Hanover Travel Guide

The capital of Lower Saxony in Germany has been teased for being bland, but there are a surprising amount of attractions in Hanover or Hannover in Germany, especially for families, and the acres of greenery in the Versailles-like Herrenhäuser Gärten is a scenic wonder. The city is also famous for hosting trade fairs, especially the massive CEBIT computer show in March where people come from all over the world to talk computers.

Be sure to visit Altstadt (Old Town), which the city has gone to great lengths to preserve after intense WWII bombing. Some of the architecture is postwar fabricated, but a lot of the area is genuine medieval. The Marktkirche in the market square, for example, is original, as is the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall, built in 1455) across from the market. The nearby Ballhof, built in 1649, was originally built for an early form of badminton.

Also interesting to visit for nature lovers is Berggarten (Mountain Garden) with it vast collection of flora from the world over. For children, an exciting and popular family outing is a visit to Dino Park Munchehagen, a ‘Jurassic Park’ brought to life with more than 200 life-sized dinosaurs along walking trails where real dinosaurs once wandered. Der Gartensaal is a relaxing place to enjoy a summer afternoon coffee and people-watch as it's located overlooking the popular and central Stadpark.

One of the best zoos in Germany is in Hanover. The Erlebniz Zoo Hanover, ever expanding, has a giant children’s playground and petting zoo. The animals are divided according to their habitat and you can spend an entire day wandering from one ‘habitat’ to the next and still not see the entire zoo. The zoo is especially known for its breeding program and large variety of baby animals, everything from baby elephants to wolf pups. The zoo is another not-to-be-missed activity for families visiting Hanover.

Brauhaus Ernst August is the name of Hanover's best loved and most popular restaurant. The atmosphere is lively and friendly and the traditional German food is some of the best in the country. Most nights feature live entertainment with traditional German music, so make sure you bring your dancing shoes!

Finally, for nightlife, a small place called Eve Club many believe is the best hot spot not only in Hanover but in all of Germany. A former strip club, it has maintained its red lanterns, plush velvet sofas and retro trimmings. A mostly over-twenty crowd gathers here nightly over reasonably priced drinks to dance to the sounds of soul, funk, and 60s, 70s and 80s tunes well into the morning hours.