Stroll through the perfectly symmetrical Great Garden (Großer Garten) of the Herrenhäuser Gärten, which is part of the formal gardens of the city’s resurrected Royal Palace.
The Baroque-style Great Garden you can enjoy today was created by Martin Charbonnier, a master gardener from France. As seen from above, the garden forms a perfect square grid, marked out by green hedges with whirling patterns formed by yellow flowers.
The garden has a long history. Herrenhausen, the former summer residence of the country’s Royal House, was a popular meeting place for some of Europe’s most famous politicians, musicians, artists, actors and scientists. In 1666, Duke Johann Friedrich commissioned the design of a “pleasure garden” full of fruit trees to the south of the palace. A few decades later, the duke's brother Ernst August took over and gave the palace more splendor. From 1680 to 1714, his consort Sophie set out to transform the gardens as well.
Sophie grew up in the Netherlands. She had grown fond of the Dutch kitchen gardens and ornamental gardens and was also inspired by the Baroque gardens of Louis XIV in Paris.
Appreciate the design of the garden by seeing it from above on the elevated promenade just to the right of the garden. Notice the square ponds that hint of the Dutch influence. Stroll along the gravel paths and pause by the Orange Parterre, a squared cluster of orange trees.
Note that only the side wings of the Herrenhausen, connected by an underground corridor, are open to garden visitors. The palace was destroyed during World War II, but was rebuilt in the original style and reopened in 2013.
While here, visit the Herrenhausen Palace Museum, which doubles as Hannover's Historical Museum. Learn all about the fascinating period when Hannover was in a union with England, from 1714 to 1837.
The Great Garden is open daily until the early evening. An entry fee applies. Last admission is when the Palace Museum closes its doors at the end of the afternoon, leaving visitors another hour to explore the grounds. The nearest tram and bus station is Herrenhäuser Gärten. Near the garden there are numerous parking spaces, for which charges apply.
