Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [537]
EMERGENCY
Medical emergency service ( 314 044)
Police ( 110; Raschplatz) Beneath the overpass on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof.
INTERNET ACCESS
Teleklick Hannover ( 763 5201; Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse 11; per hr €1.80; 9am-11pm) Comfortable place with Skype and telephones, plus muffins and coffee.
LAUNDRY
Wasch-Treff (cnr Friesenstrasse & Eichstrasse; per wash €3.50; 6am-11pm) Conveniently opposite this laundry is an organic bakery-cafe.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Hospital ( 304 31; Marienstrasse 37)
MONEY
Reisebank ( 322 704; Hauptbahnhof; 8am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-10pm Sun) ATMs plus currency exchange services, inside the station.
POST
Post office (Ernst-August-Platz 2; 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat) Inside the Ernst-August-Galerie.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist brochures are also available from the Neues Rathaus (below).
Hannover Tourismus ( information 1234 5111, room reservations 123 4555; www.hannover.de, www.hannover-tourism.de; Ernst-August-Platz 8; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, also 9am-2pm Sun Apr-Sep)
Return to beginning of chapter
Dangers & Annoyances
The area behind the Hauptbahnhof and the red-light district near Steintor are well-policed but require care and common sense after dark.
Return to beginning of chapter
Sights & Activities
ROTER FADEN
The city has painted a Roter Faden (red line) on pavements around the centre. Follow it with the help of the multilingual Red Thread Guide (€2.50), available from the tourist office, for a quick 4.2km, do-it-yourself tour of the city’s main highlights.
NEUES RATHAUS
An excellent way to get your bearings in Hanover is to visit the Neues Rathaus (built in 1901–13) and travel 98m to the top in the curved lift (elevator; adult/concession €2.50/2; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Apr-Nov) inside its green dome. There are several viewing platforms here, and while it’s a novelty taking a lift that slants to stay within the dome, it’s only on descent that you feel any gravitational swing. The cabin can take only five people at a time, so queues are inevitable.
In the downstairs lobby are four city models showing Hanover from the Middle Ages to today. Comparing the models from 1939 and 1945 drives home the dramatic extent of WWII devastation.
HERRENHÄUSER GÄRTEN
Largely modelled on the gardens at Versailles, the Herrenhäuser Gärten ( 1684 7576, 1234 5333; www.herrenhaeuser-gaerten.de; 9am-sunset; 4 or 5 to Herrenhäuser Gärten) truly rank among Hanover’s most memorable attractions. You need a couple of hours to do them justice, but they combine a couple of treats.
On the one hand, the Grosser Garten (Large Garden), Berggarten (Mountain Garden) and Georgengarten (Georgian Garden) are prime examples of why Hanover calls itself a city ‘in green’. On the other, the statues, fountains and coloured tile walls of the Niki de Saint Phalle Grotto (opened after her death in 2002) provide a magical showcase of the artist’s work that could one day outshine Die Nanas (see below).
With its fountains, neat flowerbeds, trimmed hedges and shaped lawns, the 300-year-old Grosser Garten (admission €3, incl entry to Berggarten €4, child free, Grosser Garten free mid-Oct–Mar) is the centrepiece of the experience. There’s a maze near the northern entrance, while the Grosse Fontäne (Big Fountain; the tallest in Europe) at the southern end jets water up to 80m high. In summer, there are Wasserspiele (water games; 11am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-noon & 2-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-late Oct) when all fountains are synchronised. During the Illuminations (adult/concession €4/3; approximately 10pm Fri-Sun mid-May–Aug, also Tue Jul & Aug, call for exact times) the gardens and fountains are atmospherically lit at night. Meanwhile there are summer concerts, Shakespearean dramas and more. Call or check the Herrenhäuser website for details.
North of the Grosser Garten lies