Y
esterday, the Queen became our longest-serving
monarch, overtaking the previous record holder, Queen Victoria. But did you know that if
Victoria had been born male instead of female, we could still be sharing our royal family with the German city of Hanover? After Queen Anne died
HANOVER Trace British
royal history in
this pocket-sized German city
@JoBooth_travel
childless in 1714, the next in line to the British throne was a member of the House of Hanover, George, who moved to London and reigned as George I. In fact, we transplanted four Hanoverian Georges and a William before Victoria came to the throne and the line split, as the Kingdom of Hanover would not acknowledge a female ruler. This shared history has
motivated many a Brit to visit Hanover, and there’s much
to recommend this northern German city, particularly to clients – probably of a certain age – who enjoy royal history and gardens, as it’s also home to Herrenhausen, one of the most famous and well-preserved baroque gardens in the world.
◗ DAY ONE 10.00: The tourist board has rather cleverly painted a red line on the city streets and following it will tour you around the highlights with no risk of getting lost. It starts at the tourist information office on Ernst- August-Platz, where you can pick up a booklet with information on the 36 points of interest along the path. After passing the grand Opera House, you’ll come to stop seven – a bombed-out church with ruined walls and no ceiling.
You wouldn’t know from most of the city today, but vast areas were destroyed by the Allies during the Second World War, and the Aegidienkirche stands as a monument. Pop inside to see the peace bell, cast in 1985 and presented to Hanover by its twin city, Hiroshima. 11.00: It’s also worth a longer stop at the New Town Hall, and not simply because it’s such a handsome baroque building. Go inside to see scale models of the city at different points in history – this really underlines the scale of the bombing – but also to ride to the top of the dome for the best views in town. It’s accessed by a one-of-a-kind lift that ascends the 43m up the dome at an angle of 17 degrees off vertical. 11.30: As the tour takes you along the riverbank, you won’t be able
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travelweekly.co.uk 10 September 2015
PICTURE: HTMG
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