#TravelThrowback Jalan-Jalan Hannover

 

Around this time in 2016, we landed in Hannover, Germany for the first time. Not exactly a top-of-mind destination, but I tagged along on my other half’s work trip 😁

Our hotel was near Hannover Hauptbahnhof, right in the city centre—super convenient for trains and trams, with plenty of shops and halal eateries around.


Since it was CeBIT week, my wife had arranged a special week-pass for the trains and trams, so getting around was easy. Interesting thing about the tram system there: no ticket turnstiles. You’re trusted to buy your own ticket before boarding.


On the first day itself, we visited the Herrenhausen Great Garden, a stunning 17th-century baroque garden and one of the finest in Europe. Entry was just €6.




For the next few days, while my wife was busy with work, I had time to explore the city on my own. One day the weather was simply magnificent (still cold though), so I returned to Herrenhausen and wandered around the adjacent Großer Garten. There was also SEA LIFE Hannover, but I decided to just lepak in the park and read my book instead.


Another easy way to see the sights was the hop-on, hop-off CityTour bus. In winter it only ran on certain days, but I managed to catch one. The €15 ride looped through eight stops—short, but enough to get my bearings around the city.


One must-visit is the New Town Hall Hannover. For €3, you can take the unique arched lift up to the observation platform. Slightly daunting if you’re not a fan of heights, but the views from the top are magnificent.


Inside, there are also scale models showing how the city evolved through the centuries. Hannover was heavily bombed during the World War II, so almost 90% of it had to be rebuilt.


Outside the town hall, the surrounding gardens were just as picture-perfect.


Overall, the days there were calm and relaxing—cool weather, plenty of cafés, and lots of wandering about. I also spent a fair bit of time shopping for some rare stuff for our little princess.


Food-wise, there were plenty of Middle Eastern kebab shops around. But after four or five days… bosan jugak makan kebab je 😅


One thing though: Germans are surprisingly friendly. Walk into any shop and you’ll hear an enthusiastic “Hulllooo!” I even managed to pass off as a local. The trick was simple—say “hullo”, buy something, then end with a confident “Danke!”


Danke, Hannover, for the memories!



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