Hanover

Following the Roter Faden, then a day in the Herrenhausen Gardens

Two days in Hanover cover the old centre and the baroque gardens. On day one follow the Roter Faden, a red line on the pavement, from the Hauptbahnhof past the Marktkirche to the New Town Hall and the Maschsee; on day two take the Stadtbahn to the Herrenhausen Gardens and the Berggarten.

Day one, morning. Pick up the Roter Faden outside the tourist office by the Hauptbahnhof and follow the red line south. It passes the Opera House and Kröpcke, then reaches the brick Gothic Marktkirche and the Altes Rathaus. In the lanes behind, Kramerstraße and Burgstraße hold the rebuilt half-timbered houses.

Afternoon. Keep following the line to the Leibnizufer for the Nanas, then cross to the New Town Hall. Look at the four models of the city in the hall, showing it before and after the bombing, and ride the curved lift up the dome. Walk behind it to the Maschsee and along its eastern shore to the Sprengel Museum, strong on Picasso, Léger and Saint Phalle.

Evening. Eat in the Südstadt or take the Stadtbahn to Linden for dinner and a drink on Limmerstraße.

Day two, morning. Ride line 4 or 5 to Herrenhäuser Gärten and arrive in the Großer Garten soon after it opens at 9, while the hedges still cast long shadows; the fountains start at 10. See the Saint Phalle grotto and the museum in the rebuilt palace.

Afternoon. Cross to the Berggarten, the botanical garden with its orchid and cactus houses, then walk back through the Georgengarten along the lime avenue. Later, head to the Eilenriede and the zoo, or to the List for coffee on the Lister Meile.

Evening. On selected summer nights, return to Herrenhausen for the international fireworks competition or a concert in the garden theatre.

The Roter Faden is about 4.2 km long and links 36 sights, and a booklet sold at the tourist office explains each stop.

Spargel, Grünkohl and the Lüttje Lage beer-and-schnapps ritual

Hanover eats northern German food by season: white Spargel asparagus from about April to late June and Grünkohl kale with smoked pork in winter. The dessert is Welfenspeise, vanilla cream under white-wine custard, and the drinking ritual is the Lüttje Lage, a small dark beer and a schnapps drunk together from one hand.

Hanover's table is northern German: potatoes, cabbage and pork in winter, white asparagus and new potatoes in spring. From about April to late June, Spargel grown on the sandy fields around the city takes over menus, served with hollandaise or melted butter, boiled ham or schnitzel. In winter the dish is Grünkohl, curly kale stewed for hours and served with smoked pork and Bregenwurst or Pinkel sausages. Groups of friends walk out to country inns for it on cold weekends. Lamb from the Heidschnucke sheep of the Lüneburg Heath appears on better menus in late summer.

For dessert, order Welfenspeise, layers of vanilla cream and a frothy white-wine custard in the white and yellow of the old ruling house.

The local drinking ritual is the Lüttje Lage: a small glass of dark top-fermented beer and a shot of schnapps held together in one hand and drunk at the same time, so the schnapps pours into the beer as you tip it. Spilling marks you as a beginner, and pub regulars will happily show you the grip. Herrenhäuser and Gilde are the local brewery names.

The Markthalle near the Marktkirche is the best place to graze, with stalls for sausages, fish, cheese and wine, plus Mett rolls of seasoned raw pork for the brave. Hanover is also where Bahlsen invented the Leibniz butter biscuit in 1891, and you will find them in every corner shop.

Messe week, the Schützenfest and fireworks over the Großer Garten

Hanover has mild, even weather, with January days around 4C and summer highs near 24C. Its biggest events are the Hannover Messe in April, the Schützenfest marksmen's festival around late June, the Maschseefest from late July to mid-August, and the international fireworks competition over the Großer Garten on evenings from spring to early autumn.

Hanover's climate is mild and fairly even. January averages about 4C by day and just below freezing at night; July and August reach about 24C. Rain is spread through the year, from about 36 mm in April, the driest month, to about 68 mm in July, so pack a light jacket in any season.

The city's year is shaped by events. In April the Hannover Messe, one of the largest industrial fairs in the world, fills every hotel for a week. As the gardens come into bloom in May, Herrenhausen begins its season of fountains and evening concerts.

Early summer belongs to the Schützenfest, a marksmen's festival on the Schützenplatz that claims to be the largest of its kind in the world. It runs for about ten days around late June and early July, and its highlight is a parade of riflemen's clubs, brass bands and floats through the centre that takes hours to pass.

From late July to mid-August the Maschseefest lines the lake with food stalls, bars and music stages for nearly three weeks. On several evenings between spring and early autumn, teams from different countries compete in the international fireworks competition over the Großer Garten, set to music.

The autumn Oktoberfest returns to the Schützenplatz, and from late November the Christmas markets spread around the Marktkirche and the Ballhof, with a medieval-style section and a Finnish village among the stalls.