Hannover: the elevator that follows the dome

Birthplace of the dynasty that would later rule Britain as the House of Hanover, the city preserves one of Europe's most important Baroque gardens.

The center is explored on foot, while the tram-metro network quickly connects distant neighborhoods.

The Neues Rathaus, town hall completed in 1913 on a vast city square, hides inside an elevator that follows the curve of the dome, among the few in the world with this type of trajectory.

Descending toward the center, you visit the Marktkirche, a Gothic church rebuilt after World War II damage with modern stained glass windows.

Continuing on, you reach the Herrenhausen Gardens, a Baroque complex among Europe's most important, historically tied to the dynasty that provided kings to Great Britain.

Toward evening, the vineyards climbing into the residential neighborhoods of the city remind how Hannover, despite automobile industry, remains tied to its winemaking tradition.

The curved elevator of the town hall follows precisely the shape of the dome above it, an unusual engineering feat that gives passengers a constantly changing perspective as they ascend.

The House of Hanover ascended to the British throne in 1714 with George I, beginning a dynastic bond between the German city and the English crown that lasted over a century.