City Guide: Hanover
Hannover is the main city of Lower Saxony in Germany, located near the Harz Mountain range it is a city that has been rebuilt after being demolished during WWII thanks to allied bombing raids. However it has lost none of the charm which I imagine it must have originally had in the old parts. It is very industrial but in the parks and the Medieval Quarter it still feels very unspoiled by modernisation.
I went during the Winter so got to see the beautiful Christmas market and experienced the city in the snow. I also went with a small budget and stayed for five days so you can do it too and still have an amazing experience on a smaller time scale!
Would I recommend going? Absolutely. Would I suggest learning some German before you go? 100%. Would I recommend packing your woollies? Pack them all lovely.
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Getting To The City
Getting into the city centre is pretty simple no matter which direction you are coming in from and there are options. I was passing through to get to the country before I came back to stay for the rest of my week and I had to get my train connection into Hanover Hauptbahnhof.
If you are coming from the airport make your way to Terminal C where, in the basement, (and don’t worry it’s not like a typical underground if you’re as claustrophobic as I am) is the Flughafen. This station offers five different connections all ending up in Hanover Hauptbahnhof. From there you can get trains to pretty much anywhere you want to go!
The German train system is on-time, easy to use and clearly labelled. If you are using the S-bahn (underground tram service) go onto the lower level of the Hauptbahnhof (accessible via stairs or lifts throughout the centre of the main station - once you walk through to the stairs that lead to the main platforms - and walk to the end where you will find the entrance to the underground. Again if you are claustrophobic please don’t worry, it’s not like the London Underground or Paris Metro. From the airport you can get a bus to Langenhagener and then catch the tram into the city centre. They run pretty routinely and everything is clearly labelled.
Doing In Hanover
Hanover is a beautiful city with lots of history and places to explore. It is very industrial due to being bombed into rubble during the Second World War, but there has been huge effort put into restoring the historic Medieval centre, town hall and old Hanoverian seat. I stayed in the city for five days and found lots to do every day, if you go during the Winter the daylight hours are short and it is bitterly cold but utterly enchanting. If you can go during snow season, my advice would be to make the most of it as the city definitely looks more charming in the snow.
Medieval Quarter
When I went to Hanover the Christmas market was in full swing so the Medieval quarter felt very authentic and beautiful. The snow definitely helped!
The Medieval quarter is located next to the old Medieval castle that’s on the edge of the city centre just before you hit the bridges that lead to the main roads. It’s very quaint and full of gorgeous ‘German’ architecture. I loved just wandering around with a coffee and seeing where my feet took me.
I would suggest doing the stereotypical tourist walk following the red line that begins outside the Tourist Information centre and wends its way through the city past all of the main bits. Of course it’s a bit more difficult to follow with snow covering it but you can usually begin and then get an idea of where it’s leading you. If like me you dislike doing ‘the thing’ with a gaggle of other tourists, I’d suggest going around midday on a weekday - that’s when I found that part of the city was most quiet.
The church is a must-see and the centre of the city. If you look closely you can see where they used the old original bricks and then the new ones. I didn’t go in it but I loved walking around the perimeter. And with the Christmas market stalls around it, there was a really lovely
Herrenhauser Garten
Herrenhauser Garten is on the grounds of the old Hanoverian House and Palace, accessible via the main courtyard. It is a seat of the old Hanover Kings located just outside of the city of Hanover in a district called Herrenhauser. It took me about 30 to 40 minutes to walk from the apartment I was in down Goethestrabse through Georgengarten to the main entrance, you can also get the no.05 tram to the stop just outside. Personally I would suggest walking if you are able as it’s the most gorgeous way to not only get outside of the hustle and bustle but also to see buildings such as the Wilhelm Museum and University of Hanover.
Like all of Europe, the garden suffered hugely during WWII - even with interventions by the British Royal Family to try and save it from the bombs of the RAF. The result was complete obliteration of the original design of the garden; the plants, trees and buildings including the original palace. By the end of the war only the staircase to the palace remained intact and is still there to see today in front of the rebuilt version. As well as the palace there is also the orangery, and more corporate additions.
It is not expensive to enter, I got a ticket to the gardens only for 3 euros and stayed well over an hour outside exploring. There are toilets in the entrance and a cafe and shop attached. I went on a bitterly cold day when the garden was covered with sprinklings of snow and about to get a whole lot more, so if you too are visiting in the Winter months I would suggest thick boots, gloves and a waterproof coat as there is little to no shelter.
The gardens themselves are gorgeous and incredibly expansive. Well maintained they are bordered by a moat with views onto the footpath that is on the opposite side. If it had been warm enough I would have explored further, unfortunately my poor lil British tootsies were frozzling so I had to call it a day. It would make a lovely day out though if you also wanted to do the palace and museum bits, I didn’t have the patience!
Georgengarten
The Georgengarten is located just ten minutes off Goethestrasbe. It’s the most direct route to the Herrenhauser Garten and also goes past the main University of Hanover building. After the hustle and bustle of the city, it’s a lovely place to go to unwind and enjoy some greenery. It’s a main thoroughfare so you don’t need to worry about walking through solo, though like most places I would suggest not going through at night on your own!
As well as the University you will also find the Wilhelm Museum and the folly. You can ride your bike through or enjoy all the paths on foot. It’s also dog-friendly so if you are bringing a furry friend this is the best place to take them for a proper run in the specially assigned dog-park area just over the bridge opposite the folly.
I had a lovely time exploring and would recommend it as a place to visit even if you just walk through it to get to the Herrenhauser Palace and Gardens. I even saw a red squirrel and a heron, so if you’re quiet there’s no telling what you might find. Beware of breathing too deeply by the sewage vents though!
Neues Rathaus
The New Town Hall or Neue’s Rathaus is located just a stone’s throw from the Medieval Quarter. Not only is it a completely stunning building it’s also just next to the Landesmuseum and Sprengel Museum. If you walk through the gardens around the Mashteich lake (stand outside the main back doors and look out down the steps to feel like you’re in The Holiday) you’ll reach the Maschee lake. In other words, getting to the Neues Rathaus leads to a whole host of other beautiful places.
Outside the front of the building you will find public toilets, you can go inside and there is a restaurant and cafe, you can also pay a little bit extra to go to the viewing platform at the top. Due to having a fear of heights and terrible vertigo I didn’t go but it’s supposed to have incredible views across the city.
Landesmuseum and Sprengel Museum
The Landesmuseum is visible from the back of the Neues Rathaus, it’s a beautiful building that houses a natural history section as well as an art gallery upstairs. I paid around $5 to get in and had access to all floors and all areas except the special exhibition. The gallery is quite small but has lots of incredible pieces, they weren’t exactly suited to my taste but I loved the bust statue that was in the last corner.
The Sprengel Museum is not only a piece of incredible architecture, it’s also a great museum of art. With pieces from artists who were unfortunately lost during the Nazi’s stint in power, their art put into the travelling show of scorned pieces, now they sit with their stories told and their art available to visitors. The museum has lots of installations as well as a beautiful viewing gallery across the Maschee Lake, (another Nazi installation as well as the statue that looks out over it)
Food In Hanover
Hanover is not only a city that holds a lot of beautiful buildings and places to visit. It’s also a great place to experiment with food. When I went I was on a tight budget so I didn’t eat out. However if you do there are so many restaurants that offer a range of flavours for every palette so I’d suggest keeping an eye out as you wander.
When I went I shopped in the Edeka supermarkets. These offer a great range of produce and aren’t expensive. You can find one in the centre of the city in the main shopping area, just take the escalator down and you’ll find it. They also take any card as well as cash.