10 Best Things to Do in Hildesheim, Germany [2023 Guide]

In Hildesheim, you’ll have a history lesson or two. The city is rich in beautiful German churches and 1,000 year-old cathedrals with several listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Located in Lower Saxony just south of Hannover, Hildesheim with its +100,000 citizens is a vibrant and cultural city dating back to the 900th century! Today the German city is best reached by driving by the A7 “Autobahn”, or reach it from the Hannover airport if you’re in transit, even though you should spend at least a weekend exploring the many historical sites and tours.

We spent 5 hours researching the best things to do in Hildesheim, and below you’ll find our updated list. Have fun!

10. Marktplatz Hildesheim

The rebuilt market square in Hildesheim gives you an idea of how beautiful the entire old town was before the devastating bomb attack on March 22, 1945. The pearl of the market square is the so-called “Temple House”, the ancestral home of the patrician family von Harlessem, with a Gothic facade and a Renaissance bay window, the only structural elements that survived the bombs. 

Inside is now the tourist information with an exciting multimedia tour on the first floor. Here you can see the entire market square, Cathedral, and Michaeliskirche.

It was built around 1,350, and there are several explanations for why it is called “Temple House”. One of the oldest synagogues was in this place. Another reason was the fact that the painting of the House of Harlessem was a painting showing two knights referring to the Knights Templar, hence its name. 

9. St. Andreas-Kirche

The congregation of St. Andreas is the only Lutheran church of Hildesheim, not to be confused with the Catholic Hildesheim Cathedral. Its pinnacle is +100 yards tall, making it the tallest church tower in Lower Saxony.

The congregation was torched during the Second World War on March 22, 1945, and just the demolished external divider stayed standing. The community had only been harmed on February 22 and March 3 1945. From 1956-1965, St. Andreas was modified to look like the original church.

St Andreas church is a magnificent Gothic church in very good condition in the center of Hildesheim, with a very nice range of concerts and music. You’ll feel the power of music with family and friends.

8. Hildesheim City Hall (Rathaus)

The beautiful City Hall is located in the cozy Market Square. Some of the buildings in the Square were destroyed in 1945 and restored to their original state in the following years.

The City Hall was able to survive the terrible bombing on March 22, 1945, by the Anglo-Canadian Air Force, in which up to 90% of the Old Town was destroyed, and one thousand residents of Hildesheim were killed.

It was built of sandstone, unlike the Butchers’ House, and therefore did not burn down, and Roland’s fountain in front of it was not damaged at all. In the Town Hall, in addition to the magistrate, there is a tourism office, whose employees will explain how to get to the UNESCO sites not only of Hildesheim but also of Alfeld.

7. Wasserparadies Hildesheim

Germany is famous for its “spa culture” and in Hildesheim, you’ll find a resort just like the ones in magazines.

Here is an attraction for the whole family. In Wasserparadies Hildesheim you can relax in the sauna area, or enjoy the hot or even the outdoor pools. If you have kids, they can swim in one of the many pools, including the Whirlpool and the Paddling pool

Not wild enough? Try the giant 100-yard long Xstream slide. And when you’re tired, swing by the restaurant or bistro and grab a snack or coffee.

With so many historical sites in the city, Wasserparadies Hildesheim is a great alternative for a day off.

6. Wildgatter Hildesheim 

Another thing to do with the whole family is a visit to the Wildgatter wild park, located at Steinberg hill just south of Hildesheim.

Take a walk through the 60,000 square meter area and watch the many birds, goats, rabbits, deer and +300 animals in general. Even though they are behind fences, they come close enough for you to admire them.

5. Knochenhaueramtshaus (Butchers’ Guild Hall)

The Butchers’ Guild Hall is a half-wooden building that includes an eatery and the City Museum. Every year the Christmas Market is held before the Butchers’ Guild Hall. 

The structure was utilized as a gathering spot of the butchers’ society, which was a rich and persuasive organization in Hildesheim in the Middle Ages. As the basement has dividers with a thickness of up to 5 ft which keep the temperature low, it was utilized for putting away meat and frankfurters.

4. Sankt Michael’s Church

The St. Michael Church is a pre-Romanesque church listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1985. It is currently a mutual church, the fundamental church being Lutheran and the grave being Roman Catholic. 

Religious administrator Bernward of Hildesheim (996–1022) fabricated a Benedictine cloister from the beginning on a slope connected with the chief heavenly messenger Michael only half a mile north of the city dividers of his seat (Hildesheim). This religious community included an impressive church about 70 meters long by and large. 

The religious community contained a congregation family and had two different asylums devoted to Martin and the Holy Cross lying in the order that was all-encompassing toward the north from St. Michael’s north flank. The religious community and church opened toward the south toward the city of Hildesheim, its south side containing a veneer of a sort. It appears to be likely that the religious community on the Hill of St. Michael was encircled by a divider.

Tourist Tip: The view of this church is very worthwhile. It goes up with the elevator – down only with stairs to 452 steps. Especially when descending, be careful not to slip on the stairs when it is damp/wet – unfortunately not suitable for the elderly or physically handicapped people.

3. Römer and Pelizäus Museum

The Römer und Pelizäus-Museum Hildesheim is an archaeological, historical centre in Hildesheim. Generally committed to antiquated Egyptian and old Peruvian artistry, the exhibition hall additionally remembers the second biggest assortment of Chinese porcelain in Europe. Moreover, the gallery possesses mixtures of regular history, ethnology, applied expressions, drawings and prints, neighbourhood history and expressions, just as prehistoric studies. Aside from the lasting shows, the historical centre hosts brief displays of other archaeological and contemporary subjects. 

The current gallery is the aftereffect of the association of the Roemer Museum, established in 1844 (and named after one of the originators, Herrmann Roemer), and the Pelizaeus Museum, set up in 1911, that had housed the private assortment of Egyptian collectables of Wilhelm Pelizaeus.

2. Hildesheim Cathedral

Hildesheim Cathedral, known as St. Mary’s Cathedral, is a middle-age Roman Catholic church in the downtown area of Hildesheim, that fills in as the seat of the Diocese of Hildesheim. 

The basilica church was worked somewhere in the range of 1010 and 1020 in the Romanesque style. It follows an even arrangement with two apses, which is normal for Ottonian Romanesque design in Old Saxony. The church’s fortunes incorporate world-acclaimed craftsmanship, bronze works from the hour of Bishop Bernward, Bernward Doors and Bernward Column, just as two of the four outstanding Romanesque wheel light fixtures: the Hezilo crystal fixture and the Azelin light fixture. 

After redesigns and augmentations in the eleventh, twelfth and fourteenth century, the church building was devastated during an airstrike on March 22, 1945, and revamped from 1950 to 1960. A careful remodel of the house of prayer started in 2010, including technical and preservation measures. A portion of the church building’s fortunes has been indicated further away from home, including at a presentation at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The church building was restored on August 15 2014.

1. Marienburg Castle

Germany is home to hundreds of beautiful and historical castles, and Hildesheim will not let you down on that account. Located just a few miles northwest of the city, we found Marienburg Castle to be one of the most popular castles to visit in Germany.

The castle is rich in history, and the ownership has changed hands numerous times throughout history. In terms of age, the castle is quite new compared to other castles and was built in the mid-19th century.

Tourist Tip: Book in advance! Especially during summer, the place can be crowded with tourists due to its popularity, and when you arrive at the ticket booth, remember cash as they don’t take credit cards.

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