Herrenhäuser Gärten

Top choice in Hanover


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 are considered one of the most important historic garden landscapes in Europe. Inspired by the gardens at Versailles, they're a great place to slow down and smell the roses for a couple of hours, especially on a blue-sky day. Two of the four gardens are free admission; visit the other two with a combination ticket.

The oldest, the Baroque Grosser Garten and Berggarten, have paid admission; Georgeangarten (George Garden) and Welfengarten (Guelph Garden) are free and open to the public day and night. An on-site museum recounts the history of the Hanoverian rulers who created the gardens. East of the Grosser Garten, beyond a small canal, the lake-dotted Georgengarten counts the Wilhelm Busch Museum among its treasures.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hanover attractions

1. Museum Schloss Herrenhäusen

0.04 MILES

The Schloss Herrenhäusen, an early-19th-century palace destroyed by bombing in 1943, reopened in 2013 after being spectacularly reconstructed to the…

2. Berggarten

0.19 MILES

The oldest botanical garden in Germany is redolent with a mind-boggling assortment of global flora – including glasshouses for orchids, cacti and tropical…

3. Grosser Garten

0.27 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…

4. Wasserspiele

0.32 MILES

A highlight in summer, the Wasserspiele are water fountains synchronised to do some spectacular spurting.

5. Wilhelm Busch Museum

0.62 MILES

Contains a wealth of caricature and cartoon art, including works by greats Busch, Honoré Daumier and William Hogarth, as well as British artist Ronald…

6. Kestner Gesellschaft

1.72 MILES

It’s always worth checking listings for the Kestner Gesellschaft. Founded in 1916 to bring innovative artworks from international artists to Hanover, the…

7. Die Nanas

1.85 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…

8. Ballhof

1.96 MILES

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…