Sunrises and sunsets

Beach Life

The beach bar on the small headland at the confluence of the Ihme and Leine rivers is a real hotspot for sunbathers in the summer.

People sitting in beach chairs by a river with a view of a bridge — View of the Dornröschen Bridge from the Strandleben

You can relax in the hammocks and lounge chairs on the beach, sink your toes into the sand with a sundowner, or let your feet dangle in the water and just do nothing. It’s that vacation feeling right in the heart of the city! And the sunset behind the Dornröschen Bridge is one of the most beautiful in the city anyway!

Hannover's "Strandperle" on Fährmannsinsel

The lively Strandperle, part of the Spandau Project, is also very popular during the day, especially among young families from Linden and Nordstadt. In 2005, an artificial beach was created on the so-called Fährmannsinsel; since then, the little ones have been able to dig in the sand undisturbed while the grown-ups enjoy the blazing sun in deck chairs or go for a swim in the cool waters of the Ihme and Leine rivers. If you’re thirsty or hungry, you can grab a hot snack and ice-cold drinks at fair prices from the self-service counter in the bright red bar container. By the way: children’s toys can be borrowed at the bar—and from May through September, so-called stand-up paddle (SUP) boards as well. “Strandleben” collaborates with the Institute of Sports Science at Leibniz University and University Sports Hannover; students can rent the boards at half price. Additionally, SUP courses are offered on summer weekends, and since May 2018, there have also been affordable group rates for 8 to 24 people.

Sleeping Beauty and her bridge

From this prime vantage point overlooking beach life, the view stretches straight west across the Leine River to the Dornröschenbrücke, which sometimes serves as a stage for the occasional spectacle. The Dornröschenbrücke owes its fairy-tale name to a popular garden restaurant located a little further downstream. However, it became famous throughout the city for the traditional vegetable battles between residents of Linden and Nordstadt, who first threw rotten tomatoes and horse manure at each other on a Saturday in September 2003—initially out of pure local patriotism and later just for fun. To this day, the residents of Linden and Nordstadt meet for this messy duel on the Dornröschenbrücke, which has connected the two Hannover neighborhoods since 1959 and where, on warm summer evenings, residents from both neighborhoods harmoniously and peacefully enjoy the photogenic sunset over their neighborhood.

Life-size papier-mâché cars hang under a bridge

Bridges in Hannover

Ten bridges in Hannover you simply must walk across

Bridges connect people all over the world—and, of course, in Hannover as well. And they do so in many different ways: sometimes in very practical ways, like pedestrian bridges...

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