Hanover

The capital of Lower Saxony, with the Herrenhausen Gardens and the New Town Hall's dome elevator, plus nearby UNESCO-listed Hildesheim, the old town of Celle and fairy-tale Hamelin.

Hanover is the capital of the German state of Lower Saxony, on the Leine at the southern edge of the North German Plain. It is known for the annual Hannover Messe industrial fair and as the ancestral home of Britain's House of Hanover. The old town was badly damaged in World War II, and today the city is known for its abundant green space and relaxed pace. Sightseeing falls into three areas: ① the city centre — follow the "Red Thread" painted on the pavement for about 4.2 km, linking the main station, Kröpcke, the Market Church, the Old Town Hall, the Leineschloss, Niki de Saint Phalle's "Nana" sculptures on the Leine and the New Town Hall, whose dome has a rare inclined elevator to the top; ② the Maschsee lake and Maschpark to the south, with the Sprengel Museum and the Lower Saxony State Museum by the lake; ③ the Herrenhausen Gardens to the northwest, whose Baroque Great Garden is among Europe's most important palace gardens, with a fireworks-to-music competition and illuminated evening walks in summer. There are plenty of day trips: in Hildesheim, 30 km away, the cathedral and St. Michael's Church are UNESCO World Heritage Sites; Celle has hundreds of half-timbered houses; Hamelin is the town of the Pied Piper legend; and Wolfsburg, Volkswagen's home city, appeals to car fans. The climate is mild to cool, best May–Sep, with Christmas markets in December; winters are grey, cold and wet. Hanover is an ICE hub — about 1 hour 40 minutes to Berlin and 1 hour 15 minutes to Hamburg — and a light-rail line runs direct from Hannover Airport to the city. Allow 1–2 days for the city, or 3–4 days including nearby towns. Hotel prices soar during trade fairs, so book well ahead.

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