Sunrises and sunsets

Kronsberg

Young, pretty and carefree, the sun blinks through the leaves of the trees at the edge of the path and makes the landscape below it glow, the still shady path on the narrow hill literally bends towards the beautiful blonde in the sky and then seems to lose itself in the damp green of the surrounding meadows.

It is summer, and it is early and peaceful. Anyone who sets out now in the morning dew to reach this enchanting spot—passing through blossoming pastures and forests and encountering wondrous sights along the southern slope of the Kronsberg—is already following, with every step, the soothing motto for the day ahead: The journey is the destination.

A mountain, three gardens and a whale in the middle of the countryside

The Kronsberg is the highest natural elevation in and around Hannover. In reality, it is merely a nearly six-kilometer-long ridge of limestone marl that rises 118 meters above sea level on the southeastern outskirts of the city, between the Fairground and the Bockmerholz—though only thanks to the artificially constructed, twelve-meter-high observation hill at the original summit of the Kronsberg. From up there, you can also get a great view of the three distinctively designed parks on the southwest slope of the Kronsberg, which were created by Berlin landscape architect Kamel Louafi for the EXPO 2000 World’s Fair. Especially after sunrise, when everything is still quiet, it’s worth visiting the 50-meter-wide and 750-meter-long “Gardens in Transition” with their shifting colors and shapes. Much more expansive is the 24-hectare “Parc Agricole,” which stretches eastward from the garden belt to the “Grüner Ring” cycling path and has created new habitats for rare animal and plant species through nature-friendly maintenance. Finally, the 20-hectare EXPO-Park Süd offers art in the great outdoors that is well worth seeing and experiencing, featuring the four Sky Towers and the EXPO Whale by the lake amidst expansive landscapes.

Recreational destinations

The Expo Gardens on Kronsberg

The Expo Gardens – Gardens in Transition, Expo Park South, and Parc Agricole.

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On the way to the place of inner peace

The whale-shaped pavilion, entirely enclosed by glass, served as the official landmark of Expo 2000 in Hannover and is now used as an event venue for conferences, weddings, and celebrations for up to 1,000 people. The steel fin of the striking roof structure juts out over the small, triangular lake in front of it, which is fed by rainwater; along its curved shoreline lies a terraced water garden, a viewing pier shaped like a ship’s bow, and the four sky towers on a grass-covered hill.

Anyone strolling across the bridge by the lake with the Expo whale at dawn from the “Gardens in Transition” is well on their way to experiencing what may be the most peaceful hours of the day. Usually, there are only a few early risers out walking their dogs. On the narrow plateau of the artificially built embankment on the left side behind the lake, however, hardly anyone ventures out at this magical hour, to enjoy the sunrise over the avenues and meadows in Expo Park South and the forests beyond from the seating area—seemingly created especially for this occasion—on one of the massive stone objects made of black olivine diabase, in complete peace and serenity, and to be at one with oneself and nature.

Place of interest

Expowal

The official emblem of EXPO 2000.

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