Göttingen: Knowledge, Culture and Green Routes

Discover research and the city’s history

At Forum Wissen, you can gain insights into current research and teaching. The permanent exhibition “Spaces of Knowledge” covers 1,400 square metres and shows how knowledge is created. At Forum Wissen, the twelve “Spaces of Knowledge” contain more than 1,400 objects from the collections of the University of Göttingen. This allows you to focus your visit either on individual collection pieces or on the processes behind the creation of knowledge.

The Göttingen Municipal Museum also combines local history with a special historic setting: since 1897, it has been housed in the Hardenberger Hof, the last surviving aristocratic palace in Göttingen. Until further notice, it is showing the exhibition “City. Power. Faith. Göttingen in the 16th Century.” Groups and school classes can take guided tours of the permanent exhibitions and the relevant special exhibitions. This offers a hands-on way to explore the city’s history, whether you’re setting out to discover it on your own or planning a museum visit as a shared experience.

Other places around the city tell the story of Göttingen’s past. The Old Town Hall was built in 1270 and served as a centre for council and court meetings as well as trade. The Gänseliesel has been the city’s symbol since 1901. A tradition is also associated with the statue: after receiving their doctoral degrees, students visit it in the city centre, kiss it and decorate the fountain with flowers. At the University of Göttingen, the Aula is a central building and an example of neoclassical architecture. The Aula also houses the Karzer, the historic university prison.

Theatre, gardens and walking routes

For a cultural evening, Göttingen offers another perspective on its history. The Deutsches Theater’s main auditorium has 488 seats in the stalls and three tiers, and is considered an architectural gem of the city. Theater am Wall opened on 30 September 1890 as a three-department theatre with Friedrich Schiller’s “William Tell”; since 1950/51, it has been known as Deutsches Theater Göttingen.

Green spaces offer a different focus. The Old Botanical Garden was founded in 1736 as a “hortus medicus,” or medicinal garden. There, you can explore historic greenhouses, tropical vegetation in the rainforest house and the alpine garden. Göttingen’s town ramparts are now continuously planted and offer a route around the old town for a walk. The avenue, about three kilometres long, connects the Old Botanical Garden, Albani Cemetery and Cheltenham Park—one way to combine a city walk with visits to these different places.

Those with a particular interest in plants can find another extensive collection at the Forest Botanical Garden: it covers about 40 hectares and is home to more than 2,000 woody plant species from different parts of the world. For outdoor exercise, the city forest on the Hainberg offers opportunities for walking, hiking and cycling. The wildlife enclosure at Kehr combines nature watching with a clearly marked route: it is home to wild boar and fallow deer, and a three-kilometre circular path runs around the enclosure.

You can also vary how you explore Göttingen. Changing weekly, more than 40 themed city walks and city tours are offered on foot or by bicycle. This lets you choose different themes for a tour according to your interests. A holiday apartment in Göttingen is a good option to consider if you want to focus your stay on the city’s cultural and knowledge sites; if nature and exercise are more important, the gardens, city forest and circular path offer further ideas for planning your days.

More places to discover

You can also include these places in your further search: Walkenried, Göttingen, Staufenberg, Gieboldehausen, Fuhrbach, Duderstadt, Hannoversch Münden, Hattorf Am Harz, Friedland, Nienhagen, Dankelshausen, Scheden, Gleichen, Adelebsen, Brochthausen, Rosdorf, Ebergötzen, Dransfeld, Bovenden, Seeburg, Obernfeld and Bad Grund (Harz).

For the broader travel overview: Lower Saxony.