In Hannover, you can choose gardens and museums, trails through the urban forest, or activities on the water as different focuses for your stay. The Great Fountain in the Great Garden provides a striking highlight: in calm weather, it can shoot up to 72 metres high.

Gardens between history and botany

In the Hannover region, the Herrenhausen Gardens in Hannover comprise the Great Garden, the Berggarten, the Georgengarten and the Welfengarten. Herrenhausen Palace was once the Welfs’ summer residence. The exhibition “Four Carriages, One Kingdom: Hannover 1814–1866,” featuring the state carriages of the Welf rulers, is on display at the Herrenhausen Palace Museum; the museum also houses valuable Baroque-era objects in its “Treasury.”

The Berggarten has a botanical focus: more than 200 different iris species and varieties bloom there from April to June. The rock garden, created in 1961, showcases alpine plants from around the world. In the Hannover region, the Berggarten in Herrenhausen developed from a vegetable and propagation garden into a botanical garden. The gardens thus bring together the history of a former royal residence and a range of botanical themes.

Trails through the Eilenriede

The Eilenriede covers around 650 hectares and is described as Europe’s largest urban forest. It lies on the southeastern edge of Hannover city centre. The woodland has around 80 kilometres of hiking trails, 38 kilometres of cycling paths and 11 kilometres of bridleways. The figures distinguish between trail types, so when planning your visit you can first decide whether you want to hike, cycle or ride.

Activities at Maschsee

You can sail, canoe and pedal-boat on Maschsee. The lake can also be circled by skaters and joggers. These offer different ways to include Maschsee in your stay: activities on the water or a circuit around the lake.

Getting around and excursions in the Hannover region

The Hannover Tourist Information office is located on Ernst-August-Platz, directly opposite the main railway station. There, you can get personal advice about attractions, city tours, events and day trips in Hannover and the surrounding area. Admission tickets, the HannoverCard, city maps and practical planning tips are also available.

There are also other excursion destinations within the Hannover region. Bus routes 382 and 385 serve the entrance to the Springe Bison Enclosure and the Abzweig Wisentgehege stop, respectively. Check routes and timetables before travelling. At the Park of the Senses in Laatzen, the four elements—air, water, fire and earth—offer experiences that engage sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. In Mardorf, a state-recognised resort, a five-kilometre lakeside path invites you to take a walk.

Tailor your stay to suit you

When looking for a hotel in Hannover, you can first decide whether gardens and history, trails in the Eilenriede, or activities at Maschsee will shape your stay. If the iris bloom is important to your plans, take the April-to-June period into account.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Uetze, Wennigsen, Burgdorf, Wedemark, Dedenhausen, Gehrden, Langenhagen, Laatzen

Back to the main travel overview: Hannover region.