It can be kind of confusing when you have a town with one name, then find out it has some other local villages within itself that have some other name entirely.
Hohenhameln in Lower Saxony is that kind of town, making ten other shires all part of the same town. Oh, don’t get excited, it’s only 10. Some of Germany’s towns have as many as sixty-five villages that make up one town. Speaking of beneficial collaborations!
If you’re a lover of art history (or religious art I should say) then you’ll love it here in Hohenhameln. Each of the town’s villages have their own churches filled with all sorts of fantastic artwork, one of which dating back to the 13th century!
Other than that, there’s not a whole heckava lot to see — OK, maybe some charming timber framed houses!
Bierbergen is where you’ll find the Evangelical St. Martin Church, another fantastic church from the 13th century. Found in the church’s cemetery is a war memorial and the town itself has some lovely half timbered houses.
In the village of Clauen you’ll find a church that’s almost 300 years younger than Bierbergen’s — but, this Romanesque & Baroque architecture church has a gorgeous Baroque organ inside. Other than that, you’ll find Clauen to be a picturesque horse farm village with open fields as far as the eye can see.
Hohenhameln itself, besides having two churches with the same name: St. Laurentius (no, I’m not kidding) — one’s a Catholic Chuch, the other Lutheran. This way you can’t confuse them. ;-)
It’s also right here in Hohenhameln proper that you’ll come to celebrate the May Flower Festival on May 1st! I especially like how the decorate the town for the festival, right down to the Artisan Tree on the Marktplatz.
Mehrum might not have two churches with the same name, but it does have a great Baroque Village Church; and an indoor swimming pool for some fun.
Equord is next up with the “small” basilica church of St. Mark and a quaint manor house overlooking a pond. Sounds lovely, right?
Harber is just as picture perfect with its half-timbered houses and its Neo-Gothic St. Katherine’s Church (its tower is built in the Romanesque style that was WAY popular in the Middle Ages).
Lastly is Soßmar where not only can you see the mid-16th century Luthern St. Georg Church — there’s also regularly held classical music concerts.
Even if visiting all these churches isn’t your cup of tea (in that case, sorry I spent so much time on them) you’ll still manage to fall in “like” with Hohenhameln for the other lil’ extras on offer.
