Hanover City Guide - The Red Thread - the Neues Rathaus

The Red Thread (see Tours of the City), a 4km- (3-mile) red line painted onto the road, is a definitive walking route linking 36 city centre attractions, and is the most obvious way for new arrivals to experience the city for the first time.

More independent-minded visitors might wish to begin their own explorations from the Hauptbahnhof, under the equestrian statue - the city's favourite meeting place. From this busy plaza, a number of routes radiate out, although the most obvious is the Bahnhofstrasse, which leads up to another hub at Kröpcke, the city's central square, linked to Opernplatz and Georgsplatz by Georgstrasse, the main pedestrian thoroughfare.

To the west lies the Old Town, with interesting small shops, pubs and restaurants. The best surviving examples of half-timbered medieval architecture and street layout can be found in Marktplatz, whose highlights include the 15th-century Old Town Hall.

Characteristic north German red brick buildings include the 15th-century Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) and the Marktkirche (Market Church), both dating from the 14th century.

South of the Old Town, the Neues Rathaus (Town Hall) overlooks the Maschsee Lake. The baroque Herrenhäusen Gardens are a few kilometres to the west, while the Eilenriede (a forest within the city) lies beyond the main station to the east. The huge Messegelände convention and exhibition centre and the Expo 2000 site lie immediately to the southeast of the city.

Hanover's streets may not have the grandeur of those in Berlin or Munich, but one thing that brings them to life is the street art. The urban streetscape is enlivened by brightly coloured sculptures known as ‘nanas' (once mocked and now almost a symbol of Hanover), and a series of extravagant bus stops, created by international designers.