Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [557]
One original feature is the Marktbrunnen, the fountain in front of the Rathaus on the east side of the square (bells play folk songs at noon, 1pm and 5pm daily).
DOM
There’s a tiny entrance fee to see the Tausend-jähriger Rosenstock (1000-year-old rosebush; adult/concession €0.50/0.30) in the cloister of the Hildesheimer Dom (Hildesheim Cathedral; 179 1760; Domhof; 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun May-Oct, 10am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun Nov-Apr). However, the bas-reliefs on the cathedral’s almost 5m-high Bernwardstüren (Bernward bronze doors) have much greater visual impact, and they aren’t pay-per-view.
The allure of the rosebush lies in its supposed history as the very one on which Emperor Ludwig the Pious left his cloak and other effects in AD 815, where they miraculously stayed safe from theft. Its phoenix-like rise from the burnt-out cathedral remains after 1945 has only added to the bush’s mystique.
Ultimately, though, it looks much like any other rose: something you wouldn’t say about the bronze cathedral doors, which are Unesco-protected. Dating from 1015 and saved only because a concerned WWII prelate insisted they be stashed in a basement, they depict scenes from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments in three-dimensional reliefs. A plaque to the left describes each scene in German, however, it’s easy to identify each one yourself: from the creation of man, Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden, and Cain and Abel, to the three wise men attending the birth of Christ, and Mary Magdalene attending his crucified body.
The church’s wheel-shaped chandelier and the Christussäule (Column of Christ) are also original, and if you’re really keen, there’s an attached Dom-Museum ( 179 1640; www.dommuseum-hildesheim.de, in German; Domhof; adult/concession €4/2; 10am-1pm & 1.30-5pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm Sun), with rotating exhibitions and the cathedral treasury.
OTHER CHURCHES
Like the cathedral doors, the Romanesque St Michaeliskirche ( 344 10; Michaelisplatz; admission free; 8am-6pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun Nov-Mar) is under Unesco protection. Built in 1022 and reconstructed after extensive war damage, it is undergoing another makeover and only partially open for viewing until at least 2010.
Off Hoher Weg is St Andreaskirche ( 124 34; Andreasplatz; adult/concession €1.50/1; tower 11am-4pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun Apr-Oct) whose lofty spire offers a sweeping view. There are 364 steps to the top.
LAPPENBERG
The former Jewish Quarter in and around Lappenberg Square is the oldest section of town. Most of it remains because, while local fire crews let the synagogue burn to the ground on Kristallnacht in November 1938, they rescued other houses around the square. These included the former Jewish school, now owned by St Godehard’s Church, on the corner. In 1988, on the 50th anniversary, a memorial was installed on the site of the synagogue, following the outline of its foundations and topped by a model of Jerusalem.
While down this way, take time to check out the quaint Wernesches Haus on Hinterer Brühl, which is one of the oldest buildings in Hildesheim.
ROEMER- UND PELIZAEUS-MUSEUM
One of Europe’s best collections of Egyptian art and artefacts is found in the Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum ( 936 90; www.rpmuseum.de, in German; Am Steine 1-2; adult/concession/family €8/6/16; 10am-6pm). There are dozens of mummies, scrolls, statues and wall hangings, but the life-size re-creation