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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 APRIL 2014 38 Hanover The capital of Lower Saxony, this city was redesigned for the motor car. Equally easy to explore on foot, its parks, palaces and lakes are royally good. Why go? More manageable than Munich, greener than Hamburg and with royal connections Frankfurt can only dream of, Hanover is the misunderstood middle child of Germany's urban centres. Art, theatre and some grand historic architecture bring colour and cre- ativity to this bustling business hub. The beer's not bad either. What to do? You may be vaguely aware of a royal connection between the UK and Hanover somewhere down the line. The source of the link in fact lies down a different kind of line – the northwest out of the cit y centre by tram. The jaw-dropping grounds of Herrenhausen palace are on a scale to rival those of Ver- sailles and the royal gardens were the dream of Sophia of Hanover, mother of King George I. (For 123 years, the Kingdom of Britain and Hanover were ruled by a sin- gle monarch, and 2014 marks the 300th anniversary.) A set of golden gates lead out to baroque labyrinths, Greek stat- ues throwing poses, and foun- tains that shoot clear above the treetops. After a look around the new museum, take the Stadtbahn back into town – you' ll surface at Kropcke, the near-geographic centre and heart of the shopping and snacking district. A couple of pretzel-fuelled paces away you' ll find the Hanover Opera House, a 19th century neoclassical theatre that also hosts ballet, concerts and musicals. From here either head west to the old town, where Bavarian-st yle brauhauses (brew pubs)adorn the cobbled streets, or south to lake Maschsee. In the depths of winter you may find the surface on the Maschee populated with skaters, in the summer the grassy shores are perfect for picnicking. Looking across it, the Sprengel Museum houses one of Germany's largest collections of modern art. The river Leine also makes a wa- terside escape, and on its banks the prett y Leine Palace was once the seat of Hanoverian kings. Take the sloped elevator up to the dome of the New Town Hall, with its elegant Gartensaal bistro, for views that stretch to the Harz mountains. Where to eat? The food in Hanover largely re- f lects the personality of its citi- zens; honest, loyal to tradition and best accompanied by a stein of beer. That last trait may not be true of all, but it is certainly so at restaurant and brewery Meiers Lebenslust. Its copper fermenta- tion tanks are polished like the en- gine parts of a showroom Porsche, and the small list of brews include a chocolate-hued beer that is the perfect match for an overnight- roasted duck, which is both won- derfully crispy and tender. In the shadow of the striking market church, one of the few pre- war buildings to have survived largely intact, is the market-hall. Nicknamed 'The Belly of Hano- ver', it's where butchers, bakers, cheesemongers and grocers line up alongside coffee bars, beer stands and food stalls, serving everything from fresh-baked pizza to paella, from seafood to sausages. It's great value, so be sure to arrive hungry. On the other side of the church, Broyhan Haus is sticking with tra- dition, serving up hearty regional classics in cosy, oak-timbered sur- roundings. If you're after some- thing more chic, Clichy, in the cute Leine neighbourhood is a good bet. How to get there? Lufthansa offer regular f lights to Hanover, via Frankfurt. Flights de- parting from Malta on 18 April and returning on 25 April were priced at €404.74, including airport tax at the time of going to print. TRAVEL Germany's royal destination Get the best deal for your Travel Money Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Going abroad? Over 100 currencies, Great Exchange Rates, FREE Buy Back Guarantee, No Commission and FREE KM Airmiles. Simply order your foreign cash online, via email, or by phone and pick it up from FexServ when it's ready. So easy, so quick, so convenient. V A L L E T T A | S T . J U L I A N S | S A N G W A N N | G Z I R A | G O Z O T: 2576 2576 F: 2137 8869 E: info@fexserv.com W: www.fexserv.com Terms & conditions apply. TRAVEL MONEY T H E M O N E Y P E O P L E YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt The baroque gardens of Herrenhausen offer baroque labyrinths, Greek statues throwing poses, and fountains that shoot clear above the treetops The 19th century neoclassical theatre of the Hanover Opera House hosts ballets, concerts and musicals Art, theatre and some grand historic architecture bring colour and creativity to this bustling business hub