Originally built for 17th-century games similar to badminton, the Ballhof (1649–64) was modernised inside in the 1970s and today serves as a venue for youth theatre and opera. It's located in the Altstadt (old town).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.96 MILES
Proof that Hanover is not all buttoned-down business are the grandiose Baroque Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, about 5km north of the city centre, which…
27.69 MILES
The Nazi-built camp at Bergen-Belsen began its existence in 1940 as a POW camp, but became a concentration camp after being taken over by the SS in 1943,…
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13.91 MILES
Perched grandly above the Leine River, the neo-Gothic Schloss Marienburg (built from 1858–67) was a present from Hanover's King George V to his wife Marie…
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0.69 MILES
The Sprengel Museum is held in extremely high esteem, both for the design of the building as well as for the art housed inside. Its huge interior spaces…
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0.4 MILES
An excellent way to get your bearings in Hanover is to visit the Neues Rathaus (built 1901–13) and ascend 98m in the curved elevator (the only one of its…
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17.91 MILES
This engaging museum showcases 1000 years of church history in the cloisters of World Heritage–listed Mariendom Cathedral. Its permanent exhibition From…
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1.82 MILES
The jewel in the crown of the Herrenhäuser Gärten is grand both in format and history, having been laid out as a Baroque garden in 1714 under the tutelage…
28.97 MILES
Some 11km southwest of Hamelin, in pretty parkland near the Emmer River, sits this stunning palace, built in the Italianate Weser Renaissance style…
Nearby Hanover attractions
1. Historische Museum Hannover
0.04 MILES
This museum of local history had just one exhibit hall open at research time; it's currently undergoing renovations for its permanent exhibits, due to…
0.06 MILES
Make a wish and turn the small brass ring embedded in the ironwork of this ornate 1896 fountain three times and – according to local legend – your wish…
0.06 MILES
The Renaissance facade of the Leibnizhaus is a reconstruction but the house was once the home of mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz …
0.11 MILES
The red-brick Gothic Marktkirche St Georgii et Jacobi (1349–59), located in the Market Sq, is Hanover's largest Lutheran church. Its foundations date back…
0.13 MILES
When these three earth-mama sculptures were first installed beside the Leine River in 1974, Hanover’s city fathers and mothers were inundated with nearly…
0.15 MILES
Much of it is a postwar fake, but the Altes Rathaus, begun in 1455, still has some original elements. Today it houses offices and a small restaurant.
0.32 MILES
Decorative arts through the ages are the focal point of the medium-sized Kestner Museum, where you’ll see everything from Bauhaus-style cutlery to an…
0.34 MILES
It’s always worth checking listings for the Kestner Gesellschaft. Founded in 1916 to bring innovative artworks from international artists to Hanover, the…