While in Hannover, be sure to visit the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), one of the most iconic buildings in the city. It showcases a deep red façade adorned with arched windows and gothic elements. Pass through the colonnade at the base of the front and admire the imposing architecture of this medieval construction.
Snap photos of the redbrick design and imagine how the rest of the city center may have looked before World War II. Enjoy a meal at the buffet-style restaurant in the lower floor of the building and admire the old-world décor and furnishings. Today, the building serves as the city’s seat of the registry office and is considered Germany’s southernmost redbrick gothic building of renown.
See the building at night, when it is illuminated over the Am Markte plaza, a large pedestrian square with a fountain and some trees. Look across the plaza to marvel at the Marktkirche Hannover, a 14th-century Lutheran church. During the festive season, the square comes alive with an enchanting Christmas market.
Learn about the rich history of the Old Town Hall. Its construction commenced in 1410. It was heavily damaged by artillery in World War II, before being restored in the 1950s and 1960s. Note that it held a market area as well as the city pharmacy in the Middle Ages.
Attend one of the many events and ceremonies hosted in the present day in the building. You can arrange everything from parties to business ceremonies to weddings.
The Old Town Hall stands in the southwestern corner of the Mitte city center of Hannover. Ride the U-Bahn underground system to the Hannover Markthalle/Landtag station, which is just outside the building. Explore the surroundings for other sights such as the Leineschloss, the Hannover History Museum and the Göttingen Seven Monument. Contrast the architecture of the Old Town Hall with that of the neighboring New Town Hall, built in 1913.
