Overview

Hanover was badly damaged during WWII, yet still retains many of its original buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries. Among the most interesting structures are the Old Town Hall and City Hall, the brilliant Spengel Museum, and the relaxing Great Garden of Herrenhausen. The Marktkirche and Hanover Zoo are also big hits.

Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus)

Hanover's Rathaus dates from the 15th century and although badly hurt during WWII, it has now been beautifully restored. It was a century in the making and thus spans a slew of architectural styles. It features a bulky, striking red façade and an impressive interior with loads of portraits on the walls. You'll find the Old Town Hall on Schmiedestrasse in the town centre.

Hanover City Hall (Neues Rathaus)

Hanover City Hall has the best setting and view of any building in Hanover. It is situated on a lake and is superbly grand with a large domed roof. You can see the various stages of Hanover's development through history inside the building, depicted in four models at the years: 1689, 1939, 1945, and 2000. A natty elevator also takes visitors to a viewing platform.

Marktkirche

This large 14th century church is near the Old Town Hall and displays the so-called north German brick known as Norddeutsche Backsteingotik to a tee. It is one of Hanover's oldest buildings and interesting forms include its lofty side naves and its saddleback roof. It was restored not long after Allied bombs destroyed large parts of it during the WWII.

Sprengel Museum

Hanover's flashiest gallery displays a wonderful array of modern art in fine exhibitions, with a massive number of objects from the 20th century. You can see works by masters like Picasso, Niki de Saint-Phalle, and Paul Klee. The use of light and space in the Sprengel Museum is a special feature and has been well thought out.

Great Garden of Herrenhausen (Herrenhäuser Gärte

The Herrenhäuser Gärten is one of the world's most outstanding gardens. They were created in the 17th century in the Baroque style and rival even that of the Garden of Versailles in Paris. These gardens also look great in the winter and in spring the Small Festival (Kleines Fest) runs until the end of summer. Be sure to check out the glimmering cave.

Hanover Zoo (Erlebnis-Zoo Hanover)

If you have kids, take them to Hanover Zoo. It is a modern set up and one of the best zoos in Europe, with hundreds of animals from around the world in six sections. The zoo is open year-round and although tickets are expensive, it is worth the price as there is enough entertainment to take up a whole day. If you are in Hanover in the winter, be sure to see the WinterZoo, with its skating, slides, and ice show.

Overview

Hanover has loads of space and parks spread through the town where you can enjoy fresh air, walking and cycling. The largest and most popular area for recreation is the massive artificial Lake Maschsee, which is just south of the city centre and has good walking, cycling and boating. You can also do some good cycling around town and in Lower Saxony at large, while a sightseeing walking tour of Hanover can be done for free by simply following a line painted along the streets of downtown.

Rubber Duck Race (Entenrennen)

The Rubber Duck Race is a fun family event, especially for kids. You buy a rubber duck and race it along the River Leine in town in October. All ducks are numbered and there is a qualification round followed by the race. The main race sees the ducks going from Lower Saxon State Parliament to Marstallbrücke bridge.

Lake Maschsee recreation

Lake Maschsee just to the south of the town centre is a long and picturesque lake ideal for recreation at all times of the year. It is surrounded by walking paths that stretch for a few miles and you can also jog, cycle and rollerblade around it. Paddle boats can be rented out in the summer and you can skate on the lake in the winter if it freezes over enough.

Cycling

Hanover is biker-friendly, like most other German cities, with its miles of bike lanes and bike paths. You can combine cycling with sightseeing, take to the river paths or go around Lake Maschsee, or indeed rent a mountain bike and go for a spin in the hills of the south Lower Saxony region. You can rent bikes in the town by the hour, day or week, as well as from select hotels.

Sightseeing walking tours

There is a free sightseeing walking tour that visitors can do in Hanover. Simply follow the two and a half mile-long red line which has been painted on the streets of downtown Hanover. The line guides you to dozens of the city's fairest attractions, including the Rathaus and the Marktkirche. Alternately, on a rainy day, or if you're not feeling very fit, there are also coach tours available.

Football

Germany was the host to FIFA 2006 World Cup, during which Hanover's AWD Arena stadium played host to five of the matches. You can do a tour of the stadium or watch the local team, Hanover 96, compete in the Bundesliga, the top German football division. Tickets can be had online.

Dining and shopping

Hanover has hundreds of restaurants and cafés that are well spread out in the town centre. All tastes are catered for, from Indian to Italian, American and English. There is, of course, also a great selection of well-known German dishes and local meals. The shopping in Hanover is also really good and centres on flea markets and the pedestrianised centre known as the Kröpcke.

The town centre has the easiest selection of cafés and restaurants for hungry tourists, although you might want to look farther afield for gourmet dining. The market hall is loaded with food stalls with all kinds of foodstuffs on offer for reasonable prices. The pedestrianised area known as Kröpcke is the favourite place to eat for visitors, with its huge variety of eateries and good prices. Kröpcke is located right in the city centre and also has the best shopping.

Meat and potatoes are common in Hanoverian cuisine and meals are generally hearty and well priced here. You will find this type of cuisine in everything from beer gardens (biergartens) and brewpubs to the very best restaurants. Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) and bratwurst (sausage) can be had all over town along with the local specialty, currywurst (curry sausage).

Follow this up with the local dessert, welfenpudding. This pudding goes right back to medieval times and represents the coat of arms of the once ruling Welfen family. You could wash this all down with a Herrenhäuser premium pilsner, the local beer, or wine of the region. You don't need to tip in Hanover although locals tend to round up the bill to the nearest euro, or maybe 10 per cent in a smart restaurant.

Hanover is big into fashion, as can be seen by the many boutiques in Galerie Luise, and it is often heard being called ‘the Milan of Germany'. In addition to the smart clothing shops are several big flea markets and shopping malls.

The Kröpcke is the place to head for shopping; a large pedestrianised area in the city centre packed with shops, cafés and restaurants. The popular Christmas Market is held in the Kröpcke and runs from late November to Christmas, while the vaunted Opera House is also in this area of town.

Out of the many shopping malls, the glitzy Galerie Luise on Luisenstrasse and Rathenaustrasse streets is loaded with upscale shops and eateries and is the favourite in Hanover. Another one is Lidl, which can be found in the Central Station and is open on Sundays. Big department stores to check out in Hanover include Karstadt and Galeria Kaufhof, both of which reside in Kröpcke.

Those into flea markets should head for the Flohmarkt, the oldest and biggest flea market in the entire country. It is massive and stretches across Am Hohen Ufer and the banks of the Leine River. Flohmarkt runs every Saturday.

For souvenirs in Hanover check out the tourism office, which has all sorts of bits and bobs. For World Cup 2006-specific gear, try Karstadt Sport in the Kröpcke area. Kröpcke also has many established bookstores with some great local materials including those at Schmorl und von Seefeld and Lehmanns.

Look past the typical fast food joints and pubs and you'll discover a slew of top-end restaurants doing everything from traditional Hanoverian cuisine to international favourites. The best thing is that most of the best of Hanover's top 10 restaurants are located right in the city centre near all the shopping and sights.

Overview

Transport options in Hanover are excellent, both in getting to the city and getting around. Hanover Airport is well served from cities all over Europe and has good links with the city centre. Facilities at the four-terminal airport are good and include duty-free and restaurants. In town, a subway/tram system, trains, buses and taxis help visitors get from one point to another.

Airports

Hanover Airport (Langenhagen Airport), just north of the city centre, receives flights from many European cities as well as from limited Asian and North American destinations. There are four terminals at the airport - A, B, C, and D - with terminals A and B being the busiest, with flights coming in from the likes of Paris, London, and Moscow with big airlines and budget carriers alike.

Hannover Airport serves well over a million passengers a year through chartered and scheduled carriers and essential facilities include banks, ATMs, and currency exchange. Duty-free stores are available for international departures and there are also standard shops like newsagents, bookshops and minimarts. You will also find a load of cafés and restaurants in Hanover Airport along with bars and pubs.

Transportation options to the city centre and hotels from Hanover Airport include trains, buses, taxis, and hire cars. S-Bahn trains depart the airport half-hourly between 05:00 and 23:30 and have a 15-minute journey time. Trains arrive at Central Station and then link with the city's metro and tram system.

Bus number 60 also runs from the airport to town every 30 minutes although it is a bit slower than the train, while metered taxis are on hand 24 hours a day. If you hire a car, the drive from the airport to the city is well signposted and straightforward.

Public transportation

Hanover is well served by rail from throughout Germany and neighbouring and nearby countries. High-speed and standard services come in day and night from the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Austria, and you can also get in from London via Brussels.

Buses also come in from all over Europe, with Eurolines having the best links and the highest quality of comfort. Services regularly come in from London, Barcelona, Moscow, Prague, and Paris. The Central Bus Station in Hanover is near the main train station in the city centre.

Transport options within Hanover are excellent, with a subway, trams, trains, buses, and taxis serving all areas of town. Day tickets can be had to make use of all forms of public transport. Hanover's subway system goes underground in the city centre and comes up in parts as a tram system. It is the best way to get around and is efficient and comfortable. Services run every 10 minutes from 04:30 to 01:30.

Trains also run over Hanover at large, but are mostly for commuters, bringing in workers from out of town. There are five suburban lines, known as the S-Bahn, while German Rail trains serve the airport and the Exhibition (Expo) Centre.

Buses also run all over town and stops are marked with an ‘H'. Services run from between 05:00 to 00:30, after which night buses run until 04:00. Tourist sightseeing tour buses also run in Hanover. Taxis in Hanover are quite expensive and need to be hired from taxi ranks, such as at the airport or train and bus stations. They also hang around big city attractions and outside major hotels. Bicycles are best rented from Fahrrad Station near the train station.