Hannover Germany is not a typical European city. Don't expect to see beautiful centuries-old buildings; the city was one of the hardest hit during the World War II, leaving it with only a few historical landmarks. Even the Old City (Altstadt) area is "new"; all the old houses left standing after the war (around 40) were taken from throughout the city and collected in one place.Hannover city has large green areas, with forests and big parks. The landscape is mostly flat, with the river Leine going through the city. The lake Masch (Maschsee) is rather spectacular, considering its size as a man-made object.
The city had a special relationship to the late French artist Niki de Saint-Phalle. She had several of her works in public spots in Hanover (i.e., "the Nanas", "the Cave" in the Great Garden) and also in the Sprengel Museum. To honor her contribution to Hanover, she was granted an honorary citizenship from the city government. Moreover, the recently renovated "underground" shopping passageway from the central station to Kröpcke was named "The Niki de Saint-Phalle Promenade".
Kropcke
Kropcke is a large pedestrian area in the heart of Hanover. It is Hanover's major shopping spot and has lots of eating possibilities. The underground tram station is the crossing point of all underground trams. Two tram lines that never go underground ran nearby (stops at 'Hauptbahnhof' or 'Steintor'). There is a big green clock in Kröpcke (KröpckeUhr) which serves as a meeting point. The Opera House is also located here.