Geography Sometimes jokingly overlooked in favour of other German cities, Hannover is, in all fairness, not quite as dull as its critics would have you believe. With a modest population of 520,000, this capital city of the state of Lower Saxony is perhaps best known today as an industrial and trade centre where the annual CeBit IT fair is held. Yet its history is as interesting as many other European cities, as it was once the seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, who ruled here for over 100 years. Located west of Berlin, it was founded in the 12th century on the south bank of the Leine River, becoming a part of the Hanseatic League of trader cities. airBaltic brings your flight to Hannover Airport, which services a number of airlines with domestic and international travel. Languages The official language of Germany is Hochdeutsch (High German) and is spoken rather perfectly in Hannover, although the local dialect is slightly different and known as Hannöversch. English is generally spoken by the younger crowd and in tourist and business circles, so a Hanover city-break should not require too much language preparation. See and Do Hannover took heavy bombing during World War II, but its remaining structures were collected into the Altstadt or Old City. Of particular interest is the red bricked Marktkirche, the Old Town Hall, the Ballhof, once used for badminton in the 17th century, and the Leineschloss, some 350 years old and seat of Lower Saxony’s government. To the south, you’ll find the Waterloo Monument, in honour of the Germans soldiers in the famous battle. Meanwhile Kröpcke is Hannover’s central pedestrian area home to the Opernhaus (Opera house) and a number of restaurants and hotels and well-worth a trek through the city.
Visitors tend to flock to the Versailles copy Baroque garden at the Herrenhausen laid in the 17th century. Complete with a maze and Europe’s tallest fountain, the garden has a decent cafe and a cave painted by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle, Hannover’s honorary citizen artist from abroad. Stop by Castle Marienburg, the neo-gothic castle with turrets framed by the hills of the Leine River valley. As for museums, Hannover has several worthwhile attractions. The Landesmuseum features prehistoric weapons of Saxony and a fine Hannover coin collection, while the Historical Museum in Hanover traces the history of the city right from the time of its foundation in 1100 to the present day. At the Sprengel Museum, art lovers may view works of modern art by Picasso, Paul Klee and locally acclaimed Niki de Saint-Phalle. Also by this last artist, of note are the enormous Nanas sculptures honouring femininity, reportedly causing a scandal with the conservative town when first unveiled.
Plan your city-break for summer and get cheap tickets to the Small Festival in the Great Garden, a summer clown and acrobat performance festival, and a good excuse for another elaborate fireworks display, which Hannover is known to thoroughly enjoy. |
