Why visit Hameln
Townapedia lists 93 museums and landmarks, 40 parks and trails, 189 places to eat, 32 places to stay and 49 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Klütturm, Theater Hameln, Pied Piper's House and Druckerei-Museum.
Weather in Hameln
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About Hameln
Hamelin ( HAM-əl-in; German: Hameln [ˈhaːml̩n] ) is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hameln-Pyrmont and has a population of roughly 57,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
From the Wikipedia article Hamelin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Hameln on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Hameln
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_Hameln_(from_SW).JPG)
_Hameln_(from_NE).JPG)
Things to do49
Filmpalast Maxx Hameln
Cinema and theater · 1.2 km
9 Bahnhofsplatz, Hameln
"abhängig von Filmvorführungen. öffnet 15Min vor der ersten Vorstellung"
37 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks93
Pied Piper's House
Monument and historic site
Haus des Bürgermeisters Ahrends 1602, seitlich der Inschrift über die Rattenfängersage. Innen Bilder zu Geschichte.
28 Osterstraße, Hameln
Druckerei-Museum
Museum · 1.5 km
9 Hefehof
Sa 11:00-15:00; easter -1 day off; PH off; May Su[3] 11:00-16:00...
Fischbeck Abbey
Museum · 5.8 km
Monastery in Fischbeck, Lower Saxony, Germany
Glockenspiel am Hochzeitshaus
Monument and historic site
2 Osterstraße, Hameln
81 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds40
Ohrbergpark
Park · 3.4 km
Großzügige Parkanlage mit wunderschönen Wanderwegen und Aussichtspunkten. Besonders zur Azaleen- und Rhododendronblüte einen Besuch wert!
Südbad
Sports field and stadium · 1.9 km
2 Fluthamelstraße, Hameln
Mo-Fr 06:00-10:00,14:00-20:00; Sa,Su,PH 10:00-18:00
28 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes189
India Haus
Restaurant · Indian, Ayurveda
Indiahaus im Rattenfängerhaus
28 Osterstraße, Hameln
Mo-Fr 11:00-23:00; Sa-Su 11:00-23:30
Akropolis Hameln
Restaurant · Greek · 1.2 km
2 Berliner Platz, Hameln
We-Su 11:30-15:00, Tu-Su 17:00-22:00
Bella Napoli
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian · 2.8 km
44 Hamelner Straße, Hameln
We-Mo,PH 11:00-14:30,17:00-22:00
Fujiyama
Restaurant · Japanese, Mongolian, Chinese
14 Bäckerstraße, Hameln
Tu-Su 11:30-14:30,17:30-22:30
KOI - Restaurant & Bar
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.2 km
1a Berliner Platz, Hameln
Tu-Fr 11:30-14:30,17:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:00; PH off
Family Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza, Salad, Calzone, Noodle, Burger, Chicken, Schnitzel, Baguette · 1.5 km
31 Morgensternstraße, Hameln
Mo-Th 17:00-22:00; PH,We off; Fr 17:00-23:00; Sa 16:00-00:00; Su...
GEZ Food
Restaurant · Turkish, Pizza · 1.1 km
29 Bahnhofstraße, Hameln
Mo-Sa 10:00-00:00; Su 10:00-24:00; PH off
Griechisches Restaurant Syrtaki
Restaurant · Greek, Mediterranean · 3.1 km
3 Eintrachtweg, Hameln
We-Mo,PH 17:00-23:00, Fr-Su,PH 11:30-14:30
177 more on the map.
History
Hamelin started with a monastery, which was founded as early as 851 AD; its surrounding village became a town by the 12th century. The incident involving the "Pied Piper" (see below) is said to have occurred in 1284 and may be based on a true event, although somewhat different from the traditional tale. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Hamelin was a minor member of the Hanseatic League.
In June 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, Lothar Dietrich, Freiherr of Bönninghausen, a general in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Emperor, lost the Battle of Oldendorf to the Swedish General Kniphausen, after Hamelin had been besieged by the Swedish army.
The era of the town's greatest prosperity began in 1664, when Hamelin became a fortified border town of the Principality of Calenberg. In 1705, it became part of the newly created Electorate of Hanover when George Louis, Prince of Calenberg, later King George I of Great Britain, inherited the Principality of Lüneburg.
Hamelin was surrounded by four fortresses, which gave it the nickname "Gibraltar of the North", and was the most heavily fortified town in the Electorate of Hanover. The first fort (Fort George) was built between 1760 and 1763, the second (Fort Wilhelm) in 1774, a third in 1784, and the last, called Fort Luise, was built in 1806.
Read more of the history
In 1806, Hamelin surrendered without a fight to the French forces, after Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt. Napoleon's forces subsequently pulled down the town's historic walls, the guard towers, and the three fortresses at the other side of the river Weser. In 1843, the people of Hamelin built a sightseeing tower on the Klüt Hill out of the ruins of Fort George. The tower is called the Klütturm and is a popular sight for tourists.
In 1867 Hamelin became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, which annexed Hanover in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.
Between 1933 and 1937, the Nazi regime held the Reich Harvest Thanksgiving Festival at the nearby Bückeberg hill, to celebrate the achievements of Germany's farmers.
During World War II, Hamelin Prison was used for the detention of Social Democrats, Communists, and other political prisoners. Around 200 died there, and more died in April 1945, when the Nazis sent the prisoners on long marches, fearing the Allied advance. Just after the war, Hamelin prison was used by British Occupation Forces for the detention of Germans accused of war crimes. Following their conviction, around 200 were hanged there, including Irma Grese and Josef Kramer, along with over a dozen of the perpetrators of the Stalag Luft III murders. The prison has since been turned into a hotel. Executed war criminals were interred in the prison yard until it became full, and further burials took place at the Am Wehl Cemetery in Hamelin. In March 1954, German authorities began exhuming the 91 bodies from the prison yard, which were reburied in individual graves in consecrated ground in Am Wehl Cemetery.
The coat of arms (German: Wappen) of Hamelin depicts the Minster of St. Boniface, the oldest church in the city.
From the History section of Hamelin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Hameln
Arts and culture
The town is famous for the folk tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin (German: Der Rattenfänger von Hameln), a medieval story that tells of a tragedy that befell the town in the 13th century. The version written by the Brothers Grimm made it popular throughout the world. It is also the subject of well-known poems by Johann von Goethe and Robert Browning. Every Sunday in summer, the tale is performed by actors in the town centre.
From the Wikipedia article Hamelin, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Hameln
Max RichterBritish composer (born 1966)Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Karl Philipp MoritzGerman author, editor and essayistPhoto: Karl Franz Jacob Heinrich Schumann..., Public domain
Anton Friedrich Justus ThibautGerman jurist and musicianPhoto: Unknown artist; without any doubt..., Public domain
Otto von MünchhausenGerman botanist (1716–1774)Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Felicitas HoppeGerman writerPhoto: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Evelin LindnerGerman academicPhoto: Evelinlindner, Public domain
Peter the Wild Boyferal childPhoto: Detail of a painting by William Kent..., Public domain
Markus PieperGerman politicianPhoto: Foto-AG Gymnasium Melle, CC BY-SA 3.0- Julius WellhausenGerman theologian and orientalist (1844–1918)
- Jens TodtGerman footballer
- Irmgard Flügge-LotzGerman mathematician (1903–1974)
- Heinrich BürgerHanoverian botanist (1806-1858)
Born in Hameln, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay32
Churches and places of worship33
Shopping63
Gas and EV charging21
Schools, colleges and libraries37
Healthcare19
Map of Hameln
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hannover Airport (HAJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 45 km away.
- Aerzen 9 km southwest, about 9 min by car
- Hessisch Oldendorf 11 km northwest, about 11 min by car
- Bad Münder am Deister 13 km northeast, about 13 min by car
- Coppenbrügge 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- Bad Pyrmont 15 km southwest, about 15 min by car
- Salzhemmendorf 16 km east, about 16 min by car
- Springe 18 km northeast, about 18 min by car
- Lügde 18 km southwest, about 18 min by car
- Bodenwerder 18 km southeast, about 18 min by car
- Rinteln 21 km northwest, about 21 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Hameln
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Hameln vor Anker, Thomas Fietzek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mäanderfischpass an Pfortmühle Hameln (1053107789), Axel Schwenke from Meschede, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Marktkirche St. Nicolai Hameln 04, Helmlechner, CC0
- Fischpfortenstraße 20, 2, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fischpfortenstraße 18, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hameln, Fischpfortenstraße01, Nikater, Public domain
- Fischpfortenstraße 19, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hochzeitshaus Hameln Germany - panoramio, Hiroki Ogawa, CC BY 3.0
- Tactile model of Old Town (Altstadt) Hameln - description, Bush6984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tactile model of Old Town (Altstadt) Hameln (from SW), Bush6984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tactile model of Old Town (Altstadt) Hameln (from NE), Bush6984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Marktkirche St. Nicolai Hameln 02, Helmlechner, CC0
- Fischpfortenstraße 20, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Marktkirche St. Nicolai Hameln 03, Helmlechner, CC0
- Hameln Osterstraße southern side, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fischpfortenstraße 21, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hameln Marktkirche, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osterstraße 51, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hameln Weihnachtsmarkt 2021, Corradox, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osterstraße 50, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Friedrich Sertürner Hochzeitshaus Hameln 2022CF, Clemensfranz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osterstraße 52, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wendenstraße 18, 1, Hameln, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hameln Hochzeitshaus from the west, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fischpfortenstraße 22, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shops along Osterstraße in Hameln, Bush6984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Am Markt 2, 1, Hameln, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hameln Wikivoyage Banner, Foto Fitti, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hessisch Oldendorf - Stift Fischbeck, Franzfoto, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hamburg CityNord Edeka, Staro1 at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Beberbach-Humme-Niederung, Joh0703, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bückeberg vom Ohrberg, Axel Hindemith, Public domain
- Church in Hameln, Sergey Kuznetsov, CC BY 3.0
- Hameln Rattenfaengerhaus Fassade-, Beckstet at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hameln Haspelmathturm, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Heineberg vom Wesertal, Axel Hindemith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Süntel Hohe Egge aus Richtung Hasperde, Axel Hindemith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 234Hameln Kirche und Hochzeitshaus, Varus111, Public domain
- Jüdischer Friedhof Hameln, Axel Hindemith, Public domain
- NSG Kalkofen Hameln, Axel Hindemith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Klütturm mit Brunnenring, Axel Hindemith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Albert Einstein Gymnasium Hameln, Alicudi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NSG Töneböns Teich frontal, Arieswings, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stiftsherrenhaus Hameln, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
- Leisthaus Hameln, א (Aleph), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hameln Elisabeth 2, Kirchenfan, CC0
- Jüdische Synagoge Hameln Baum, Axel Hindemith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Theater Hameln, Tratschvergnügtes Accelerando, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Voremberg Orgel op 18, Rudolf Janke, CC BY 3.0
- HM Buergergarten Muehlsteinbrunnen, TeWeBs, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Schweineberg Märzenbecherblüte nah und fern Ausschnitt, Arieswings, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ohrbergpark Baumgruppe Büsche, Axel Hindemith, CC BY 3.0
- Die Museumsgebäude der Stadt Hameln, The original uploader was MuseumHameln at German Wikipedia ., Public domain
- Forsthaus Heisenküche Winter, Arieswings, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hauptstraße, St. Petri, Kirchohsen, Emmerthal, Jan Mathys, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glockenspiel Hochzeitshaus Hameln Germany - panoramio, Hiroki Ogawa, CC BY 3.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Langfahrer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, changchun1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Langfahrer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, luciane08, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, derlipper, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Jaschu31311, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Langfahrer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Jaschu31311, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Jaschu31311, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, snowdiver, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hoschi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, derlipper, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, derlipper, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ramap, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, baldur80, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, derlipper, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, derlipper, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, aceini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, snowdiver, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Langfahrer, CC BY-SA 4.0
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