The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen

De Grote Gaarn is one of the best-preserved and most significant Baroque orchestras in Europe. In 2015, the Herrenhäuser Orchestra was awarded the European Orchestra Prize!

The Great Gaarn

The founding of the Grote Gaarn in 1666 is attributed to Johann Friedrich, Duke of Calenberg. However, its subsequent expansion is owed to a remarkable woman: Sophie von der Pfalz, Electress of Hanover. At the end of the 17th century, she had the maze modeled after French examples and made it her life’s work. The result was a masterpiece of Baroque garden art featuring numerous special and patterned gardens, large fountains, water features, a maze, an open-air theater, various groups of statues, a cascade, a castle, a gallery building, and an orangery.

Today, the Grote Gaarn is one of Hanover’s main attractions and draws around half a million visitors each year. The city celebrates this gem with yarn festivals, theater performances, and the International Yarn Competition during the summer months.

© Hassan Mahramzadeh

Herrenhausen Palace - Conference Center and Museum

Herrenhausen Palace was rebuilt in 2013. During World War II, the palace was destroyed, and it was rebuilt on its original site approximately 70 years after its destruction.

Today, the restored summer residence of the House of Welf serves as an architectural landmark. The castle houses a conference center designed to meet the highest standards and a museum.

© HMTG

The Berggarten

To the north of the Grote Gaarn lies the Berggarten. Originally, it was a working garden for the royal court, but it was later converted into an ornamental botanical garden. Today, visitors can admire around 11,000 plant species there. In the exhibition halls, visitors can discover not only Europe’s largest orchid collection but also impressive cacti and a magnificent display of flowers throughout the year. In the grounds of the Berggarten lies the mausoleum designed by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves, where members of the Hanoverian royal family have found their final resting place.

© HMTG

The Georgengaarn

From downtown Hannover, you can reach the Grote Gaarn not only by car or tram, but also via the Georgengaarn. This ideal landscape, designed by court gardener Christian Schaumburg after the English model, stretches to the left and right of the two-kilometer-long avenue of Linden and connects the city center with the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen. With its groups of trees, green spaces, views, and quiet corners, the Georgengarten perfectly complements the Baroque Grote Garten and the Berggarten. The Georgengarten

© HMTG