november-2012

u BCN BSL BRS HAJ MRS OSL PRG BMA TLV TRN
hannover
germany
81,305,856
Euro (EUR)
+49 4°C
three times daily
James Stewart
beat the Christmas crowds and take in some
culture, bar-hopping and shopping
CITY CENTRE
The heart of Hannover is a blend
of broad shopping streets and
half-timbered courtyards, while
the culture here comes in clubs
as well as opera houses.
SLEEP For stylish retro decor at
modest prices, head to the friendly
City Hotel am Thielenplatz
(2 Thielenplatz, (0)511 327 691,
smartcityhotel.com; rooms from €79).
The Sheraton Pelikan (31 Pelikanplatz,
(0)511 90930, sheraton.de/hannover,
rooms from €130), meanwhile, is
the executive’s choice: occupying
the former Pelikan fountain pen
factory, it offers streamlined style,
immaculate service and the best
hotel gym in town.
EAT With its snug interior and olive
green-painted panelling, Teestübchen
(2 Ballhofplatz, (0)511 363 1682)
is perfect for afternoon tea. For
serious dining there’s Leonardo
(6 Sophienstrasse, (0)511 321 033),
where chef Carmelo Beradinelli serves
a refined Italianate menu. Besitos
(4 Goseriede, (0)511 169 8001) is a
courtyard joint that segues from
Spanish restaurant to hipsters’
cocktail bar – a good warm-up for
a night out in the Steintor district.
LATER Ticket prices remain pleasingly
affordable at Hannover’s magnificent
Opera House (Opernplatz 1), whose
November programme includes
INFO
Hannover
Langenhagen
airport is 10km
north of the centre.
Bus
The 470 runs to
Langenhagen
Zentrum station
every half hour. It’s a
40-minute journey
and costs €2.30.
Train
The S5 runs
half-hourly from
4.30am-midnight,
costs €3 and takes
20 minutes.
Taxi
A journey to the
centre will cost
€25-€30, and takes
about 20 minutes.
Tourist info
Ernst-August Platz,
(0)511 1234 5111,
hannover.de
performances of Madame Butterfly
and The Barber of Seville. HeimW
(6 Theaterstrasse) is a stylish café
to enjoy a bite to eat beforehand, while
Oscar’s (54 Georgstrasse) is the place
for a classy cocktail afterwards. For
boozy bar-hopping, the Steintor is
a grungy mix of straight, gay and
sleazy strip bars: Eve Klub (3-4
Reuterstrasse) generally attracts
a pretension-free party crowd.
TIP Serving grilled sausages,
freshly baked pretzels and beer
by the half-litre, Lister Turm (100
Walderseestrasse) is every inch the
classic beer garden, with an historic
hall for rainy days. It’s a kilometre’s
walk north of the central train station
via pedestrianised Lister Meile;
alternatively, trams 3, 7 and 9 run
to Lister Platz.
NORTH-WEST
The hippest neighbourhood in
town, Linden-Nord is a multicultural
village of independent shops and
restaurants, with a cosy bar located
on every corner.
EAT For lunch on the go, join the
locals at the noisy, bustling Street
Kitchen (26 Limmerstrasse), which
serves Vietnamese dishes at bargain
prices: not just noodles, but Hanoistyle
stuffed betel leaves and coconut
curries from Saigon. For a slower-paced
lunch head for café-bar Vogelfrei (22
Check out the autumn
programme at the city’s
Opera House
Elisenstrasse, (0)511 5686 8338),
where modern German dishes,
pastas and curries cost under €10.
SHOP The eclectic line-up along
Limmerstrasse includes hip interiors
boutiques, scruffy vintage outlets
and oddities such as Pfefferhaus
(16 Limmerstrasse), which sells
chilli-infused chocolate, rocket-fuel
sauces and the world’s hottest chilli,
the naga jolokia. South of the strip,
UVR Connected (8 Davenstedter
Strasse) stocks everyday cool
clobber for him and her.
LATER The pubs and bars that dot
Limmerstrasse and the chequerboard
of streets north of Linden-Nord keep
going into the small hours at the
weekends: start at the junction with
Kotnerholzweg and see where the
night takes you. The scruffy, studenty
Café Glocksee (35 Glockseestrasse)
has a playlist that swings from midweek
rock to weekend mash-ups of dubstep
and techno. But the beating heart of
Hannover’s cultural underground is
Faust (3 Zur Bettfedernfabrik), an
old factory complex which hosts
a lively line-up of gigs, DJ sets and
arty events.
TIP The Apollo Kino (50
Limmerstrasse) is one of the oldest
cinemas in Germany, having opened
pre-talkies in 1908. Left-field current
and classic releases, plus bargain
weekend matinées, are shown in the
sweetly old-fashioned auditorium.
84 november 2012
FLY TO hannover three times daily. brusselsairlines.com
ALAMY