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Excursion destination
Tiergarten
Tiergarten
About the Tiergarten
The 112-hectare recreational forest attracts numerous visitors at any time of year with its wildlife.
The zoo owes its existence to Duke Johann Friedrich, who had it laid out in 1678–79 for court hunts. At that time, 120 fallow deer were released into the park. However, the duke did not live to see the first court hunt in 1680; he died a year earlier while traveling in Italy.
The Tiergarten has been open to the public since 1799. To this day, the fallow deer population in the Tiergarten has remained stable.
From the very beginning, the focus has been on hunting, wildlife, traditional silvicultural practices (pasture forests, selective cutting), and forest aesthetics—rather than on timber production geared solely toward yield, as is the case in many other forests. This has allowed old-growth stands to develop, which today play a crucial role in making the Tiergarten home to forest landscapes of rare beauty and expressiveness.
In addition to fallow deer, the Tiergarten is now home primarily to wild boars and roe deer. Since 1997, the former wild horse enclosure has been home to 10 to 20 red deer. In 2022, a small herd of mouflon moved in. The Tiergarten is also a habitat for numerous bird species and rare bats.
A special highlight, especially for young visitors and families, is the Tiergartenfest, which takes place every year on the second weekend in October. This is the forestry department’s way of thanking the children for collecting acorns and chestnuts, which are fed to the animals in winter.
Opening hours
The Tiergarten is open to visitors daily from 7 a.m. until nightfall. From November 3 through mid-December, the Tiergarten will open its gates at noon on Mondays through Wednesdays. On all other days—Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends—visitors can enjoy the Tiergarten as usual from 7 a.m. until dusk.
The Department of Environment and Urban Greenery has published a brochure about the Tiergarten, which is also available for download here as a PDF file.
As part of the "Green Hannover" program, guided tours of the grounds are held every year.
The park rules apply at the Tiergarten: according to these rules, dogs and bicycles are not allowed on the grounds.
Three new puzzle tours
As part of the “700 Years of Garden Culture” anniversary celebration, the city is offering three new digital puzzle tours along the Üstra “Garden Line” at the Stöcken City Cemetery, Tiergarten Hannover, and Maschpark:
Join us
Three new digital puzzle tours along ÜSTRA’s “Garden Line”
The free "Actionbound" app, a smartphone and a bit of time and desire - that's all you need to get to know new or familiar places. How...
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Fitness for all
Fitness Tiergarten (Kirchrode)
A new fitness trail was installed in the summer of 2012 at the main entrance to the Tiergarten, right next to the children's playground.
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The Wild Tiergarten
As part of its "NaturNah" series, NDR aired a segment on the Tiergarten Hannover on April 9.
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Hannover in the Fall
Collecting acorns and chestnuts for the Tiergartenfest in the Tiergarten
As the first leaves fall, the dull-brown acorns and mahogany-colored chestnuts also fall in abundance from the trees, which are slowly preparing for the approaching autumn...
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In the city and region
Historic parks
From Baroque gardens to landscape gardens: there’s plenty to discover in Hannover.
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