Hildesheim is a small town near Hannover, known since the 9th century, when the bishopric of the same name was founded here. For several centuries the clergy had full power, and only at the beginning of the 14th century did some rights begin to appear among the townspeople, and in 1803 Hildesheim became completely secular. The historical center for a long time remained a unique monument of medieval architecture, but was completely destroyed at the end of World War II – it suffered more than any other city in Lower Saxony. Churches were gradually restored, the place of other houses was taken by modern buildings. In 1980, all new buildings of different styles were demolished and they tried to reproduce the old buildings of the market square as accurately as possible.
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Among the sister cities of Hildesheim is our Gelendzhik.
How to get to Hildesheim
Hildesheim is located 25 km from Hannover, which has its own airport with domestic and international connections. The journey by train or bus without transfers takes half an hour, the departure is from Hannover Hbf Central Station, where from the airport, from terminal C, the S-Bahn S5 electric train departs every 30 minutes, the journey time is 17 minutes. You can check the schedule and buy a ticket at the office. website of the German railways (in English).
There are direct flights from Moscow, the flight lasts about 3 hours. From St. Petersburg – only with transfers, at least 5 hours on the road. But from both capitals there are direct flights to Hamburg, from where to Hannover – 2 hours by bus. Or you can get to Berlin: there is a high-speed train from the Central Station to Hildesheim every hour (about 2 hours). It is cheaper, but much longer to get by bus through Hannover (6-8 hours with transfers). Buses depart from Berlin from the Central Bus Station (of the carrier ‘s website in English).
Hildesheim has two railway stations that are 1.5 km apart: Hildesheim Hbf and Hildesheim Ost. Next to the first one is the ZOB Hildesheim bus station.
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Transport
Public transport within the city – buses, whose route network reaches even remote corners, and all of them pass through the ZOB Central Bus Station. The distances are small, so within the historic center it is quite possible to move on foot or rent a bicycle for long walks. There are many parking lots, both paid and free.
Where to stay
There are quite a lot of hotels and apartments in Hildesheim, mostly of average “star” and price category. There are no cheap hostels here, but luxury hotels are rare. Prices in budget hotels start from 50 EUR per night in a double room, and in four-star hotels – from 90 EUR and go up to 250 EUR per night in executive rooms. Breakfast is usually included in the cost of living, but sometimes paid separately at the request of guests.
Cuisine and restaurants in Hildesheim
Hildesheim has many establishments stylized as medieval taverns with traditional German cuisine. The menu includes shanks, sausages and frankfurters, vegetable stew and potato salad, sauerkraut, strudel and schnapps. But there are many Italian, Greek and even Mexican, Japanese restaurants here, so food can be arranged for every taste. The price of a dinner for two with alcohol is about 50 EUR. A hamburger or other fast food will cost 7-8 EUR.
Attractions
The main interest for tourists is the historical center, where the atmosphere of the Middle Ages is recreated. The town hall, built according to old drawings and photographs, occupies a key place in the market square. The first mention of it dates back to the beginning of the 13th century.
The pearls of the Old Town are the Hildesheim Cathedral of St. Mary (Marienkirche) and the Church of St. Michael (Michaelkirche) in the early Romanesque style, restored after the war and included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. Their original buildings were erected at the beginning of the 11th century.
Church of St. Godeard was practically not affected by the bombing and retained its original appearance. The restored 14th-century Andreas Church features the tallest belfry in Lower Saxony and the largest organ in Northern Germany. There is also the Gothic church of St. Jacob, where cultural events take place, the church of Mary Magdalene in the Baroque style, the only late Gothic church of St. Lamberti and the Church of the Holy Cross, erected above the city wall and completed several times in different styles, the pseudo-Gothic Church of Christ with luxurious murals.
Those interested in religious art should visit the Cathedral Museum. It will seem unexpected that it is in Hildesheim, in the Museum of Remer and Pelizeus, that one of the largest collections of ancient Peruvian and ancient Egyptian art in Europe, as well as the second largest collection of Chinese porcelain, is kept.
From the city you can go to the Alter Schlosspark Vriesbergholzen National Reserve, which is only 20 km away: admire the castle, take a walk in the park with a waterfall and a grotto. Or go to the Derneburg castle with an English garden, the train ride there takes less than half an hour.
Music festivals
Every year in May or June (on the feast of the Holy Trinity), the city hosts a jazz festival, and on the second weekend of August, the M’era Luna Festival, which attracts fans of gothic rock and symphonic metal.
