Oldenburg is alive! That should be the town slogan, because despite the size of this town, there is a lot going on. Shopping is plentiful. There are a crazy number of stores, and that includes the normal big name favorites in addition to many boutiques. Clothing just spills out into the pedestrian zone from the bargain racks. But whether you’re shopping for a business suit, fashion or old lady clothes, Oldenburg has it all. Let’s talk little shopping mecca.

Oh, the Shopping!
Among all the stores, there are no less than a few cafes and ice cream shops to fill that void left in the stomach from hours of shopping. The market place has ample space to sit outside on a nice day, along with a view of the St. Lamberti church. Being such a place of excitement, there was actually a mass going on when I entered the church around 5 p.m. on a Saturday. Despite the squareness of the outside structure, the inside was quite round. It’s not hard to peak in on route to the castle, which also serves as the state museum down the street on Schlossplatz.

Big Trees
Crossing the street again from the castle is the Schlossgarten. This park is distinctive in that the trees are some of the most giant that I have seen in Germany. It is also one of the best maintained parks that I have ever seen. The lawns and gardens within the grounds were immaculate. This explains why I saw two wedding parties while just walking around. It is only important to keep your sense of direction while in the park, as the paths are all curvy and the maps provided at the gates provide no point of reference. But I found asking someone for the general direction of the city proved helpful.

City Information
There are two tourist information centers in Oldenburg. One is directly in the train station, and the other is located within the city on Kleine Kirchenstraße 10. The city tourist map is great, but doesn’t include a map to the park.

How to get there: Take a regional train from Bremen, through Delmenhorst. The ride is about 30-40 mintues long, depending on which train you catch. There are two departures per hour from Bremen.

Great things: The shopping and the park with the huge trees.

Date of visit: May 12, July 15, 2006

Oldenburg website: www.oldenburg-tourist.de