Schlossresidenz
What you can reach from here in half an hour.
Schloss Ricklingen lies on the western edge of the Hanover region, between the river Leine and the fields. The house is a place to stay put, but if you would like to get out, you have lakes, gardens, palaces and a city to choose from within half an hour. Travel times are by car.
Water
Blauer See, Garbsen (about 5 minutes). A swimming lake with a water-ski cable, wakeboarding, mini golf, stand-up paddleboarding and a beach bar. On warm days, the most obvious outing.
Steinhuder Meer (about 20 minutes). The largest lake in Lower Saxony, with marinas, lakeside promenades and the nature park all around. On the northern shore lies Mardorf with its bathing beaches; to the south, Steinhude with its promenade and boat services.
Königliche Kristall-Therme Seelze (about 10 minutes). Brine pools, a sauna complex and relaxation rooms for a rainy day.
Gardens and culture in Hanover
Herrenhausen Gardens (about 20 minutes). The Great Garden is one of the most important baroque gardens in Europe. In summer it hosts concerts and, every year, the International Fireworks Competition. The Herrenhausen Gardens publish the new dates each year.
Hanover Zoo. An adventure zoo with themed worlds on the edge of the Eilenriede forest.
Museums in the city centre: the Sprengel Museum for 20th- and 21st-century art, and the Historisches Museum Hannover for the history of the city and of the House of Guelph.
Guelph palaces: Marienburg Castle near Pattensen, Schloss Landestrost in Neustadt am Rübenberge and Celle Castle. The story of our own village is told on the Schloss Ricklingen page.
Cycling and nature
The Leine-Heide-Radweg cycle route runs right past the estate. It follows the Leine south towards Hanover and north towards the heath. You can borrow bicycles free of charge from the house. For shorter rides, the field tracks around Schloss Ricklingen are enough; for longer tours, head for the Deister south-west of Hanover, a range of hills with woods and viewpoints.
Sport
Golfclub Hannover at the Blauer See (about 5 minutes). You can play tennis right in the park of the Schlossresidenz, around the clock and free of charge.
And if you would rather not go anywhere
That is a good choice too. The park covers 80,000 square metres, with two ponds, a natural swimming pond, the alpacas and the black swans. More under Retreat: sauna, natural pond and park.