the Old Town
In the days before the Second World War there was a large old town in the centre of Hannover with narrow lanes and many half-timbered buildings from the Middle Ages. A lot of poor people lived there under bad conditions. Ordinary Hannoverians stayed away from the old town because they also considered it a place of crime and demimonde. The historic value of the picturesque old buildings interested but a few.

The old town of Hannover extended from Steintor to Aegidientorplatz and is today only recognizable by its elliptical shape. The old main streets like Osterstraße, Schmiedestraße, Knochenhauerstraße, Burgstraße, Leinestraße and others are linked by numerous lanes and join again at the old gates as was common in German merchants' settlements in the Middle Ages. After the bombing raids of the Second World War there was almost nothing left of Hannover's old town. Forty old half-timbered buildings remained, twelve thereof in Knochenhauer-, Kramer- and Burgstraße. During the rebuilding of Hannover, parts of the old buildings, mainly the facades, were transferred and concentrated in this area. So today they form a "new old town" in Hannover's oldest part.

Hannover's oldest and most picturesque half-timbered building can be found amidst new buildings in upper Burgstraße. The Renaissance facade dates from 1566, the house at the back is even older. Close by, also amidst new buildings, there is Hannover's oldest church, the Kreuzkirche, built in 1333. The interieur was destroyed in the Second World War. The Altar, designed by Lucas Cranach the Elder, comes from a church in Einbeck. The Duvekapelle, adjacent to the Kreuzkirche, was built in 1655 and contains the family vault of the Duve family, a prosperous merchant family. The best-known member was Johann Duve, who was renowned for his charity.

Along Kreuzstraße the way leads to the Ballhofplatz. The Ballhof, built in 1649-64, used to be a sports hall, designed for ball games out of the wind and rain. Later it was used as an assembly hall and eventually became a theatre. The Ballhofplatz was only created in the thirties when during a redevelopment process many old buildings in that area were demolished. Opposite the City Museum, which was built in the sixties in an extravagant style, stands the reconstruction of the Leibnizhaus. It was a famous building with beautiful sandstone masonry. Originally built in Osterstraße in 1499, it was restored in 1652 and inhabited by the well-known philosopher Leibniz from 1676. It was destroyed in the Second World War.

The Leineschloß, today the parliament building for Niedersachsen's goverment, dates back to the 12th century. Originally it was a Franciscan convent which was dissolved in 1553. When the Duke of Calenberg took residence in Hannover in 1636 parts of the building were redecorated. In the 19th century after Hannover had become a kingdom, the whole Leineschloß was rebuilt by Hannover's noted architect Laves, who also built the portico with six Corinthian columns. In 1943, the Leineschloß burned out almost completely, only the portico remained.

City Centre
When you walk out of Hannover Central Station towards Ernst August Platz you are almost in the middle of Hannover's city centre. The centre is rather large for a city of half a million. It has grown over the centuries between the old town down by the river, the Aegidientor in the west, the Steintor in the east and the Central Station. The bomb raids of the Second World War turned most of the city centre into a large heap of rubble. Hardly an old building was spared. So most of the centre was rebuilt in the fashion of the fifties. The Bahnhofstraße, leading from the Central Station into the heart of th, e city is a "pedestrians only" shopping street on two levels: one can also walk along the "Passerelle" in the basement, built in the seventies. At the end of the Bahnhofstraße you reach "Kröpcke", the most central square in Hannover. It was named after a waiter who worked in (and later owned) the Café, which is now "Mövenpick". Here, next to the "Kröpcke Uhr", the big green clock, is the place where Hannoverians meet, if they dont' meet in front of the station under the horse's tail (of the monument of King Ernst August of Hannover).

At Kröpcke the Bahnhofstraße meets the Georgstraße, a boulevard named after one of the Hanovrian Kings of England. The Georgstraße opposite the opera house has exclusive shops only on one side and a lot of room for promenades. It is here like to meet on Sunday mornings in summer for their traditional "Schorsenbummel". The Georgstraße on the other side of Kröpcke is a pure shopping area with big stores. When you turn left at the Steintor (with the impressive "Anzeiger Hochhaus" built in 1927) you will reach the old town or what's left of it with a lot of interesting small shops, pubs and restaurants. Next to the "Marktkirche" (the largest of the three churches in the old town) there is the old town hall, both built in red bricks, a characterstic style of Northern Germany. Near the town hall is the market hall, built in the modest style of the fifties but well worth a visit. It offers an enomous variety of international delicacies.

If you want to do even more shopping and you've come an a Saturday, you're lucky! Walk through the old town past the Leineschloß and Leibnizhaus, where you come to the banks of the River Leine. It's there you find one of the biggest and oldest flea markets in Europe. And amidst all the market stands, the famous "Nanas", once mocked and now almost a symbol of Hannover.

Opera
The opera house was built in 1845-52 based on a plan drawn by Laves. Originally it served as the royal theatre, as the king considered the theatre in the Leineschloß too small. The new opera house is a classical style building with two large wings and a balcony with statues of famous poets and composers. The balcony used to be open so that visitors could drive straight to the entrance in their carriages. Nowadays they can use the stairs to the underground car park. Hannover's opera house was badly damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1948. In 1985 the acoustics were improved and between 1996 and 1998 the stage equipment was restored.
Address: Opernplatz 1, 30159 Hannover
Tel: +49 - 0511 / 168-46161/62

Old Town Hall
It was built over a period of more than 100 years. The earliest part (from 1410) overlooks the Schmiedestrasse (Blacksmith Street), the later wing next to the market was erected on the foundations of the 13th century trade hall. The adjacent wing in the Koebelinger Str. is called the "Chemists' Wing ("Apothekenflügel"), because it was the location of the Town Hall's pharmacy. This wing was later rebuilt in Italian Romanesque style, after a citizen's "action group" led by a well known neo-Gothic architect, Conrad Wilhelm Hase, managed to save the entire building from demolition in 1844. Hase was subsequently commissioned to renovate the remaining wings in their original style of 1500, with its exceptional gothic gables and the ornamental frieze. Amongst the portraits of the princes and coats-of-arms it features the "Luderziehen", a popular game from the Middle-Ages, a kind of "Tug of War" with the opponents using just their little fingers instead of the rope (a similar game called "Fingerhakeln" is still a firm part of the south German folklore).
Address: Köbelingerstraße, 30159 Hannover

New Town Hall
Many visitors are surprised to hear that this magnificent building they are standing in front of is, actually, the "new" townhall. It's size and grand architectural style make it look more "historical", like a relict from more majestic times, when Hannover used to be a kingdom. The townhall itself was, however, ceremonially opened on 20 June 1913, after twelve years building time. "And it is all paid in cash, your Majesty", as the then mayor of Hannover, Heinrich Tramm , proudly announced to the emperor Wilhelm II, present at the opening ceremony. The proud figure of ten million Mark was the amount the municipality was willing to pay for it's new splendid building, erected upon 6026 beech-tree piles. It was designed by the architects Eggert and Halmhuber. The new townhall is the residence of the mayor, the head of the municipal administration. It is here, that the political bodies hold their sessions, receptions for official guests of the city and art exhibitions are held, the "Citizen's Office" is also here. The doors of the Townhall are always wide open to all visitors. And the visit can be worthwhile, even though it is being heavily renovated right now. Four scale models of Hannover are on permanent display under the nearly four hundred metre high dome of the townhall lobby, showing the city as it was in the Middle Ages, before World War II , the destruction of 1945 and the townscape of today.

But there is more to see. The Hodler Hall, for instance, with it's monumental mural painting "Unanimity" by the Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler, depicting Hannover's conversion in the Reformation. Or the Mosaic Hall, where a procession of craftsmen is shown on three mosaic pictures, or the adjacent Ladies Hall with it's noble decor. The diagonal lift in the townhall's dome is unique in Europe. At a 15-degree angle it covers the 43 metres up to the gallery at the top of the dome. From this vantage point one can enjoy a marvellous view of the whole city, even as far as the Harz Mountains when weather conditions are good.

Bus no.131, 132 Aegidientorplatz; 120 Rathaus/Osterstraße;
Address: Trammplatz 2
Tel: +49-0511 / 168-42292
Admission=65 Mark for a guided tour

the Old Town
In the days before the Second World War there was a large old town in the centre of Hannover with narrow lanes and many half-timbered buildings from the Middle Ages. A lot of poor people lived there under bad conditions. Ordinary Hannoverians stayed away from the old town because they also considered it a place of crime and demimonde. The historic value of the picturesque old buildings interested but a few.

The old town of Hannover extended from Steintor to Aegidientorplatz and is today only recognizable by its elliptical shape. The old main streets like Osterstraße, Schmiedestraße, Knochenhauerstraße, Burgstraße, Leinestraße and others are linked by numerous lanes and join again at the old gates as was common in German merchants' settlements in the Middle Ages. After the bombing raids of the Second World War there was almost nothing left of Hannover's old town. Forty old half-timbered buildings remained, twelve thereof in Knochenhauer-, Kramer- and Burgstraße. During the rebuilding of Hannover, parts of the old buildings, mainly the facades, were transferred and concentrated in this area. So today they form a "new old town" in Hannover's oldest part.

Hannover's oldest and most picturesque half-timbered building can be found amidst new buildings in upper Burgstraße. The Renaissance facade dates from 1566, the house at the back is even older. Close by, also amidst new buildings, there is Hannover's oldest church, the Kreuzkirche, built in 1333. The interieur was destroyed in the Second World War. The Altar, designed by Lucas Cranach the Elder, comes from a church in Einbeck. The Duvekapelle, adjacent to the Kreuzkirche, was built in 1655 and contains the family vault of the Duve family, a prosperous merchant family. The best-known member was Johann Duve, who was renowned for his charity.

Along Kreuzstraße the way leads to the Ballhofplatz. The Ballhof, built in 1649-64, used to be a sports hall, designed for ball games out of the wind and rain. Later it was used as an assembly hall and eventually became a theatre. The Ballhofplatz was only created in the thirties when during a redevelopment process many old buildings in that area were demolished. Opposite the City Museum, which was built in the sixties in an extravagant style, stands the reconstruction of the Leibnizhaus. It was a famous building with beautiful sandstone masonry. Originally built in Osterstraße in 1499, it was restored in 1652 and inhabited by the well-known philosopher Leibniz from 1676. It was destroyed in the Second World War.

The Leineschloß, today the parliament building for Niedersachsen's goverment, dates back to the 12th century. Originally it was a Franciscan convent which was dissolved in 1553. When the Duke of Calenberg took residence in Hannover in 1636 parts of the building were redecorated. In the 19th century after Hannover had become a kingdom, the whole Leineschloß was rebuilt by Hannover's noted architect Laves, who also built the portico with six Corinthian columns. In 1943, the Leineschloß burned out almost completely, only the portico remained.

City Centre
When you walk out of Hannover Central Station towards Ernst August Platz you are almost in the middle of Hannover's city centre. The centre is rather large for a city of half a million. It has grown over the centuries between the old town down by the river, the Aegidientor in the west, the Steintor in the east and the Central Station. The bomb raids of the Second World War turned most of the city centre into a large heap of rubble. Hardly an old building was spared. So most of the centre was rebuilt in the fashion of the fifties. The Bahnhofstraße, leading from the Central Station into the heart of th, e city is a "pedestrians only" shopping street on two levels: one can also walk along the "Passerelle" in the basement, built in the seventies. At the end of the Bahnhofstraße you reach "Kröpcke", the most central square in Hannover. It was named after a waiter who worked in (and later owned) the Café, which is now "Mövenpick". Here, next to the "Kröpcke Uhr", the big green clock, is the place where Hannoverians meet, if they dont' meet in front of the station under the horse's tail (of the monument of King Ernst August of Hannover).

At Kröpcke the Bahnhofstraße meets the Georgstraße, a boulevard named after one of the Hanovrian Kings of England. The Georgstraße opposite the opera house has exclusive shops only on one side and a lot of room for promenades. It is here like to meet on Sunday mornings in summer for their traditional "Schorsenbummel". The Georgstraße on the other side of Kröpcke is a pure shopping area with big stores. When you turn left at the Steintor (with the impressive "Anzeiger Hochhaus" built in 1927) you will reach the old town or what's left of it with a lot of interesting small shops, pubs and restaurants. Next to the "Marktkirche" (the largest of the three churches in the old town) there is the old town hall, both built in red bricks, a characterstic style of Northern Germany. Near the town hall is the market hall, built in the modest style of the fifties but well worth a visit. It offers an enomous variety of international delicacies.

If you want to do even more shopping and you've come an a Saturday, you're lucky! Walk through the old town past the Leineschloß and Leibnizhaus, where you come to the banks of the River Leine. It's there you find one of the biggest and oldest flea markets in Europe. And amidst all the market stands, the famous "Nanas", once mocked and now almost a symbol of Hannover.

Opera
The opera house was built in 1845-52 based on a plan drawn by Laves. Originally it served as the royal theatre, as the king considered the theatre in the Leineschloß too small. The new opera house is a classical style building with two large wings and a balcony with statues of famous poets and composers. The balcony used to be open so that visitors could drive straight to the entrance in their carriages. Nowadays they can use the stairs to the underground car park. Hannover's opera house was badly damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1948. In 1985 the acoustics were improved and between 1996 and 1998 the stage equipment was restored.
Address: Opernplatz 1, 30159 Hannover
Tel: +49 - 0511 / 168-46161/62

Old Town Hall
It was built over a period of more than 100 years. The earliest part (from 1410) overlooks the Schmiedestrasse (Blacksmith Street), the later wing next to the market was erected on the foundations of the 13th century trade hall. The adjacent wing in the Koebelinger Str. is called the "Chemists' Wing ("Apothekenflügel"), because it was the location of the Town Hall's pharmacy. This wing was later rebuilt in Italian Romanesque style, after a citizen's "action group" led by a well known neo-Gothic architect, Conrad Wilhelm Hase, managed to save the entire building from demolition in 1844. Hase was subsequently commissioned to renovate the remaining wings in their original style of 1500, with its exceptional gothic gables and the ornamental frieze. Amongst the portraits of the princes and coats-of-arms it features the "Luderziehen", a popular game from the Middle-Ages, a kind of "Tug of War" with the opponents using just their little fingers instead of the rope (a similar game called "Fingerhakeln" is still a firm part of the south German folklore).
Address: Köbelingerstraße, 30159 Hannover

New Town Hall
Many visitors are surprised to hear that this magnificent building they are standing in front of is, actually, the "new" townhall. It's size and grand architectural style make it look more "historical", like a relict from more majestic times, when Hannover used to be a kingdom. The townhall itself was, however, ceremonially opened on 20 June 1913, after twelve years building time. "And it is all paid in cash, your Majesty", as the then mayor of Hannover, Heinrich Tramm , proudly announced to the emperor Wilhelm II, present at the opening ceremony. The proud figure of ten million Mark was the amount the municipality was willing to pay for it's new splendid building, erected upon 6026 beech-tree piles. It was designed by the architects Eggert and Halmhuber. The new townhall is the residence of the mayor, the head of the municipal administration. It is here, that the political bodies hold their sessions, receptions for official guests of the city and art exhibitions are held, the "Citizen's Office" is also here. The doors of the Townhall are always wide open to all visitors. And the visit can be worthwhile, even though it is being heavily renovated right now. Four scale models of Hannover are on permanent display under the nearly four hundred metre high dome of the townhall lobby, showing the city as it was in the Middle Ages, before World War II , the destruction of 1945 and the townscape of today.

But there is more to see. The Hodler Hall, for instance, with it's monumental mural painting "Unanimity" by the Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler, depicting Hannover's conversion in the Reformation. Or the Mosaic Hall, where a procession of craftsmen is shown on three mosaic pictures, or the adjacent Ladies Hall with it's noble decor. The diagonal lift in the townhall's dome is unique in Europe. At a 15-degree angle it covers the 43 metres up to the gallery at the top of the dome. From this vantage point one can enjoy a marvellous view of the whole city, even as far as the Harz Mountains when weather conditions are good.

Bus no.131, 132 Aegidientorplatz; 120 Rathaus/Osterstraße;
Address: Trammplatz 2
Tel: +49-0511 / 168-42292
Admission=65 Mark for a guided tour