Neues Rathaus

An excellent way to get your bearings in Hanover is to visit the Neues Rathaus (built in 1901-13) and travel 98m to the top in the curved lift inside its green dome. There are several viewing platforms here, and while it's a novelty taking a lift that slants to stay within the dome, it's only on descent that you feel any gravitational swing. The cabin can take only five people at a time, so queues are inevitable.

In the downstairs lobby are four city models showing Hanover from the Middle Ages to today. Comparing the models from 1939 and 1945 drives home the dramatic extent of WWII devastation.