Hanover
Hanover is a compact German city known for its Baroque Herrenhausen Gardens, its domed New Town Hall and its trade fairs, with fast train links to other German cities.
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Hanover is the capital of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. Its best-known sight is the Herrenhausen Gardens, a Baroque park that was once the summer residence of the rulers of the House of Hanover. In the center, you can climb the dome of the New Town Hall for a view over the rooftops. Much of the old center was rebuilt after World War II, so the city feels more modern than its name suggests.
Most visitors stay one or two days. Two days covers the main sights, and late spring through early fall suits the gardens and walking around the city. Trade fairs, led by the Hannover Messe, bring many business visitors on certain dates, so hotel rooms can be hard to find then. Check the fair calendar before you book. Hanover is also a major rail hub, which makes it easy to add to a trip between Hamburg, Berlin or Frankfurt.
Hanover in five
- Check the trade-fair dates before you bookHanover's big fairs fill hotels and lift rates across the city. Look up the Messe calendar and choose dates outside it, or book early if the fair is the reason for your trip.
- Ride the dome lift at the New Town HallAn inclined lift climbs inside the dome to a viewing platform over the Maschpark and the old town. Check the opening hours and tickets on the city's site.
- Follow the Red ThreadA painted red line on the pavement links the main sights on a walk of a few kilometers. Start at the station and end at the Maschsee or the gardens.
- Plan half a day for HerrenhausenThe baroque Great Garden, the Berggarten and the Georgengarten are reached by tram. Allow 2 to 3 hours and check the garden's opening season and fees.
- Use Hanover as a rail pivotICE trains reach Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt, often in 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Hildesheim, Celle and Wolfsburg are short regional trips.Central Germany travel guide
Things to do in Hanover
See all attractions in Hanover
Need to know
- Airport
- Hanover (HAJ), about 20 minutes by S-Bahn
- Getting there
- ICE: Hamburg about 1.3 hrs, Berlin about 1.7 hrs, Frankfurt about 2.5 hrs
- Getting around
- Stadtbahn trams and buses; center and Red Thread on foot
- Best base
- Near the Hauptbahnhof or the old town
- Time needed
- 1 day; 2 with Herrenhausen and a day trip
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Festival
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain15 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh5°Low1°Cold, greyJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 5°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 68 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, grey
- FebruaryRain12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh7°Low1°Cold, quietFebruaryRain
Poor
- High
- 7°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 64 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh10°Low2°Cool, springMarchPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 53 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, spring
- AprilPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh14°Low5°Mild, MesseAprilPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 43 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, Messe
- MayPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh18°Low9°Warm, long daysMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 49 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, long days
- JuneRain12 rainy daysHigh22°Low13°Warm, SchützenfestJuneRain
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, Schützenfest
- JulyPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh23°Low14°Warm, terracesJulyPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 75 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, terraces
- AugustPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh24°Low15°Warm, quietAugustPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 58 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, quiet
- SeptemberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh20°Low12°Mild, quietSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 53 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quiet
- OctoberRain13 rainy daysHigh15°Low9°Autumn colorOctoberRain
Mixed
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Autumn color
- NovemberRain12 rainy daysHigh9°Low4°Cold, darkNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 56 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, dark
- DecemberRain14 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low2°Christmas marketDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 6°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 68 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Christmas market
Average daily high and low in Hanover, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Festivals: Aug M'era Luna Festival
Right now in Hanover
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
8
- Feels like
- 7°
- Humidity
- 90%
- Wind
- 3 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 70%
Hanover
09:46 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today9°7°70%Monday: Rain. High 9°, Low 7°. Chance of rain 70%.
- Tue10°6°18%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 10°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 18%.
- Wed8°4°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu8°3°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri8°1°0%Friday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat5°2°3%Saturday: Cloudy. High 5°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 3%.
- Sun5°2°13%Sunday: Fog. High 5°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 13%.
Updated 09:23 PM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Coming up
Every year
- AugM'era Luna FestivalHanover
Before you go to Hanover
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Rules for Hanover, checked
- Non-EU visitors may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area, including Germany. Count your days before booking a long stay.Source
- Under the EU Entry/Exit System, non-EU visitors have their passport details and fingerprints recorded at the German border. Check its current status on the official EU travel site.Source
- Dial 110 for police and 112 for ambulance or fire in Germany. The number 112 works across the EU, so save both before you arrive.
- Bottles and cans often carry a deposit (Pfand) added to the bill. Keep the receipt and return the empties to the machines at supermarkets to get it back.
Plan around Hanover
Cities, coasts and castles
Read the guideCentral GermanyLink Hanover with Leipzig and the Harz
Read the guideFairy-Tale RoadGrimm towns south of Hanover
Read the guideBremenHanseatic city, about an hour north-west
Read the guideNorthern GermanyHamburg, Lübeck and the coasts
Read the guideIs a Eurail pass worth it?Point-to-point ICE fares or a pass
Read the guideHanover FAQ
Is Hanover worth visiting?
Yes, as a one-night stop on a rail trip. The Herrenhausen Gardens, the New Town Hall dome and the lake are a good half day. It is less compact than Bremen or Lübeck but strongly connected.
How many days do you need in Hanover?
One full day covers the Red Thread walk, the dome and the gardens. Two days let you add a museum and a day trip to Hildesheim, Celle or Bremen.
When is the best time to visit Hanover?
May to September for gardens and the lake. Avoid trade-fair dates if you want cheaper rooms, and check the Schützenfest dates if you want to join the largest shooting festival.
Is Hanover or Hamburg better for a short trip?
Hamburg has more sights and a harbor; Hanover is calmer, cheaper outside fairs and easier to combine with Bremen and the Harz. Choose Hamburg for a city break and Hanover for a rail stop.
How do you get from Hanover Airport to the center?
Take the S-Bahn line S5 from the airport to the main station in about 20 minutes. It runs roughly every 30 minutes and uses the city's fare zones.