Brandenburg An Der Havel Overview

When Albert the Bear chose Brandenburg (pop. 74,000) “on the Havel” for the site of his cathedral in 1165, the small, unpretentious town had to deal with sudden prominence, reluctantly assuming a central political role in the region. In the end, Brandenburg’s slow pace triumphed over the commercial demands imposed by its key river-side location. These days, the town has reclaimed its more peaceful past, cultivating an atmosphere lightyears away from its urbane neighbor as residents spend their time fishing by the Havel or strolling the Altstadt’s cobblestone streets. The province’s namesake moves at a leisurely gait and invites you to do the same along its scenic waterways.

Transportation And Practical Information. Brandenburg is on the Magdeburg-Berlin regional express line, the RE1, with frequent trains to Berlin (45min., €7.60) and Magdeburg (45min, €18.40). Visitors from Berlin should consider buying a day ticket valid on all Berlin and Brandenburg public transportation (€19). The tourist office, Steinstr. 66/67, is at the tram stop “Neustädtischer Markt.” From the station, cross Am Hauptbahnhof, walk along Große Gartenstr., and follow it right onto Jakobstr., which becomes Steinstr. The staff books rooms for free, distributes English maps and brochures, and leads walking tours (1hr., May-Sept. Sa-Su at 11am, €3) and boat tours, which leave several times per day from near the Jahrtausendbrücke at the end of Hauptstr. (☎03381 20 87 69; www.stadt-brandenburg.de. Boat tours €5-6. Open M-F 9am-7pm, May 1-Sept. 30 Sa-Su 10am-3pm; Oct. 1-Apr. 30 Sa 10am-2pm.) The Steinstr. and Neustädtischer Markt areas are the town’s main thoroughfare, while Hauptstr. offers more commercial shopping and chain stores.

Accommodations And Food. There aren’t any youth hostels in Brandenburg, but private rooms are abundant and cheap—ask at the tourist office for a brochure or look for Zimmer frei signs. Hidden behind a cafe directly on Steinstr. is the Pension Blaudruck , Steinstr. 21, with six small, charming rooms adorned with paintings and stray ivy creeping in from the windows. The proprietors dress in the same homemade blue fabric that adorns the rooms. Enter through the passage into the courtyard at #21. (☎03381 22 57 34; www.blaudruck-design.de. Breakfast €3.85. Reserve ahead. Singles €21; doubles €42. Cash only.) By a quiet canal between the Altstadt and the train station, Pension “Haus am Jungfernsteig” , Kirchhofstr. 9 Jungfernsteig 6a, run by two kindly violinists, has spacious rooms with TV, skylights, and shared bathrooms. (☎03381 20 15 11; www.pension-haus-am-jungfernsteig.de.) Wi-Fi available Breakfast included. Singles €28-32; doubles €49-52; triples €65-72. AmEx/MC/V.)

The main cafe and Imbiß scenes are on Steinstr. and perpendicular to Hauptstr., which also features an open-air farmer’s market behind the Katharinenkirche. Along Mühlendamm, dockside cafes and snack stands let you sample the region’s freshly-caught fish. (Open M-F 7am-5pm, Sa 7am-noon.) Nummer 31 , Steinstr. 56, serves delicious meals that take advantage of every possible variation of the potato. The outdoor cafe is a short walk from Neustädtischerer Markt. (☎03381 22 41 18; www.derkartoffelkaefer.de. Entrees €5-9. Open daily 11am-midnight. Cash only.) Bismarck Terrassen , Bergstr. 20, is located at on the corner of Bergstr. and Am Marienburg, right at the base of the hill on which the Friedenswarte tower sits. Try authentic, traditional German fare (€6-10) in a room devoted to Otto von Bismarck. (☎03381 30 09 39. Open daily. Cash only.)

Sights. Brandenburg’s sights can be found along Steinstr. and its extension. Begin your tour of the Neustadt at the end of Steinstr. with the 14th-century Steintorturm (Stone Gate Tower), which holds a maritime history museum with displays on each level of the tower. Brave the steep, narrow spiral staircase for a view of the Havel and pedestrian Brandenburg. And you can ring a big bell. (☎03381 20 02 65. Tower open Tu-F 9am-5pm and Sa-Su 10am-5pm. €3, students €1, families €5, children under 6 free.) Work your way up the street to the cluttered rooms of DDR paraphenalia at the Nostalgie-Museum, Steinstr. 52. (☎03381 22 52 39; ww.n-ost-algie.de. Open Tu-Su 10am-noon and 1-4pm. €1.50.) The 14th-century St. Katharinenkirche, on the corner of Neustädter Markt, is a beautiful example of North-German Backstein (glazed brick) Gothic, now pockmarked by war damage. (Open M-Sa 10am-4pm, Su 1-4pm.) Walking through Molkenmarkt, across the river and along St. Petri will bring you to the famed Dom St. Peter und Paul, Burghof 11, a cathedral currently housing a rotating exhibition. Artwork is placed in the aisles with surprising abandon. The church is also adorned with its own art; architect Friedrich Schinkel couldn’t resist adding a few touches like the “Schinkel-Rosette” and the window over the entrance. The Dommuseum inside displays an array of old clothing, local-history treasures, and medieval books. (☎03381 211 2221. Open M-Tu and Th-Sa 10am-5pm, W 10am-noon, Su 11:30am-5pm. Last entry for museum 4:30pm. €3, students €2.) Across the street, the Petrikapelle has gone from church to contemporary art gallery. (☎03381 20 03 25. Open M-Tu and Th-F 10am-4pm, W 10am-noon, Sa 10am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm.)

For those with time to spare, Brandenburg’s Altstadt, across the Havel, has even more centuries-old buildings (including towers from the 12th-century walls), fewer glossy storefronts, and a more reserved feel. From St. Katharinenkirche, head down Hauptstr. across the river. For 500 years, a 6m statue of the epic hero Roland has stood here in front of the Rathaus. Farther afield, the modern and comically phallic Friedenswarte tower, on the Marienberg, directly uphill from Am Marienberg, provides a great view of the contrasting antiquity surrounding it. (Open Apr.-Oct. Tu-Su 10am-5pm. €2, students €1.)