Springe lies in Lower Saxony at the Deisterpforte, a shallow valley pass between the Kleiner Deister and the Nesselberg hills. The Haller River rises here, which once gave the town its name Hallerspring. The town borders Barsinghausen and Wennigsen to the north, Nordstemmen and Elze to the west, and Salzhemmendorf and Bad Münder to the south. With around 30,000 inhabitants, Springe is one of the larger towns in the Hanover region.
Springe was first mentioned in 1013 as Hallerspringe, though the name Helereisprig appears in a boundary description as early as the late 10th century. After losing their castle, the Counts of Hallermund built a new seat of power in 1282, which became the foundation of the town. In the 13th century Springe was granted town privileges and grew because of its convenient location between Hanover and Hamelin. The Hanover–Altenbeken railway line and the expansion of the B 217 road accelerated its growth in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Springe’s most distinctive feature is the 19th-century hunting lodge designed by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves, now a museum. Adjoining it is the Saupark, a former royal hunting ground covering a large wooded area with enclosures for wild animals and historic avenues. Within the Saupark lies the Wisentgehege, where native wild animals can be seen. The town hall was built on the site of a medieval castle, and remnants of prehistoric ramparts can still be found in the town centre.
