Herrenhausen Gardens are one of the top tourist attractions in Hannover, and no surprise as to why. Referred to as the Versailles of Hannover, the main part of these royal gardens stretches over 5 hectares and has been designed to absolute perfection. With themed gardens, fountains, an orangery, botanical gardens, a mausoleum, and more, there’s plenty to explore. Here’s my full guide to Herrenhausen Gardens!
If there are gardens in a city I’m visiting, you can guarantee I’ll be there. Herrenhausen gardens absolutely lived up to the hype for me. I’d definitely recommend them! Check out my guide for all you need to know.
Herrenhausen Gardens: EVERYTHING you need to know about Hannover’s Royal Gardens
What you need to know
- What is the history of Herrenhausen Gardens? They’re part of Herrenhausen Palace, a former summer retreat for Hannover royalty.
- How old are Herrenhausen Gardens? The central area of Herrenhausen Gardens, the Great Garden, was developed into the style it is today in the late 1700s. It suffered damage during bombing raids during World War II but has been restored to what it once would have looked like.
- Are Herrenhausen Gardens free to visit? Both the Great Garden and Hill Garden require a paid ticket to visit. The Guelf and Georgen Gardens are free to visit.
Entrance fees
Herrenhausen Palace offers a combined ticket which gives you access to the Great Garden, Hill Garden and Herrenhausen Museum for the following prices:
Summer season (April – October)
- Adult: €10
- Reduced*: €8
- Under 18s: Free
Winter season (November – March)
- Adult: €8
- Reduced*: €6
- Under 18s: Free
You are also able to buy a ticket just for the Hill Garden at a reduced price. You can find more information on all the different ticket options here.
Herrenhausen Gardens tickets can be bought at the palace itself or online here.
* Reduced tickets generally include students, disabled individuals and those over 65. Please check the website for more info.
Opening times
The Great Garden and Hill Garden both open at 9 am all year round and have the following closing hours:
- Nov – Jan: 9:00 -16:30
- Feb: 9:00 – 17:30
- Mar: 9:00 – 18:00
- Apr: 9:00 – 19:00
- May – Aug: 9:00 – 20:00
- Sep: 9:00 – 19:00
- Oct: 9:00 – 18:00
Herrenhausen Museum has the following opening hours:
Summer season (April – October)
- Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00 – 18:00
Winter season (November – March)
- Tuesday – Sunday: 09:00 – 16:00
You can find more information on opening hours on the official website here.
How to get there
Getting to Herrenhausen Gardens is really easy. Here’s how:
- With public transport: Take the U4 or U5 in the direction of Garbsen to Herrenhäuser Gärten, which stops right outside the palace. You can also take the 136 bus to Hannover Stöcken and get off at the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen stop.
- By car: Herrenhausen is well signposted around the surrounding road areas. There is a paid car park at the Great Garden, which costs 4€ for 4 hours.
Herrenhausen Palace
Originally built in 1640 as a manor house, Herrenhausen Palace, known as Schloss Herrenhausen, is the crowning jewel of Herrenhausen Gardens. In 1680, Duke Ernst August began work to extend the palace, but this ended upon his death in 1697.
It served as a summer retreat for the Guelph (Welf) dynasty. The palace itself was destroyed in 1943 during a bombing raid, with only an outdoor staircase being salvaged and preserved.
Fast forward to 2009, and the palace finally got the restoration it deserved, reopening in 2013 looking every bit as regal as it once did.
Herrenhausen Palace Museum
The Herrenhausen Palace Museum is located within the Palace itself and features part of the Hanover Historical Museum collection. It looks at influential figures in Herrenhausen’s history, a complete history of Herrenhausen Gardens themselves and their Baroque style.
Herrenhausen Gardens
The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen (Herrenhäuser Gärten) are often noted as some of the most beautiful in all of Europe, and honestly, it’s easy to see why. Much of the grandeur of the Great Garden and Hill Garden is thanks to Sophia of Hanover, a former electress.
It’s worth noting that both the Georgen Garden and the Guelf Garden are completely free to visit. It’s only the Great Garden and Hill Garden that are ticketed.
The gardens are split into several different areas. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect:
Great Garden (Großer Garten)
The Great Garden is the heart of Herrenhausen Gardens, and it’s absolutely huge. Its current design dates back to 1683, when Sophia of Hannover brought in French gardener Martin Charbonnier to expand the existing grounds into a grand 120-acre masterpiece. Think perfectly trimmed hedges, elegant walkways, sweeping lawns and glistening ponds, all arranged in the most satisfyingly symmetrical pattern you can imagine.
Within the Great Garden, you’ll find eight themed gardens, each celebrating different styles and eras, alongside the Garden Theatre (Heckentheater), Germany’s oldest surviving hedge theatre.
The Great Fountain, which shoots water an incredible 80 metres into the air, is the tallest in Europe. Finally, make sure to check out the Grotto, one of the final works of artist Niki de Saint Phalle, where the walls have been adorned with colourful mosaics, stones and mirrors to turn it into a magical space.
Hill Garden (Berggarten)
The Berggarten started life as a humble vegetable patch, but Sophia of Hannover had bigger plans. She transformed it into a space for exotic plants, and by the mid-1700s, it had officially become a botanical garden. Today, it has one of my favourite things, themed plant houses. You can find a Palm House and Rainforest House, as well as the Cactus House and an entire area dedicated to desert plants.
Outside and you’ll find even more to explore, with themed gardens including the rockery and iris gardens, a wildflower meadow, and moor and heathland landscapes.
The Berggarten is also home to the Welf family mausoleum, where you’ll find the final resting place of King Ernest Augustus, his wife, and Sophia of Hannover herself, along with other members of the royal lineage.
Georgen Garden (Georgengarten)
The Georgen Garden is an English-style public park, and the best bit? It’s completely free! This land was originally set aside for noblemen’s estates, but between 1780 and 1782, a German lieutenant-general and art collector snapped up part of it and built a palace, Wallmodenschloss, to house part of his collection. Eventually, the garden and palace were sold to George III and took on the names Georgenpalais and Georgen Garden.
Today, the Georgen Garden is part of the wider Herrenhausen Gardens. Here you’ll find the Herrenhäuser Allee, a tree-lined walkway stretching just over a mile, as well as the Wilhelm Busch Museum (Germany’s Museum of Caricature and Drawings) and the Leibniz Temple.
Guelf Garden (Welfengarten)
Part of the University of Hannover, the Guelf Garden houses the Welfenschloss, the Guelph Palace, which serves as the central building for the University.
Summary
There’s so much to see and do across the Herrenhausen Gardens. If you’re interested in plants and gardens or are just looking for a good outdoor activity, they’re well worth a visit.
