Not too far from the town of Rotenburg (Wümme) in Lower Saxony is the wonderful 1200 year old town of Scheeßel.
Don’t think because of its age that all you’ll find here are centuries old timber-framed buildings and a medieval church. OK, truth is that you’ll find all that here but, that’s not its only claim to fame.
Scheeßel is also quite the modern town with a penchant for throwing some first-class festivals. Considering its age, Scheeßel really does retains a youthful appeal.
One of the best places to start is over at St. Lucas Church. This beautiful church has been an integral part of daily life of the town since it was built in the 9th century. It has undergone a few facelifts over the centuries, one of the most drastic was changing it to a Romanesque style in the 13th century.
More of Scheeßel’s history can be better explained at the town’s Local History Museum.
After that go see the Meyerhof, a farming complex of timber framed buildings that’s now a cultural and meeting place. It’s also a little museum of the region’s handicrafts and textiles.
At the beginning of the Advent season (generally the 4th Sunday before Christmas) Scheeßel holds a wonderful Craftsman Market here at the Meyerhof. Here’s your chance to buy loved ones a wonderful one-of-a-kind present for Christmas.
If you plan your trip to come in mid-June you’ll join up to 70,000 music lovers for the annual 3-day Hurricane Festival. So better to make reservations early!
A smaller festival is the Trachtengruppen — a lovely dance fest with music, traditional costumes, and folklore. Making this all the better are the wonderful local culinary delights to munch on.
When the weather is warmer everyone heads over to the Eichenring, or the motorcycle racing track, on the weekends to cheer on their favorite riders. Except for the Hurricane Fest, since this is where the massive event is held.
You know, Scheeßel might be an old city, but no one can say that it isn’t young at heart.
