Großer Garten

Großer Garten lies in Hanover’s Herrenhausen district, forming the historic core of the Herrenhausen Gardens alongside three neighbouring gardens. A moat surrounds its 50.2 hectares of baroque grounds. Herrenhausen Palace anchors a design whose planning began in the seventeenth century, when the surrounding village was still called Höringehusen.

Duke George of Calenberg began the project in 1638 with a kitchen garden and buildings. His son John Frederick renamed the village Herrenhausen and built a pleasure house, the palace’s predecessor. Italian culture influenced the layout, with contributions from Girolamo Sartorio, Michael Grosse, and Henry Perronet. Martin Charbonnier completed the northern half and enclosed it with the moat.

Grand festivities and diplomatic meetings once filled these grounds, especially under George I and George II. The fountains drew expertise from Pierre Dénis and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. After the Seven Years’ War, the garden opened to the public and kept its original baroque design. Wheelchair access makes the grounds easier to explore, while preserved sculptures and the surrounding water remain lasting details.