The best city hikes and walks around Elbinsel Pagensand

The first weigh station in the city of Stade stood here, and the city clerk's office was connected to it. The horse market also competed with the fish market at the Old Harbor. The weekly market is held here two days a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The annual fair and Christmas market take place here. The bus station and taxi rank were established here. General traffic on the edge of the pedestrian zone was reduced during the major renovation of the old town. In summer, people gather at the horse market in the adjacent cafes and on benches. Banks, shops, and service providers characterize the area, as does the Old Post Office. The annual fair and Christmas market are held here. The building was opened in 1890/91 as the Imperial Post Office, with its distinctive facade and telegraph tower facing the horse market. Ten years ago, the dilapidated building was renovated. Only the listed Gründerzeit (late 19th-century) facade, supported by pillars, remains.

The fountain is located at the horse market. "Mantje, Mantje, Timpe Te, Buttje, Buttje inne See…," said the fisherman in the Low German fairy tale "The Fisherman and His Wife" by Philipp Otto Runge. In remembrance of this well-known story, the fisherman sits today by a fountain at the Stade horse market. A flounder peers out of the water, ready to grant the fisherman's wishes. Yours too, I'm sure!

Stade's Horse Market Through the Ages. The horse market is the central square in Stade. It is constantly evolving and changing. Changing times, economic demands, and new uses have continually altered its appearance. While the square's dimensions have remained unchanged over the years, much else has transformed it.

The name Pferdemarkt (Horse Market) first appears in writing in 1539. Stade's former city archivist, Dr. Jürgen Bohmbach, recorded it in his Stade City Lexicon. The area was formerly located on the slope of the Georgsberg (also known as Jürgensberg) and was called "at St. George's" or "on the hill." According to Bohmbach, the horse market must have played an important trading role since at least the 12th century, as it was here that horse-drawn carts from the Geest (a type of sandy, elevated terrain) arrived. Cattle and horse markets were held here. Inns and taverns sprang up around the horse market. Few of these establishments remain today. Hotels, restaurants, pubs, and cafes stood here well into the 20th century. Older residents of Stade, for example, will still remember the Hotel Stubbe & Peters, which is highly recommended. In the 1930s, during the Nazi era, the horse market was called "Horst-Wessel-Platz." The old post office building is the central structure; opposite it is the armory with its cannons. ...

Altstadtcafé Höckerstraße: This cozy café is located in the historic Hökerhaus in Stade's old town. It offers a relaxed atmosphere and a wide selection of coffee and tea specialties, homemade cakes and pastries, as well as delicious snacks and meals. The breakfast buffet is extensive and delicious, prepared fresh every morning. A wide variety of rolls, croissants, cold cuts, cheeses, jams, and fresh fruit are available. This café is the perfect place to take a break from everyday life and unwind with a cup of coffee 😊.

Höckerhuss: Only a few buildings in Stade survived the city fire of 1659. While the houses on the opposite side of the street were engulfed in flames, only the house at Hökerstraße 29 remained standing. At the lower end of the central trade route leading from the fish market through the old town, merchants and peddlers primarily conducted their business during the Middle Ages and the Hanseatic period. The "Hökerhus" was built as a merchant's house in the late Middle Ages. The richly decorated half-timbered facade is of more recent origin. A carved volute cartouche above the entrance indicates the year of construction: 1650. This corresponds with the analysis of the timbers, which were felled between 1648 and 1651. The gabled house extends over three stories and features four projecting sections. These projections are supported by richly profiled corbels. The curved braces at the base of the timbers give the house its distinctive appearance.

This historic half-timbered house was built in 1650 and is now the old town café of Stade.

A stunning panorama of the old town harbor in autumn 🍂 at sunset 🌞. A hike is highly recommended and absolutely beautiful ☀️.