Tiergartenfest Hannover

Forest Festival in the City

The Hannover Tiergarten, with over 110 hectares of forest, is one of the largest contiguous inner-city forest areas in Germany. Its name refers to its history as a former princely hunting ground; since the mid-20th century, it has been publicly accessible and is managed as mixed forest. The Tiergartenfest turns this special urban forest into the venue for a nature education Volksfest (folk festival) for one day.

Hands-on Stations and Nature Education

At numerous stations along the main paths, children and adults can actively explore the forest: hands-on stations on soil ecology, tree identification, forest wildlife, fungi, and plants. Nature educators run the stations and are available to answer questions.

Forestry Work Demonstrations

A separate program item is the forestry work demonstrations. Foresters and forest workers show their tools and methods: logging with chainsaws, timber hauling with horses, tree climbing, wood processing. This gives visitors insight into a profession that otherwise largely takes place behind the scenes.

Tree Fruits for a Tree Disc

An educationally thoughtful activity: children who bring tree fruits collected in the forest – acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts – receive a tree disc as a small souvenir and free admission to the festival. The collected fruits are used by the forestry department for reforestation. Thus, the activity is both pedagogically and ecologically meaningful.

Show Programs

On central clearings, nature show presenters and theater groups perform child-friendly programs. Stories from the forest, musical contributions, and small plays complement the nature education focus.

Lantern Procession to Conclude

As dusk falls, the lantern procession begins through the autumnal forest. Children with their own or locally crafted lanterns walk along the paths, accompanied by guides. The procession is traditionally the most emotionally engaging part of the festival.