Hanover is the capital city of the German state of Lower Saxony. It's known for trade fairs like the annual CeBIT tech expo. The red-brick Gothic Market Church and the Old Town Hall stand among half-timbered houses in the rebuilt old town. The ornate New Town Hall has views from its dome and 4 different scale models of the city through the ages. The 17th-century Herrenhäuser Gardens are just outside the city center.