town.

Hann. Mnden
Where Werra and Fulda meet to kiss... Alexander von Humboldt referred to the town at the meeting point of the rivers Werra, Fulda and Weser as one of the seven most beautifully located towns of the world. With more than 700 lovingly restored houses, the town, which is completely surrounded by water, is a framework town of European rank. Impressive buildings of the Weser Renaissance, towers and ruins of the historical town wall coin the medieval image of the town, just like the modern, interactive fountains. Niedersachsens most southern town, Mnden (postal. Hann. Mnden, former Hannoversch Mnden) has 25,000 inhabitants and is located in the southern part of Niedersachsen, on the border with Hessen. Major cities in the close vicinity are Gttingen (approx. 23 kilometres) and Kassel (approx. 17 kilometres). Due to its location on the three rivers Werra, Fulda and Weser the town also likes to call itself Three-River-Town. Furthermore, the Framework Jewel assembles around 700 half-timbered buildings from six centuries in its old town. For the maintenance and protection of this cultural possession, Hann. Mnden was appointed Europa Nostra by the EU and an association of monument conservation organisations. Hann. Mnden was also involved in developing the idea of the German Framework Road. Apart from its attractive buildings, the town is very close to the countryside, namely the Kaufunger Wald, the Reinhardswald and the Bramwald, which makes it even more popular as a tourist destination. The Weser-Harz-Heide cycle track as well as journeys by boat guarantee diversified leisure time activities. Economy The economic location of Hann. Mnden offers a varied landscape of industries. Companies of the packaging sector (Haendler & Natermann and Knppel Verpackung GmbH & Co. KG) and foil manufacturing as well as the plastic and rubber industry (Mndener Gummiwerk GmbH and Eaton Fluid Power GmbH), industrial metal processing (Weser-Metall-Umformtechnik GmbH & Co) and plant culture (Ernst Benary Samenzucht GmbH) are seated in the town. Craft, retail business and the service and tourist sector are also important economic factors. In March 2008 many companies from Hann. Mnden joined together as Mndener Gilde e.V., an association of the Mnden economy in order to strengthen the locations economic success by means of joint entrepreneurial activities. Among others, the Mndener Gilde includes bakers, banks and roofing companies, i.e. the most different industries. Famous Johann Andreas Eisenbart is the most famous personality who lived in the town for a certain amount of time. He was an exceptionally talented and inventive medical practitioner and travelled through many places to heal the sick. On 11th November 1727 he deceased in the former guesthouse Zum wilden Mann in Hann. Mnden. In the months of summer a theatre play on the life and work of Doctor Eisenbart is performed in front of the town hall of Hann. Mnden each year.

Hannover
Hannover distinguishes itself by means of its diversity: a major city in the countryside, international trade fair town, attractive sports location, diversified town of high-class. Here you can have great celebrations in the royal gardens or go on a relaxed stroll through the historical old town. Hannover is the capital of the federal state of Niedersachsen, founded in 1946. With its around 520,000 inhabitants it is northern Germanys biggest town, with the exception of Hamburg. The metropolis of Niedersachsen is located in the intersection of important national and international traffic ways, such as the crossing of the A2 and the A7. The Mittelland Canal represents the eastwest-connection. It is around 90 minutes by speed train to the capital of Germany Berlin and 75 minutes to the northern towns of Hamburg and Bremen. With the car it only takes around two hours to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The closest towns are Hildesheim (30 km), Braunschweig (55 km) and Celle (37 km). More than eleven percent of the town area of 200 square metres is green spaces, which is why Hannover is often referred to as a large city in the countryside. Its town forest Eilenriese measures 650 hectares and is therefore twice as large as Central Park in New York. Economy Hannover is the seat of different well-known industrial businesses: Continental AG, Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge, Wabco, Komatsu Hanomag and MTU. The food industry is represented by Bahlsen, Harry-Brot, Gilde and the Herrenhuser Brewery. But the Hannover population also likes to point out major names in other branches, e.g. there are many financial services such as AWD, Nord LB, VHV, KKH, Hannover Rck, HDI und Talanx. Furthermore, there is the tourist corporation Tui with the flight company Tuifly and the New Economy is represented by the online tyre dealer Delticom AG. As the worlds largest trade fair town, Hannover is the site of the Cebit, Hannover Messe, Domotex and the IAA Nutzfahrzeuge. Apart from Leibniz University students are offered the University of Applied Sciences Hannover (FHH), the Medical University Hannover (MHH), the Veterinarian University (TiHo), the HMT, the Academy of Music and Hannover Theatre. Hannover has around 30,000 students altogether. Famous The inventor of pale ale, Bord Broyhan, Adolf Freiherr von Knigge, Kurt Schwitters, who developed a specific direction of Dadaism, and Rudolf Augstein, who founded the magazine Der Spiegel in 1947 in Hannover, are among Hannovers famous sons. Illustrator Uli Stein, author Alexa Hennig von Lange, footballer Per Mertesacker and comedian Oliver Pocher are well-known living Hannoveranians. Internationally known groups such as the Scorpions, Fury in the Slaughterhouse, Terry Hoax, Mousse T and Jane also come from Hannover. Hannover also is a town of sports because it is the home of the Bundesliga football club Hannover 96 and the ice-hockey teams Indians and Scorpions. The universal scholar Leibniz worked half his life in Hannover. This is why, from the beginning of this century, Hannover has been referring to itself as Leibniz-Town.

Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a town with a diversified history, culture and an active economic life. Of the five Roman churches of the town, the dome and St. Michaels church belong to the UNESCO Wold Heritage. Hildesheim is a medium-sized town in Niedersachsen with around 130,000 inhabitants. Larger cities in the close vicinity are Salzgitter (30 km) and Hannover (20 km). With the Hildesheim Forest, the surroundings offer a lot of countryside. Hildesheim is a Catholic Bishops seat (diocese Hildesheim) and a university town. The town is famous for its sacral buildings. Economy The economic location of Hildesheim offers a great number of small and medium-sized companies. Globally operating companies are also represented, including Robert Bosch GmbH, Alcoa Fastening Systems, Coca Cola AG, Blaupunkt GmbH as well as Arwed Lseke Papierverarbeitung und Druckerei GmbH, among others. Famous Of all historical buildings the old marketplace with the famous Knochenhauer-Amtshaus is a special eye catcher. It was once even referred to as the worlds most beautiful marketplace by Wilhelm von Humboldt. From an athletic point of view, the VfV swimmers Christin Zenner and Katharina Schiller are wellknown. They were very successful during the Championships 2008 and qualified for the Olympic Games. The VfV swimmer Sara Harstick won Bronze at the Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney together with van Almsick, Dallmann and Buschschulte. Furthermore, Hellas 1899 Hildesheim played in the 1st Water Polo Bundesliga between 2006 and 2008. The SPD politician Hubertus Heil and the model and actress Diane Kruger as well as the film producer Erich Pommer, who held a share in films such as The Blue Angel and Metropolis, are among the towns famous sons and daughters.

Lingen
A great number of historical buildings, an idyllic natural landscape with 220 kilometres of signposted cycle and hiking tracks, an international theatre atmosphere, a music scene from classic to rock, thats what Lingen has to offer. Furthermore, the town is situated on the Orange Route, an association of towns in the Netherlands and Germany, which are connected with the Orange family. Lingen is a town with around 57,000 inhabitants, located in the west of Niedersachsen on the Ems, close to the Dutch border. Although Lingen is the largest town of the county with the most economic power, it belongs to the district of Meppen - due to its central location.

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Economy Since the Second World War, Lingen has been known as the centre of the German oil industry. Today gas and oil are still won at the location, since 2003 it is being produced by Gaz de France Produktion Exploration Deutschland GmbH. The oil refinery Emsland (BP Lingen) offers fuel, light heating oil and liquid gas from German and foreign oil. Furthermore, ROSEN Technology and Research Center GmbH is an important service provider for the pipeline industry. With the oil plant Emsland and the nuclear power plant Emsland RWE Power AG is an important employer in the region. In 2009 a gas and steam power plant is supposed to be launched. Therefore numerous companies established themselves in the industrial park Lingen-Sd: the fuel assemblies plant Advanced Nuclear Fuels of Areva NP, the electric steel plant of Benteler AG, Dralon GmbH of the Fraver Corpororation with the production of acrylic fibres, a Baerlocher plant producing additives for the plastic industry, a plant of the industrial goods corporation Atlas Copco for the production of road milling machines as well as the regional offices of the discounter Aldi-North including a largescale central warehouse. Famous Lingen is known as one of the few Catholic strongholds of Niedersachsen. While the number of Catholics in the whole Emsland is around 80 percent, in Lingen it is slightly lower with 60 percent. The multiple Paralympics winner Errol Marklein, the athlete, Vice World Champion and European Champion Ingo Schultz and the footballer Michael Rensing (FC Bayern Mnchen) are among the towns famous sons.

Lneburg
The salt and hanseatic town of Lneburg was mentioned for the first time in connection with the saline (plant for salt production) in the year 956. The town is located on the edge of Lneburger Heide between Hamburg and Hannover. The hanseatic and university town of Lneburg (Low German Lmborg) with its around 72,000 inhabitants is Niedersachsens third largest town. It is located around 50 kilometres south of Hamburg on the edge of the Lneburger Heide which was named after the town on the river of Ilmenau. Lneburg has the status of a large, independent town and is the district town of the district Lneburg. Lneburg is one of the few towns of northern Germany whose historical core was not destroyed by the Second World War. However, neglecting the building substance up to the 1960s and damaging of the depression area above the saline resulted in gaps in the historical townscape. That led to different ideas about how to improve the living situation. One seriously discussed suggestion was to pull down the whole old town and replace it with modern buildings. Due to protests by the population Lneburg became the crystallisation point for a new idea: monument conservation. Since the beginning of the 1970s Lneburg was carefully and lovingly restored. This brought about findings of ceiling paintings, medieval potteries and many historical soak-aways which were previously hidden, which created a better image of life in the Middle Ages. Today Lneburg is a tourist attraction due to these restorations and important parts of the economy are directed to tourism. Since 5th October 2007 Lneburg is allowed to call itself Hanseatic Town.

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Economy Apart from tourism and mechatronics, environmental technology, nutrition business, information and communication are further important business sectors of Lneburg. The medium-sized producing companies and small businesses still play a strong part in the economic activities. Changes and impulses also come from Lneburg University which adds to the animating diversity of the region. Important companies are fashion producer Roy Robson, De-Vau-Ge Gesundkostwerk, as Germanys biggest manufacturer of vegetarian food, and the dairy company which produces Lbebest products. In the industrial area the biggest companies are the vehicle interior specialist Johnson Controls, H.B. Fuller, Impreglon AG, and Sieb & Meyer AG as industry electronics provider. The worlds oldest family-run printing company Sternsche Druckerei, which was founded in 1614, can also be found in Lneburg. Furthermore, since 1978 the town has been the headquarters of the Seminaris congress hotel group. In the field of technologies and services the innovation and founding centre e-novum, which is intent on promoting young companies, is worth mentioning. Werum Software & Systems AG is Lneburgs biggest company in the field of information and communication technology. Famous Surely, the sociologist Niklas Luhmann, founder of system theory, is the towns most famous son. The Lneburg cult band Top for Tea dedicated a love song to the town with its Lneburg anthem Die schnste Stadt der Welt The Lneburg Ratssilber is the largest preserved silver treasure of a German town. All of its pieces originate from the time between 1443 and 1620. The originals of the Ratssilber cannot be visited in Lneburg, however, but at the Museum of Applied Arts in Berlin. With one pub concession per 200 inhabitants, Lneburg claims to be Germanys town with the most pubs, second in Europe following Madrid. Once there were more than 80 breweries in the town. The biggest and best-known was the Kronen Brewery of 1485 in Heiligengeiststrae where beers such as the Lneburger Kronen-Pilsener and Moravia Pilsener, which are very famous in northern Germany, were brewed. Today these beers are brewed by Holsten-Brauerei AG in Hamburg and only two smaller pub-breweries are left in Lneburg. Lneburg is also known for the following specialties: firstly, for its lamb dish Heidschnuckenbraten and secondly for Stint, a small fish which is caught in spring. A further culinary rarity is a regionally diverging, Danish influenced version of Labskaus (Skipperlabskovs, colloquially referred to as Gammel danske kaus). Green cabbage with Bregen sausage is the traditional meal on Christmas Eve.

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Oldenburg
Oldenburg is a city of diversity: walk through the pretty pedestrian zone, cycle through the garden variety or visit the towns many exciting museums. Oldenburg (Flat German Ollnborg, Sater Frisian Ooldenbuurich) is a county borough in Niedersachsen, 45 kilometres west of Bremen. The city is located in the lowlands, mainly on the left bank of the Hunte, on the river mouth of the Haaren, 23.5 km from the Hunte mouth at Elsfleth, and around 90 km from the open North Sea. Larger towns in the close vicinity are Wilhelmshaven, 50 km north, Osnabrck, around 100 km south and Groningen, around 110 km west. According to the main statutes of the town it is called Oldenburg (Oldb.). The university town and former residency town of the county, the dukedom, the grand duchy, the free state and country of Oldenburg (this explains the addition of Oldb.) with its around 160,000 inhabitants, is the fourth biggest town of Niedersachsen, following Hannover, Braunschweig and Osnabrck, as well as one of the regional centres of the federal state. Economy The university town of Oldenburg is the economic, administrative and cultural centre of the WeserEms-Region. Many banks and insurances have their headquarters in the service metropolis Oldenburg and various administrations and jurisdictions can be found, too. Large manufacturing businesses have also established themselves in Oldenburg: Bsing und Fasch, chemistry business, CeWe Color AG & Co, Charisma Technologies, producers of home electronics (3D TV), Buddelei Mode, headquarters and logistics centre (with its brands Gina Laura), EWE Aktiengesellschaft with the subsidiaries EWE TEL GmbH, BTC AG and NaturWatt GmbH, Nanu Nana, RedDot Solutions AG. With the Carl von Ossietzky University with 10.000 students, three universities of applied sciences and more than 70 general, vocational and professional schools, Oldenburg is the regions educational centre. It also is the Town of Science 2009. The Nordwest-Zeitung is the daily newspaper for Oldenburg and the Oldenburger Land. Famous The literary scholar Paul Raabe was born and Dieter Bohlen was brought up in Oldenburg. Its inhabitants often combine the meal of green cabbage, which is very popular in northern Germany, with a so called Kohlfahrt, a cabbage tour. The participants make their way to the restaurant where the actual meals takes place, mostly with a pushcart full of alcoholic drinks. Often, people also play bosseln, a kind of street bowling, and various drinking games. After the meal, the Cabbage King and Queen are appointed. They have to organise the Kohlfahrt in the next year. Further culinary specialties are asparagus, Mock turtle soup and Labskaus.

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Osnabrck
Pax optima rerum - peace is the supreme good. This understanding was achieved at the end of the Thirty Years War in 1648 and was the main message of the Treaty of Westphalia which was negotiated in Mnster and Osnabrck. Surrounded by medieval alleys, the historical town hall with its hall of peace can be found in the old town of Osnabrck. Since the beginning of 2008 Osnabrck has been a member of the league of towns named Historic Highlights of Germany. Each of these 14 member cities has coined the history of Germany and provided architectural and artistic references, inviting visitors to take a trip to the past. Osnabrck is a county borough in Niedersachen with currently around 163,000 inhabitants. The town is located between Mnster and Bremen, on the border of North-Rhine Westphalia. Following Hannover and Braunschweig, it is Niedersachsens third biggest town and one of the regional centres of the federal state. The town is situated on the bank of the Hase in Osnabrcker Land, amidst the Osnabrck Hgelland, between the mountain range of the Wiehengebirge in the north and the Teutoburger Wald in the south. The name Osnabrck probably originates from the connection of the Low German words Ossen (ox) and Brgge (bridge): it goes back to an old long-distance trade route which crossed the Hase at a ford. According to other explanations, the name goes back to the Germanic Osna, an old name for the river Hase. With its byname Town of Peace the town still feels obligated to a strong culture of peace today. Various so called sites of peace are based on the commitment for tolerance, intercultural understanding and support of peace research and human rights policies. This includes the German Foundation for the Environment, the German Foundation for Peace Research, the Erich-MariaRemarque Peace Centre, the international child aid organisation terre des homes as well as the Felix-Nussbaum-House which was built according to the plans of the American star architect Daniel Libeskind. Despite of the great destruction of the Second World War, during which around 95 percent of the medieval old town and more than 65 percent of the residual town were destroyed by allied air raids, you can find a lot of restored buildings from classicist and rococo times as well as half-timbered houses. Since there are more than in any other German town, Osnabrck is also referred to as the capital of stone works. From a cultural perspective Osnabrck also has a lot to offer. The Week of Different Cultures in the summer months with a great number of events, and the European Media Art Festival an international festival of media art which has been taking place once a year since 1981, are annual highlights. Economy Osnabrck is the regional centre for the southwest part of Niedersachsen and parts of the adjoining Westphalia. Many people from the surrounding communities work in the city or use it as a shopping and event centre. With its industrial character Osnabrck is an important location for the metal and logistics sector. The biggest companies are KM Europa Metal and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics as well as the globally operating forwarding companies Meyer & Meyer, Sostmeier and Koch International.

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Further important businesses with headquarters in Osnabrck are: the confectionary Coppenrath & Wiese, the drug store company Ihr Platz, the automotive supplier Wilhelm Karmann, the construction company Kster, NordWestBahn, Pipenbrock who are working in the field of building management, the shoe trade company Reno Group as well as Wessels + Mller, a company for vehicle parts. Around 18,000 students are enrolled at the University of Osnabrck and the University of Applied Sciences. Famous Surely, the author Erich Maria Remarque, whose book All quiet on the Western Front made its way around the world in 1929 and was later also made into a film, is the towns most famous son. In 1991 his home town established the Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize. Every two years the town honours belletrist, journalistic and scientific works understandable to the general public, which deal with the topics of internal and external peace. The inhabitants of Osnabrck are known as measured (typical of northern Germans) and inventive at the same time. Apart from green cabbage and the black bread Pumpernickel, which are popular in northern Germany, the Ramanken Soup is known as a speciality. The traditional autumn meal consists of turnips which are referred to as Ramanken in northern Germany. Further ingredients are potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, leach and seller and sweet, cooked pears for the special taste. A roll speciality, which is only known in the Osnabrck area, is the Springbrtchen which owes its name to the chapped surface of the rolls. Especially at carnival time, Hedeweggen, a kind of pastry similar to a bun, is served with tea and coffee.

Papenburg
Papenburg is Germanys oldest and longest bog settlement and was founded according to the Dutch model by Dietrich von Velen. Papenburg is the most northern town of the Emsland, directly on the border to Ostfriesland. Papenburg is located on the Ems in the west of Niedersachsen, north of the county of Emsland, and is known throughout the nation due to the Meyer Werft which specialises in the construction of cruise ships. Papenburg has around 35,000 inhabitants. On 4th April 1630 Bishop Ferdinand of Mnster enfeoffed his assistant Dietrich von Velen and his descendants with the castle and the estate of Papenburg. That year is generally referred to as the founding year of the town which was later known as Papenburg. On 1st August 1860 the Royal Hannover Interior Ministry allowed the acceptance of the city order of 1885. This is how Papenburg became a city. The city image of Papenburg is coined by canals. For a long time they were the main axes of development. Originally, canals were created to transport peat. In this process, the cargo barges were towed across the canals by horses or people. The network of canals stretches from the harbour in the northwest to the coast canal in the southeast, around 14 kilometres away. Some canals bear reconstructions of traditional cargo boats. At the Open-Air Ship Museum visitors will find old Papenburg ships, reconstructed according to original plans, which anchored for eternity.

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The Von-Velen Estate is named after the founder of the town. This is where Papenburg shows its original self. The Papenbrger Hus is the showpiece of the small open-air museum. It was built around 1820. The Documentation and Information Centre Emslandlager (DIZ) was established in 1985 by a private association with the help of former prisoners. It deals with the history of the Emslandlager prison operated by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. Furthermore, the Papenburger Zeitspeicher, a one-of-a-kind interactive visitor information centre, was created in 2004. Economy The economy of Papenburg is mainly coined by industry. The most important economic sectors are ship construction, the automotive supply business and tourism. The textile industry, horticulture and vehicle inspection are further branches. Once or twice a year the Ems is dammed by the barrage in Gandersum to enable the Meyer Werft to transport its ships to the North Sea. Papenburg has a dock harbour where coastal motor boats and inland navigation vessels tranship bulk commodities, for example peat. Important companies are: Meyer Werft, Kolbenschmidt-Gleitlager, ADO Gardinenwerke, Men2000 Catering GmbH & Co KG, Prokon Nord (biomass heating plant), EMS Precab GmbH & Co. KG, Schulte & Bruns Hafenumschlag, Johann Bunte GmbH&Co, ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg, Salamander Industrie-Produkte GmbH Papenburg, Emsland Paneele, Gartenbauzentrale Papenburg and other small, medium-sized and larger industrial and commercial businesses.

Stade
The hanseatic town of Stade (Low German: Stood) is the district town of the county of Stade in Niedersachsen, located between Cuxhaven and Hamburg. The town has approx. 46,000 inhabitants and was granted the byname of hanseatic town as a former member of the Hanseatic League. Stade is situated on the river Schwinge between Altes Land and Kehdingen, close to the Lower Elbe. The surrounding countryside is mainly flat marshland (Elbmarschen). The town is located on a sandy plateau spur of the Stader Geest protruding into the countryside, which towers up to 14 metres above the marsh. Stade is possibly the oldest town of northern Germany. The first settlers already arrived in the area around 1000 B.C. In the time of 800 A.D. a settlement with a boat station, meaning a simple inland port, was created. In 994 the settlement was looted by the Vikings and Stade was referred to as Stethu for the first time. At around 1000 the old harbour was created and replaced the natural port.

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The points of interest in Stade include the whole old town with its picturesque half-timbered houses of which a few originate from the time before the great fire of 1659. Shortly after the end of the Thirty Year War the fire destroyed two thirds of all buildings.As a co-founder of the Hanseatic League, Stade continuously saw itself as a hanseatic town and used this term unofficially. In 2005 several efforts and applications were made for the granting of the title. In December 2008 Stade then became an official hanseatic town once more and is now the second town of Niedersachsen, following Lneburg, to bear this title. Economy Stade has more than 3,700 companies with more than 23,000 employees. In the industrial area of Stade-Btzfleth on the Elbe there are e.g. Dow Deutschland, Aluminium Oxid Stade GmbH and the nuclear power plant Stade, which is currently being deconstructed. Further companies are: Airbus Deutschland GmbH, Eon, Air Liquide industrielle Gase GmbH & Co. KG or Air Products & Chemicals, to name a few. In mid-2010 Stade established a new research centre, the CFK Nord, which deals with the application of carbon fibre materials in the aerospace and automotive industry. Furthermore, the EU and the federal state of Niedersachsen are promoting the industrial location with the stade-project 2021, the chemical park ChemCoast Park Stade, which will be developed on the coast around Dow, being its central element. Famous Stade is famous for its flowering trees: in spring time the Elbe area between Stade and Hamburg turns into a sea of apple, cherry and plum blossoms. The regions alcoholic specialties are the Altlnder Apfelbrand and the Stadter Eierbier. This is a boiled mixture of eggs, sugar, cinnamon and beer. The old town offers many restaurants in historical buildings worth taking a break with coffee and self-baked fruit cake. The Altlnder Hochzeitssuppe (wedding soup) is also highly recommended.

Verden
Verden has a worldwide reputation as riders town and is visited by many people from Germany and abroad. With more than 90,000 overnight stays and a great number of day guests, the towns tourism is highly potential. The best way to approach the 1000-year-old town is from the water side either by boat or by bike on the Weser and Aller cycle track. Verden is located on the Aller, right before it flows into the Weser, around 35 km south of Bremen and 90 km northwest of Hannover. Especially the Gothic dome and the old town situated on the Aller with the Roman St. Andrews church, where the memorial slab of Bishop Yso is kept, St. Johns church, probably the oldest brick church in northern Germany, and the old town hall, are especially worth a visit. The old town of Verden has the only John Lennon monument in Germany. It was erected in memory of the shooting of the film How I won the war which John Lennon acted in. This shooting partly took place in the old town of Verden. The city also hosts Germanys only Horse Museum.

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Economy Its central location in northern Germany and the good traffic connection favoured the towns development into a busy commercial centre in one of the most powerful economic counties of northern Germany. The economy focuses on export oriented companies of pet food production, special machine engineering and electronic industry. The riders town of Verden has also developed into a centre for animal breeding. The local associations and businesses of horse and cattle breeding, training and marketing rendered the town a sales and marketing centre known all over the world. Famous Hannover horses, one of the worlds most important breeds of horses, come from Verden. In cattle breeding, the Holstein breed is known, in particular.

Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven, the Maritime Mile Wilhelmshaven is Germanys only deep water port, the largest naval base and the biggest port of oil transhipment. The core of the tourism sector, which was developed throughout the last years, is the Wilhelmshaven South Beach, sunny side and popular attraction for Wilhelmshaven inhabitants and guests alike. Wilhelmshaven is a county borough in the northwest of Germany. It is strongly characterised by the surrounding marshland. Wilhelmshaven is located on the north-western coast of the Jadebusen, an expansive North Sea bay. With around 81,000 inhabitants it is one of Niedersachsens largest towns. The closest larger town is Oldenburg (around 40 kilometres south). Ever since the initiation of the first German war port on the Jade on 17th June 1869, the towns history has been closely connected to the foundation and development of the German navy. Today, the town still is Germanys largest naval basis. Due to its close connection with the navy the town had to experience a change from economic high-times (before the two World Wars) to decline and destruction twice, in 1918 and 1945. During the Second World War the structure of the town was strongly destructed by more than 100 air raids. The heaviest attack from above on 15th October 1944 destroyed the old Wilhelmshaven. By the end of the war 60 percent of living space was in ruins. The comparatively low number of air raid victims (435) was owed to the towns many air raid shelters. Economy After the Second World War the town succeeded in building up a wide economic structure. It is represented by the oil harbour and the major plants of the petrochemical industry in the north of the town. Altogether 80 percent of oil transhipment at all German seaports and almost 28 percent of the German crude oil import is operated via Wilhelmshaven. There are oil pipelines to refineries in the Rhein-Ruhr area and to Hamburg. The deep navigable water of the Jade coins the economy and is the basis for major companies of the petrochemical, chemical and power generating industry as well as further maritime sectors (repair shipyards, naval equipment) settling. The biggest metal employer in Wilhelmshaven is Manitowoc Crane Group Germany GmbH, a worldwide leading manufacturer of hydraulic mobile cranes.

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Apart from the private economy, the German army is an important economic factor as an employer and customer in Wilhelmshaven. Statistically it employs every tenth inhabitant. The town on the North Sea also hosts numerous scientific research institutions: the Senckenberg-Institute for Maritime Geology and Biology, the Ornithological Institute, the German Wind Energy Institute, the research institute Terramare and the University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven are located in Wilhelmshaven. Due to its location Wilhelmshaven also profits from tourism on the North Sea coast. With its shopping possibilities, its tourist institutions and the transport to the open sea island Helgoland, the town mainly attracts holiday makers from the surrounding seaside resorts. With the Expo am Meer (Expo at the sea), the most extensive decentral project of the World Exhibition in Hannover in 2000, the town took advantage of the opportunity to increase its popularity on a national and international level. The German deep sea port, the JadeWeserPort, is a future-oriented plan for the whole region. This is where the worlds biggest container ships will unload their cargo from 2012 on. Famous Athletes from Wilhelmshaven are successful in different disciplines and all age groups with championship titles on a national and international level. Whether it is chess, swimming, track and run or disabled sports the winnings underline that Wilhelmshaven also is an athletic town. Wilhelmshaven is also often referred to as Schlicktau or Schlicktown by locals and others. The name Schlicktau goes back to the Royal Navy and combines an allusion to the mud of the Wilhelmshaven tidal flats as well as the end of the word for the capital of the former colony Kiautschou in China, Tsingtau.

Wolfenbttel
Former Welf Residence and lively half-timbered town between the Harz mountains and the heath for more than three centuries Wolfenbttel was the home of the Dukes of Braunschweig and Lneburg, a centre of intellectual life and fine arts. Today, the famous Herzog August Library and the Lessinghaus are evidence of the past. In Wolfenbttel Michael Praetorius composed his music, Leibniz worked and Lessing wrote Nathan the Wise. The district town of Wolfenbttel, which is located on the Oker, has around 54,000 inhabitants. The town is situated 12 km south of Braunschweig, around 60 km southeast of the capital of the federal state, Hannover, and very close to Salzgitter in the northeast. Further towns are Bad Harzburg, Goslar, Hildesheim, Peine and Wolfsburg. Altogether 600 restored half-timbered houses give the old town of Wolfenbttel its very own charm. Between 1432 and 1754 the Dukes of Braunschweig-Lneburg resided at Wolfenbttel Castle. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing worked as a librarian at the famous Herzog August Library and also wrote his famous drama Nathan the Wise in Wolfenbttel. Very unique in Germany, the old residency town of Wolfenbttel is coined by the special interplay of history, the present and the future.

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The towns name Wolfenbttel is made up of the basic word Bttel and the defining word Wolfen. The defining word does not originate from the word wolf, it is the old version of the name of a settler called Wulferi who settled at the ford on the Oker and is supposed to be the founder of the settlement Wulferis Buttle. Economy Wolfenbttel is the seat of a few known companies, led by the Mast-Jgermeister AG that produces its worldwide successful herb liquor Jgermeister according to a secret recipe of 56 different herbs, flowers and roots in Wolfenbttel. The MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH & Co., which is also located in Wolfenbttel, produces commercial kitchen appliances for top hotels and restaurants, for canteens as well as for Michelin star or system gastronomy all around the world. As one of Europes leading logistics service providers in the core branches of chemistry and steel, Lehnkering is also located in Wolfenbttel, and so is Welger Maschinenfabrik GmbH a leading manufacturer of compaction technology for harvested agricultural goods as well as industrial material. Famous The Castle of Wolfenbttel is home to the countrys only high baroque state apartment. At the time of Duke August the once biggest collection of books in Europe was referred to as the 8th wonder of the world. Today it is the home of a modern research library of international renown with an inventory of approx. 1,000,000 books, whereas around 350,000 books originate from the 15th to the 18th century. One of the librarys treasures is Henry the Lions gospel, auctioned in 1983 in London for a round 16 million Euros one of the greatest and art-historically valuable scripts of the Middle Ages, which has found its final residence in Wolfenbttel. In 1770 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing lived and worked at the Herzog August Library as a librarian. This is where he wrote his works Nathan the Wise and Emilia Galotti, among others. Before that, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was the librarian of the Herzog August Library in 1691. Furthermore, it is also proven that Giacomo Casanova visited Wolfenbttel in the mid-18th century.

Wolfsburg
The towns motto Joy of Discovering accurately describes the change in Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg is one of the few Germany towns founded in the 20th century. From its foundation on 1st July 1938 until 25th May 1945 it had the name of Stadt des KdF-Wagens bei Fallersleben and was supposed to become the place of residence for employees of the Volkswagen plant which produced the KdF vehicle (VW Beetle) at that time. The county borough received the name of Wolfsburg on 25th May 1945. Today around 120,000 people live in the shade of the Castle Wolfsburg. After Hannover, Braunschweig, Osnabrck, Oldenburg and Gttingen, Wolfsburg is Niedersachsens sixth largest town. The closest towns are Braunschweig, around 26 kilometres southwest, Magdeburg, around 64 kilometres southeast and Hannover, around 74 kilometres west. In 1972 Wolfsburgs number of inhabitants exceeded the limit of 100,000, granting it the name of major city.

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On 26th May 1938 the foundation stone for the Volkswagen plant was laid on the northern side of the Mittelland Canal. In order to host the required workers, the new Stadt des KdF-Wagens was founded in the close vicinity. The area was located on the developing Mittelland Canal, with train tracks and a large road crossing, and the motorway being only 17 km away. During the Second World War the newly constructed vehicle plant mainly served the armaments industry. On 25th May 1945 it was renamed to Wolfsburg on demand of the British occupying power. It thereby received its final name after the castle Wolfsburg resp. its location on the Aller. In 1955 the millionth beetle was manufactured in Wolfsburg. In 1960 the Volkswagenwerk GmbH was converted into a stock company. As a profession of sympathy for the new VW Golf V, in 2003 the town welcomed its guests with the name Golfsburg on the internet, the town stationary and the place-name signs. Economy The Volkswagen AG is the biggest employer in Wolfsburg by far. The worlds largest cohesive automotive plant has a production capacity of more than 30,000 vehicles per day. At the location, the Golf, Golf Plus as well as the Touran and Tiguan are produced. Apart from vehicle production, component manufacturing is a sector of the plants in Wolfsburg. The components produced here, such as transmission joint shafts or moulded parts, are either used for own production or delivered to other locations of the group. In 2007 around 655,000 vehicles, including the Touran and the Tiguan, were produced. Almost 50,000 people work at the Volkswagen plant. Famous August Heinrich Hoffmann, known as Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German scholar, linguist, librarian, (song) poet (The Song of the Germans) was born in Fallersleben (today it is a part of Wolfsburg) on 2nd April 1798. The rock band Oomph! refers to Wolfsburg as its birth place. Designed by the architect Zaha Hadid, the Phaeno was opened up in Wolfsburg on 24.11.2005. This walk-in sculpture is the home of the unique experimenting landscape with 300 interactive phenomena to admire and try out. The Phaeno makes basic topics from natural sciences and technology understandable for anybody. The Autostadt invites its visitors to a journey through the world of mobility. Landscape architecture, design and nature in a 40 hectare lagoon create the framework for diversified attractions. 1974 was not only a historical year for the VW plant and Wolfsburg: it was the first time a VW curry sausage landed on a plate. Ever since, it started its triumphal march through Germany as an insiders tip. Around two million sausages are produced by the companys own butchers shop a year. Just like the famous VW ketchup, it is also known outside the VW plant today.

Contact Sara Honerkamp Presse I ffentlichkeitsarbeit 0511 / 270488 16 honerkamp@tourismusniedersachsen.de

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