Best Things To Do In Hildesheim, Germany

1. Visit a museum

You could spend a few days exploring museums in this town. Namely, there’s the Stadtmuseum (the City Museum), Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum, and the Hildesheim Cathedral Museum. The City Museum displays the history collection of the city, with 5 floors of collections varying from the Middle Ages to Industrialization and on. The Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum permanently displays collections from Egypt and Old Peru. Their changing exhibits range from arts and cultures to history of the city. Needless to say, you can certainly learn a lot about Hildesheim while you’re there!

Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum

Address: Am Steine ​​1-2, D-31134 Hildesheim

Website: Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum Stadtmuseum

2. Explore a historic church

1/2 Mariendom in Hildesheim Südwestansicht

2/2 Michaelisplatz, St. Michaelis Hildesheim 20171201-001

There are tons of churches to visit in Hildesheim. A couple of them - St. Michaelis and Mariendom - are UNESCO World Heritage sites, but all of them are significantly historic. Some date back to the 13th-century or older, and many have Romanesque history, as well as changes made during the Baroque era. Many have undergone changes and updates, but a few, such as St. Godehard, remain virtually the same. For a complete list of Hildesheim’s 11 churches and information about them, visit the link below.

Hildesheim Monasteries and Churches

Address: St. Michaelis: Michaelisplatz 1, 31134, Hildesheim

Website: Hildesheim Monasteries and Churches

3. Eat at the Das Knochenhauer-amtshaus marketplace, and other authentic restaurants

Das Knochenhauer-amtshaus means “The Butchers’ Guild House.” This historic building has been through a lot, from a fire and a rebuilding into a museum, a bombing during World War II, to becoming a hotel, and more. Today it’s where the Stadtmuseum is located, and there’s a restaurant inside called the OS- Das Marktrestaurant. And, you can also enjoy a nice meal in its historic marketplace; restaurants like Restaurant Gildehaus and Knochenhauer-amtshaus Gaststube serve authentic German and European food.

OS- Das Marktrestaurant in Knochenhauer-amtshaus

Address: Market 7, 31134 Hildesheim

Website: OS- Das Marktrestaurant

4. Wander the Arneken Galerie shopping mall

This shopping mall has 55 stores, so I doubt you’d get bored walking around here. There are some American stores you might recognize, such as H&M, and there are plenty of other interesting stores as well, such as Decius Bookstore, McPaper (a stationary and office store), places for smoothies and ice-cream, sporting good stores, department stores, and high-end fashion stores. Plus, make sure to check their websites for any events that may be going on.

Arneken Galerie

Address: Almsstrasse 9, 31134, Hildesheim

Website: Arneken Galerie

5. Stop by the historic market place

There’s a long list of historic buildings in this market place, many of which where destroyed in a World War II bombing. Those that were destroyed were restored and still have Baroque or Gothic architecture, or even Rococo; other buildings that weren’t impacted still have Imperial Roman or Renaissance architecture. The oldest preserved house is the Armourers House (a weaponry house) that dates back to 1548.

You can see the Town Hall and many other guild houses (see the complete list below). If you happen to be in Hildesheim in December, you’re in for a wonderful surprise because you’ll probably stumble upon the Christmas Market. That’s right - every year this festival has 75 stands full of handcrafted wares and delicious foods, plus entertainment such as glass blowing and wood sculpting. This year’s Christmas market is from November 30th to December 28th.

Hildesheim Christmas Market 2017

Address: Das Knochenhaueramtshaus marketplace, Hildesheim

Website: Hildesheim Christmas Market Historical buildings and monuments

6. Simply take a walk around town

Be sure to take a moment to enjoy the architecture and take plenty of pictures, because this town is super photogenic! If you feel like it, you can stop in at the visitor’s center and experience their 3D models and touch screen interactive table to learn about the World Heritage sites, or you could take walk through one of Hildesheim’s lovely parks.

Welterbe Hildesheim Visitor Center

Address: Rathausstraße 20, 31134, Hildesheim

Website: Welterbe Hildesheim Visitor Center

Parks

Website: Baroque Magdalen Garden

7. Visit the neighboring town of Hanover

1/3 Marienburg Castle - panoramio (7)

2/3 Lower Saxony State Museum Willy-Brandt-Allee Mitte Hannover Germany

3/3 Sprengel Museum entrance Hanover Germany

Hanover is only about a half hour drive from Hildesheim, so it’s an easy distance for a day trip or an evening out. One of Hanover’s most popular attractions is Marienburg Castle, which was the home of one of the oldest royal families in Europe, the Guelph family. The castle is nestled on Marienburg Hill, and was built in the 19th-century as a birthday present for Queen Marie from King George V of Hanover; it was built in the Neo-Gothic style to mimic medieval castles, and was a summer home refuge for the queen when she wanted to get away from court.

Tours are available, there’s a restaurant onsite, and they often host events. Hanover also has other major attractions, such as the Lower Saxony State Museum, the Sprengel Museum, and the Expo Park.

Marienburg Castle

Address: Marienberg 1, 30982, Pattensen

Website: Marienburg Castle

Hanover attractions

Website: Things to do in Hanover

Enjoy the sunshine in Hildesheim

Museums, World Heritage sites, castles, gardens, shopping, endless photo opportunities - there’s no shortage of activities in Hildesheim. Especially for those interested in history, culture, and architecture, Hildesheim’s charms and surprises are sure to capture your interest.