Hannover, Dresden and Berlin – not classical tourism but an extraordinary experience!
It was a lovely coincidence to land in Hannover on the very day that it was celebrating its 775th birthday. A city as old as that! Having a friend in the city made it even more special!
A great way to acquaint yourself with the city is to visit the Hannover City Hall. Here, you can see four lovely 3D models of the city – from the 17th century, showing the forts, the embankments, and the water body surrounding the city; from 1939 – showing the pre-war town; from 1945 – showing the post-war devastation, and the last one from modern day – showing how much the city has expanded in recent times. We spent three idyllic days in this vibrant city, and were then off to Berlin.
Berlin is two hours away from Hannover by high speed train. Getting around Germany is inexpensive and efficient. We bought the DB pass that allowed us to travel on all trains (including the high speed ICE´s) for one week. And here’s the best part – children travel free! There are even special cabins on all high speed trains for families to use.
Pro Tip: Do buy the first class tickets for DB. The price difference is very little, but the facilities are totally worth it!
At our one-day stop in Berlin, we took the Hop on Hop off city bus. As lovely as the city was, it was too big and modern for our taste, and so we embarked on the final and most beautiful part of our trip – Dresden..!
When my friend heard that I want to go to Dresden, she rolled her eyes and said “trust you to go where no one else will!” Needless to say, Dresden is not on the tourist circuit.
We had a beautiful apartment hotel right next to the Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), the most captivating of all the tourist attractions in Dresden. We could see the church from our window and were able to walk right into the old city, and did not have to use local transport at all. After taking in the sights of the city, we walked to the Elbe river and sat by the giant statues. Discussing palindromes and Napoleon, I declared, “Able was I ere I saw Elba.”
The next day, top of our list was the Zwinger Castle and with good reasons. It’s beautiful!! We saw several beautiful places and objects, but the one that remains with me is the Court of Aurangzeb in porcelain. I love all porcelain; especially European porcelain and this one was too grand for words!
My 8-day trip came to an end in Dresden. It may sound clichéd, but I really did make memories for a lifetime!
It was a lovely coincidence to land in Hannover on the very day that it was celebrating its 775th birthday. A city as old as that! Having a friend in the city made it even more special!
A great way to acquaint yourself with the city is to visit the Hannover City Hall. Here, you can see four lovely 3D models of the city – from the 17th century, showing the forts, the embankments, and the water body surrounding the city; from 1939 – showing the pre-war town; from 1945 – showing the post-war devastation, and the last one from modern day – showing how much the city has expanded in recent times. We spent three idyllic days in this vibrant city, and were then off to Berlin.
Berlin is two hours away from Hannover by high speed train. Getting around Germany is inexpensive and efficient. We bought the DB pass that allowed us to travel on all trains (including the high speed ICE´s) for one week. And here’s the best part – children travel free! There are even special cabins on all high speed trains for families to use.
Pro Tip: Do buy the first class tickets for DB. The price difference is very little, but the facilities are totally worth it!
At our one-day stop in Berlin, we took the Hop on Hop off city bus. As lovely as the city was, it was too big and modern for our taste, and so we embarked on the final and most beautiful part of our trip – Dresden..!
When my friend heard that I want to go to Dresden, she rolled her eyes and said “trust you to go where no one else will!” Needless to say, Dresden is not on the tourist circuit.
We had a beautiful apartment hotel right next to the Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), the most captivating of all the tourist attractions in Dresden. We could see the church from our window and were able to walk right into the old city, and did not have to use local transport at all. After taking in the sights of the city, we walked to the Elbe river and sat by the giant statues. Discussing palindromes and Napoleon, I declared, “Able was I ere I saw Elba.”
The next day, top of our list was the Zwinger Castle and with good reasons. It’s beautiful!! We saw several beautiful places and objects, but the one that remains with me is the Court of Aurangzeb in porcelain. I love all porcelain; especially European porcelain and this one was too grand for words!
My 8-day trip came to an end in Dresden. It may sound clichéd, but I really did make memories for a lifetime!
Nidhi Arora
