List (Hannover) Travel Guide - Free

Explore List in Hannover with Evendo's free guide. Find the best shops, historic streets, restaurants, and gems on web or mobile.

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List in Hannover blends leafy Eilenriede walks, historic streets, the Pelikanviertel, local dining and easy access to the city centre by tram.

Urban Streets and Forest Edge

\n\nList occupies a broad stretch of northern Hannover between the city centre and the woodland of Eilenriede. Its character changes noticeably from south to north: the area around Lister Platz and the lower Lister Meile is urban, busy and lined with shops, cafés and apartment buildings, while streets nearer the Eilenriede become quieter and more residential. Podbielskistraße, one of Hannover’s important north-eastern corridors, forms the district’s principal spine, carrying trams past handsome early twentieth-century buildings, offices and redevelopment projects.\n\n

Architecture, Industry and Everyday Life

\n\nThe neighbourhood combines late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century housing with post-war apartment blocks, modern offices and former industrial sites. The Pelikanviertel is its most visible example of adaptive urban change: the former Pelikan writing-materials complex has become a mixed-use quarter while retaining industrial references, including the Pelikan TintenTurm. List is also closely associated with Eilenriede, Hannover’s extensive urban forest, whose paths provide a natural counterpoint to the traffic and commercial activity of Podbielskistraße.\n\n

Local Orientation

\n\nVisitors generally experience List through three connected settings: the retail and dining streets around Lister Platz, the tram-lined Podbielskistraße and the woodland approaches around Lister Turm and the Eilenriede. The district is not a concentrated sightseeing quarter, but its appeal lies in the way Hannover’s everyday city life, architectural development and open landscape meet within a walkable area. Independent shops, neighbourhood restaurants and cafés are most plentiful towards the south, while the forest offers room for longer walks and cycling.

Explore List on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in List, mapped for you.

List essentials

Getting There

List is straightforward to reach from central Hannover by Stadtbahn, the city’s tram and light-rail system. Lines running along Podbielskistraße serve stops including Lister Platz, Spannhagengarten and Pelikanstraße, depending on the direction of travel. Lister Platz is also accessible from the Hauptbahnhof area via the Lister Meile and connecting public transport. Visitors arriving by long-distance train can therefore reach the southern part of List without needing a taxi. Check the current ÜSTRA network map before travelling, as routes, stop names and service patterns can change.

Getting Around

The southern part of List is easy to explore on foot, particularly between Lister Platz, the lower Lister Meile and Podbielskistraße. The neighbourhood becomes more spread out towards the Pelikanviertel and the Eilenriede, so the tram is useful for longer north-south journeys. Walking or cycling is the best way to appreciate the transition from apartment streets to woodland paths, although Eilenriede routes may be uneven, muddy or poorly lit after dark. Podbielskistraße is a busy traffic corridor, so use marked crossings and take care near tram tracks.

Safety

List is a mixed residential and commercial district, and ordinary urban precautions are appropriate. Keep wallets and phones secure on crowded trams, around Lister Platz and in busy shops, and take care when crossing Podbielskistraße or cycling beside tram routes. Eilenriede is pleasant by day but has extensive paths and quieter stretches, so visitors unfamiliar with the forest should keep track of their route and avoid poorly lit paths late at night. Around bars and restaurants, be considerate of residents, particularly on quieter side streets.

Emergency Situations

In Germany, call 112 for a medical emergency or fire and 110 for the police. Give the operator the exact street name, building number or clearly identifiable landmark, and state whether an ambulance, fire service or police assistance is required. The neighbourhood is served by Hannover’s city-wide emergency and medical network; for non-urgent treatment, use an established medical practice or pharmacy service rather than emergency numbers. The multilingual German emergency app NINA can provide official warnings, but it does not replace calling 112 or 110 when immediate help is needed.

Do's and Don'ts

Treat List as a lived-in neighbourhood rather than an open-air attraction: keep voices low outside apartment buildings and leave residential entrances unobstructed. Queue patiently on public transport, allow passengers to leave before boarding and avoid walking on marked cycle paths. In Eilenriede, stay alert to cyclists and follow signs concerning paths, dogs and woodland use. Ask before photographing people, especially in independent shops or community settings, and do not climb, attach objects to or mark historic industrial structures. German cafés and restaurants generally appreciate clear, polite ordering and modest rounding or tipping for good service.

Local Tips

A useful orientation walk begins at Lister Platz, follows the Lister Meile and Podbielskistraße, then turns towards the Pelikanviertel before reaching the Eilenriede. The forest is best treated as a network of paths rather than a single attraction, so comfortable shoes and a map are worthwhile. For a quieter architectural impression, leave the main corridor and explore the residential streets between Podbielskistraße and the woodland edge. The Lister Turm area provides a natural reference point inside Eilenriede, while the southern streets offer the greatest concentration of everyday cafés and retail.

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics

English	Local	Say it
Hello	Hallo	[hah-loh]
Goodbye	Auf Wiedersehen	[owf vee-der-zay-en]
Yes	Ja	[yah]
No	Nein	[nine]
Please/You're welcome	Bitte	[bih-tuh]
Thank you	Danke	[dahn-kuh]
Excuse me/Sorry	Entschuldigung	[ent-shool-di-goong]
How are you?	Wie geht es dir?	[vee gayt es deer]
Fine. And you?	Gut. Und du?	[goot oont doo]
Do you speak English?	Sprechen Sie Englisch?	[shpre-khen zee eng-leesh]
I don't understand	Ich verstehe nicht	[ikh fer-shtay-uh nikht]

Eating & Drinking

English	Local	Say it
I'd like to see the menu, please	Ich möchte bitte die Speisekarte sehen	[ikh merkh-tuh bih-tuh dee shpy-zuh-kahr-tuh zay-en]
I don't eat meat	Ich esse kein Fleisch	[ikh ess-uh kine fly-sh]
Cheers!	Prost!	[prohst]
I would like to pay, please	Ich möchte bitte zahlen	[ikh merkh-tuh bih-tuh tsah-len]

Emergencies

English	Local	Say it
Help!	Hilfe!	[hil-fuh]
Go away!	Geh weg!	[geh vayg]
Call the Police!	Rufen Sie die Polizei!	[roo-fen zee dee poh-lee-tsay]
Call a doctor!	Rufen Sie einen Arzt!	[roo-fen zee i-nen arts-t]
I'm lost	Ich habe mich verlaufen	[ikh hah-buh meekh fer-lou-fen]
I'm ill	Ich bin krank	[ikh been krunk]

Shopping

English	Local	Say it
I'd like to buy...	Ich möchte ... kaufen	[ikh merkh-tuh ... kow-fen]
I'm just looking	Ich schaue nur	[ikh show-uh noor]
How much is it?	Wie viel kostet das?	[vee feel kohs-tet dahs]
That's too expensive	Das ist zu teuer	[dahs ist tsoo toy-er]
Can you lower the price?	Können Sie den Preis senken?	[koon-en zee den prys zen-ken]

Time & Numbers

English	Local	Say it
What time is it?	Wie spät ist es?	[vee shpayt ist es]
It's one o'clock	Es ist ein Uhr	[es ist iyn oor]
Half past (10)	Halb (10) Uhr	[halb (tsen) oor]
Morning	Morgen	[mohr-gun]
Afternoon	Nachmittag	[nahk-mit-tahk]
Evening	Abend	[ah-bent]
Yesterday	Gestern	[geh-shtern]
Today	Heute	[hoy-tuh]
Tomorrow	Morgen	[mohr-gun]
1	Eins	[ines]
2	Zwei	[tsvai]
3	Drei	[dry]
4	Vier	[feer]
5	Fünf	[foonf]
6	Sechs	[zeks]
7	Sieben	[zee-ben]
8	Acht	[ahkt]
9	Neun	[noyn]
10	Zehn	[tsayn]

Transport & Directions

English	Local	Say it
Where's a/the...?	Wo ist ein/der...?	[vo ist iyn/der]
What's the address?	Was ist die Adresse?	[vas ist dee ah-dreh-suh]
Can you show me (on the map)?	Können Sie mir zeigen (auf der Karte)?	[koon-en zee meer tsay-gen (owf der kar-te)]
When's the next (bus)?	Wann kommt der nächste (Bus)?	[vann kohmt der nikh-ste (boos)]
A ticket (to ....)	Eine Fahrkarte (nach ....)	[i-ne fahr-kahr-te (nakh)]

History of List

From Village to Northern Suburb

List began as a rural settlement north-east of Hannover, associated with farmland and open land before becoming absorbed by the city’s outward growth. The village was incorporated into Hannover in 1891, at a time when expanding industry, population growth and improved transport were transforming the city’s edge. Its position beside the Eilenriede and along routes leading towards the north-east helped give the emerging district a distinctive combination of residential streets, woodland access and metropolitan connections.

Urban Expansion and Podbielskistraße

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, List developed from village land into a substantial urban quarter. Apartment buildings, villas and commercial premises appeared along new and improved streets, while Podbielskistraße became a major route towards Hannover’s northern and eastern suburbs. The construction of tram connections strengthened this role and encouraged denser development around the main corridor. Much of the district’s older built character, including blocks with historicist and reform-era details, dates from this period of expansion.

The Pelikan Industrial Legacy

Industrial history is especially visible in the Pelikanviertel. Pelikan, the Hannover-based manufacturer associated with ink and writing materials, established its major production presence on Podbielskistraße in the early twentieth century. The factory complex became an important local workplace and gave the area an industrial identity distinct from its surrounding housing. Although manufacturing later declined and the site changed use, redevelopment retained elements of this heritage, with the Pelikan TintenTurm serving as a cultural and architectural reminder of the company’s role in List.

Post-War Change and Adaptive Reuse

List suffered the wider disruption experienced by Hannover during the Second World War, followed by post-war reconstruction and changing patterns of work and housing. Older buildings were repaired or replaced, and later developments introduced offices, apartment blocks and commercial uses along Podbielskistraße. The transformation of former industrial land, particularly around the Pelikanviertel, reflects a broader shift from manufacturing towards mixed-use urban quarters. Today, the district remains recognisably residential while its historic streets, forest setting and industrial remnants express several layers of Hannover’s growth.