Old Town

The historic half-timbered buildings in the Old Town are among the city’s most distinctive landmarks and grace the heart of the city. Here, visitors to Hannover can get a sense of the city’s history.

Around the Marktkirche and Old Town Hall

© HMTG

Hanover once had a large historic downtown area with half-timbered houses and narrow alleys, some of which dated back to the Middle Ages. However, the firestorms of World War II left no more than forty houses standing in the historic downtown. Twelve of these were located in the area around Knochenhauerstraße, Kramerstraße, and Burgstraße alone. In the late 1950s, it was decided to dismantle the remaining half-timbered houses scattered throughout the city and relocate them to this area. This created an old town district centered around the Marktkirche and the Old Town Hall, which, as a historic enclave, offers a good impression of what Hanover’s old town once looked like. Kramerstraße is also one of the city’s most popular shopping and strolling streets.

Wood Market

On Holzmarkt, very close to the Historical Museum, is a detailed replica of the Leibniz House, which was destroyed in the war. The original building was built in 1499 and renovated in 1652. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, probably the city's most famous son, lived in it for many years.

The oldest town house and the oldest church

On the back stretch of Burgstraße stands Hanover’s most beautiful and oldest townhouse, dating from 1566—featuring an elaborately decorated Renaissance façade and a rear building that is actually two years older. The Kreuzkirche is located nearby. Built in 1333, it is Hanover’s oldest church. The altar inside the Gothic church was designed by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1537. The attached Duve Chapel was commissioned by the Hanoverian merchant family Duve in 1655, after they had donated funds for the reconstruction of the spire. The Goldene Winkel neighborhood around the Kreuzkirche, with its uniform architecture, is considered one of the most idyllic residential areas in the city.

© HMTG

Ballhofplatz

Crossing Kreuzstraße brings you to Ballhofplatz. Built between 1649 and 1664, the Ballhof was originally a sports hall where the court could play badminton in all kinds of weather. It later became a meeting hall and is now used as the venue for the Junges Schauspiel Hannover. The Ballhof is the most beautiful secular building in Hannover.

© HMTG

The square of the same name, with its fountain, is considered one of the most tranquil spots in the Old Town. Here you’ll find cafés, bars, and restaurants with numerous outdoor seating areas from which you can enjoy the view of the beautiful square—or the water feature with its three hollow spheres in the Ballhof Fountain, created in 1975 by the Munich sculptor Helmut Otto Schön. In addition, Ballhofplatz serves as a stage for jazz and tango several times a year.

Leineschloss: Seat of the Lower Saxony State Parliament

© HMTG

Leineschloss, now the seat of the Lower Saxony State Parliament and formerly a royal residence, traces its origins to a Franciscan monastery founded in the 12th century, which was dissolved in 1533. After the Duke of Calenberg chose Hannover as his residence in 1636, the northwest wing of the palace was renovated in 1742. The remaining parts are based on designs by the architect Georg Friedrich Laves, who was very active in Hannover and completely rebuilt the palace between 1816 and 1844.

This includes the imposing Neoclassical portico on Leinstraße, featuring six Corinthian columns and a flat triangular pediment bearing the coat of arms of the state of Lower Saxony. The Leine side of the palace, with its three stories and mansard roof, has a more Baroque appearance. After being destroyed in World War II, the Leine Palace was rebuilt between 1956 and 1962, and the south wing was replaced by a modern plenary hall extension.