We are getting married on August 26, 2005, in Bissendorf, Germany. More detailed information about the wedding will be posted here as it becomes available, so please check back for updates!

Events

Accomodations

We reserved a set of rooms at the Brunnenhof Hotel in Bissendorf. The hotel is located at Burgwedeler Str. 1, which is right next to the Amtshaus. The rate per night is EUR 75 for a double room, buffet breakfast included. Hotel amenities include a sauna and cable television (CNN, BBC News, and many German channels). If you would like to stay at the hotel, please send us an e-mail (at doepke@econ.ucla.edu or marisa_ross@hotmail.com) with your travel dates, and we will forward your details to the hotel.

Alternatively, you can contact the hotel directly to make your booking. The phone number is +49-5130-979899 (i.e., 01149-5130-979899 from the U.S., and 05130-979899 from within Germany). Please mention the "Doepke-Ross Wedding" when you call to get the special rate.

If you prefer to stay in Hannover, a wide range of hotels is available both in the city center and at the airport. Bissendorf can be reached in 20 minutes from the main train station in Hannover via S-Bahn.

Transportation

Bissendorf is located about 20 kilometers north of Hannover, Germany. The best way to get there is to fly directly to the Hannover airport (Hannover Langenhagen, airport code HAJ), which is located only about 5 km from Bissendorf. From the U.S., the most convenient airlines are usually Lufthansa (via Frankfurt or Munich), KLM (via Amsterdam), United (via London), British Airways (via London), Air France (via Paris), or Swiss (via Zurich). Please let us know about your arrival times, as we plan to arrange for airport pick-ups. Alternatively, you can also travel from the airport to Bissendorf via taxi or S-Bahn (this involves changing trains once).

Via train, Bissendorf can be reached by high-speed trains to Hannover and then S-Bahn to Bissendorf. This may be a useful option if you plan to visit other cities before the wedding. Approximate travel times to Hannover are 1:20 from Hamburg, 1:30 from Berlin, 2:20 from Frankfurt, 2:40 from Cologne, and 5:00 from Munich. The travel time from Hannover to Bissendorf is 20 minutes. From Hannover, you need to take an "S4" train to "Bennemühlen." These trains leave every 30 minutes from Platform 2 in Hannover main station at 11 and 41 minutes past the hour. See the map below to see how to get from Bissendorf train station to the hotel.

If you plan to travel within Europe during your trip, the new budget airlines (the most well-known are Ryanair and Easyjet) are an attractive option. From Hannover airport, many cheap flights are offered by Germanwings, Air Berlin, and especially Hapag Lloyd Express.

By car, Bissendorf is easily reached via Autobahn A2 (Berlin-Dortmund), A7 (Hamburg-Munich), or A352.

Maps and Driving Directions

Driving directions to Bissendorf can be generated by the usual internet web sites, such as the Yahoo Routenplaner. For directions to the Döpke house enter the address "Bahnhofstr. 20, 30900 Wedemark," for directions to the hotel "Burgwedeler Str. 1, 30900 Wedemark," for the Standesamt enter "Gottfried-August-Bürger-Str. 1, 30900 Wedemark", and for the Höpershof Restaurant enter "Am Husalsberg 5, 30900 Wedemark."

Coming from the West on Autobahn A2, switch to Autobahn A352 (see map), take Exit 2 "Kaltenweide," turn right at the exit towards Bissendorf, and turn right after about 2 km at the first light (Schlage-Ickhorst). This will take you to Bissendorf. Drive all the way through the village until the road ends at "Burgwedeler Str.", turn left on "Burgwedeler Str." until reaching the hotel on your right, next to the church.

Coming from the North on Autobahn A7, take exit 52 "Mellendorf", turn right at the exit towards Mellendorf, go straight for about 4 km to Mellendorf, turn left at the main intersection towards Bissendorf (about 1 km after crossing the train tracks). Going straight for 3 km will take you to Bissendorf. The hotel is on your left immediately after passing the church.

Coming from the South on Autobahn A7, take Exit 52 "Mellendorf" and follow the instructions above.

Coming from the East on Autobahn A2, switch to Autobahn A7 towards Hamburg at "Kreuz Hannover Ost" right turn), take Exit 52 "Mellendorf" and follow the instructions above.

An overview map of the Hannover region (Bissendorf is marked with a star):

Click here to open the map in its own window for printing.

A map of the Wedemark, including Bissendorf, Scherenbostel, and the relevant freeway exits:

Click here to open the map in its own window for printing.

A map of central Bissendorf:

Click here to open the map in its own window for printing.

Local Attractions

Bissendorf is an old village with a population of about 6,000, and can easily be explored on foot. There are a number of local restaurants, offering traditional and modern German, Italian, Greek, and Chinese food. Hannover is the state capital of Lower Saxony, and has a population of about 500,000. Tourist information for Hannover can be found here. The most well-known attraction is the Herrenhäuser Gärten (Royal Gardens):

If you have some extra time for travel, Hamburg and Berlin are definitely worth a visit. Each city can be reached in less than two hours by train from Hannover. Also nearby are a number of seaside resorts on the North Sea and Baltic coasts. The traditional tourist areas in the South of Germany such as the Rhine area and the Bavarian Alps are 3 to 6 hours away by train. If you travel in the far south, air travel is a good alternative: flights from Munich to Hannover usually cost well under USD 200 round trip, and the flight time is only one hour. And of course, you can always rent a car and give the Autobahn a try!

Registry

Crate and Barrel

Bloomingdales

Contact

Any questions? Please send us an e-mail at marisa_ross@hotmail.com or doepke@econ.ucla.edu. Questions about the local organization and details about the wedding can also be answered by Christoph Doepke. His phone number is 0178-217 4724 when dialing from inside Germany, and 01149-178-217 4724 from the U.S. Matthias can be contacted locally at 0170-558 1683.

We are looking forward to celebrating with you!