Although I am enthusiastic recycler and cyclist, I will be the first to admit that I contribute to more than my fare share of airplane emissions. I know I should unsubscribe to all the airline mailing lists that land in my inbox but I just can't find the willpower to do that. Every time a new one arrives I have to click through to find out what bargains I might be missing and this is how we found ourselves booking flights to the city of Hannover with the German airline TUI fly.

Our hotel was on the Klagesmarkt, a short walk from the heart of the city via the red light area (we never saw any prostitutes on the street but there are a good handful of strip joints and sex shops) and the Old Town. As it was early on Saturday morning we skipped the red light area and proceeded directly to the Old Town. The reconstruction of these narrows streets is impressive and although they are new the painted houses have a lot of character. They are mainly four storeyed houses and painted so many different colours they really reminded me of the houses depicted in fairytale illustrations. These streets are full of little boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It's a pedestrianised area so it's a pleasant place to stroll.

We found the tourist information office opposite the station on Ernst-August Platz and booked tickets for the city tour that afternoon. With a couple of hours to spare we made our way back through the Old Town and towards the river where a huge flea market was in full swing. There was a good mixture of stalls, some selling kitsch 1970s glassware and ceramics, others selling coins, postcards and medals. There was furniture old and new, gorgeous chandeliers and vintage clothing. The flea market crosses over the bridge and lines both banks of the river but on the southern side you'll find one of Hannover's more contentious sights - the 'Nanas'. The 'Nanas' are a series of brightly coloured sculptures of stylised voluptuous ladies that can be found in several places in the city but I think the ones here by the river are the best presented. They were created by French-born artist Niki de-Saint Phalle and the first one appeared in 1965. At first they were the target of much derision but like many famous pieces of public art they are now regarded fondly by the citizens of Hannover and the artist became the first (and only I believe) person to become an honorary citizen of Hannover. Every gift shop in Hannover has miniature Nanas for sale and many shops simply feature them as a permanent fixture in their window displays. I am set on the idea of going back to Hannover to spot all of them!

Although Hannover proudly boasts a 'red line' walking tour where visitors follow a red line painted on the pavement (for which a guidebook can be purchased from the tourist office) we decided to take the bus tour because the weather was poor and because the price included entry to the Herrenhauser gardens. The tour lasted over two hours and took in all the major places of interest throughout the city with three points (including the gardens) when we got off the bus. This included the New Town Hall (built in 1913) where we were shown some models of how the city changed over the centuries, and the Old Town where we were able to learn more about some of the buildings we had seen that morning.

At Herrenhauser we left the bus and were given the choice to look around

Pictures of Hannover (Germany)

The riverside flea market has goods weird and very weird

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We spent Saturday evening away from the city centre, deciding to explore a more residential area in the other direction. This proved to be a good move because we discovered a part of town that has lots of cosy bars, some of them quite quirky and individual. It seemed to be a part of town with lots of immigrants and young people so it was a fun place to watch some European Championship football along with some Swedish guys, some Greeks and lots of Turks (and plenty of Germans of course). We had wanted to find somewhere to eat traditional German food but the place we had headed for had closed at six (if only we had read the leaflet properly) and so we ate at an Indian restaurant close to our hotel. The following day we ate a late lunch at a small restaurant in the Old Town where the food was delicious and reasonably priced. I was excited to find that the white asparagus so popular in Europe was still being served (I had eaten some in Austria in May and was dying to eat more) and nearly every traditional restaurant was promoting a special asparagus season menu. Overall Hannover has a huge choice of restaurants and you'll find all cuisines represented. Germany is of course 'beer country' and Hannover is no different to the rest of the country. There are several microbreweries to try but most places serve Herrenhäuser Pilsener and to blend in you should ask for a 'Herry'.

For a weekend getaway or as a base for a longer trip I fully recommend Hannover. This is merely the first instalment!