Hanover Travel Guide
COMPARE PRICES on all Hanover Hotels
Compare prices and availability on major travel sites with one click
COMPARE PRICES on all Flights to Hanover
Compare prices and availability on major travel sites with one click
If your idea of New England involves a sweeping green edged with stately brick buildings, be sure to visit Hanover, a thriving university town in the Connecticut River Valley. First settled in 1765, the town was home to early colonists who were granted a charter by King George III to establish a college. The school was named after the second Earl of Dartmouth, its first trustee. Since its founding, Dartmouth College has had a large hand in shaping the community.
This Ivy League school has produced more than its share of celebrated alumni, including Robert Frost, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, former surgeon general C. Everett Koop, and Dr. Seuss. Another noted son of Dartmouth was the 19th-century politician and orator Daniel Webster. In arguing for the survival of Dartmouth College in a landmark case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1816 (when two factions vied for control of the school), Webster offered his famous closing line: "It is a small college, gentlemen, but there are those who love it."
That has served as an informal motto for school alumni ever since. Today, a handsome, oversize village green marks the permeable border between college and town. In summer, the green is an ideal destination for strolling and lounging. The best way to explore Hanover is on foot, so your first endeavor is to park your car, which can be trying during peak seasons (fall foliage and whenever school is in session). Try the municipal lots west of Main Street.
Just south of Hanover is the working-class town of Lebanon, a commercial center that has a well-grounded feel to it. The town has a village green to be proud of, a variety of shops, a handful of appealing restaurants, and a quirky mall carved out of an old brick powerhouse. If you're looking for the New York Times, head to Hanover; if you need a wrench, head for Lebanon.
