About Hamburg
Set along the mighty Elbe River, Hamburg features a thriving tourist center along its bustling waterfront. A revitalized downtown area merges the city’s seafaring heritage with modern skyscrapers, museums, and clubs. Its unique Chilehaus concert hall complex resembles a ship sailing into harbor.
Explore Germany
Overview
Germany’s second largest city, the port city of Hamburg, has regained its position as a leading center of commerce. With its many canals, the city has more in common with Scandinavia and Venice than Germany.
The ‘Broadway of Germany’ entertains an impressive theatre and music district, with lively music clubs, including the one where the Beatles first made their mark more than 50 years ago.
A boat tour through the region’s bustling waterways quickly reveals why Hamburg has been called Europe’s Gateway to the World and the World’s Gateway to Europe. Charming shops, arcades and restaurants, and nearby beach communities reveal a more traditional side of the city.
The impressive Rathaus, with its imposing tower, serves as Hamburg’s illustrious Town Hall, housing both Senate and Parliament. For those seeking a more down-to-earth experience, the legendary Fish Market is the perfect spot for a great meal, shopping or people watching. Here, merchants have been trading fish, and just about everything else under the sun, since 1703.
What To Do
Attend a concert at the Chilehaus, architect Fritz Höger’s unique take on German expressionist architecture.
Enjoy an early brunch at the Fish Market’s renowned auction hall, while jazz and country western music fills the air.
Learn about seven centuries of cultural history and art at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, one of the country’s most impressive museums.
Kids and kids-at-heart will love the city’s enchanting Miniatur Wunderland, housing the largest model railway on the planet. At dusk, more than 300,000 LEDs light up this miniature masterpiece.
Explore more than 3,000 years of maritime history and research at the Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg. Visit Süllberg Hill, a former fishing village in Blankenese, and stroll through its charming cobblestone streets, labyrinthine stairways and expensive homes.
Take a day trip to the magical beaches of the North Sea, an hour or so from Hamburg. Explore the Wattenmeer UNESCO site and long mudflats, fishing and maritime museums, lighthouses, and islands north of Hamburg.
When to Go
Summers are quite comfortable in Hamburg, with an average temperature of 66 F. There is frequently a light rain in this northern region. Winters are cold, with temperatures in the 40s. A year-round Reizklima, or 'healthy, bracing climate,' makes any time of year worthwhile. During winter, skiers can head south to the highest peaks in Germany in the Harz Mountains or the incredible Alps.
Fast Facts
Back in August of 1960, the Beatles got their start performing for 48 nights at Hamburg’s Indra Club; and the rest is musical history.
Hamburg’s Gothic Speicherstadt, one of the largest groups of port warehouses in the world, built along the Elbe River’s narrow canals, and the vast office complexes of the Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus, have recently been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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