Celle

If you stay in Hanover for any length of time, you should definitely visit the former Duke town of Celle. The town is lined with half-timbered houses, most of them built in the 16th Century. There are a lot of excellent shops in the pedestrian precinct, and they are all in the half-timbered houses. The oldest house in Celle, "Am Heiligen Kreuz 26", was built in 1526. The Gothic stair frieze is particularly interesting. The town's castle was built as early as the 15th Century and restored in the 19th Century. The renaissance monuments of the Dukes of Celle in the church are of great importance. Every day, the town trumpet player climbs the 700 year old church's 74.5 meter high tower to mark dawn and dusk, as in former times. The Bomann-Museum is one of the most important museums in North Germany. With an exhibition area of 5500 square meters, it is the third biggest museum in Saxony. Celle's Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) is famous all over Germany .