Brunshausen is the older root of Gandersheim: the first community settled here before moving to the abbey church in town. The former monastery now works as a cultural and museum site, with exhibitions tied to the Portal zur Geschichte project and a courtyard cafe that makes it a good slow stop rather than a dutiful outlying monument.
It is close enough to combine with the town centre on foot or by bike, and it helps make sense of why this small valley mattered so early.