World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Steinhuder Meer: Steinhuder Lake (website: www.steinhuder-meer.de), lies 30km (19 miles) northwest of Hanover, attracts watersports enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Day trippers can visit the 18th-century fort, Festung Wilhelmstein, located on an artificial island, via motorboat from either Mardorf or Steinhude. By car, the Steinhuder can be reached on the B441, or alternatively, by train from the Hauptbahnhof – the Niedersachsenticket costs 20 and is valid from 0900 to 1500 the next day, allowing travel on all transport modes of the GVH within Hanover as well as the German Railway with Niedersachsen.

Tourist Office Steinhude, Meerstrasse 2 (tel: (05033) 95010; fax: (05033) 950120; e-mail: info@naturpark-steinhuder-meer.de; website: www.naturpark-steinhuder-meer.de) provides further information.

Goslar: Easily accessible by train, 70km (44 miles) south from Hanover and boasting an enviable location on the edge of the Harz mountains, this 16th-century former mining town features picture-perfect half-timbered houses and winding streets. Highlights include the Kaiserpfalz (Imperial Palace), Kaiserbleek 6 (tel: (05321) 704 358 or 75780) and the art collection in the Mnchehaus (Monk’s House), Mnchehaus 3 (tel: (05321) 29570 or 4948). Kaiserpfalz is open daily 1000-1700 (1000-1600 during winter) and entrance costs 4. The Mnchehaus is open Tuesday-Saturday 1000-1700, Sunday 1000-1300 and entrance costs 2.50. Further information on Goslar can be found online (website: www.goslar.de and www.goslarinfo.de).

The Castle of Celle: Overlooking the picturesque old town of Celle, 35km (22 miles) north of Hanover, is its prominent Castle of Celle (tel: (05141) 12373). During the 18th century, the last duke, Georg Wilhelm, who enjoyed the arts, gave the castle the appearance that has been preserved until today. The walls were decorated in a Venetian style, the generous gardens were laid and the castle’s theatre was built. All of these features can still be admired by visitors today. Opening hours are daily 1000-1600 and admission is 2.50. The castle can be reached by car on the B3 or by train from the Hauptbahnhof. The Niedersachsenticket costs 20 and is valid from 0900 to 1500 the next day, allowing travel on all transport modes of the GVH within Hanover as well as the German Railway within Niedersachsen.

For a Whole Day

Hamburg: Less than a two-hour drive from Hanover, 135km (84 miles) north on the A7, Hamburg is one of Germany’s major urban centres, famous for its marine heritage, its progressive character and its trendy media industry. Sightseeing highlights include the harbour area, the infamous Reeperbahn and the Kunsthalle – a major collection of international art through the ages. ICE trains run to Hamburg from Hanover's Hauptbahnhof, taking just over an hour. The Niedersachsenticket costs 20 and is valid from 0900 to 1500 the next day, allowing travel on all transport modes of the GVH within Hanover as well as the German Railway within Niedersachsen and Hamburg, although the city is not within Niedersachsen – it is a city state, one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany in itself.

Hamburg Tourismus GmbH (tel: (040) 300 1500; e-mail: info@hamburg-tourismus.de; website: www.hamburg-tourism.de) is open daily 0700-2300 in the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) and provides further information.

Harz: The Harz Mountains, approximately 70km (44 miles) southeast of Hanover, offer an area of rugged, mist-shrouded upland, much of which remains remarkably unspoiled. Bad Harzburg, 95km (59 miles) southeast of Goslar, is the gateway to the Harz National Park (website: www.nationalpark-harz.de). The regional tourist office is located in Goslar, Marktstrasse 45 (tel: (05321) 34040; fax: (05321) 340 466; e-mail: harz.verkehrsverband@t-online.de; website: www.harzinfo.de) and provides further information. The area is accessible by train from Hanover (journey time – 1 hour 30 minutes).