Hanover (Hannover in German), the most northerly of our Top Ten German Cities for senior travellers, is often overlooked by tourists. Certainly its Old Town is limited in size having been only partly rebuilt after World War II, but its gardens are some of the finest in Germany and its central lake, the Maschsee, adds a great backdrop when exploring the city.
Old Town and Kreuzkirche
The Old Town has some striking half-timbered houses, Hanover’s oldest church, the 14th Century Kreuzkirche, the Old Town Hall and the completely rebuilt Leibnizhaus (where the Mathematician Leibniz lived).
Heading south from the Old Town took us past the imposing New Town Hall, a castle-like building with a massive dome, to the Maschsee.
This artificial lake in the centre of Hanover is a great place to stroll around and a good place to stop for refreshments at one of its many lakeside bars and restaurants.
The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, a few miles north of the centre, are made up of four separate gardens.
Herrenhausen Great Garden
The main garden is the carefully manicured, symmetrical, Baroque-style Great Garden. It has a water feature, the Grand Cascade, and an unusual Grotto decorated with colourful mosaics by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. However, we found the Berggarten, a botanical garden with over 12,000 plant species, to be more enjoyable to stroll around.
The other two gardens, the landscaped Georgengarten and the Welfengarten, which houses the University of Hanover’s main building, will have to await our next visit.
Accommodation
We can recommend the excellent Crowne Plaza Hannover. This IHG Hotel gives Senior Discount flexible rates which can save about 20%.
To access these special rates, Under 'Rate Preference' select 'Senior Discount'Click on 'Special Rates' select 'Senior Rate'.• See discounts also at Best Western, Marriott, Radisson, Ramada andAccor
• For a £5 discount on new membership, use code STEW05 on the Historic Houses website.
• To get a £15 National Trust gift card with membership by direct debit, click on National Trust.
Top Ten German Cities: Hanover
Hanover (Hannover in German), the most northerly of our Top Ten German Cities for senior travellers, is often overlooked by tourists. Certainly its Old Town is limited in size having been only partly rebuilt after World War II, but its gardens are some of the finest in Germany and its central lake, the Maschsee, adds a great backdrop when exploring the city.
The Old Town has some striking half-timbered houses, Hanover’s oldest church, the 14th Century Kreuzkirche, the Old Town Hall and the completely rebuilt Leibnizhaus (where the Mathematician Leibniz lived).
Heading south from the Old Town took us past the imposing New Town Hall, a castle-like building with a massive dome, to the Maschsee.
This artificial lake in the centre of Hanover is a great place to stroll around and a good place to stop for refreshments at one of its many lakeside bars and restaurants.
The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, a few miles north of the centre, are made up of four separate gardens.
The main garden is the carefully manicured, symmetrical, Baroque-style Great Garden. It has a water feature, the Grand Cascade, and an unusual Grotto decorated with colourful mosaics by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. However, we found the Berggarten, a botanical garden with over 12,000 plant species, to be more enjoyable to stroll around.
The other two gardens, the landscaped Georgengarten and the Welfengarten, which houses the University of Hanover’s main building, will have to await our next visit.
Accommodation
We can recommend the excellent Crowne Plaza Hannover. This IHG Hotel gives Senior Discount flexible rates which can save about 20%.
The other nine cities in our Top Ten list are: Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg and Passau.
Additional Photographs
POSTED 22nd FEBRUARY 2021 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON.