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The southern part of the Lüneburg heath (known as Celler
Land, the area around the town of Celle) is especially
beautiful, unspoilt stretches of heath, lake and
woodland interspersed with farms and small villages
where life is still a pastoral idyll and hospitality is
genuine and uninhibited.
Celle was for more than three centuries the residence of
royal princes, and still retains much of the atmosphere
of its rich and aristocratic past, notably in its old
centre and castle.
The town centre has some of the finest streets of 16th
to 18th century half-timbered houses in Europe (the
oldest dates from 1526). These are remarkable for their
huge stepped gables and richly ornamented woodwork,
ornate masterpieces of the wood carver’s art. Secluded
inner courtyards, spacious squares, hidden corners,
bizarre façades – all act as reminders of Celle’s
princely past.
So does the castle. Not a castle really, but a splendid
palace, its façade topped by a row of pedimented dormer
windows, its theatre, the oldest small playhouse in
Germany, a little gem built in the Italian style in
1674.
Ancient Celle does not forget the modern holidaymaker.
Beneath its gables and turrets there are boutiques, cosy
cafés, cheerful taverns and good restaurants in plenty. |
