Fairy-Tale Germany : Enjoying a town of rare authenticity and style in Lower Saxony, land of the Brothers Grimm

We would never have found ourselves in this hidden hamlet had it not been the place where an old friend finally built his dream house.

Hubert Blume, a film director, philosopher and adventurer, had been a longtime resident of Berlin. But one day, after he had been floating up and down the Amazon and Ganges rivers for two years (on a magazine assignment to photograph indigenous people of the world), he had an epiphany: All he really wanted in life was to find the most beautiful, peaceful place in Germany where he could settle with his wife and raise a family. After much research and dozens of far-flung field trips, they abandoned their uber- cool Berlin digs for a town called Celle.

Dating from the 10th Century, Celle (pronounced sella) is located in Lower Saxony, the northern state many Germans consider the country’s most overlooked. Indeed, it has been all but ignored by foreign tourists. Accessibility cannot be blamed. It is easy to get to by train, plane or car. But Celle has never been promoted as a tourist destination, and its charms are more subtle than dramatic. It is a genuine working village, a lovely bend in the road offering a quiet, relaxing experience.

What attracted our friends to Celle was how, like a handful of certain other German villages, it somehow exists outside of time. Celle gets top marks for its authenticity and reluctance to bow to big-city trends, and this has been no small accomplishment.

Like so much of contemporary Europe, Germany is rife with American influences: Billboards in urban jungles scream every Yankee trend, from Burger King to “Beavis and Butt-head.” But Lower Saxony, where the Brothers Grimm lived and set their tales, remains virtually unblemished, and Celle is no exception (well, OK, there is a McDonald’s, but where in the world isn’t there?).

It was here that Snow White’s prince found her and Rumpelstiltskin got his comeuppance. The mythical Pied Piper of Hamelin lured village children from the real town of Hameln, near Celle. The infamous Baron Munchausen spun his hair-raising adventure tales in neighboring Bodenwerder, and the whole region is rife with ghost stories and medieval curiosities.

Taking its name from the word kellu (or river-side settlement), Celle is planted on the banks of the Aller, which flows from near Celle to Bremen and the North Sea. The village initially flourished because of river trade. Then, in 1292, a chap named Otto the Severe re-established it two miles downstream, in an area easier to defend against marauding barons. By 1378, the prosperous community became the residential seat of the principality of Luneburg, a royal affiliation marking it as important and distinct.

Today, grand commerce centers such as Hamburg and Berlin stand as monuments to intellect and power, but Celle has come to embody the creative side of the German character. It is beautiful and crammed with more than 500 handsome and perfectly maintained half-timbered buildings from the 16th and 18th centuries. And it has an au courant spirit, with artists and intellectuals making up a good deal of its 74,000 inhabitants. When we first visited, it didn’t take long for us to notice that Hubert and his wife, Renata, weren’t the only urban refugees to settle in stylish Celle.

In 1982, my husband and I hopped a train in winter and first viewed the town at the height of the coldest European weather in 30 years. Bitter blew the northern winds--and still it was stunning. Icicles clung to storybook roofs. Snow like spun sugar covered old stone chimneys. Pale smoke curled into the grayest of skies. Tree branches stretched toward an elusive sun, stark naked in the pallid light and drifting mist. Yet handfuls of skaters could be seen gliding across frozen, flooded fields. (Once the temperature drops below freezing, the floodgates are opened so that the Aller overflows into meadows, providing miles of natural skating rink.) Neighbors visit each other’s farms on cross-country skis, horse-drawn sleighs deposit passengers at town cafes and a dreamlike quality pervades the subzero air.

“You must come back in summer,” Hubert said. “That’s when Celle comes out of hibernation.” We returned the next August, and the next, then again for a third time two years ago. Celle is brilliant in summer and early fall; in late summer the surrounding Luneburg Heath of purple heather is at its most passionate hue, and the whole town takes to the outdoors.

That first summer we found the streets of Celle (many for pedestrians only) brimming with the spirit of the town’s weekly market. Street performers strolled among mountains of carrots and towers of homemade jams, with florists hawking every blossom under the blazing sun. We watched an elderly couple dance a few steps to an organ-grinder’s tune as a handful of little girls had their faces painted, harlequin-style, while their moms ate ice cream parfaits from tall glasses at a sidewalk cafe.

We were lucky to experience this scene through the eyes of a local. Our friend acted as tireless interpreter and tour guide (though many official Celle tour guides speak fluent English), introducing us to local characters and customs. Hubert explained that strict town council laws govern the preservation of ancient dwellings. Some sport original legends carved into their timbered beams. Hubert also pointed out examples of the town’s architectural whimsy, a crooked doorway here, a mythical carving on a stone wall there and an abundance of almost British-looking lion and unicorn coats of arms (the latter is explained by the fact that King George II of England governed the area during the early 18th Century). Celle still enjoys a close kinship with Britain, including periodic visits from members of the royal family. He also directed us to appreciate the lavish adornments of Hoppener house, built in 1532, and the 17th-Century baroque Stechinelli house that both speak to the city’s wealth. (Both are open to the public for tours.)

We visited the town’s main tourist attraction--the Schloss--a stunning palace that was once home of the dukes of Brunswick and Luneburg. It is filled with rare examples of Renaissance art, yet still functions as the site of town meetings and local artists’ gallery exhibits. Also within the Schloss is the oldest court theater in Germany--a gold-frosted, wedding-cake-like carved hall that is still used for plays, classical music and opera productions.

We climbed 234 steps up St. Mary’s church tower and were rewarded with the best possible view of the town’s old red roofs. After our hike, we pitied the church trumpeter, who must climb them twice a day to sound a traditional fanfare that dates back to the Middle Ages.

Our friends live just outside this tidy and well-ordered town on the edge of a heathered moor where we saw bearded, staff-wielding shepherds tending their flocks as faithful sheep dogs stood guard. Moorland sheep are the natural gardeners of the land, munching the young saplings before they can grow and reclaim the heath. Despite this virtue, they’ve become Germany’s most prized main course, usually served roasted with fresh herbs and known by the name Heidschnucken-braten.

Just a day or so of Celle’s gentle rhythms rocked us into contentment, and it wasn’t long before I began to appreciate the smell of fresh air perfumed with herbs and grasses, the hum of bees and the taste of vegetables plucked straight from Renata’s garden.

The vast heath area, a prime spot for cycling side trips, offers mostly flat terrain that gives way to undulating hills with little valleys between. We spent many days on bikes, exploring the area and learning that even the hills were modest enough to be easily navigated.

One cool morning, my husband and I cycled out to Kloster Wienhausen, a 13th-Century Cistercian convent about seven miles from Celle. The convent is tucked into a pint-size community of timbered bridges and gabled homes and marked by a pretty, peaceful route that stretches across fields and forest. But the sun climbed high, the morning warmed fast and by the time we reached the village, my mate chose the shade of a waterside biergarten over a tour of the kloster. “You go have a look,” he encouraged, hoisting a frosty pilsener. “I can see it perfectly from here.”

Looming medieval and mysterious in the bright blue sky, Kloster Wienhausen cast a daunting reflection on the river. It was founded in 1233 by Agnes von Meisen, a nobleman’s niece. Today, the resident nuns assemble seven times a day for prayer in the chapel, chanting beneath muraled ceilings and walls depicting colorful scenes from the Bible, the well-worn wood chairs achingly uncomfortable reminders of their Spartan rituals of devotion.

Somewhere in the convent, the current order joined voices in sonorous song for the noon prayer service. These days the convent’s main inhabitants are the eldest sisters in the order, lovingly cared for in their twilight years by the younger devotees. For a nominal donation, the abbess Celle is a genuine working village, a lovely bend in the road offering a quiet experience.

conducted a lengthy tour, narrated entirely in German. Nodding politely at what I supposed were the appropriate moments, I soon lapsed into my own musings on the ghosts that might roam these halls.

On another day we rode past the world-famous Landgestuet stud farm, founded by George II in 1735, where on the last weekend of each September beautiful stallions parade in a showy festival of plumes and prancing--a rousing sight that draws hundreds of visitors. The region is revered for a small breed that makes excellent show jumpers, many seen in the Olympics.

We frequently met others enjoying the sunny days and were told that bikes, boats and organized tours can be booked at Celle’s central tourist office.

Since the Aller is no longer a commercial route, its sparkling clear waters are fine for even novice kayakers or canoeists. We watched as families swept down the placid waters with paddles in hand, going from village to village, and lovers in rowboats drifted nearer to shore in dreamy bliss.

Though we were served typically hearty (translation: heavy) German fare throughout Lower Saxony, we found that Celle restaurants venture beyond Wiener Schnitzel, bratwurst and black truffles to serve lighter neue Kuche (modern cuisine) and delightfully surprising dishes, such as Spanish paella and Javanese-style shrimp.

Hotel restaurants in Germany are uncommonly good, and Celle’s luxury-class Hotel Furstenhof Celle, with its meritorious Endtenfang restaurant, is said to be one of the best kitchens in the country. The Furstenhof, originally a 17th-Century manor house, is graced with a towering chestnut tree in the front courtyard and lustrous wood paneling and antiques throughout. Sophisticated and slightly formal, Endtenfang chefs make use of old recipes passed on from Celle’s ducal court. Those who enjoy tasting regional flavors might try roulade of rabbit, ragout of stag or Endtenfang’s ducal duck.

One of Hubert’s recommendations, and I second the motion, is L’Auberge, located in Boye, just outside Celle. It serves excellent (and expensive) French and German cuisine. Hotel Celler Tor is a red-gabled, geranium-trimmed hotel about two miles from town, with 64 of the comfiest rooms in the district.

The former resident dukes and lords no doubt influenced Lower Saxony’s elevated taste in vintage wines. An abundance of good cellars in Celle offer their wares in leafy courtyard gardens or snug brick-and-hearth nooks. Jean Priol’s Wine Cellar is one of these--candle-lighted and cozy and open long into the night for locals exchanging the latest gossip.

Self-restraint sometimes takes a back seat when Germans let down their hair. As hard-playing as they are hard-working, they are ably assisted by a local specialty called Ratzeputz, a piquant, peppery liqueur.

For the last night of our holiday, Hubert organized an after-dinner alfresco Vivaldi concert, lining up garden chairs and chaise lounges beneath a startlingly bright celestial ceiling. We settled in to search for shooting stars, the stereo piping “The Four Seasons” through the towering trees. Not long after, we noticed our host pleasantly snoring in a corner of the patio, a glass of Riesling by his side.

“Next time,” Hubert said in the morning, as he always says when we sigh our farewells, “next time, you must stay longer. There is still so much to see.”

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GUIDEBOOK

Storybook Celle

Getting there: From LAX fly nonstop to Frankfurt, Germany, on Lufthansa, Delta and United, with connections to Hannover and Hamburg on United and Lufthansa. USAir and American have direct flights to Frankfurt, with stops but no change of planes. Lowest round-trip advance-purchase fares begin at about $1,000.

The closest major airports to Celle are Hannover (24 miles from Celle) and Hamburg (80 miles from Celle).

From Hannover, the train to Celle takes 37 minutes and costs about $25 round trip. Rail connections are available seven days a week. Trains from Hamburg to Celle take one to two hours, depending on stops, and cost about $60 round trip.

Where to stay: We stay with our friends but have dined with satisfaction and inspected guest rooms in the two best inns in town, Hotel Furstenhof Celle and Hotel Celler Tor. There are, however, a handful of other hotels in the area that are a little more economical.

Hotel Celler Tor, 13 Celler Strasse, 29229 Celle; about two miles outside Celle in a pretty setting with two swimming pools, solarium and sauna. Summer rates for a double are $140, including breakfast; from the U.S., telephone 011-49-5141-5900, fax 011-49-5141-590490.

Hotel Furstenhof Celle, Hannoversche Strasse 55/56, 29221 Celle; superior class, sophisticated and comfy, with amenities such as color TV, mini-bars, indoor swimming pool, sauna and massages. Summer rates start at $150 for a double, including breakfast; tel. 011-49-5141-2010, fax 011-49-5141-201120.

Where to eat: Endtenfang, Hotel Furstenhof; one of the best restaurants in Lower Saxony; dinner for two about $85, excluding wine (same telephone number as hotel).

L’Auberge, Winsener Strasse 10, 29223 Boye, just outside Celle; excellent French and German cuisines; dinner for two about $90, excluding wine; local tel. 51453.

For more information: German Tourist Office, 11766 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 750, Los Angeles, CA 90025, tel. (310) 575-9799.

Celle Tourist Office (Verkehrsverein), Markt 6, 29221 Celle; local tel. 1212.