The Schützenfest fair in Hannover can rightly claim to be the largest of its kind in the world. For ten days the city's Schützenplatz fairground turns into a huge stage for the festivities – just as it has done since the 17th century.

The world's biggest "Schützenfest" funfair
Visitors to the largest Schützenfest fair in the world can expect a festival of superlatives. Electrifying, ultra-modern rides sit happily alongside their more traditional counterparts, and the place is packed with stalls, beer gardens and party marquees. Despite all this, the highlight of this long-established festival is the riflemen's parade, the longest procession in Europe.

The Royal Gardens in the district of Herrenhausen are an experience in themselves. The 4,200 metre “Red Thread”, a painted line on the road surface, is an excellent way of exploring the city's sights: the New Town Hall and Old Town Hall, old quarter, the Leineschloss state government building, the various museums and the opera house. There are impressive panoramic views of the town from the New Town Hall. A sloping lift takes you up to the dome of this magnificent edifice dating from the period of Kaiser Wilhelm.

Indoors and outdoors, Hannover is one big art exhibition. A street art project in the 1970s that provoked plenty of discussion and debate at the time has become a hallmark of the city. The Nana figures by Niki de Saint Phalle stand on the banks of the River Leine. The cultural scene as a whole is rich and varied. The state opera and theatre are internationally acclaimed.