Hamelin Old Town

On 26 June 1284, so the story goes, a stranger with a pipe walked through Hamelin and led 130 children out of town, never to be seen again. Nobody knows what really happened. What is certain is that the legend of the Pied Piper made this town on the River Weser famous around the world. The old town with its Weser Renaissance houses is more than a backdrop: almost every corner holds a trace of the story, from the clockwork show on the Wedding House to the rats set into the pavement.

History: from lost children to the rat-catcher

The oldest version of the legend dates from the first half of the 15th century and is written in Latin. It tells only of a young man with a silver pipe who lures the children away. There are no rats. The plague of rats and the cheated rat-catcher were added later. The best-known version was published by the Brothers Grimm in 1816: the piper rids the town of rats, is denied his fee and returns on the feast of Saints John and Paul. Only two children are left behind, one blind and one mute. What actually happened in 1284 is still debated; one theory points to young people emigrating to settle lands in the east.

The old town came through the Second World War largely intact. Along Osterstraße and Pferdemarkt stands an almost unbroken row of timber-framed and stone houses, many from around 1600, when trade on the Weser made the merchants rich.

What to see

• Hochzeitshaus (Wedding House): built 1610–1617 as the town's festival hall. Daily at 13:05, 15:35 and 17:35 the Piper and other figures appear on the gable. At 9:35 the carillon plays the Weser song, at 11:35 the Pied Piper song.
• Rattenfängerhaus (Pied Piper's House): built in 1602/03 for councillor Hermann Arendes. It takes its name from the inscription about the children on the side facing Bungelosenstraße. By tradition, nobody plays music or dances in this "street without drums". Today it houses a restaurant.
• Leisthaus and Stiftsherrenhaus: two Renaissance houses (1585–1589 and 1558) that together hold the Hamelin Museum, including a mechanical Pied Piper theatre.
• Market Church of St Nicholas: a stained-glass window from 1984 recalls a medieval window showing the children's exodus, destroyed in 1660.

Rats and fountains

Watch your step: small bronze rats in the pavement mark a walking route past the main buildings, with information boards along the way. Two fountains recall the legend, one on Osterstraße (2001) and one on Rathausplatz (1975). Since 2014 the legend has been on Germany's list of intangible cultural heritage.

Tripto tip: the Piper live

From mid-May to mid-September, around 80 local people and children perform the Pied Piper open-air play every Sunday at 12:00 on the terrace by the Wedding House. It lasts 30 minutes and is free; the 2027 season runs from 16 May to 19 September. Arrive early, then stay for the 13:05 clockwork show.

Practical information

• Hamelin Museum: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00–18:00, closed Mondays. Public tour on Sundays at 14:00 for €8.50 including admission.
• Time: allow half a day for the old town, the museum and the clockwork show.
• Nearby: the Klüt hill (258 m) west of town has a lookout tower.