Lower Saxony
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums
Once the historic Kingdom of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Neidersachsen in German, is the only German state that has both mountainous and maritime areas. From the North Sea, an area known as East Frisia, to the Central Uplands and the Harz Mountains in the south. The state’s four UNESCO World Heritage Sites reflect the diversity of this region. From the Romanesque churches in Hildesheim to the early 20th century Fagus Factory in Alfeld. From the intertidal mudflats of the Wadden Sea to the historic mining towns and water management systems in the Harz mountains. As with many other areas in Germany, and Europe, Lower Saxony has its fair share of forts and castles. But it is particularly known for quaint towns and villages with half-timbered houses. Many towns are included on the ‘German Half-Timbered House Route’. And for the culinary minded traveller, Lower Saxony even has an ‘Asparagus Route’.
This page, part of our Germany Travel Guide, provides details of the art, archaeology and history sites, museums and related attractions to visit in the state of Lower Saxony. Readers wishing to visit these places will find visitor information, links to official websites as well as other helpful resources. Those who have an account (free of charge) can create their own travel lists and itineraries. To benefit fully from this website’s travel planning features, see the User’s Guide. The information on this page has been put together by various members of the Archaeology Travel team, based on both personal visits and research. The page was last checked and/or updated on 25 October 2023.
Create Your Lower Saxony Itinerary & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to Lower Saxony, and other regions in Germany, you can use our Itinerary Builder with the list of sites and museums below to create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and itineraries. These can be shared with your friends, privately and on social media. To make use of this feature, however, you will need to login or register as a new user. Registering to use these features is free of charge. Once registered and logged in, you can use the lists below to select sites and museums you would like to add to your itinerary and/or travel lists. Please Note: the lists below only include sites and museums in the German state of Lower Saxony, go to the German Travel Guide to find places to visit in the other states.
Archaeology & History Sites in Lower Saxony
Manningaburg
In the centre of the East Frisian town of Pewsum is a small moated castle, the origins of which date back to 1458. Once the seat of the Manninga family, in 1565 the castle was sold to Count Edzard II, an East Frisian Lord. The castle was substantially rebuilt, but the ravages of time and repair costs took their toll. Today only the first floor of the castle remains with a small courtyard, a wide moat and the gatehouse. The castle houses a museum inside to the East Frisian lord and the history of the castle.
Museums & Art Galleries in Lower Saxony
Museumsdorf Cloppenberg
Spread throughout the open-air museum’s 15 hectares are over 50 traditional buildings, relocated here from various sites in north-west Germany. The buildings range in date from the 16th century to the 20th century, and include large and medium sized farmhouses, tradesmen’s workshops, windmills, a manor, a church and even a school. Opened in 1936, the open-air museum is one of the most popular museums in Lower Saxony.
Bad Zwischenahn Open-Air Museum
On the southern banks of the Zwischenahner Lake is an open air museum that is made up of 17 different historic buildings. Centred on the Ammerländer Bauernhaus, a traditional farmhouse, there is also a mill, a blacksmiths workshop, a grain storage barn and a set of semi detached houses. These buildings were relocated here to give the impression of a typical farm from the early 1700s in Lower Saxony.
Vechta Medieval Centre
Part of the Vechta Museum in Lower Saxony, Castrum Vechtense represents a fortified castle complex reconstructed to resemble examples that were typical in northern Germany during the 11th and 12th centuries. The recently completed timber castle was built using techniques and technologies that were available in the Middle Ages. The castle is based on a historic castle found during excavations during the construction of a underground car park for a local hospital. On open days, visitors can interact with re-enactors dressed in period costume.
Hitzacker Archaeological Centre
Devoted to bringing the Bronze Age to life, the Hitzacker Archaeological Centre in Lower Saxony launched in 1990. Located near to where archaeologists revealed an original Bronze Age settlement in 1969, it is home to a number of reconstructed Bronze Age buildings. These include both single-room houses and longhouses, evidence for which have been found through excavation. Visitors can try their hand at bread baking, spinning, weaving, and bronze casting to better appreciate life in later prehistory.
Winsen Museum Farm
At the Winsen Museum Farm in Lower Saxony, a range of historic buildings from across the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath have been preserved for posterity. These range in origin from the mid-17th through to the 20th century and include a Lower German House, a farmhouse, and a coach house. Amid the grounds are an apiary, orchard, and herb garden. Various special events take place at the museum throughout the year.
Roemer und Pelizaeus Museum, Hildesheim
The current museum opened in 2000, with permanent exhibitions displaying ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Peruvian artefacts. The collections of Chinese ceramics (over 150 on display) and pre-Columbian art from the Andes are amongst the largest in Europe. The Egyptian collection of over 9,000 objects is particularly well-known for the artefacts from the time of the great Pyramids. There is also an impressive paleontological collection, fine arts and various objects relating to the history of Hildesheim.
Varusschlacht Park and Museum
The site of the Battle of Teutoberg Forest is thought to be near the village of Kalkriese in Lower Saxony. Said to be one of the most important defeats suffered by the Romans, it was here in 9 AD that local Germanic tribes ambushed the Romans so ending Augustus’s expansion of the Roman Empire. Visitors can see all aspects of the battle played out in state-of-the art exhibitions, view the battlefield from a tower and walk through an archaeological excavation and reconstruction of the landscape at the time of the battle.
