In Hamelin Town with the Pied Piper and Two Glasses of Beer.

I've tried on many occasion to visit this town, and on Thursday I manged to get there!  I had planned a trip on the bus and train, but came with friends in the car, which I must admit was a much easier journey.  The town lies in the Weser mountain area of Hamelin-Pyrmont, an area in Lower Saxony.  The old town still retains its medieval street layout, and only a small section of the defensive wall and two gate-towers remain.   The town is most famous for the folk tale of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin," a story that tells of the tragedy that befell the town in the thirteenth century, and which is thought to have it origins in the plague.  The version written by the Brothers Grimm made the story popular throughout the world.  It is also the subject of poems written by Goethe and Robert Browning.   

Every Sunday in summer the tale is performed by actors and children in the town.  The town has many fine medieval half-timbered buildings,  some of which were damaged in WW2, and have been restored.   A monastery was founded here as early as 851 AD, and a village had grown up around it by 12th century.   The Pied Piper incident is supposed to have happened in 1284, and may be based on a true event.  The statue above shows the Piper playing his pipe and surrounded by rats around the base.

 The Rat Catcher's House built in 1602.

The house has the story inscribed on the timberwork, which is beautifully carved with faces, figures, and traditional patterns, all painted in soft browns and yellows.   These patterns are found on many German half timbered buildings, including many in Braunschweig.  It is now a restaurant.

 The Minster of St. Bonifatius, with a crypt dating from 1120.

We climbed the centre tower, which has a viewing area in the cupola that gave a wonderful view over the town.  The photo below shows a view of the River Weser.  The tower to the right contains the bells.

 The River Weser, deep and wide, washes its walls on the southern side.

The following link can be read in English and gives more information:

Tourismus und Freizeit in Hameln und Weserbergland - Stadt Hameln

                     www.hameln.de/tourismus/‎

       

A view looking down towards the spire of St Nikolai, the market church in the town centre.

It was a lovely day in a lovely town on a warm day.  The Information centre shows an introductory film  about the town in English and in German, and sold many souveniers.   I bought a little model of the Piper and his rats, made of white plastic, but which from a distance could pass as ivory!   

A young man in the Info Centre was dressed as the Piper, and spoke excellent English to a large group of people who were about to take the guided tour around the town.  It was a lovely day,  with a good lunch of roast ham and vegetables,  accompanied by two glasses of beer!