Hannover, the capital of Lower Saxony, is one of Germany’s richest cities. Home to Volkswagen and TUI, the world’s largest tourism company, the town bursts with big name industries giving it plenty of wealthy citizens, a thriving cultural scene and one of the best shopping districts in Europe. It’s also packed with students and thus a thriving nightlife, from pulsing discos around the central train station, cosy pubs in the Old Town to cool sounds at jazz clubs.
Having been almost totally rebuilt after the war, Hannover is a gleaming modern city laid out with spectacularly beautiful gardens and royal parks. The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen is its major drawcard and one of the most impressive parks in Europe, with a splendid baroque garden featuring a 36 metre high fountain and wonderful orchid collection in the botanical gardens.
The city is known for its festivals and trade fairs. Its reputation as a dynamic, progressive business centre was given a huge boost in 2000 when it was chosen to host EXPO, the first World Exposition ever held in Germany. Each year Hannover now stages two of the world’s largest international trade fairs, the Hannover Fair Industry and the CeBIT World Center for Office, Information and Communications Technology, in addition to a number of other smaller events. Its new Fair Convention Center is a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art conference and exhibition centre.
On the leisure front, Hannover hosts the Schützenfest every summer, the world’s biggest marksmen’s festival. Originally a Robin Hood-type bows and arrows competition, it’s now a mammoth event attracting thousands of spectators and involving processions of floats, fireworks and considerable intake of alcohol. Crowds are also drawn year-round to the Maschee Lake, Hannover’s 78-hectare waterpark. In summer it’s the top place for open-air parties and in winter presents all manner of festivities on ice. If you come in August, you’ll hit the Maschsee Lake Festival, a gigantic party with concerts, performing arts and plenty of local food and drink. Or visit Hannover during the Altstadt-fest, Europe’s biggest street festival and party-time for a multitude of artists, actors and jazz and rock musicians.
If you’re feeling rather more high-brow, you’ll be glad to know this city is also culturally rich. As a university capital it’s blessed with an impressive collection of galleries and museums. Fans of modern art should head straight to the Sprengel Museum, a treasure-trove of 20th century works, from Picasso to the Hannover-born Kurt Schwitters. Or visit the neo-renaissance building of the Lower Saxony State Museum which offers prehistory, natural history, art gallery and an aquarium all under one roof.
Music and theatre is just as plentiful here, with everything from serious drama to spontaneous jazz improvisations. Try and hear the Knabenchor Hannover (boys’ choir), considered just as wonderful as its famous Viennese counterpart.
To get to grips with the town’s history, there’s a handy Red Thread tourist route which weaves through the old town, past grand parliament buildings and medieval houses to the impressive market square with its historic church and old town hall. And whatever else you do, don’t miss the flea market held every Saturday on the banks of the River Leine.
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Start in the old town and follow the Red Thread route clearly marked on the pavement. It leads to famous historical buildings, including the State Parliament of Lower Saxony built in 1636 and once the home of George, Duke of Calenberg, to the reconstructed Leibniz House with its renaissance façade and also to the Museum of History and Ballhof, the city’s most attractive secular building, now used as a theatre. The most dominant building in the Altstadt is the Marktkirche, an imposing 14th century church where, if you’re lucky, there’ll be a classical concert on. Nearby is the impressive old town hall.
Stop for lunch at any one of the cosmopolitan restaurants, there’s everything from Greek to Indonesian. But for an authentic taste of Hannover, visit one of the old pubs.
After lunch, browse around the narrow paved streets, they’re packed with boutiques, bookshops and antique stores. But if you’re a serious clothes shopper, get over to Georgstrasse and Bahnhofstrasse, two of the most popular shopping streets in Germany and the haunt of Doris Schröder-Köpf, wife of Ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Take a break at Café Kröpcke, one of the best spots for cake and coffee.
For modern art, spend an hour or two at the Sprengel-Museum but for Van Dyck or Rubens’ originals, visit the Lower Saxony State Museum.
Walk off dinner in one of the world’s most beautiful gardens at Herrenhausen. If you’ve booked an evening performance, the evening will be magical.
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As Hannover has a flourishing trade fair industry, hoteliers can (and do) hike prices during major events. Book ahead during popular festivals or if you want to be close to exhibition centres.
Just 300 metres from the airport, the five-star Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza (+ 49 (0) 5117 7070) features 210 rooms, fitness centre and swimming pool. Hannover’s former casino has been converted into the Courtyard Marriott (0800 1 854 422), and boasts a wonderful setting beside the Maschee Lake. Or try the stylish Loccumer Hof hotel (+49 (0) 511 2640), close to the Hauptbahnhof. One of the most sought-after hotels in the city is the Georgenhof (+49 (0) 511 702 244). A country house hotel set in its own private park in the Nordstadt. Its Stern restaurant is internationally acclaimed and although expensive offers a cheaper menu at lunchtimes.
www.marriott.com
www.loccumerhof.de
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By road: Hannover-Langenhagen airport is 12 kms (nine miles) north of the city. Take the A352 south to join the A2 and then take route 6 into the town centre.
Contact Flybe’s car rental partner Avis for best available car hire rates.
By train: Take the S-bahn S5 from platform 2. Trains run every 30 minutes and take 12 minutes to the city. Tickets cost €2.30.
By taxi: Plenty of taxis outside the terminal. The journey takes about 25 minutes, expect to pay €30.
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If you’re likely to be jumping on and off buses and trams, it’s cost effective to buy a day ticket, €3 per person. Trams stop either on Ernst-August-Platz or go underground to form the U-Bahn, and stop at Hauptbahnhof and Kröpcke. Look out for the artistic tram and bus stops, an eccentric feature of the city.
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Lake Steinhude: Just half an hour’s drive from Hannover, a 32 km square inland sea, the perfect spot for cycling, rambling and watersports. From here you can cross to the fortress of Wilhelmstein in a traditional old wooden craft, or find out more about the locally discovered ‘bog mummies’ at Lake Steinhude’s Nature Park.
Marienburg: The dreamy spires of the neo-Gothic castle at Marienburg aren’t far away and look for all the world as though they’ve just stepped out of the pages of a Grimms’ fairytale book. Marienburg was home to the Guelph kings of Hannover, the 19th century castle is wonderful to visit, beautifully positioned on a hilltop in the spectacular Calenberger countryside. The rooms occupied by the last King and Queen of Hannover are still completely intact and can be viewed during a guided tour.
Wolfsburg: Half an hour by high-speed train takes you to Wolfsburg for a visit to Volkswagen’s Autostadt, an enormously popular futuristic attraction for all motor fanatics.
Celle: But if you’d rather go back in time, take a trip north to Celle. Having escaped the war damage of Hannover, this medieval town gives a true picture of German life in the Middle Ages. The 13th century Schloss dominates the town, all Gothic windows, turrets and courtyards, and a wonderful glimpse of the past. Every street in the old town is a treat, containing no fewer than 480 half-timbered buildings and fascinating to stroll around.
Hamelin: In under an hour’s drive from Hannover, you can reach the beautiful town of Hamelin, one of Germany’s best known towns, thanks to the Pied Piper, and a great trip if you have youngsters. Aside from the Museum Hameln which commemorates the famous legend, there’s a carillon and at 1.05pm, 3.35pm and 5.35pm each day its figures enact the Piper’s two visits to Hamlin. Every Sunday from mid-May to mid-September a Pied Piper historical costume play is performed, for free. But regardless of its legend, the town’s medieval houses and narrow streets make it a lovely place to spend a day.
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Start by investing in a HannoverCard from the tourist office (see Factfile below). It gives entry to all museums and public transport and costs €8 for one day, €12 for three days.
Herrenhäuser Gardens: Open daily 9-4.30pm, until 8pm in summer. Entry €4, free in winter. The city’s pride and joy. The Great Garden is the only early baroque garden to be preserved in its original form. Highlights include the Great Fountain, at 82m the highest in Europe, the world’s oldest “hedge theatre” with notable statues and paintings, Europe’s largest display of orchids at the botanical garden, the Galerie, a festive hall adorned with ancient frescoes, beautiful Orangerie plus the Welfengarten and Georgengarten gardens. Plays and concerts staged at baroque Garden Theatre.
www.herrenhaeuser-gaerten.de
Sprengel-Museum: Open Tues 10am-8pm, Wed-Sun 10am-6pm. Entry €3.50. About the best modern art museum in Germany. Centrepiece is Hannover’s son Kurt Schwitters’ huge range of work, one of the most influential and controversial artists of the 20th century. Collections by Picasso, Klee, Arp and Expressionist and Surrealist paintings plus temporary photographic and modern exhibitions.
www.sprengel-museum.de
Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum: (Lower Saxony State Museum).Open Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm. Entry €4, www.nlmh.de. A museum divided into prehistory, natural history, ethnology, State Art Gallery and an aquarium. The ‘bog mummy’ and dinosaurs are big hits with children.
Historisches Museum: Open Tues 10am-8pm, Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm. Entry €2.50, free Fri. Situated in the Old Town, a mine of information on the history of the state and the city.
Marktkirche: A 14th century church in the Old Town, its bulky tower has long been the emblem of the city.
The Red Thread tourist path, an entertaining 2-3 hour walk past cheerful works of street art, time-honoured façades and through the Altstadt, old town, with its half-timbered houses, lively bars, cafés and restaurants.
Kröpcke Clock: Hannover’s favourite meeting place, on one of Germany’s biggest pedestrian precincts, a haven for shoppers. Georgstrasse and Bahnhofstrasse are among the most popular shopping streets in Germany.
Maschsee Lake: A 78 hectare strip of water, ideal for watersports, bathing, jogging and concerts in its pavilion.
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The discos around the Central Station and Raschplatz are the coolest places to be seen, there’s plenty of choice from Latin or soul to hip-hop or waltzing. Queues for Baggi on Raschplatz start early, but if you happen to be over 30 you’ll gain free admission on Wednesday nights. To meet the locals for a chin-wag and try the great local beer, make for the pubs in the old town.
Head to Palo Palo (+49 (0) 511 331 073) for the hottest new sounds in dance music. The beat goes on until the sun comes up at Zaza (+49 (0) 511 314 473), one of the town’s smartest nightclubs or join the night-owls at Altro Mondo (+49 (0) 511 323 327) below the main train station. For jazz visit Jazz Club Lindener Berge 39.
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In business terms, Hannover is an all-round winner. It’s the site for major industries, service providers, a trading centre and a world-class venue for trade fairs and exhibitions.
Volkswagen is the town’s biggest employer while its industry suppliers, Continental, Varta and Wabco Westinghouse steal a further big chunk of the town’s workforce.
TUI, the largest tourism company in the world, also has its headquarters here, while the financial services giant AWD also generates its billions of euros in turnover here. Hannover is also home to major insurance companies, biscuit manufacturer Bahlsen, energy suppliers, biotechnology firms, as well as broadband communications and multimedia businesses.
Furthermore, five of the world’s 10 biggest exhibitions take place at Hannover, its flagship CeBIT is the world’s biggest communications fair. After being awarded EXPO 2000, the city invested millions of euros in its congress centre, hotels, transport links and airport to equip itself perfectly for business in the 21st century.
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The people of Hannover are passionate about football and as one of the host cities for the 2006 FIFA World Cup took their responsibilities seriously to heart. The Niedersachsenstadion stadium was totally reconstructed with new roof, undersoil heating and state-of-the-art, roof-mounted lighting systems. For spectators, two 41m² LED video walls were installed along with 66 loudspeakers. In total, the stadium cost €64m to remodel, with some €24m of this coming from the city of Hannover itself.
In truly efficient German style, work on the stadium finished ahead of schedule in December 2004.
Unfortunately the town’s football team, known as the ‘Reds’, has had rather more mixed fortunes. Hannover Fussballclub was founded way back in 1896 by a group of school boys but in recent decades the North German team has had little to celebrate. However, Reinhold Franz led Hannover back to the Second Division as champions in 1998 with a squad that included current German internationals Sebastian Kehl, Gerald Asamoah and Fabian Ernst. No doubt Hannover supporters will be hoping the new stadium will give their team a vital kick start this season.
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