Plaza Inn Braunschweig City Nord

Brunswick

Go on a driving holiday in Germany and visit Braunschweig, the city of Henry the Lion, which is the largest city in southeast Lower Saxony and also the cultural and economic centre of the region. Must-see sights in the city include Burgplatz with the castle lion, St Blasii Cathedral and the Gothic town hall in the old town. Burgplatz was rebuilt and extended by Duke Henry the Lion in the 12th century. The square is surrounded by Dankwarderode Castle - Henrik Löve's former residence - the cathedral, the classical Vieweghaus and several half-timbered buildings. In the middle of this traditional square stands the town's landmark: a bronze statue of a lion, which the Duke had erected as a symbol of his power and jurisdiction. Find a cheap weekend break for the whole family and explore Braunschweig and the surrounding area with Risskov.

Happy RIZZI House

Also worth a visit is the colourful Happy RIZZI House. Located on the edge of the historic Magni district, Happy RIZZI House was designed and created by New York artist James Rizzi. The colourful towers took two years to complete. The three-dimensional buildings house offices today. The Magni district is also home to many fine buildings and quaint alleyways, and is an ideal place to visit when you're on a driving holiday in the area.

Christmas market in Braunschweig

26th November to 29th December 2025

Market closed on 24th and 25th December

Please note that dates and opening hours may vary. You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information.

Braunschweig is one of the many German cities that have become popular to visit in the run-up to Christmas. The beautiful city is transformed into a wonderful Christmas mecca of twinkling lights, decorations and lovely smells from the very first day when the Christmas market kicks off.

Every year, the squares around the city's beautiful cathedral, Braunschweiger Dom, are transformed into a charming Christmas market with elegant light decorations and a wonderful atmosphere. With the surrounding historic buildings as a backdrop, more than 150 stalls open up with crafts, Christmas decorations, toys, clothing and much more. The culinary delicacies, both regional and international, are always popular with visitors from near and far. With its more than 500-year tradition, the Christmas market in Braunschweig is among the most attractive and atmospheric in Germany, attracting thousands of people every year. The Christmas market often coincides with the city's annual Culture Week. Culture Week includes a large programme packed with events, entertainment and happenings. Choir, theatre, music and culture, storytelling, puppet theatre and Christmas workshop are just some of the offerings you can enjoy this week.

A great experience awaits at the city's historic moat, where a sophisticated lighting system magically indicates where the Oker River had its original course. This in the form of colourful glass, which in combination with calm musical tones, is incredibly beautiful to experience. Around the historic moat are several stalls where you can find everything from handicrafts to Glühwein.

You should also definitely take a walk up to the 61-metre high Town Hall Tower, from where you have an absolutely stunning view of the beautiful city and the entire market area below.

Braunschweig is a great place to visit at Christmas time and with Risskov you are sure to find a great deal on a hotel stay in or near the city.

Rausch Chocolate Museum

A sweet experience could be to visit the Rausch chocolate museum. Here you can learn interesting things about the history of the cocoa bean, the harvesting of the beans as well as the production of chocolate. Also see interesting machines that show how chocolate was produced 100 years ago. Of course, there is also the opportunity to taste the chocolate and buy some to take home from the outlet shop. The museum also has a fine café serving the very best in hot cocoa and chocolate cakes.

Peine

Peine is a town of 50,000 inhabitants in the heart of Germany between Hannover and Braunschweig and with fine natural surroundings. Peine offers interesting historical sights, fine cultural experiences and culinary delights with the town's market at the centre of fresh produce. The market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

In the centre of town you will find the large market square, from where you can start a walk around the old town. The main square in Peine dates back to 1220 and has been the setting for life in the town for many centuries. At the square you will find the old town hall. The town has been ravaged by countless fires and several different town halls have been built over the years. The current one dates back to 1827 and several times a day the chimes of the town hall add to the atmosphere of the town.

Skt. Jacobi Church

In the centre of Peine is the fine Skt. Jakobi church. The neo-Gothic church was built in the late 1800s and stands proudly above the cobbled streets. The church is decorated with fine paintings and stained glass windows. The congregation is very keen on music and there are often various concerts in the church ranging from the classical to gospel.

BadeLand Wolfsburg

BadeLand Wolfsburg is the largest water park in northern Germany and offers a host of fun activities. Wave pool, slides, sauna, whirlpool and relaxation area are just some of them. There are child-friendly hotels nearby, so why not take the whole family on holiday and surprise the kids with a car holiday and a trip to BadeLand Wolfsburg.

Stadium

Stade is a historic town, first mentioned in writing in 994. What started as a small trading centre quickly grew into an important trading town with its good location just south of the river Elbe. For almost 70 years it belonged to the Swedish kingdom (1645 - 1712). On 26 May 1659, a major fire razed 2/3 of all the town's houses, but the careful reconstruction has left a charming town where the historic centre invites you for atmospheric walks along the river and through the small streets. Today you can visit many different museums in the city, which also offers a wealth of leisure activities for young and old.

Goslar

Goslar is the largest town in the Harz, and is characterised by half-timbered buildings and buildings with slate coatings in fantastic patterns. These were built to accommodate the miners in the town who worked to extract silver, lead and copper.

In Goslar you can see Germany's oldest secular building, the Kaiserhaus, which was built in 1050. It was used as the emperor's residence until 1250.

Christmas market in Goslar

26th November to 30th December 2025- Please note that dates and opening hours may vary. You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information.

In Goslar there is a magical Christmas market where you can have a very special experience. Every year, the old town is transformed into a forest of Christmas trees, with the old medieval buildings standing like a picturesque canvas in the background. The Christmas forest is a sure hit with young and old alike. With 40 illuminated fir trees, soft forest floor, fragrant specialities and gentle music, the Christmas spirit is brought out in everyone.

When you arrive at the Christmas market in Goslar's historic market square, you can enjoy the sight of more than 70 Christmas stalls arranged in a star formation. From the stalls you will be able to buy everything from traditional German specialities such as mulled wine and Klejner, or the handmade products of the local area.

Every day at the Goslar Christmas Market there will also be music, concerts or entertainment around the large market square. Besides the Christmas market, Goslar also offers many great historical experiences. The city's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the old imperial city's Altstadt, Old Town, dates back to the Middle Ages. Here you will find beautiful and famous half-timbered houses side by side with Goslar's beautiful town hall, which brings a historic atmosphere to the cosy Christmas market.

If you don't get into the Christmas spirit above ground, it's also possible to visit the Festival of Lights in the Roeder mines, where the special Christmas market takes place underground.

Sehnde

The small suburb is home to around 23,300 inhabitants, none of whom are very far from Hannover. That's why Sehnde is also part of Region Hannover, but with its own independent district. The small town has both shops and supermarkets, so there's no problem shopping for the day and the road. There are also several restaurants in town, so why not try the local cuisine at, for example, the "Schützenklause-Restaurant", which is only a few kilometres from the hotel. The city also houses the "Hannoversches Straßenbahn-Museum" which has a unique collection of trams covering the period from 1895 to the late 1980s. A unique experience whose rolling public transport is high on the list of things to see, but certainly entertaining for the smaller members of the family as many of the trams still have life in them!

Rammelsberg Mines

The Harz was once known for its many minerals and metals. These included silver, gold, copper, coal and iron. There are many disused mines in the area. If you would like to explore a mine, the Rammelsberg mine is worth a visit. Here you can see how mines were worked in the old days and how they are worked in modern times with explosives.

You can take a small mountain train deep into the mine, where the little ones can even get a helmet with a headlamp and try their hand at mining.

The mine also has a museum and a restaurant.

Treetop path Harz

Experience the beautiful nature of the Harz Mountains from a new perspective with a walk among the tree crowns in Bad Harzburg! On your next self-drive holiday to the Harz Mountains, you can stop off at the Harz Tree Path. Several metres above the forest floor, a route of wooden bridges has been built between the treetops, from where you will get a spectacular 360-degree view of the landscape, with several viewpoints along the way. An exciting experience for the whole family.

Christmas market in Celle

24th November to 28th December 2025

Mon-Sun: 11am-8pm

Christmas Eve: 10 am – 2 pm

1st Christmas Day: 12 pm – 6 pm

2nd Christmas Day: 12 pm – 8 pm

Please note that dates and opening hours may vary. You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information.

A unique temptation for the sweet tooth and the beating Christmas heart. In Celle you can eat your fill of sweet chocolate and sweets as well as German delicacies.

With creepy-crawlies and Father Christmases, there's something for children and children at heart. You'll also find great Christmas gifts for friends and family.

With its old carousels, sweets and long lines of chocolates, Celle's Christmas market is a sure hit with the youngest members of the family. The market stalls also serve up numerous German delicacies for both the stomach and the palate, as well as various crafts in ceramics and jewellery making.

Throughout December, and especially at weekends, there are Christmas events with Santa Clauses, concerts and nativity plays. The town of Celle has around 70,000 inhabitants, and the old houses look particularly good in the decorations of the Christmas market.

Celle can be experienced both as a separate destination or in combination with a weekend trip to Hannover. It takes just 20 minutes to travel between the two cities by IC train.

Celle

The charming half-timbered town of Celle with its old town centre, where you'll find more than 500 half-timbered houses and the 13th-century ducal castle, lies on the southern edge of the Lüneburger Heide. Celle is famous for its half-timbered architecture. Elaborately decorated houses from the 15th to 17th centuries adorn the old town and create a truly medieval atmosphere. Probably the most magnificent building is the Hoppener Haus from 1532: with its six storeys up to the gable, it is an extremely imaginative house, adorned with numerous ornaments. The ducal castle is the oldest building in the city, with parts dating back to the 13th century. The interesting furnishings of the four-winged complex, where Renaissance meets Baroque, include the oldest Baroque theatre still in use, the castle chapel, state chambers and the castle kitchen.

Celle also offers a wide range of shopping opportunities. The main shopping street is Zöllnerstraße, which has a colourful mix of individual shops and small boutiques behind the facades of magnificent Renaissance and historic half-timbered houses.