Alfeld

Alfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the Leine river in the district of Hildesheim. Population: 23,000.

The town was founded in 1214. Sights in Alfeld include the town hall (1586) with its octagonal tower, the church Saint Nicolai and the Fillerturm, a medieval watchtower. More famous are the Seven Mountains (German: Sieben Berge) in the north and the Lippoldshöhle ("Lippold's cave"), where a legendary robber-knight is said to have lived.

In Alfeld the popular fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was born. In the Seven Mountains ore was mined, and the miners believed in the existence of dwarfs. When the Brothers Grimm visited Alfeld, they heard the tale and wrote it down.