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> Germany > Niedersachsen
> Hannover > Herrenhäuser Gardens
Subchapters in this travelogue:
[ Herrenhäuser Gardens ] [ Innenstadt S&E ] [ Historical Altstadt ]
Because Germany had so many palaces and gardens, it was difficult to
pick a favorite. But one of the better ones was the Herrenhäuser
Gardens in northwest Hannover. Located only a few streetcar stops
from the downtown, Herrenhäuser (loosely meaning 'gentlemen's houses')
was a wonder, and most of it was open free to the public. It was comprised of
three different gardens, the beautifully sculpted and colorful Grosser Garten,
the marvelous hilltopped Berggarten, and the lake-riverwalk called Georgengarten.
We only visited the first two, but that was plenty enough to keep us occupied
for a half-day. Even though we visited in late winter, we still loved it. Here are the highlights.
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| The first five
shots were taken from the Grosser Garten. This was of the Galerie,
the main palace building, with the Grosses Partere ('largest part') in
front. This section was very definitely Baroque -- tiny sculpted
hedges in wild curlicue patterns, with glorious white Romanesque statues
dispersed. |
The designers of
the garden knew what they were doing, and provided a couple of platforms
for viewing. The first photograph was taken from the Probenbühne, a
three-meter high wall whose sole purpose was to be an observation deck from
the side. Right before the palace was the Kaskade, shown here from
the back, that was like bleachers from a high school football field.
It gave a clear view of the garden from the front. |
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| Those who enjoyed Baroque also
seemed to love mazes. Here's a high view of the Irrgarten, at the
park's northwest. Though it was see-through this time of year, when
the branches were filled in, this maze could be quite a challenge.
(Must try it sometime during the summer...!) |
Beyond the Grosses Partere
was a
row of four huge reflecting pools, beyond which was a set of twelve "Sondergartens".
The gardens were square and hidden by thick hedges. Each followed a theme,
one Rococo, one Baroque, one Neo-Classic, one Renaissance, one northern
German rosegarden... you get the idea. Believe this was the
Renaissance one. |
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| The most awe-inspiring part of
the garden was the Gartentheater. In this shot, we were standing in
the center of the seating area facing the long stage, bordered by these
classic golden Roman figurines. A very impressive scene. |
The Berggarten was across the main road from
the Galerie. Unlike the Grosses Garten, the Berggarten had a nominal
entrance fee. But this garten had a large number of exotic
greenhouses with cacti and tropical plants to care for, not to mention
whole fields of colorful flowers like these. |
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| The Berggarten had plots of land set aside
for particular flowers -- irises, violets, and others -- which looked like
nurseries. But this field was different. It was tucked away in
the center of the garden, and was called simply "Paradise".
The lush carpet of magenta running among the bushes was fantastic, not just
in its beauty but in its size! This was just a part of it. |
The only large structure in the Berggarten
was the mausoleum, shown here from the side to capture the field of blue
flowers surrounding it. Also nearby the mausoleum were decorative
hedges, ponds, and other small flower gardens. |
The Berggarten also had an event hall, the Regeinwaldhaus, that was carrying
an exhibition on Brazil the day we went and seemed to have a pretty full
calendar. Meanwhile, the Georgengarten was mostly lakes and walking paths
with a small old palace in the far southeast.
Herrenhäuser was clearly the pride of Hannover. Almost all the
postcards of the city showcased this magnificent garden. It rated as a
must see for anyone coming to the capital of Lower Saxony.
Subchapters in this travelogue:
[ Herrenhäuser Gardens ] [ Innenstadt S&E ] [ Historical Altstadt ]
Trips taken 27-28 March 2004 -- Page last
updated 19 October 2006 --
(C) 2004 Tom Galvin
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