Nanas of Niki de Saint Phalle

Three monumental coloured sculptures on the riverbank

Three vast, brightly painted female figures by the Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, installed in 1974 on the Leibnizufer just south of the Old Town. The sculptures — each three metres tall — are the most recognisable piece of public art in the city and the start of the marked "Red Thread" walking tour through the old centre.

A free brochure for the Red Thread is available at the tourist office on Ernst-August-Platz, with a painted red line on the pavement linking 36 sights.

things to do sight landmark
A story
When the Nanas — Sophie, Charlotte and Caroline — were unveiled on the Leibniz riverbank in 1974, citizens were so outraged at the "fat painted women" that the city council nearly voted to remove them. Niki de Saint Phalle named them after three formidable Hanoverian women and refused to take them away.