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Hanover (the German spelling is Hannover) is the capital city of the Federal State of Lower Saxony, formed in 1946.
A northern World Cup city
Hanover is the third most northerly of the 12 World Cup venues (after Hamburg, 100 miles due north, and Berlin, around 170 miles to the east and very slightly north).
Hanover's origins
The town grew from a medieval village on the banks of the River Leine and there is evidence of a market here dating from 950. |
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| The position of Lower Saxony |
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Duchy of Hanover
Hanover gained its town charter in 1241 and in 1636 the Duke of Calenberg moved his official residence to the well-fortified town. As a 'residence town', Hanover then flourished for two centuries. The buildings of this era still give the cityscape its character. These include the Leine Palace and the Opera House.
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| Hanover's Leine Palace |
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Kings of England
The Duke's descendants later became kings of England, with the first of these, George I, ascending to the throne in 1714. The personal union between England and the city ended in 1837, as William IV had no male heir.
Annexed by Prussia
Hanover continued as a kingdom in its own right until 1866, when it was annexed by Prussia.
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The new Hanover
In the Second World War much of Hanover's inner city was destroyed, and subsequent remodelling proved controversial, with a broad inner ring road leaving many parts of the city cut off from the centre. The city has more recently become famous as a venue for trade fairs, such as Expo 2000 and the CeBit consumer electronics show.
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| The Old Town Hall |
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| The New Town Hall |
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Hanover landmarks
Unlike many major European cities, Hanover does not have any one single dominant building, grand square or monument. Its main attractions consist of several outstanding parks (if you're into that sort of thing) and a few historic buildings dotted around the inner city area. Most of these can be visited on foot (see the city tourist office's virtual tour of Hanover).
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Some sights you may want to see:
For details of others, see the Hanover tourist office website, or |
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| Herrenhausen Gardens |
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| Hanover's Official World Cup website |
See also Expedia.co.uk for Hanover hotels, flights and rental cars .
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