Hannover, Germany – one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the country. Local parks are considered one of the best in Germany, and the botanical garden is famous for the largest collection of palm trees in Europe.
General information
Hanover is the largest city in Lower Saxony, with more than 530 thousand inhabitants. It stands on the River Line, covers an area of 204 square meters. km In Hanover, 87% of Germans live, as well as 13% of representatives of other nationalities.
This is one of the most important transport hubs on the map of Germany, which is annually visited by more than 12 million people. Also, the city’s popularity is facilitated by the numerous industrial fairs that are held annually in Hanover.
sights
Unfortunately, most of the sights in Hanover were destroyed during the Second World War, and what you can see in the city now is only qualitatively restored or newly built buildings.
The New Town Hall is the symbol and main attraction of Hanover, built in the early 20th century. The building looks much larger and more expensive than the standard Town Halls, which were massively built in 14-16 centuries in Europe. The architectural style of the Hanover Town Hall is also unconventional – eclecticism.
Locals often call the attraction a royal palace or a medieval castle, because it is very difficult to believe that such a building was built only 100 years ago.
At the moment, this place is the official residence of the Hanover burgomaster, but the city administration occupies only part of the premises. The rest are open to the public. Inside the Town Hall you can see a unique collection of sculptures and paintings, it is also worth paying attention to the painting of staircases and spiral staircases. Be sure to visit:
- Bürgesal (eastern part of the New Town Hall). It often hosts exhibitions and public events.
- The meeting room, where the huge painting “Oneness” of 1553 is located.
- The historical hall where the cafe is located, which is recognized as one of the best in the city.
- Hodlersal Hall, on the walls of which you can see frescoes on historical themes.
- Mosaic hall, the walls of which are decorated with colorful mosaics.
- An observation deck on the top floor of the New Town Hall, which offers beautiful views of Lake Mash, Mashpark and the Harz Mountains.
This is one of those attractions in Hanover, which is definitely worth a look live.
- Location: Trammplatz 2, 30159, Hanover.
- Opening hours: 7.00 – 18.00 (Monday-Thursday), 7.00 – 16.00 (Friday).
Mash Lake is an artificial reservoir created in the 1930s. in the historical part of Hanover. Now it is the center of Mashpark, in which locals and tourists like to relax. Here you can:
- take bike rides;
- have picnics;
- make beautiful photos of the city of Hanover;
- dine in one of the many cafes;
- ride a pleasure boat (in summer);
- to go on a romantic trip by boat (in summer);
- to skate (in winter);
- Take part in one of the many festivals that take place weekly on the shores of Lake Mash;
- to buy a card with a photo of Hanover, Germany.
Location: Maschsee, Hanover.
The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen is the largest green area on the map of Hanover, which occupies an entire urban area. The gardens themselves are divided into 4 parts:
- Grocer Garten. This is the “Big Garden”, which fully lives up to its name. More than 1000 species of plants grow here, but interesting flower arrangements and unusual flower beds are considered its main asset. The “heart” of the garden is a fountain 80 meters high, which has been standing here since the mid-18th century.
- Georgengarten is an English park, very popular with locals. People often come here to ride a bike and relax after a hard day. The castle, which is located on the territory of Georgengarten, houses a museum of caricatures.
- Berggarten or “Garden on the mountain” is the botanical garden of Hanover, in which, in addition to unique plants, there are a lot of creative sculptures and elegant arbors. Once it all started with a small gathering, and today in the palm greenhouse of Berggarten presents the largest collection of palm trees in Europe. Attentive visitors will also be able to see unique species of butterflies, birds and tropical insects.
- Welfengarten is a garden at the University of Hanover, which today is located in the old building of the Welfenschloss castle. During the war, the garden was destroyed and recreated in the city of Hanover during the time of the Federal Republic of Germany as an attraction and a resting place for students.
It’s definitely not possible to visit all the gardens at a time, so if you come to Hanover for a few days, it’s better to come to the park every evening.
- Location: Alte Herrenhaeuser Strasse 4, Hanover, Germany.
- Opening hours: 9.00 – 20.00, greenhouse – from 9.00 to 19.30.
- Cost: 8 euros – for an adult, 4 – for a teenager and free for children under 12 years.
Erlebnis Zoo in Hanover is one of the largest in Europe. It covers an area of 22 hectares, and more than 4000 animals and birds live on its territory. This is one of the oldest zoos in Germany, founded in 1865. It was closed several times, but under pressure from the public it was opened again.
Since the territory of the park is very large, a special route has been laid here (its length is 5 km) so that visitors do not get lost. The zoo is divided into the following thematic areas:
- “Mollyup” is a mini-zoo for children, where you can watch pets and visit the laboratory to study their habits.
- Yukon Bay is a zoo area where you can see animals living in Canada (bison, wolves and caribou).
- “Queen Yukon” – the water part of the zoo, where the exhibition “Underwater World”.
- The “Palace in the Jungle” is the only place in the zoo where you can see tigers, lions and snakes. They live in very unusual enclosures that look like traditional Hindu dwellings, as well as Buddhist temples.
- Meyer’s Farm is for the history buff. Here you can visit old buildings built in the traditional half-timbered style in Germany, in which rare breeds of domestic animals live (husum pigs, Pomeranian sheep and Exmoor horses).
- “Mountain Gorillas” is the highest point on the map of the zoo in Hanover. Here, surrounded by waterfalls and forests, monkeys really live.
- The Australian Corner is home to kangaroos, emu birds, dingoes and wombats.
It is better to come to the zoo in the morning, when there are not a large number of visitors. Also, tourists who have been here are advised to take food and water with them, since there are very few stalls in the park.
- Location: Adenauerallee 3, Hannover.
- Opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00 (summer), 10.00 – 16.00 (winter).
- Cost: 16 euros for adults, 13 for students, 12 for teenagers, 9 euros for children under 6 years.
- Official website: www.zoo-hannover.de
St. Aegidius Cathedral is a 14th-century church located in the eastern part of Hanover in Germany. The temple is dedicated to St. Aegis, which is one of the 14 holy helpers.
Interestingly, the cathedral is partially destroyed, but nobody is going to restore it. This is explained by the fact that now, once the largest temple in Hanover, is a memorial created in memory of the victims of World War II.
Anyone can enter the temple – there are still several saints sculptures inside the building, and on the walls you can see a number of paintings by German artists. At the entrance to the cathedral hangs a bell from Hiroshima, which the Japanese government donated to the temple. Every year on August 6, its ringing is heard over the city (Memorial Day for the victims of the nuclear bombing).
- Location: Osterstrasse, 30159, Hanover.
- Official website: www.aegidienkirche-hannover.de
Although the Old Town Hall of Hanover is not so popular and beautiful, anyway, it looks much larger and larger than the Town Halls in many other European cities.
This four-story building, erected on the Hanover Market Square, was built in the late Gothic style. At different times, the city government met in the Town Hall, then the premises were used as a warehouse. During the Second World War, the attraction was completely destroyed, and restored in the city of Hanover in Germany in the 60s.
Now the Old Town Hall is completely given to the locals. In the Small and Big Hall weddings, business meetings and various festivals are held. On the second floor there is a registry office and several souvenir shops. On the ground floor of the Town Hall is an expensive restaurant. On summer evenings, concerts take place on the porch of this landmark in Hanover.
- Location: Karmarschstrabe 42, Hannover.
- Opening hours: 9.00 – 00.00.
- Official website: www.altes-rathaus-hannover.de
Where to stay
Hanover has a large selection of hotels and apartments. For example, there are more than a thousand hotels, and at least 900 apartments in which tourists are waiting.
Since Hanover is a major interchange point, hotel room prices here are an order of magnitude higher than in neighboring cities. The average cost of a double room in the high season per day varies from 90 to 120 euros. This price includes a good breakfast, in-room appliances and free parking.
If you want to save, then you should pay attention to the apartment. This type of accommodation costs from 40 to 70 euros for two per day. The price depends on the location of the apartment, its size and the presence / absence of household appliances and basic necessities.
Food in the city
Hanover has dozens of cafes and restaurants where you can try both traditional German cuisine and exotic dishes. All institutions can be divided into the following groups:
- Expensive restaurants. The average cost of a dinner with alcohol in such an institution is from 50 euros and above.
- Small cozy cafes. In such establishments it is quite possible to dine for two for 12-15 euros.
- Traditional German beer halls. Mainly located in the historic city of Hanover. Prices are not the lowest, so a dinner for two will cost 20-25 euros.
- Fast food restaurants. These are the institutions (McDonald, KFC) that are known around the world. The average cost of a meal (e.g. McMeal) is 8 euros.
- Fast food. In Germany, this category is represented by numerous street shops and mobile wagons, where you can buy fried sausages, hot dogs and waffles. For example, 2 Bratwurst sausages will cost you 4 euros.
Thus, in Hanover it is better to eat either fast food or in small cafes located far from train stations and popular attractions.
Weather and climate
Hannover is located 200 km from the Baltic Sea and 160 km from the North, so the weather in the city changes very often.
So, the average temperature in January is 1.6 ° C, and in July – 25 ° C. The number of rainy days in winter is 9, in summer – 12. The maximum rainfall is in July, the minimum is in February. The climate in Hanover is temperate continental.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that recently, due to the general climatic changes that have affected all countries, the weather in Hanover is becoming more and more unpredictable. For example, in the summer months, extreme heat uncharacteristic of northern Germany may be observed (30 ° C or even 35 ° C). I am glad that in the winter months there are no such sharp jumps.
Transport connection
Getting to Hanover will not be difficult, because the city has an airport, a railway station and a bus station. Nearest major cities: Bremen (113 km), Hamburg (150 km), Bielefeld (105 km), Dortmund (198 km), Cologne (284 km), Berlin (276 km).
The easiest way to get to Hanover from Hamburg is by the Ice train. You must board it at Hamburg Main Station and drive to Hanover Central Station. Travel time is 1 hour 20 minutes. Trains run once every 1-2 hours. Ticket price – 10-30 euros.
Since Berlin and Hanover are separated by almost 300 km, it is better to overcome them by train. Boarding the Ice train takes place at Berlin Main Station. Travel time is 2 hours. Ticket price – from 15 to 40 euros.
If you are not in Germany, but want to visit Hanover, it is better to use air transport, especially since European airlines (especially low-cost) often offer good discounts on flights.
Interesting Facts
- Among the honorable inhabitants of Hanover, Adolf Hitler was also listed, but in 1978 he was deprived of this privilege.
- Often the New Town Hall is considered a symbol of the economic development of Hanover, because a huge sum of money was allocated for its construction.
- Hanover Zoo ranks first in the world in terms of the number of Indian elephants born per year – five.
- If you have just a few days, but don’t know what to see in Hanover, pay attention to the “Red Thread” tourist route, which covers the most significant sights of Hanover in Germany and Lower Saxony as a whole.
Hannover, Germany is one of the greenest cities in the country, where you can not only relax well, but also visit a lot of historical attractions.
Hanover tour, the history of the city and interesting facts:
