Image by Mapics / Getty Images

Hamburg

When all's said and done, Hamburg's appeal can be narrowed down to one simple calling card: Welcome to one of the coolest cities on earth.

Port City Vibe

Hamburg's historic label, ‘The gateway to the world’, might be a bold claim, but Germany’s second-largest city and biggest port has never been shy. A leading light in the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages, Hamburg became a centre of international trade, a legacy that continues today: it remains one of Germany's wealthiest cities and Hamburg’s maritime spirit still infuses the entire city. It's the sort of city where echoes of the city's port and history are everywhere, from the incessant cry of gulls overhead to the vibrant neighbourhoods awash with multicultural eateries, seaward-facing architecture and the gloriously seedy Reeperbahn red-light district.

A Musical City

There was one consolation for locals when the city's authorities decided to blow the municipal budget: at least it was done for a new concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie. Hamburg's musical pedigree is staggering: Gustav Mahler once directed the city's 330-year-old state opera, while both Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn were born here. But it's not just about classical music. Hamburg also has very modern and rather raucous melodic soundtrack, not mention a compelling story. The city nurtured the early promise of the Beatles, and music festivals litter the calendar, while the dynamic live music scene just keeps getting better.

Icons of Architecture

The Elbphilharmonie is an extraordinary structure, dominating the skyline and capturing in glass and brick the essence of Hamburg's polyglot soul. This striking icon of the city has elevated architecture to the centre of public debate and awareness, and it's just the most famous of a rather exciting collection. Office towers that appear as if they are dancing and buildings that from afar look like ocean liners share the streets with half-timbered relics of the medieval city. And only in Hamburg would they think of preserving a former WWII bunker and turning it into a nightclub.

The Good Things in Life

The good people of Hamburg really know how to live. For a start, they've mastered the ingredients of culinary diversity: elevate your local specialties to the level of an obsession and treasure them, even as you remain open to all manner of gastronomic trends. The result is culinary excellence on multiple fronts. So, too, for nightlife: Hamburg is full to bursting with classy cocktail bars, dance-all-night clubs and neighbourhood bars and pubs that both reflect each neighbourhood's identity and define it. So successful are they that it's almost impossible to come to Hamburg and not have a really good time.

Explore Hamburg

0

Latest Stories from Hamburg

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Hamburg.

  • Memorial

    Mahnmal St-Nikolai

    St Nikolai church was the world’s tallest building from 1874 to 1876, and it remains Hamburg’s second-tallest structure (after the TV tower). Mostly…

  • Market

    Fischmarkt

    Here's the perfect excuse to stay up all Saturday night. Every Sunday in the wee hours, some 70,000 locals and visitors descend upon the famous Fischmarkt…

  • Arts Centre

    Elbphilharmonie

    Welcome to one of the most Europe's most exciting recent architectural creations. A squat brown-brick former warehouse at the far west of HafenCity was…

  • Museum

    Hamburger Kunsthalle

    A treasure trove of art from the Renaissance to the present day, the Kunsthalle spans two buildings linked by an underground passage. The main building…

  • Historic Building

    Rathaus

    With its spectacular coffered ceiling, Hamburg’s baroque Rathaus is one of Europe’s most opulent, and is renowned for its Emperor’s Hall and Great Hall…

  • Church

    St Michaelis Kirche

    ‘Der Michel’, as it is affectionately called, is one of Hamburg’s most recognisable landmarks and northern Germany’s largest Protestant baroque church…

  • Market

    St Pauli Nachtmarkt

    Wednesday late afternoon and evening is a terrific time to be in St Pauli when the weekly night market takes over Spielbudenplatz with food stalls, live…

  • Museum

    Miniatur Wunderland

    Even the worst cynics are quickly transformed into fans of this vast miniature world that goes on and on. The model trains wending their way through the…

  • Historic Building

    Chilehaus

    One of Hamburg's most beautiful buildings is the crowning gem of the new Unesco-anointed Kontorhaus District. The brown-brick 1924 Chilehaus is shaped…

  • Museum

    Auswanderermuseum BallinStadt

    Sort of a bookend for New York's Ellis Island, Hamburg's excellent emigration museum looks at the conditions that drove about 5 million people to leave…

  • Viewpoint

    Altonaer Balkon

    Thrill to some of Hamburg's best harbour views from this accurately named and quite pretty park.

  • Historic Site

    Bullenhuser Damm Schule

    During WWII, 20 Jewish children were chosen by Dr Josef Mengele at Auschwitz and sent to Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg for medical…

  • Architecture

    Tanzende Türme

    Watching over the eastern gateway to St Pauli since 2011, the 'Dancing Towers' are a Hamburg icon. The two towers buck and weave by up to 3m from the…

  • Museum

    Internationales Maritimes Museum

    Hamburg's maritime past – and future – is fully explored in this excellent private museum that sprawls over 10 floors of a revamped brick shipping…

  • Museum

    Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte

    Hamburg's history museum has lots of kid-friendly features: it's chock-full of intricate ship models, has a large model train set (which runs on the hour)…

  • Viewpoint

    Süllberg Hill

    The best views of the Elbe (nearly 3km wide here) and its container ships are from the 75m-high Süllberg hill. To get to Süllberg, take the S-Bahn to…

  • Museum

    Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe

    The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe is lots of fun. Its vast collection of sculpture, furniture, fashion, jewellery, posters, porcelain, musical instruments…

  • Notable Building

    Davidwache

    South of the Reeperbahn stands the star of many a German crime film and TV show, the Davidwache. This brick police station, festooned with ornate ceramic…

  • Museum

    HafenCity InfoCenter

    You can pick up brochures and check out detailed architectural models and installations that give a sense of the immensity of the project; there's a scale…

  • Historic Building

    Krameramtswohnungen

    In an alley off Krayenkamp 10 are the Krameramtswohnungen, a row of tiny half-timbered houses from the 17th century that, for nearly 200 years, were…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Hamburg.

  • Activities

Featured videos