Braunschweig Burgplatz

Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, made Braunschweig his residence and around 1166 set up a bronze lion on a pedestal in front of his castle, a free-standing figure cast in one piece and generally described as the first monumental free-standing sculpture made north of the Alps since classical antiquity. The one on the square is a copy; the original is inside Dankwarderode castle beside it. The cathedral opposite holds Henry's tomb and a seven-armed candelabrum he commissioned, and its nave columns carry painted decoration. The square is closed by the castle, the cathedral and timber-framed buildings.

What you actually see

• The bronze lion - a copy on the square, the original kept in the castle.
• The cathedral - Henry the Lion's tomb and a large bronze candelabrum.
• Dankwarderode castle - the ducal hall holding the original lion.
• The enclosed square - castle, cathedral and timber houses around one space.

When to go

Year-round; the cathedral closes during services and the castle museum closes Mondays. The square is open at all times.

Honest expectations

The lion outside is a replica. Much of the city around was destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt in modern form. The square is small.

Nearby

Wolfenbüttel lies south; Wolfsburg is northeast.