Things to do in Hanover
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Hanover
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months overall. Warm, Herrenhausen in full growth, fountains on and terrace life open, without the August crush.
Spring. Berggarten flower shows, asparagus season from April, the marathon and Hannover Messe hotel spikes.
Festival peak. Schützenfest and Maschseefest bring the most fun, crowds, noise and highest prices.
Autumn. Fireworks finale and Oktoberfest early on, then greyer, quieter and cheaper outside fair weeks, with kale season from first frost.
Christmas markets around the Marktkirche, Old Town and List make December a genuine weekend reason.
Worst time. Cold, dark and grey, gardens bare and lake life shut, unless a fair is the purpose.
What's on
- Hannover Messe Spring, late April or May depending on the year
Giant industrial fair that doubles or triples hotel prices. Avoid for leisure unless it is your industry.
- Hanover Marathon Spring
City centre course with road closures that morning.
- International Fireworks Competition Herrenhausen Several Saturday evenings, May to September
World class pyro teams competing over the baroque garden. Ticketed, book ahead.
- Fête de la Musique 21 June
Street music across the centre.
- Schützenfest Hannover Late June to early July, about 10 days
The world's largest marksmen's fair, with a huge funfair and the traditional parade through the centre.
- Maschseefest Late July to mid August, 19 days
Lower Saxony's largest lake festival, with food stalls, stages and boat life around the Maschsee shores.
- Hiroshima Peace Bell ringing, Aegidienkirche 6 August
Annual ringing of the Peace Bell donated by Hanover's twin city Hiroshima.
- Hanover Oktoberfest Late September to October
Large tent and funfair Oktoberfest on the Schützenplatz. Book tent tables for groups.
- Hanover Christmas Markets Late November to 22/23 December
Markets around the Marktkirche and Old Town plus the List market, handsome and less swamped than Nuremberg.
Best things to do in Hanover
Herrenhäuser Gärten
Baroque Great Garden, botanical Berggarten, palace museum and the Niki de Saint Phalle Grotto in one ensemble.
Neues Rathaus Hannover
Palace-like city hall with four city models and a curved dome lift to the best panorama in Hanover.
Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover
Themed worlds zoo with Yukon Bay, a Zambezi boat ride, Jungle Palace and a farm world for small children.
Maschsee
Large city lake with a 6 km loop for walking and cycling, cafes on the north shore and boats in season.
Sprengel Museum Hannover
Major modern art museum and the definitive place to see Hanover artist Kurt Schwitters, plus Picasso and Klee.
Altstadt Hannover
Compact reconstructed Old Town of half-timbered streets around the Marktkirche, best walked via the Red Thread.
Marktkirche Hannover
Fourteenth century brick Gothic landmark church in the Old Town, with tower climbs for a second great city view.
Aegidienkirche
Roofless war memorial church kept as a ruin, with the Hiroshima Peace Bell, quiet and moving in the centre.
Where to stay in Hanover
Mitte / Old Town & Opera quarter
first visit, all-round base
Walk to the Red Thread sights, Markthalle, New Town Hall and Maschsee, with the widest hotel choice.
Oststadt / List
character, cafes and a longer stay
Leafy Wilhelminian streets along Lister Meile to the Eilenriede, quieter and better for brunch than Mitte.
Linden
nightlife, food variety and budget-to-mid stays
The liveliest multicultural district, with the best cheap eats, bars, Faust and kiosk culture on Limmerstrasse.
Near the Messe / Laatzen & Döhren
fair trips only
Saves a cross-city trip if exhibiting, but suburban and quiet at night for leisure visitors.
Think twice about
- Hauptbahnhof fringe, Raschplatz and Hamburger Allee
Open drug use, street drinking and rough sleeping around the station rear and bus station make it the worst central base, especially late with luggage.
- Vahrenheide, Stöcken and Autobahn-junction hotel pockets
Not unsafe, just bleak, car oriented and far from everything, so a cheap room costs two trams and no evening neighbourhood.
Best restaurants in Hanover
Restaurant Jante
Hanover's two-star flagship, a small chef led tasting menu restaurant with a strong vegetable sensibility.
Ole Deele
One-star country inn in Großburgwedel serving refined regional cooking in a historic village setting.
Restaurant Gondel
Creative German fine dining opposite the Opera, with a splurge tasting menu and a strong value lunch menu.
Restaurant Basil
Mediterranean influenced modern cooking in the List, a local favourite for couples and small groups.
Meiers Lebenslust
Updated regional German cooking in the centre, with seasonal Lower Saxon produce, duck, asparagus and kale.
Restaurant Meteora
Authentic Greek taverna cooking with grills and seafood to share, hugely loved by locals and excellent value.
bona'me Hannover
Bright self service Turkish and Kurdish inspired kitchen on the Leine, the best cheap meal in the centre.
Brauhaus Ernst August
Old Town brewhouse pouring house Hannöversch beer with hearty food, tours and live music nights for groups.
Outdoor things to do in Hanover
Eilenriede
One of Europe's largest urban forests, with paved and gravel paths for cycling, running and Sunday walks.
Maschsee
Active lake day with pedalos, rowing and sailing hire in season, plus the 6 km loop for runs and rides.
Strandbad Maschsee
South shore lido with a sandy beach and guarded swimming, the summer swim pick inside the city.
Leinewelle
Standing river wave in the city centre for bookable surf sessions, with free viewing from the bank.
Steinhuder Meer
Lower Saxony's largest lake for sailing, beaches, a cycle loop and boat trips to the Wilhelmstein island fortress.
Schloss Marienburg
Neo-Gothic fairytale castle on a wooded hill south of Hanover, visited on guided tours when open.
Deister
Wooded ridge south west of the city for signed hiking and mountain bike trails, towers and forest inns.
Golfclub Hannover e.V.
The city's traditional top golf club, an 18 hole parkland course in the Leine meadows near Garbsen.
Best hotels in Hanover
Kastens Hotel Luisenhof
Hanover's grande dame five star by the Opera, with old school service and a serious restaurant and bar.
Sheraton Hannover Pelikan Hotel
Loft-like rooms in a converted Pelikan pen factory in the List, with gym, sauna and an on-site restaurant.
Central-Hotel Kaiserhof
Family run four star near the station's south side, soundproofed and reliably good value if booked early.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hannover Schweizerhof
Dependable international four star near the zoo side of Mitte, with family rooms and a good breakfast.
IntercityHotel Hannover Hauptbahnhof-Ost
Modern chain hotel on the east side, often with a local transport ticket included in the rate.
Hotel Amadeus
Well reviewed Linden base on Fössestrasse, the mid-range option for the district without a self check-in flat.
GästeResidenz PelikanViertel
Highly rated serviced residence in the Pelikan quarter with kitchens and space, strong for longer stays.
Bed'nBudget Expo-Hostel Hannover
Basic budget hostel on Hildesheimer Strasse, cheap and a fair season fallback when centre rooms sell out.
Is Hanover expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €120 a person |
| Splurge | €320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Herrenhäuser Gärten: a few days ahead
- Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover: a few days ahead
- Theater am Küchengarten: a few days ahead
- Maschsee: a few days ahead
- Leinewelle: a few days ahead
- Schloss Marienburg: a few days ahead
- Golfclub Hannover e.V.: a few days ahead
- Golf Gleidingen: a few days ahead
- Book Jante weeks ahead and Ole Deele and Gondel dinners days to weeks ahead, more in fair weeks.
- Book Herrenhausen combined tickets and zoo tickets online in peak summer and school holidays.
- The New Town Hall dome lift is first come and capacity limited. Arrive in the morning in summer.
- Book Leinewelle surf sessions, Maschsee boats and lakeside window tables ahead on summer weekends.
- Book all hotels the moment dates touch a major Messe, when prices can double or triple.
Is Hanover safe?
- Watch bags in the station and at festivals. Begging and visible drug use concentrate at the Hauptbahnhof and Raschplatz fringe.
- Fast bikes on shared Maschsee and Eilenriede paths and tram tracks in the centre are the everyday hazards.
- Tap water is excellent. Emergency number 112, police 110.
Hanover travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Expecting a big medieval old town. Hanover's Altstadt is a pleasant pocket, not a day, and the strengths are gardens, lake, forest and art.
- Georgstrasse and Kröpcke shopping is chains, not a sight. Use the Saturday flea market and Markthalle instead.
- SEA LIFE is small and child geared for adults. Use the same afternoon for the Berggarten or Sprengel.
- Staying by the Messe for leisure means commuting to everything. Base in Mitte, the List or Linden.
- The hop-on hop-off bus is poor value in a compact tram city unless you have about 100 spare minutes.
Getting around Hanover: public transport and more
- ÜSTRA Stadtbahn trams and buses cover everything, with Kröpcke and Hauptbahnhof as hubs and frequent late services.
- Walk the centre, Maschsee and Old Town triangle. Herrenhausen is a tram ride, not a walk.
- Cycling is practical on flat bike lanes and is the local way to do the Eilenriede and Maschsee.
- Hannover Hauptbahnhof has ICE trains to Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt and Munich. The airport is about 20 minutes by S-Bahn S5.
Who Hanover suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Hanover your trip
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