AWD Arena and the new Town Hall in Hannover. (Baering/Icon SMI, AP Photo/Kai-Uwe Knoth)

Hanover, the capital of the Lower Saxony region, rarely receives a good press.

It's often criticised for its soulless pedestrianised precincts and disparagingly labelled a city only attractive to the hordes of business people who flock to its many trade fairs. Such views, however, are a little unfair. In fact, Hanover has a lot going for it, notably the openness and hospitality of its people, its vast swathes of greenery, some fascinating museums, a thriving cultural and entertainment scene and quality food and alcohol.

Forced to extensively rebuild after Allied bombing raids during the Second World War, the city fathers took the decision to recreate only a portion of the medieval Old Town (Altstadt). Still, that which was restored to its former glory -- with the streets of half-timbered houses in Kramerstrasse and Burgstrasse houses, plus the red-brick Gothic Martkirche in the market square, the nearby Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and the Ballhof (where a precursor of badminton was played) -- are all in good order. So Hanover is not only picturesque, but also provides a snapshot of life in these parts in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Also in the Old Town at Pferdstrasse is the city's local history museum (Historisches Museum), a modern building which incorporates the only remaining sections of the city's walls. Pride of place here are the four state coaches of the House of Hanover, who once enjoyed with strong links to the British Royal Family courtesy of a series of marriages. Other interesting museums worth searching out include the array of modern art at the Sprengel Museum to the south of town on Kurt Schwitters Platz and the impressive art galleries of the Lower Saxony State Museum, also to the south on Willy Brandt Allee.

Hanover is very much a city of parkland, the most famous being the royal gardens of Herrenhausen, a Germanic take on Paris's Versailles located some 4 km north-west of the city centre (take U Bahn 4 or 5 from the city centre). Attractions include a maze, botanical gardens, synchronised fountains and on midsummer nights the illuminations are turned on. Find time to head for Hanover's highly popular artificial lake, the Maschsee, where you can swim, hire pedalos and rowing boats or simply soak up the summer rays. Take bus 131 to Sprengelmuseum/Machsee.

Hanover is certainly a good place to eat out. Lower Saxony specialties such as sausage stew, 'Grunkohl mit Pikel' (Curly Kale and sausage), smoked pork loin, bacon, onions and boiled potatoes may not exactly be haute cuisine but they taste delicious and come in 'super size me' portions. Foreign eateries have also sprouted everywhere, especially, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Mexican and Chinese. Alberto's (Paulstrasse) and Da Lello (Marienstrasse) are great for pasta; Pier 51 at the Maschee is fish heaven.

For a snack or lunch, head for the Markthalle on the corner of Leinstrasse and Karmarschstrasse, where stall holders sell all manner of foods: pasta dishes, kebabs, sausages, cold meats, cheese pizzas, bread, cakes, etc.

Don't miss out on the centrally located beer halls, where a glass or two of award-winning local brews (Gilde and Herrenhausen) form the perfect accompaniment to a hearty meal. The best of the bunch is the Brauhaus Ernst August on Schmiedestrasse, which makes an outstanding Pilsner by the name of Hanoverersch. In the same street is a bustling Irish pub, Kuriosum, while on Prinzerstrasse is the Paulaner am Thielenplatz, a Bavarian-style restaurant. To the north-west of the city is the value-for-money Uni Biergarten (Konigsworther Platz).

The area around the main train station on Ernst-August Platz hosts plenty of trendy bars, while the streets near the old city gate of Steintor boast a number of hot night clubs. Behind the train station on Raschplatz is the popular disco Baggi-Oscho

Recently renovated at a cost of £45 million, Hanover's 45,000 Niedersachsenstadion -- or AWD Arena -- is found to the west of the Machsee. From the railway station take U Bahn lines 3,7 or 9 to Waterloo stop, from there it's a five-minute walk to the stadium. If you feel energetic you could even walk from the city centre via Kropcke, Karmarschstrasse and Culemannstrasse, a march of about 20 minutes. The site for Hanover's World Cup festivities is at Waterlooplatz. Here 20,000 spectators will be able to watch games on the big screen.

Conveniently the railway and bus stations are situated slap-bang in the centre of town. S Bahn number 5 links the airport, 10km to the north-west, to the city centre and will set you back £2 for a 16-minute journey. Please note that Hanover's urban transport system operates a combination U Bahn/tram system, whereby the trams go underground in the city centre and come up for air in the outer areas. Single tickets cost £1.30, while day passes are £2.20.

Hanover: Hotel