There are carved cities, enriched by history, where the streets whisper tales of another time, the facades are silent sentinels of the changes of the century, and the cobblestones draw the semblance of an ancient chronology narrated in books. But the exact opposite also exists, cities ravaged by history, where barely any witnesses of the past remain because they have been literally devastated and the trail of past vestiges is almost imperceptible.
What to see in Hannover:
Hannover is a clear example, one of those survivors that did resist the battle but whose war wounds were so deep that, after managing to escape the rubble, it had to shake off the ash and needed intensive care to pull through. Nearly 90% of the city was destroyed during World War II, the bombings of 1943 devastated the center leaving a dead city with more than a thousand corpses in the streets, a quarter of a million homeless people and a bleak landscape of skeletal ruins as far as the eye could see. This is shown by the model from that time that you can see inside the new town hall.
But Hannover knew how to rise after its convalescence and rebuild itself stone by stone until it became what it is today: capital of Lower Saxony, a young university town full of parks, gardens and lakes, the greenest city in Germany with an important ecological awareness, an active metropolis brimming with cultural, artistic and sporting life.
The New Town Hall
Without a doubt, you cannot leave without visiting the New Town Hall, the most beautiful and representative building in Hannover dating from the beginning of the 20th century. You can enter for free where four models of the city are exhibited at different moments of its history, but to climb up to the dome you have to pay the €3 that allow you to ascend to the heights in a curious elevator whose path tilts as it follows the curvature of the dome. From the top, you have a 360-degree panoramic view of the city which, in my view, is definitely worth it.
Once down, go around the building to see the beautiful views from the small lake at the back that guards the reflection of the New Town Hall. A delightful park, where you can walk or do sports, which in autumn dresses up in its best finery, with willows that shed tears, a small bridge that looks like it belongs in a doll’s house carpeted with leaves and ducks that strive to trace ephemeral sculptures in the water.
Lake Maschsee
With its mile-long and lively shore, the artificial Lake Maschsee is another must-see in Hannover. You can navigate its waters on board different types of boats or travel its shore whether by bicycle, on skates, by segway or on foot to discover how closely linked the inhabitants of Hannover are to nature and sports.
In summer, the famous Maschsee Lake Festival is held there, which during the first two weeks of August turns the lake into an open-air stage full of cultural, musical, sporting and culinary activities, in addition to filling the sky with fireworks.
The Herrenhausen Gardens
In autumn it is worth visiting the Herrenhausen Gardens, an icon of Hannover, if only to see how bucolic the surroundings look, where you can even take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. To go inside the complex of the royal gardens you have to pay an entrance fee and this will allow you to access an impeccable network of flowerbeds, sculptures and fountains that make up the Großer Garten, the Great Garden, one of the most important Baroque gardens in all of Europe.
In addition, the complex includes a botanical garden and another in the English landscape style. Discover here how much it costs to enter the Herrenhausen Gardens, as well as their opening hours and other practical information.
But if there is one corner that contrasts with the peaceful geometric labyrinth of grass and flowers it is the grotto of the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle, where crystals play with impossible colors and shapes to offer a surreal kaleidoscope of emotions to the visitor.
The Nanas and other sculptures
Hannover had a special relationship with Niki de Saint Phalle, this controversial artist. Some of her famous Nanas, opulent sculptures of women with voluptuous shapes, are displayed outdoors along the banks of the Leine River, in the so-called Sculpture Mile on Brühlstrasse.
Another clear example of Hannover’s artistic inquisitiveness are 9 bus stops conceived as works of art and designed by different artists. Keep an eye out in the street to see if you can spot them, for example, the tail of an immense whale.
The Adventure Zoo
Inside the Eilenriede, an urban forest that is practically double the size of New York’s famous Central Park, is the Hannover Adventure Zoo divided into several themed worlds decorated in great detail to delight both children and adults.
If you spend the day there you can go on a safari sailing through the waters of the Zambezi River in Africa, jump to a Yukon village in Canada to be stunned admiring an incredible pair of polar bears, suddenly immerse yourself in the exoticism of India surrounded by elephants or take the big leap to distant Australia to walk among kangaroos.
What to see near Hannover:
Autostadt, the city of cars
Less than an hour from Hannover by train is the town of Wolfsburg famous for the Volkswagen factory and, since the year 2000, for hosting Autostadt, an immense theme park about cars and mobility. Car enthusiasts will feel like small children in this complex that houses different pavilions such as Seat or Audi, a museum, a cinema, restaurants, exhibitions and everything you can imagine related to four wheels in an environment where design, architecture and technology seem to compete with the automobiles.
For only €15 you have access all day to Autostadt but there are some extra activities that have a separate cost. €8 is the price to pay to immerse yourself in one of the two glass towers that hold 400 vehicles inside and in which a crane is the only one with the power to go up and down at a speed of two meters per second. It is definitely worth it if you want to feel like you’re in a science fiction movie.
If you also feel like driving a 4×4 on a circuit with tunnels, stairs and ramps it is also possible from about €35. I did it and it was very fun to test your skill behind the wheel of cars like the Touareg or the Tiguan. But also at Autostadt they offer other driving experiences, in the previous link you have all the information about it.
Hamelin, following the trail of the Pied Piper
If you have time, you cannot miss Hamelin, a charming city just 40 minutes from Hannover by train. Between tale and legend, the personality of this beautiful German corner has been forged with picturesque medieval facades that make a walk through its streets a total pleasure.
Thanks to the tale by the Grimm brothers, we all have in our childhood memory the story of the piper who first took the rats out of the city to the rhythm of his flute and, later, did the same with the children. The inhabitants of Hamelin themselves, accompanied by singers and actors, recreate the tale in the church square between May and September on Sundays at 12pm and Wednesdays at 4:30pm.
How to get to Hannover:
From Madrid you can fly directly to Hannover from about 100 euros return with Iberia Express on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. But these are seasonal flights that are not always available. KLM, for example, also usually has them without stopovers.
To reach the center of Hannover from the airport the fastest and most economical way is to take for €3.10 the commuter train that leaves from terminal C of the airport and, in just over 15 minutes, leaves you at the central station. Another more expensive but more comfortable option is to hire a private transfer from Hannover Airport.
How to get around in Hannover:
An important part of Hannover’s center is pedestrianized so walking is a great option, but in addition its short distances and the absence of hills make it a perfect city for getting around by bicycle, just like the locals do.
Anyway, it also has a wide public transport network with trains, buses, metro and even trams; of the latter, lines 10 and 17 are the only ones that pass through the center. On weekends, public transport runs all night.
Where to sleep in Hannover:
Hannover is a city dedicated heart and soul to holding fairs, so it has a wide and varied range of hotels for all tastes and budgets. In my day I stayed at the Maritim Grand Hotel with the views of the new town hall that you see in the photo above, but it has closed its doors. The most similar option by location, only a few meters away, is Arthotel ANA Prestige am neuen Rathaus where you have a double room from €86.
What to eat in Hannover:
Hannover, like most German cities, has a strong gastronomy where meats, sausages, cabbages and sauces predominate. One of the typical dishes of the Lower Saxony area is Heidschnucke Knipp a kind of giant sausage with a texture between blood sausage and a hamburger made with the meat of a specific breed of lamb.
But man does not live by meat alone and there you cannot fail to try the rote grütze, a delicious milk and vanilla sauce topped with a kind of red fruit jam.
Where to eat in Hannover:
Hannover offers many options of all kinds to delight in eating. If you want to have lunch or dinner in a place with history you can try the traditional restaurant Broyhan Haus, right next to the market church, with an authentic medieval tavern in an underground grotto.
But if you feel like washing down the meal with an authentic craft beer and enlivening it with a live musical performance at night, the best option in the city is the lively Brauhaus Ernst August.
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