Burgschänke Plesse

Home | Burgschänke Plesse ## Burgschänke Plesse: Castle-Top Beer Garden Above Göttingen Burgschänke Plesse is a family-run restaurant and beer garden housed in the historic Burg Plesse, a medieval hilltop castle about 7 km north of Göttingen, overlooking the Leine valley near Bovenden in Lower Saxony. You’re eating in the courtyard of a genuine Höhenburg that appears in the records from 1015, with towers, old stone walls and long views over Eddigehausen and the surrounding countryside. On this page - Why go - Food & drink - Views, hikes & castle experience - Practical info (hours, access, reservations) - Who Burgschänke Plesse is best for --- ## Why go ### Historic castle plus a proper meal - Setting: Burg Plesse is a medieval hill castle (Höhenburg) whose ruins and towers sit on a 350 m-high spur at the edge of the Göttingen Forest, above Bovenden-Eddigehausen. - Atmosphere: The restaurant operates inside the fortress walls with outdoor tables in the courtyard and along the castle buildings, combining a classic German beer garden feel with historic masonry. Tourismus - Reputation: Aggregated sources show Google review scores around 4.0/5 from roughly 970 reviews, with guests repeatedly praising the views, cakes and relaxed beer-garden atmosphere. Because Burgschänke Plesse sits at the top of a short but scenic ascent, it works well as: - a half-day trip from Göttingen, - a reward stop on a hike or cycle tour through the Weserbergland / Göttinger Wald network, or - a special-occasion venue (weddings, family celebrations, company events). --- ## Food and drink ### Kitchen profile Across official and third-party descriptions, Burgschänke Plesse is consistently described as: - an owner-run restaurant with a small but carefully chosen menu, - focused on regional, home-style German cuisine with some Mediterranean influences, - plus homemade cakes, tortes and coffee/tea specialities in the afternoons. Tourismus The team themselves highlight “good, handmade food”, regional sourcing and a menu that changes with the seasons. ### What guests mention most Based on review aggregators and restaurant guides, dishes that are often singled out include: - Schnitzel with pan-fried potatoes - Bratwurst and other hearty German mains - Kama (a meat dish referenced in German reviews) - Waffles – repeatedly praised as particularly good - Beer from the tap and good coffee to go with cakes Price comments cluster around mid-range / “attractive prices” for the setting. ### Vegetarian and vegan options For mixed-diet groups, Burgschänke Plesse is comparatively flexible for a rural castle restaurant: - HappyCow lists it as a meat-serving restaurant with several vegan German items (mains, snacks and ice cream) and vegetarian options, last updated in 2021 and referenced again in a 2023 review. - Other travel sites describe the menu as including organic and “healthy” dishes with vegetarian and vegan choices. > 🔎 Data check (dietary info): > Vegan/vegetarian options are documented on external platforms, not on the official menu snapshot. These listings may lag behind reality, so anyone with strict dietary requirements (vegan, allergies, coeliac) should verify current options directly with the restaurant before visiting. --- ## Views and castle experience ### Burg Plesse itself Burg Plesse is one of the notable hill castles of southern Lower Saxony and has been under monument protection since the late 20th century. Key factual points: - The site is recorded under the name “Plesse” in 1015, linked to a donation by Bishop Meinwerk of Paderborn. - It stands on a bright limestone spur on the western edge of the Göttingen Forest, above the Leine valley and the village of Eddigehausen. - The main tower (Bergfried), shortened in the 16th century and restored in the 19th/20th centuries, today functions as a viewpoint with an internal staircase. From the tower and upper castle you get documented views towards Eddigehausen, Bovenden and the Leine valley. ### Hikes and bike routes The castle and Burgschänke sit directly on well-marked trails: - Burg Plesse lies on the Solling–Harz long-distance trail. - Outdooractive and Weserbergland tourism list multiple cycling and hiking loops starting or passing near the Burgschänke, including road-cycling circuits and MTB tours with the castle as a waypoint. - There is on-site parking (“Parkplatz vor Ort”) and integrated public-transport journey planners on regional tourism pages. This makes it easy to turn lunch or coffee at Burgschänke Plesse into: - a short forest walk plus castle visit, or - a more ambitious day hike or bike tour using the signposted routes. --- ## Practical info ### Address & coordinates - Name: Burgschänke Plesse - Address: Ritterstieg 99, 37120 Bovenden, Germany Plesse - Region: Bovenden / Landkreis Göttingen, Lower Saxony - Approx. coordinates: 51.5977° N, 9.9660° E (castle plateau and restaurant area) Tourismus - Official website: burg-plesse.de Plesse - Phone: +49 5594 9439800 Plesse ### Opening hours (and why you must re-check) Different aggregators show slightly different hours, but the official website currently states: Plesse - Thursday–Sunday: 12:00–19:00 - Monday–Wednesday: closed The site also mentions operational holidays (for example, a closure period from 22.12.2025–15.01.2026) and refers guests to the “News” section for event days and private functions. > 🔎 Data check (hours): > - Official hours are taken from burg-plesse.de as indexed in late 2025. > - Earlier third-party listings (e.g. 11:30–20:30 or Wed–Sun hours) are marked as Corona or clearly older. > - Because hours and closure days can change, always confirm on the official website or by phone before you commit to a tight schedule. ### Reservations and events - Reservations: The restaurant explicitly asks guests to reserve via its contact form or by phone, especially because of private events and limited capacity. Plesse - Events: - Burgschänke Plesse markets itself as a venue for birthdays, weddings, baptisms, company events, “Ritteressen” (themed medieval-style dinners) and funerary gatherings, offering customised menus and buffets. - The castle also hosts cultural events and a “Burgkultur” programme. - The Bovenden registry office holds civil wedding ceremonies in the castle towers and vaulted rooms on specific dates; during these times the Bergfried is closed to regular visitors, which is explicitly noted on the weddings info page. If the tower climb or a quiet courtyard is important to you, it’s worth checking the events calendar in advance. ### Getting there - From Göttingen: Burg Plesse lies roughly 7 km north of Göttingen, above Bovenden-Eddigehausen. - By car it’s a short uphill drive to the signposted car park by the castle. - Regional tourism sites offer public-transport journey planners to “Burgschänke Plesse”, which typically combine bus routes with a walk up through the forest. Tourismus - On foot / by bike: Several marked hiking and cycling routes of varying difficulty use the castle as a waypoint, making it a natural lunch or coffee stop mid-route. ### Accessibility and inclusivity notes - There is on-site parking; detailed, up-to-date information about wheelchair accessibility, step-free access and accessible toilets is not clearly documented in the publicly available sources consulted. - Vegan and vegetarian options are documented, but allergen management, gluten-free handling and cross-contamination protocols are not described; guests with medical dietary needs should contact the restaurant directly. --- ## Who it’s for Based on the factual setting, menu and activity options, Burgschänke Plesse is especially suitable if you: - enjoy combining castle history, forest walks and a sit-down meal in one outing, - want a Göttingen area day trip that doesn’t require long travel times, - are travelling with a mixed group of eaters, where vegan/vegetarian options are appreciated but a conventional German menu is still welcome, - are looking for a characterful venue for a celebration, or - are exploring the Weserbergland / Göttinger Wald trail network and want a scenic refreshment stop. If you’re building out a broader Göttingen itinerary, you can easily pair Burgschänke Plesse with time in the university city itself (museums, old town) or with additional walks in the Göttingen Forest and Leine valley.