Hannover Between Urban Forest, Gardens and Maschsee

Hannover offers a range of ways to spend your stay: paths through a large urban forest, activities on the water, and botanical and historical attractions. If you’re looking for a hotel in Hannover, it may help to decide first what particularly interests you during your trip. The destinations differ not only in theme, but also in the kind of visit they offer.

Urban Forest and Trails

The Eilenriede lies on the southeastern edge of the city centre and covers around 650 hectares. It is described as Europe’s largest urban forest. Around 80 kilometres of hiking trails, 38 kilometres of cycling paths and 11 kilometres of bridleways run through it. Of the three networks, the hiking trail network is the longest; cycling paths and bridleways form separate categories. This means different ways of getting around are represented within the same urban forest. For planning purposes, this distinction provides a starting point: depending on how you want to get around, you can consider hiking trails, cycling paths or bridleways.

Maschsee: Water and Activity

Sailing, canoeing and pedal boating are possible on Maschsee. Skaters and joggers can also make a circuit of the lake. This brings water activities and exercise around the lake together. Compared with the Eilenriede, Maschsee offers different options: here, you can choose between activities on the water and a lap around the lake, while the urban forest is divided into different types of trails.

Gardens and Plant Life

The Herrenhausen Gardens in Hannover, within the Hannover region, comprise the Great Garden, the Berggarten, the Georgengarten and the Welfengarten. In the Great Garden, the Great Fountain can reach a height of up to 72 metres when there is no wind. Calm conditions are required for the stated maximum height.

The Berggarten offers different botanical highlights. More than 200 different iris species and varieties bloom there from April to June. The rock garden, created in 1961, features alpine plants from around the world. These details provide different points of reference: April to June refers to the iris bloom, while 1961 refers to when the rock garden was established.

Herrenhausen Palace and Museum

Herrenhausen Palace was formerly the summer residence of the House of Welf. The exhibition “Four Carriages, One Kingdom. Hannover 1814–1866”, featuring the state carriages of the Welf rulers, is on display at the Museum Schloss Herrenhausen. The museum also houses valuable Baroque objects in its “Treasury”. The palace’s former role thus sits alongside specific exhibition and collection themes.

Finding Your Way Around Hannover

The Hannover Tourist Information Centre on Ernst-August-Platz is directly opposite the main railway station. It offers personal advice on attractions, city tours and events, as well as day trips in Hannover and the surrounding area. The services also include tickets, the HannoverCard, city maps and practical planning tips. If you’re planning visits in the city or trips to the surrounding area, you can get advice on both there.

Discover more destinations: Garbsen, Sehnde, Ronnenberg, Langenhagen, Neustadt am Rübenberge, Springe, Gehrden

Return to the overview of the region: Hannover Region.