The stadium features a roof that includes segments hanging over the pitch made of an ultra-violet foil that allows sunlight through to the grass.

The capital of the state of Lower Saxony, Hanover -- which is spelt "Hannover" in German -- has managed to preserve vestiges of its golden era in the Middle Ages.

It is also the city where the most perfect "Hochdeutsch" or standard German is spoken.

Founded as a small rural settlement on the banks of the River Leine, Hanover was chartered as a city in 1241.

It became a kingdom in the 19th century after the Napoleonic Age and was ruled by its own king, Ernst August.

Under Ernst August, Hanover flourished and it became an important centre of industry. That industry and its geography as a crossroads for both east-west and north-south rail and roadways made it a priority target in World War Two.

Home to tyre-maker Continental and a major German biscuit company, Bahlsen, Hanover also has a big Volkswagen operation within the city limits and is just a few kilometres south of Volkswagen's central factories and headquarters in Wolfsburg.

TUI, Europe's biggest tour operator, is also based in the city that became Germany's political capital on weekends during seven years under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

TRADE FAIRS

Schroeder spent weekends at home in Hanover -- often commuting on a 90-minute high-speed train ride from Berlin.

Two of the world's most important trade fairs take place in Hanover, CeBIT and the Hanover fair.

CeBIT is the world's largest telecommunication and IT trade show. More than 500,000 people come each year to examine or make deals for the latest electronic gadgets.

Hanover was also proud to host Expo 2000 but the world fair was a flop, marred by long queues, poor food, over-priced tickets, bad press, boring exhibits, cost overruns and even a scandal over a prince caught urinating near Turkey's pavilion.

The Expo 2000, for which Germany and Hanover spent vast sums to spruce up the city and improve the transport infrastructure, was supposed to showcase Germany as an efficient, well-organised and open country that had put its Nazi past far behind it.

But it ran up more than $1 billion in losses in six months because of poor attendance. Less than half the 40 million expected came, making it one of the most poorly attended world fairs in a century.

The most memorable moment came when Prince Ernst August of Hannover, better known as the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, was photographed relieving himself near Turkey's pavilion at the Expo. He apologised to Turkey after pictures of the event were published in German newspapers.