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Home Page > Travelogues > Germany > Niedersachsen > Hannover

Subchapters in this travelogue:  [ Herrenhäuser Gardens ] [ Innenstadt S&E ] [ Historical Altstadt ]

Hannover was one of the best cities in northern Germany.  It had the advantage of not being a major port nor being in the densely industrialized metropolises further west.  So, it arguably had a lot more freedom to maintain its own unique character.  And character it had.  It built up into a very clean city with lots of activity.  It was also on of the cultural centers of the German northwest, famed for its being the source of many folk tales.

Touring around Hannover could not be easier.  The tourist bureau painted a red line that circled around all the major attractions of downtown.  About four kilometers (two-and-a-half miles) long, the path began and ended at the train station, marking the significant sights along the way -- not only the old structures like the red brick churches and old town hall, but the new ones like the city's galeria and new town hall.

It so happened that we visited Hannover on a football day.  At the time we went, Hannover 96 was in the German first division and they were playing host to Borussia Dortmund, one of the perennial contenders and best-known German clubs.  When we emerged from the train station in the early afternoon, the streets were a sea of red-and-white (Hannover) and yellow-and-black (Dortmund), people just congregated in the streets getting ready for the big game.  Roughly three o'clock in the afternoon, the streets were suddenly quiet.  Thankfully, there was no trouble although there were naturally a few folks who had done a few too many beers too during the course of the day.  As it turned out, the concert that we attended was located in an auditorium right next to the stadium, so we watched all the fans streaming out after the game was over.  It was a 1-1 draw, so neither side seemed particularly upset.

But speaking of concerts, Hannover was one great place to go for them.  It also had great restaurants, museums, and other attractions.  As the map shows, we divided our travelogue on Hannover into three subchapters.  Although the Herrenhäuser Gardens is clearly unique and separate, there really is no 'dividing point' for the other two chapters as the Altstadt ("Old City") is not distinctly different from much of the rest of the downtown (which we called 'Innenstadt South & East').  Enjoy!

Subchapters in this travelogue:  [ Herrenhäuser Gardens ] [ Innenstadt S&E ] [ Historical Altstadt ]