Travel Tuesday: Oldenburg

If you’re looking for a modern Northern German travel destination with historic buildings and delightful traditions, Oldenburg is the place for you!

Oldenburg is located in the State of Lower Saxony, only 45 minutes from the North Sea. This makes it a perfect origin for day trips to the islands, harbors and beaches of Northern Germany.

Located on the river Hunte, Oldenburg is also often called the “Huntestadt”. The Hunte flows near the city center pedestrian zone past the palace gardens and flows into the old harbor.

When in Oldenburg, make sure to stroll through its walkable downtown. The city center was made car-free in 1967, making Oldenburg’s (quintessentially German) “pedestrian zone” the oldest area-wide one in the country. It is over 13 hectares and is filled with buildings spanning the centuries. At the edge of the zone there is the old powder tower, once part of the cities fortifications, which was built in 1529. There are old merchant houses from the 17th century and the palace dating back to the 16th century, to only name a few.

Spared by war destruction, Oldenburg’s architecture is characterized by a lively mix of old buildings and modern neighborhoods. Well known are the gabled houses which are called “Hundehütten” due to their resemblance to dog houses.

So what does one do while in Oldenburg? Once a year, at the end of September/beginning of October, the city celebrates its “fifth season” – the Kramermarkt – established in 1608, a Volksfest (fair), visited by around 1.5 million people every year. Around the same time the “Grünkohlzeit” (kale season) begins. The city is well known for its kale with “Pinkel”, a type of sausage from the area. This is quite a different experience from the kale shakes and salads in the US! You will see many “Grünkohltouren” (kale tours) drawing handcarts through the streets, crowning a kale king and queen at the end of the tour.

Another name for this town which you might run into is “Pauldingburg”. This is because Detroit native Rickey Paulding has been playing for the local first-league basketball team “EWE Baskets Oldenburg” since 2007 – an unusually long time for a professional athlete, during which he has hooped his way into the hearts of Oldenburg’s citizens. And although Oldenburg is located in Northern Germany, Downton Abbey doesn’t feel far away! Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband to Queen Elizabeth, is a patrilineal descended from one of the House of Oldenburg’s branches.

By Bastian Harms, German Embassy