Hannover, NI

City of Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany

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City of Hannover, Germany

Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is known for hosting annual commercial expositions such as the Hannover Fair and the CeBIT. Every year Hannover hosts the Schützenfest, the world's largest Marksmen's Fun Fair, and the second largest Oktoberfest in the world. The city also hosts one of the two largest Spring Festivals in Europe with around 180 rides and inns, 2 large beer tents and around 1.5 million visitors each year. Hannover also has regional importance because of its universities and medical school, its international airport, and its large zoo.
One of the most famous sights in the city, is the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen. The Great Garden is an important European baroque garden. The palace itself, however, was largely destroyed by Allied bombing. Some points of interest are the Grotto, the Gallery Building, the Orangerie and the two pavilions by Remy de la Fosse. The Great Garden consists of several parts. The most popular ones are the Great Ground and the Nouveau Jardin. At the centre of the Nouveau Jardin is Europe's highest garden fountain. The Berggarten is an important European botanical garden. Areas worth visiting are the Tropical House, the Cactus House, the Canary House and the Orchid House, which hosts one of the world's biggest collection of orchids, and free-flying birds and butterflies. With more than 4,000 members, the Kestnergesellschaft is the largest art society in Germany. The museum hosts exhibitions from classical modernist art to contemporary art.