Hamelin

16th-century illustration of the Pied Piper legend

Hamelin (German: Hameln) is a town in Lower Saxony, 50 km southwest of Hanover. It is the scene of the Pied Piper story (German: Rattenfänger von Hameln), about the man who expelled rats from the town by playing the pipe, and then abducted the town's children when the citizenry refused to pay him what they had agreed. The town is visited by some three million visitors each year and is easy to reach from Hannover by train (S-Bahn).

Get in

By airplane

The nearest airport and high-speed train station are in Hanover. From there you may transfer to Hamelin thrice an hour using suburban line S5 or S51 in 40–45 minutes.

By train

Since the year 2000, the S-Train Lines S 5 and S 51 have offered connections every half hour from Hannover's train station. Likewise, since 2002 hourly connections to Paderborn have been available. Every hour connections to the Bünde-Löhne-Rinteln-Hameln-Elze-Hildesheim route are available via the "Weser train" (line RB 77).

On foot

The European far-distance hiking trail E11 passes through Hamelin on its way from the Netherlands, Osnabrück and the Porta Westfalica, continuing to the Harz mountains and Berlin.

See

Half-timbered Stiftsherrenhaus (left) and Renaissance Leisthaus, both parts of the Hamelin Museum

Pied Piper well (Rattenfängerbrunnen)

• Several romantic 16th-century half-timbered houses with lavish ornaments, e.g. Stiftsherrenhaus (canons' house) and Bürgerhaus (house of the citizenry)
• 1 Pied Piper's House (Rattenfängerhaus), Osterstraße/Bungelosenstraße. Renaissance building from 1602/03, with an elaborately decorated main façade and an inscription reminding of the Pied Piper legend. (updated Oct 2016)
• 2 Hochzeitshaus. Renaissance-style sandstone building dating from 1610–17. Pied Piper-themed carillon. (updated Oct 2016)
• 3 Schloß Bückeburg and Hofreitschule, Fürstliche Schlossverwaltung Schlossplatz 1 31675 Bückeburg, ☏ +49 5722 9558-30, info@schloss-bueckeburg.de. Castle and riding school/horse stables. Very beautiful and elegant. Tours available in English (updated Nov 2016)
• 4 Site of the Nazi Reich's 1933-1937 Erntedankfesten. Interesting for history fans, to see the site where the Nazis celebrated their harvest festivals, on the Bückeberg hillside. To get to the top requires quite a few stairs, but the views and historical value are rewarding. Free. (updated Nov 2016)

Churches

• Garrison Church. (updated Nov 2016)
• St. Boniface Minster Church. (updated Nov 2016)
• Market Church of St. Nicholas. (updated Nov 2016)

Museums

• 5 Hamelin Museum, Osterstraße 8-9, ☏ +49 5151 202 1215. Tu-Su 11:00-18:00. Museum of local history in two neighbouring historic buildings (Renaissance-style sandstone Leisthaus and half-timbered Stiftsherrenhaus) Adult €5, child (6-17) €3. (updated Nov 2016)

Do

• Weser Cycle Route. A bike path named one of the most beautiful and scenic rides in all of Germany. (updated Nov 2024)

Eat

Budget

City centre

• 1 Thiewallklause, Thiewall 6. Smoky pub serving dishes. (updated Feb 2023)
• 2 Zur Badewanne, Fischpfortenstraße 6. (updated Feb 2023)
• 3 Imbiss Bodrum, Fischpfortenstraße 20. (updated Feb 2023)
• 4 China-Imbiß Shanghai, Baustraße 17. (updated Feb 2023)
• 5 Angela Jahn Bistro & Kiosk, Zentralstraße 6. (updated Feb 2023)

Around the train station

• 6 Hakkis Imbiss, Bahnhofspl. 11. (updated Feb 2023)
• 7 GEZ Food, Bahnhofstraße 29. (updated Feb 2023)
• 8 Goldhähnchen Grill, Kaiserstraße 47. (updated Feb 2023)
• 9 Amadeus, Deisterstraße 29. (updated Feb 2023)
• 10 Balutsch-Restaurant, Deisterstraße 42. (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range

• 11 IndiaHaus im Rattenfängerhaus (Pied Piper's House), Osterstr. 28, ☏ +49 5151-3888. One of the more famous buildings in Hameln's old-town area. A beautiful example of the architectural style of the Weser Renaissance. (updated Feb 2023)
• 12 Tündernsche Warte, Tündernsche Warte 1, ☏ +49 5151 92 47 04. Lovely little restaurant and beer garden a short bit away from the bustle of the main town and city centre. (updated Jan 2023)
• 13 Grimsehls Handwerk, Bäckerstraße 46. (updated Feb 2023)
• 14 Pfannekuchen Hameln, Hummenstraße 12. (updated Feb 2023)
• 15 Café am Ring, 164er Ring 1. (updated Feb 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Jugendherberge Hameln, Fischbecker Str. 33, ☏ +49 51 51 34 25, jh-hameln@djh-hannover.de. 
• 2 Hotel Christinenhof, Alte Marktstr. 18. 
• 3 Hotel Jugendstil, Wettorstr. 15. 

Nearby

Hämelschenburg

• 6 Hämelschenburg (12 km south of Hamelin; Bus 40 from Hamelin central bus station to "Hämelschenburg Schloss" (30 minutes)). Renaissance-style sandstone chateau in the Weser Uplands, one of the best examples of Weser Renaissance architecture, housing an art collection, surrounded by an ensemble of gardens, church, outbuildings and a watermill. (updated Oct 2016)

Go next

• Hanover, state capital, 50 km northeast (40–45 minutes by train)
• Hildesheim, historical city with several medieval cultural monuments, 50 km east (50 minutes by train)
• Lemgo, extraordinarily well-preserved old town with many medieval and Renaissance merchant's houses, 40 km west
• Detmold, with the iconic Hermann's monument, 45 km west
• Bodenwerder, origin city of the Baron von Münchausen legends, namesake of Munchausen syndrome, with entertaining statues throughout the town commemorating the myths