Hannover travel guide

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and the brilliant composer George Frideric Handel may once have been important figures in Hanover, but the city's most important product is currently Lena, that lively teenager who enchanted audiences all over Germany with her Eurovision Song Contest victory in 2010. That the title defense took place not in Hanover but in Dusseldorf is difficult to understand: with the world's largest exhibition center, the convention city has always had the necessary infrastructure for a major European event. And a city that annually hosts the world's largest computer fair CeBIT would belt out the collective singalong to the rafters. In other ways the capital of Lower Saxony has its list of superlatives, belied by its modest size (pop. 500,000): In Hanover, the magazines Stern and Der Spiegel were launched. In Hanover sit (or sat) well-known industrial giants, from Bahlsen to TUI. In architectural terms, the historical center has special meaning -- the marketplace (12th century) with its market church serves as a prime example of German Gothic brick architecture, as does the Old Town Hall. In Burggasse, many beautiful half-timbered houses are to be found. The New City Hall makes a huge impression with its tremendous Wilhelmine splendor, and its dome offers a great viewing platform. Hanover has its modern side too, as shown by some innovative buildings, most of all the shiny chrome tower by architect Frank Gehry. Losing your way in Hanover is difficult, as there is a 2.5-mile visitors' tour painted in red on the pavement. Whether it will now be extended to Lena's birthplace is anybody's guess.