Those who have been to Amsterdam know how good it feels to walk around their canals and admire the Architecture of the city in beautiful houses and old stores. Well, it wasn’t only Amsterdam that has benefited from the water commerce in the past. In Northern Europe, many cities had this connection with overseas routes developed this way. Some grew to the point of becoming very wealthy and imponent, such as Hamburg, but many were kept in the smaller proportions.
It’s Buxtehude’s case, a small and charming town in North Germany.
The small town is 40 minutes away from Hamburg, and an hour and a half from Bremen. There are connections from regional trains between the three cities.
In some German regions, when you talk about Buxtehude, many ask “But does Buxtehude really exist?”, while others say “oh, yeah, the city of the hare and the hedgehog?” or even “Buxtehude, where dogs bark with their tails”!
But what does Buxtehude have in special to keep so much History? Starting with the fact that it’s on the Fairy Tale route (Märchenstrasse), and being immortalized in one of the Grimm Brothers fairy tales. Wherever you go in Buxtehude, you will see the statues of the characters of “The Hare and the Hedgehog”.
Another important thing is that Buxtehude is one of the Hanseatic cities. Back in the 13th Century, its harbor was considered the most modern one in Germany. Yes, it’s been a while, but it’s still a valid title.
The centuries passed, but the small Buxtehude harbor and the canals that cross it still have some charm.
With over 1,000 years of History, Buxtehude is a must-see for those who want to get out of the rush of big European cities, and enjoy the cozier feeling of a small town.
Well, not that small… Buxtehude has, today, over 40,000 citizens, and is home to many factories from major companies, such as Bacardi, Airbus and Unilever.
However, that’s not what makes Buxtehude a tourist attraction to be recommended by us.
Tourist spots from Buxtehude
Even though the city is very close to Hamburg (city that got one of the heaviest bombings from World War II), Buxtehude managed to leave the WW II practically intact, saving many of its buildings in Hanseatic style.
Speaking of the Hanseatic league, it’s important to observe that Buxtehude was, just like Hamburg and Bremen, a member of the Hanseatic League. Its small canals, today crossed by several bridges, were navigated daily by boats making connection between the Elba River and their warehouses.
It’s still possible to know a lot of this story in Buxtehude. Some of the warehouses are still standing, such as many of its merchant houses.
In our tours, we’ll be glad to not only guide you through its beautiful streets and cafes, but also to tell you the tales that bring every house to life.
A great idea is to have a full day tour with us, visiting Buxtehude and Stade on the same day.
Some of the main tourist attractions in Buxtehude
- Its beautiful canals
Since it was the first German city to be planned and built around a harbor, the Buxtehude canals are all over town and offer beautiful spots for pictures.
- Small houses and façades in Hanseatic and half-timbered style
- Sankt Petri Church
In Goth style, with red bricks, the St. Petri Church survived almost intact for the last 700 years.
Built in 1285, the Church survived two fires and some renovations, with very few real chances in its Architecture.
- Buxtehude City Hall
- Marschtorzwinger
One of the oldest defense towers in town, it’s the only preserved example in North Germany of this kind of defense system.
Until the end of the 15th Century, Buxtehude had an extensive wall around town. With the advent of guns, it lost its function and it was abandoned or used for many other purposes. Today, the tower survives and the last fortification of the kind to be preserved in its original state in North Germany.
That is just a sample of what Buxtehude has.
Come and take a tour with us to know more of the beautiful story from the little town.