In the Academy Award winning movie Forest Gump one of the most popular lines is “Life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you’re gonna get.”
The same could be said for any time you come out of your comfort zone and travel. This is why I’m here to help you, so when you travel to the small town of Lehre in Lower Saxony, there won’t be any surprises.
First, there are no hotels in Lehre. If you want to spend a few days, you’ll be able to book a rustic inn, a quaint guesthouse, or a regular old hotel in either Brunswick or Wolfsburg; both of which are about 15 minutes away.
Secondly, what most visitors come in this neck of the woods for are the castles (and the zoo & windmill, but I’ll get to that).
Burg Campen might now be private property, but you’re still able to visit the outside of this old caslte. To be honest, it doesn’t look like a traditional castle, more like an oversized 2-story timber framed building. For an interesting piece of castle life, look for the castles medieval privy. The original castle might not have had indoor plumbing, but hey, at least they tried.
The second of Lehre’s castles is the Baroque styled Schloss Essenrode with its English style garden. Built in 1738, the castle has only been owned by three families in its 300 year history.
It is Schloss Wendhausen that steals the show, however. Schloss Wendhausen is a 14th century creation with its own moat and shaded by large lush street and ivy climbing the walls. It’s inner courtyard and Baroque Garden make a great contrast to the forest like landscape surrounding the outside.
After a day of wandering around old draughty castles, chances are the kids will love visiting the Tierpark Essenhof. This small zoo has a lot of both domestic and foreign animals, as well as exotic plant exhibits from Africa, Australia, and South America. Consider it a United Nations of flora, fauna, and all things furry! :-)
After visiting this place you might not have any surprises about Lehre, but your memories of it will last longer than any box of chocolate.
