Hanover Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Hanover

The city of Hanover (German : Hannover) is the capital of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). With its 520.000 inhabitants it is a relatively small city that does not have the obvious tourist appeal or political force of many other urban centres in Germany.

In addition to being one of Germany's top venues for international trade fairs and conferences Hannover played host to the nations of the world at the EXPO 2000 World Exposition. Its rich past lives on in many beautiful historical buildings and other sights, many of them connected by a red line marked on the pavement for tourists. In the city centre striking modern architecture has been successfully integrated with the lovely Old Town. Hannover has a rich arts scene that gives the city a lively, creative atmosphere, and there are many interesting destinations for excursions in the immediate vicinity.

Herrenhausen Royal Gardens with the Great Garden. Europe's only surviving intact Baroque gardens, established in 1666. Highest garden fountain (up to 82m), Garden Theatre (1689), Galerie building with Baroque hall and northern Germany's biggest cycle of frescoes.

The Rain Forest House (Flora and Fauna of Brazil's mountain rain forests beneath a gigantic glass dome) is the top attraction of the Berggarten Botanical Garden.

Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall, inaugurated 1913), with a slanting lift to the cupola gallery.

Maschsee (Lake Masch): Fun and relaxation on nearly 200 acres, in the direct vicinity of the New Town Hall.

The Solar Boat , an ultra-modern solarpowered catamaran with a futuristic solar roof and seating for 60, is the latest addition to the Lake Masch fleet.

Opera House (1852): Included in the world's top 20 by the London Opera Guide.

Eilenriede Green (650m2): A good place to relax and play sports, with attractive beer gardens.

Hannover Zoo: Four fascinating, newly-renovated animal adventure worlds delight young and old alike. The animals live in authentic surroundings that are just like their natural environments. Breathtaking animal shows and an opportunity for an adventurous boat ride on the "Zambesi River".

The Red Line: A line painted on the pavement that guides visitors to 36 interesting sights on a 4.2km route.

Hannover Congress Centre , beautiful classicist building (1914) in a park used as the venue for the 1951 Federal Garden Show. Today: A modern, multi-functional congress and event centre (capacity 4,000) with its own restaurants. Beautiful green setting but still centrally located and easily accessible.

Hannover also has plenty for the young and young at heart. After a strenuous tour bikers and skaters meet at the Inliners Beer Garden on Lake Masch. Eilenriede and Georgengarten are good places for walking, biking and skating. Many discos and popular pubs can be found in the city centre around the central station. Hannover's popular pub breweries are a good place to meet new friends, with live music.

Suggest a change to the Hanover Things to do section (click to dropdown)

Population: 82.431.400
Languages: German
Currency: euro
Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Germany - Berlin - Berlin

Germany - Hesse - Frankfurt

Country Dialling Code: +49
Voltage: 230V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

Germany is a federation of 16 states, roughly corresponding to regions with their own distinct and unique cultures. Germany is one of the most influential nations in European culture, and one of the world's main economic powers. Known around the world for its precision engineering and high-tech products, it is equally admired by visitors for its old-world charm and "Gemütlichkeit" (coziness) or hospitality. If you have perceptions of Germany as simply homogeneous, it will surprise you with its many historical regions and much local diversity for its relatively small size. Cities of all sizes boast some of Europe’s best nightclubs, as you’d expect from the home of techno. Enjoying the outdoors, from skiing Alpine peaks to hiking carefully preserved forests, is also an experience worth having.

Germany wears its riches well: elegant big-city charm, small picture-postcard towns, pagan-inspired harvest festivals, a wealth of art and culture and the perennial pleasures of huge tracts of forest, delightful castles and fine wine and beer are all there for the savouring.

Germany is made up of the North German Plain, the Central German Uplands (Mittelgebirge), and the Southern German Highlands. The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 1,600 ft (488 m) above sea level, but it reaches 9,721 ft (2,962 m) in the Zugspitze Mountains, the highest point in the country. Germany's major rivers are the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, the Weser, and the Rhine.

This is the land that spawned Beethoven and Bauhaus, Goethe and Glühwein, Lager and Lederhosen and Walt Disney's inspiration for Cinderella's Castle. Whatever your interest, there's a strong chance it'll be satisfied somewhere here.

Hanover Travel Guide

Hanover Suitability Profile