Wolfenbüttel

The dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg lived here from the fifteenth century until 1753 and built a planned residence town of canals and timber-framed streets, around eight hundred of which survive because the town was not bombed. The Herzog August Bibliothek was assembled by Duke August in the seventeenth century and by 1700 was regarded as the largest library in Europe; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was its librarian from 1690 until his death, and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing held the post later and wrote Nathan the Wise here. Its holdings include the Gospels of Henry the Lion, once the most expensive book ever sold. Jägermeister has been produced in the town since 1934.

What you actually see

• The Herzog August Bibliothek - a library that was Europe's largest by 1700.
• The Lessing house - the writer's home beside the library, now a museum.
• The timber streets - around eight hundred framed houses unbombed.
• The ducal palace - state rooms in the former residence.

When to go

April to October; the library and museums close Mondays. Rare manuscripts are shown in rotation and rarely on permanent display. The town is quiet.

Honest expectations

Famous manuscripts are usually not on show. The library is primarily a research institution. The town is small.

Nearby

Braunschweig lies north; the Harz rises south.