Things to do in Braunschweig
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Magniviertel
This arty precinct-cum-traditional quarter is nestled around the 11th-century Magnikirche. Some restaurants and bars have colonised the area’s many restored half-timbered houses and there are occasional boutique stores.
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Altstadtmarkt
Braunschweig’s former marketplace is an appealing square with the step-gabled Renaissance Gewandhaus (built 1303; facade redesigned 1590) and the Gothic Altstadt Rathaus.
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Braunschweiger Löwe
Braunschweig’s identity is intricately tied up with Heinrich der Löwe, a duke who was responsible for colonising the eastern regions of Germany beyond the Elbe and Saale. The Brunswick lion statue is based on the original lion Heinrich ordered to be made in 1166 as a symbol of his power and jurisdiction, and today it’s the symbol of the city; you can see the original at Burg Dankwarderode.
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Ox
Ox bills itself as the best steakhouse in town, and there can be little doubt about this for its prime and choice American beef and lamb. Connoisseurs of schnapps will soon be hailing the waiter for the trolley, which is filled with excellent, often lesser-known local and international varieties. Rooms in the comfortable hotel cost €95 and €120 for singles and doubles, respectively, less on weekends.
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Schlossmuseum
Housed in the north wing of the Residential Palace immediately east of Burgplatz, the Palace Museum has two sections: one mostly consisting of a banquet hall with multilingual, interactive screens positioned like plates to explain the region’s rulers and history, and a second section of four rooms with original furnishings from the 19th century. The courtyard of this 19th-century palace (which has hints of London’s Buckingham Palace) has been cleverly turned into an enormous shopping centre.
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Schwannensee
In the same building as Merz, Schwannensee serves up hip-hop, house and rock.
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Liro Dando
A slightly trendier and older crowd can be found here, just around the corner from Merz.
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Lindbergh Palace
Alongside Cave Noire is Lindbergh Palace, where DJs turn soul and funk.
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Hochdrei
This young, upbeat café bar is the place to come for cheap drinks, with vodka kicking off at around €1.
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Tandir
This top takeaway Turk is the place to head to after a night out in the venues on Katenwall. It also has a couple of tables.
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Barnaby's Blues Bar
A regular flow of artists take the stage each month in this poky, smoky blues bar that gets local unknowns to legends, like Mitch Ryder, on tour.
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Cave Noire
Three venues stand cheek-by-jowl near Merz on Kalenwall and draw a mid-20s crowd. Cave Noire is a champagne-style bar that also serves affordable beer and wine.
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42° Fieber
Upstairs from Lindbergh Palace here is 42° Fieber, with a round dance floor, red sofas and a demure mood where disco classics and house get a hearing.
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Strupait
Nestled on a corner in the Magniviertel, this cafe and bar also serves a few light dishes such as quiche to accompany the wine in an elegant interior. It has outside seating in summer.
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Knochenhauer
The bistro/bar of choice among Braunschweig's hip, casual set, Knochenhauer buzzes on a summer eve with friends getting together for drinks or light snacks. There are also DJs on Friday and Saturday night.
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Merz
Spacious and relaxed, Merz is a long-standing favourite especially among the student crowd, with table football, a beer garden, and a few snacks to nibble with inexpensive drinks.
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Jolly Joker
This popular evergreen with a capacity of 4000 features four separate dance spaces, 10 bars including a huge cocktail bar, and several food outlets. Expect top-100 dance-chart hits. The same complex also houses a cinema.
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Castle
Heinrich's former castle is now a museum. It houses a glittering medieval collection, including golden sculptures of arms, medieval capes and the original bronze lion statue cast in 1166.
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Magnikirche
Don't miss this arty precinct-cum-traditional quarter around the 11th-century Magnikirche. Restaurants and bars have colonised the area's many restored half-timbered houses and there are some great boutique stores.
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Restaurant Brodocz
This excellent organic, vegetarian restaurant serves delicious salads and vegetarian soups and mains all day most days, augmented by a strong selection of fish – including fish and chips – and organic red-meat dishes, all based on quality ingredients.
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Staatstheater Braunschweig ‘Kleines Haus’
One of the performance spaces of the Staatstheater Braunschweig. You can get tickets from the tourist office, or rush tickets one hour before the performance.
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Burg Dankwarderode
This former castle of Heinrich der Löwe is now a museum housing a glittering medieval collection, including golden sculptures of arms, medieval capes and Braunschweig’s symbol, the original bronze lion statue cast in 1166. Upstairs is a huge, spectacularly adorned Knights’ Hall which at the time of research temporarily contained the pick of the crop from the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum while it was being restored.
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Happy Rizzi House
Particularly eye-catching is the Happy Rizzi House, which is actually three colourful buildings decorated by American pop artist James Rizzi. Hearts are a recurring theme on the facade, while curved windows form integral parts of facial murals.
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Stechinelli's Kartoffel-Keller & Gewandhaus
In the basement of the Rathaus, these adjacent restaurants are touristy but ever-popular. You can indulge in potatoes over three courses in casual Stechinelli's, from potato soup to potato waffles for dessert. Gewandhaus has an identical menu but closes from 2pm to 6pm.
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Staatstheater Braunschweig ‘Grosses Haus’
This historic venue is used for classical music, theatre, dance and opera. The tourist office also sells tickets, or turn up an hour before the event for rush tickets.
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