Hanover!

Hanover in German, Hannover in English. I don’t get it. But I did enjoy the city!

One of our friends from Winston-Salem was forced to do research for two weeks in Germany (poor thing). So we just had to meet up with her!  Jason and I arrived in Hannover just after dark on a Friday night and went to dinner at his favorite place in town: HBX, a brew pub! After a lovely dinner of beer and a pike and salmon salad (for me), we headed out into the town. The first thing Jason showed me was the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall). Breathtaking. It is considered “new” as it was completed in 1913. The Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall) was used for city council meetings as early as 1303.

The next morning we got up fairly early to get to the airport to pick up Sarah. Our original plan was to meet her at the bus station within the airport, but we got there so early and found out how direct the path was from the train stop to her gate, that we just decided to meet her at the gate. We got money exchanged, luggage dropped off at the hotel, and headed out to see the city!

Our first stop was the Aegidienkirche (Aegidien Church), an old church that was bombed in WWII and not rebuilt, instead it was preserved as a memorial. You can see a lovely picture of it here, but I did not take many pictures since Jason had taken so many the first time he visited Hanover.

Clock tower on the church

Next up, the New City Hall in the daylight. Gorgeous! You can see from the pictures that it is absolutely stunning (and that I still haven’t figured out how to hold a camera straight). 

The best part is that you can go inside and see more! The building on the inside is beautiful, complete with spiral staircases and a beautiful dome. But in the foyer of the building is also a very solemn sight: four dioramas of Hanover. The first one, from 1689, shows a small town, surrounded by a brick wall.

Next up, 1939. The city is much larger and most of the wall around the city has been removed in order to allow the city to expand. You’ll also notice a field in the lower left corner, the Waterlooplatz, which contains the Waterloo Column, a statue commemorating the Battle of Waterloo.

And then devastation hit. Over 90% of Hannover was bombed during 88 bombing raids between 1939 and 1945. The picture speaks for itself.

Today, Hanover mostly has been rebuilt. The city is thriving and a wonderful place to visit if you get the chance.

We wandered away from the displays to see the rest of the building. 

From the somber foyer, we stepped out into sun and wandered around to the back of the City Hall. And of course, the back is as impressive as the front.

Behind the City Hall, you get the tiniest glimpse into why Hanover is called the City of Gardens. We probably saw four brides out in the garden behind the city hall having their pictures made (only one groom, though). The location and the weather were perfect for a bridal shoot.

Near the New City Hall is the city museum. It was way too pretty a day to spend it cooped up inside a museum, so we went on, but I snapped a picture first.

Like every city I’ve visited in Germany, there is a river running through the middle, so we stopped at the dam along the Leine River.

From there we wandered on, stopping at a flea market to haggle for a new stein, stopping to take pictures of the fountain in the Ballhofplatz (Ball Courtyard Place) and snickering at the name. So mature, I know.

We paused to take pictures of another intricate fountain before settling down at the outdoor tables of a bar for a beer.

Yes, that's a beer with a straw in it... and a shot of raspberry syrup.

And now that I was a tourist in Germany, I decided we had to have ice cream so I could take a picture of it! Don’t worry, we paused between beer and ice cream and dinner, but it sure didn’t feel that way. We spent the rest of the in the old town, but it appears that I didn’t take any pictures. I guess I’ll have to leave you with the ice cream!