Tourist boom - Hanover has made it: the city is now considered the place to be worldwide
Spending holidays in Hanover – that would have seemed as odd as going to the dentist on one's birthday, filing taxes during a Caribbean vacation, or ordering chamomile tea at Oktoberfest just a few months ago. Hardly any other city has the reputation of being as bland as the Lower Saxony state capital. The Hanoverians, according to cliché, have so few corners and edges that it seems they even enjoy being considered boring – that's somehow a property they jest about. They often joke that they had long suspected. That the citadel of mediocrity, as edgy as a city savings bank, would one day become a trendy travel destination. New York and Times Square were yesterday. Here comes Hanover and its Raschplatz. All that's missing are a few billboards and people in life-size Leibniz gingerbread or Nana costume for photos.
The hype is mainly due to a particular age group that determines what's cool and what's not as coldly as anyone else: teenagers. On TikTok, videos of young people filming themselves driving to Hanover and Marienburg, the location of the successful series "Maxton Hall," are accumulating. In this adaptation of Mona Kasten's novel series, a poor striver and a rich snob fall in love at an elite boarding school, which in reality is Schloss Marienburg. The castle is not in England, as suggested, but in Pattensen, Hanover region. The series on Amazon Prime quickly reached the highest viewership of a non-American title after its launch. No wonder that hotels in the Hanover area are suddenly enjoying a large number of inquiries – and they're coming from all over the world.
According to Expedia, travelers in Japan searched for "Hanover" 50% more frequently than before the series began. In the USA and Australia, there was a search query increase of 15% each. From France, Switzerland, and Spain, the inquiries increased by almost 500%.
Hanover is now cool – and Schloss Marienburg the German Buckingham Palace
Who would have thought that the region where former Federal President Christian Wulff lives would one day become so trendy? The "Hannover Connection" of billionaire Carsten Maschmeyer can no longer compete with the "Maxton Hall" connection. Some Hanoverians may have wondered why a certain teenager has been roaming the streets in white knee-high socks and a bright pink blazer, where otherwise beige, black, and gray dominate the cityscape. It's not about the latest style from "Bravo," it's the school uniform from "Maxton Hall," which set jet-setters pose for photos in front of the castle. Residents even earn likes on their way to shopping or work by driving past Marienburg, uploading the video on TikTok, and writing: "Imagine you're just going shopping and passing by Maxton Hall ..."
If someone wants to become a Hanover influencer in social media, they should also consider taking their Sunday walk with their dog around the castle. Dogs in front of "Maxton Hall" and the likes are as certain as five hungry looks per episode.
So much attention has not even steered "Punches-Prince" Ernst August of Hanover towards the city yet. And that, despite his best efforts, including an umbrella on his nose. Teenagers continue to behave this way, so it can only be a few weeks left before Schloss Marienburg becomes the new Buckingham Palace, and tourists can grab mugs and souvenirs with Ernst August's face on them. Perhaps even umbrellas.
There's hope. If Hanover manages it, then anyone can.
The series "Maxton Hall," based on Mona Kasten's novels, is filmed at Schloss Marienburg in Pattensen, Hanover region. Ernst August of Hanover, the city's former prince, might soon see an increase in visitors to his city, as the series has gained significant popularity on Amazon Prime, leading to a surge in global interest in Hanover and Schloss Marienburg.
