Hanover City Guide
Image by Thomas Wolf via wikidata

Germany

Hanover City Guide

Lower Saxony

Hanover is the capital of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It's known for large green spaces like the Herrenhausen Gardens and its active trade fair scene. The city combines urban life with nature, offering good transport and a welcoming vibe for travelers and remote workers.

Lifestyle🍽️

🍽️
Food Scene
Good
7

You can find traditional German dishes and international food like Italian and Asian. Vegetarian and vegan options are common in the city center. Late-night food is available around entertainment areas.

Local Dishes:
Lüttje Lage, Hearty German dishes
International Cuisine:
Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern
Vegan FriendlyVegetarian Friendly
🌙
Nightlife
Good
7

Nightlife centers on Steintor and Linden with various bars, pubs, and clubs.

Coffee Culture
Good
7

Growing coffee culture with traditional and specialty coffee shops.

💰
Tipping
Not Required

Tipping is customary but not required. Round up or add 5-10% in restaurants. Taxi tips are small and appreciated.

Top Attractions
Herrenhausen Gardens
Nature
Large Baroque gardens.
New Town Hall
Historic
Historic building with a unique viewing lift.
Maschsee
Nature
Artificial lake offering recreation.
Sprengel Museum
Museum
Modern art museum.
Old Town
Historic
Historic district with shops and cafes.
Steinhuder Meer
Nature
Large lake for recreation, under 1 hour away.
Marienburg Castle
Historic
Gothic revival castle nearby.
SIM Cards

SIM cards are sold at Telekom, Vodafone, O2 stores, and some supermarkets. Registration with ID/passport is required. Telekom and Vodafone have best coverage; O2 is cheaper.

Available at:
Telekom
Vodafone
O2
MediaMarkt
Saturn
Recommended Apps
GVH FahrPlan & Tickets(Transport)
DB Navigator(Transport)
Lieferando(Food)
Google Maps(Navigation)
Deepl/Google Translate(Utility)
Moovit(Transport)
Free Now(Transport)
Too Good To Go(Food)

Services & Infrastructure

Street Cleanliness
Excellent
8

City is generally clean with good waste management and public sanitation.

24/7 Services
Good
6

Some emergency pharmacy services, 24/7 gas station shops, and late-night food options exist, but it's limited.

Groceries
Edeka
Rewe
Aldi
Lidl
Netto

Main supermarkets like Edeka, Rewe, Aldi, Lidl, and Netto are around. Fresh markets like Wochenmarkt offer local produce. Most stores close on Sundays.

Cashless Payments
Widely accepted

Card payments work in most supermarkets and bigger stores. Small shops and bakeries may prefer cash, so having some on hand helps.

ATMs

ATMs from Sparkasse, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, and Volksbank are common. Use major bank ATMs to avoid fees on foreign cards.

Schools
International

International School Hannover Region offers English curriculum. Local German schools are also available.

Available Schools:
International School Hannover Region

Work & Digital💻

Coworking Spaces
Available
7
Available Spaces:
Hafven
Large co-working and maker space with community events.
CoWorking Space Hannover
Flexible desks and private offices.
Coworking 0511
Offers desks and office solutions.
Work-Friendly Cafés
Good
Coffee-Fellows
Multiple locations with Wi-Fi and seating.
Extrablatt
Multiple locations with work-friendly vibe.
Teestübchen im Ballhof
Quiet café with Wi-Fi.
Café Glocksee
Comfortable spot to work with Wi-Fi.
Mezzo
Cozy café with good coffee and Wi-Fi.
Alternatives:
Stadtbibliothek Hannover
City library with quiet areas and Wi-Fi.
Hotel lobbies
Some larger hotels offer Wi-Fi and seating.
Leibniz University Library
Library with guest access and Wi-Fi.
Digital Nomad Community
Limited
4

Small but growing digital nomad community. Meetups happen at co-working spaces or online.

Nature & Activities🌿

Green Spaces
Excellent
9

Extensive green spaces like Herrenhausen Gardens, Eilenriede forest, and Maschsee offer outdoor activities.

Running
Excellent
9

Popular running routes in Eilenriede forest and around Maschsee. Running groups are active.

Gyms
Available

Various gyms cater to different fitness needs.

Available Gyms:
Fitness First
McFIT
John Reed Fitness
FitX
Pfitzenmeier
Tennis
Good
7

Many tennis clubs with courts and some guest access.

Padel
Poor
3

Padel courts are limited but starting to appear.

Yoga
Good
7

Many yoga studios offer various styles with some English-speaking instructors.

Martial Arts
Good
7

Various dojos offer Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, BJJ, and Boxing with English-speaking instructors.

Skiing
Poor
3

Small ski areas in the Harz Mountains about 1.5-2 hours away offer beginner slopes.

Water Sports
Good
7

Maschsee lake offers paddleboarding, rowing, sailing, and pedal boating with rental options.

Surfing
Poor
1

No ocean surfing nearby, only artificial or river spots far away.

Diving
Poor
1

No diving spots in Hanover; some lakes in the region but not common.

Health & Safety🏥

Healthcare
Excellent
9

High-quality hospitals like Hannover Medical School and Henriettenstift offer care. Many staff speak English. Pharmacies (Apotheke) have clear signs and emergency services.

Hospitals:
Hannover Medical School
Henriettenstift
Pharmacies:
Various local Apotheke
Tap Water Safety
Safe to drink

Tap water is safe and clean. You can drink it straight from the tap.

Common Scams
Pickpocketing in crowded areas, Inflated taxi fares, Unsolicited offers asking for personal info

Community & Family

Family Friendly
Excellent
8

Many playgrounds, kid-friendly cafes, and attractions like Hanover Adventure Zoo and Eilenriede forest playgrounds.

LGBTQ+ Friendly
Excellent
8

Generally safe and accepting city with LGBTQ+ friendly venues and legal protections.

Pet Friendly
Good
7

Pet-friendly city with parks allowing dogs on leashes. Vet services and pet shops are common.

Communities
Hannover International Community (Expat)
Expats in Hannover (Expat)
Hannover Events (Events)
Meetup.com Hanover groups (Social)
Toytown Germany Hannover forum (Social)

Quick Facts

Population
548,186
Power Reliability
Excellent
10/10

Power in Hanover is very reliable with almost no outages. The grid is modern and well maintained.

Languages
German(100%)
English(65%)
Emergency
110
Police
112
Fire/Ambulance
116117
Non-emergency medical

⚠️Natural Disasters Risk

🌊
Tsunami
Very Low Risk
1
🏔️
Earthquake
Very Low Risk
1

🌦️Seasonal Issues

Extreme heat
July, August
Heat can spike in summer but usually manageable.
Winter cold and grey
December, January, February
Cold winters with occasional snow.

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