Hamburg is a wonderful city and Germany’s second largest, located in the north of the country where the River Elbe opens into the North Sea. Due to its strategic location, Hamburg has a strong maritime and merchant trading history which continues today. Coupled with an independent spirit, Hamburg is an unpretentious and interesting place to visit. If you’ve not been before, here’s a Beginner’s Guide to visiting Hamburg.
Table of Contents
First, some historical context
The Hanseatic League was an ancient trading alliance of towns around the Baltic Sea between the 12th and 17th centuries, created by the pooling of resources which led to the development of several rich and successful trading ports. The trading alliance between Hamburg and Lübeck in 1241 was thought to be the start of the Hanseatic League which then went from strength to strength, growing to 200 members at its height.
Since 1819 Hamburg’s official name has been the ‘Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg’ reflecting its membership of the Hanseatic League and the fact that it had political autonomy. Even after the Unification of Germany in the late 1800s, Hamburg remained a free city and its own federal state. This contributes to the independent spirit of the city and its people.
The other name that Hamburg held was the Brewery of the Hanseatic League due to the 600 breweries in the city during the Hanseatic League period, which had ended by the 16th century when other countries, such as England and Holland, began to interfere and take trade away from the Hanseatic League.
Today, Hamburg is one of the largest transhipment ports in the world, with the second largest container port in Europe. It handles 100 million tonnes of cargo each year and you will see the container ships docked here and cranes on the wharfs armed and ready to help load containers onto the ships.
10 great reasons to visit Hamburg, Germany
There are many great reasons for visiting Hamburg but here are some of the main ones to explore on during a visit to the city:
Distinct neighbourhoods to explore
If I’m honest, when I first looked at the map of Hamburg to work out how to plan our visit it was confusing as the city has a labyrinth of shipping channels, quays, and lakes to navigate. However, once I started viewing the city as distinct neighbourhoods then it made our plan for visiting Hamburg a lot easier. These neighbourhoods include:
- Altstadt (Old Town) – The Old Town is built around 3 sides of the Binnenalster, a square lake sitting on the south side of the larger Alster Lake. Sights of note in this area include the Mahmal St-Nikolai, Hamburger Kuntshalle, and Rathaus.
- Neustadt (New Town) – Neustadt includes shopping, restaurants, and elegant cafes under arches alongside some of the canals. The area also houses the Johannes Brahms Museum and Komponisten Museum, and St Michaelis Kirche.
- Speicherstadt & Hafen City – Speicherstadt is the Warehouse District with UNESCO World Heritage Site status. It sits next to HafenCity, Europe’s largest urban rehabilitation project with innovative buildings including the stunning Elbphilharmonie. Also, home to the International Maritime Museum and Minatur Wonderland.
- St Pauli & Reeperbahn – The St Pauli area is the city’s notorious entertainment zone with lively clubs and bars. The Reeperbahn is the street where sailors once came on-land for ‘adventures’ and so it gained an X-rated reputation. It’s also the area in which the Beatles played some of their first gigs.
- Altona & Elbmeile – Altona is a charming, character-filled district between the city centre and banks of River Elbe. Visit the Altona Balcony for wonderful views over the water and seafood at lunches at Atlantik Fisch.
- Sternschanze – This area is a hip part of town filled with galleries, vintage shops, cosy restaurants, and cocktail bars. Rote Flora is a graffiti-covered former theatre filled with activist banners as a symbol of left-wing activism. There is also flea market (Flohschanze) in old slaughterhouse and open-air cinema (Schanzenkino) in Schanzenpark.
For ideas about how best to visit the different neighbourhoods read The Perfect Schedule for a 3-Day Hamburg City Break.
Opportunities to get out on the water
With 64 km of canals, 3 rivers, 2 lakes, and 26 outdoor swimming pools, you are quite literally surrounded by water in Hamburg. As a result, there are lots of opportunities to get out on the water when visiting Hamburg, such as taking a boat tour of the harbour and port area, or taking the Hop-on, Hop-off boat around Alster Lake – a huge lake right in the middle of the city. For something more active, hire a canoe or book stand up paddle boarding on Alster Lake.
Green spaces to enjoy
For a large city, we were surprised by how green the city of Hamburg is with numerous parks to explore, such as:
- Alster Park which runs along the north side of Alster Lake. Walk in the shade of the trees whilst watching the activity on the lake.
- Planten un Blomen Park (‘the green lung’ of Hamburg) includes a botanical garden with a tropical house and large Japanese garden, all within minutes of the central shopping area.
- Hamburg Stadtpark – the Stadtpark is a huge green space (more than 150 hectares) including an open-air swimming pool, place to rent pedal and rowing boats, planetarium, and open-air stage for summer concerts. On a sunny day, it is filled with people relaxing with picnics and BBQs.
Live music (and nightlife)
Hamburg is famous for having a very lively nightlife particularly around the St Pauli neighbourhood, however as we visited with our teenagers then this wasn’t an element of Hamburg that we experienced.
We did however attend a live music event in Hamburg’s Stadtpark – seeing Noah Kahan as part of their outdoor summer concert series. The outdoor arena in the Stadpark is lovely because it on a natural slope so everyone gets a good view and is surrounded by manicured hedges which created an intimate atmosphere even though you’re outside.
If you like classical music, then check what’s on at the Elbphilharmonie, the state-of-the-art concert theatre in the Hafen area of Hamburg.
Alternatively, if you’re fans of the Beatles then book the well regarded Beatles tour around St Pauli to see the venues they played at during their stay in the city, available through Get Your Guide:
Top quality art and culture
As you might expect with a large cosmopolitan city, there are top-quality museums housing some of the best art in the world. The main art gallery is the Hamburger Kunsthalle housed in 3 impressive buildings and offering one of the best collections of art in Germany. Also worth noting is the House of Photography at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg which offers world class photography exhibitions.
Beautiful buildings & viewpoints
There is an array of beautiful buildings in Hamburg – some are new, such as the Elbphilharmonie concert hall shaped like the prow of a ship, and some are old-fashioned such as those in the Aldstadt including the Rathaus (Town Hall).
For views of the city and its waterways you can ascend either Mahnmal St-Nikolai’s spire for great views across to the harbour area or climb St Michaelis Kirche Tower for great canal views.
History & UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Worth exploring when visiting Hamburg is Speicherstadt, the warehouse district of Hamburg, which has UNESCO World Heritage Site status – the area is where merchandise from trading were stored in the warehouses until it was time to be moved on. The warehouse buildings lining the canals are wonderful. There is a specific museum dedicated to the warehouses (Speicherstadt Museum) or alternatively the International Maritime Museum which explores the city’s maritime history and impact.
Fischbrötchen (Fish Sandwiches)
The options for eating well are many in Hamburg, so you will be able to find something to suit your tastes and budget. However, if you like fish, then make sure to try a fischbrötchen (fish sandwich), Hamburg’s favourite food staple with a history dating back to the 19th century when they were a practical meal for fishermen and dockers.
Fischbrötchen are made with various types of fish such as matjes (young herring), mackerel, smoked salmon or crab, topped with onions, pickles and a tangy sauce served in a crispy bread roll. It’s an elevated German fish finger sandwich!
If you near the St Paul Landing stations then pick up a fish sandwich from Brücke 10, or if you fancy an early start then head to Fischmarkt (Fishmarket) for 5.00am on a Sunday morning.
Note – Hamburgers aren’t from Hamburg in their current form, although squashed meatball patties from Hamburg may well have been an inspiration for the hamburger, an idea taken by German immigrants to the USA and then developed with the addition of the bun (all this despite people from Hamburg being known as ‘Hamburgers’)!
Share a beer at one of the Biergartens
Another nice idea for your time in Hamburg is to visit a beer garden, of which there are several to choose from, including Schumachers Biergarten, Landhaus Walter Biergarten or Café Sommerterrassen in the Stadtpark.
Biergartens are a great way to spent an evening and feel very communal as you sit on long trestle tables with the locals.
Options beyond the city centre
If you have time to explore beyond the city centre, then two good options would be:
Blankenese
30 minutes on the S-Bahn from the centre of Hamburg will take you out to Blankenese on the banks of the River Elbe. Alternatively, you can travel to Blankenese on a ferry which is a great way to arrive (Ferry to Finkenwerder first, then Line 65 to Blankenese).
The Blankenese Treppenviertel is a charming triangle of narrow staircases and cobblestones leading down to the river with gorgeous hillside houses, colourful fishing boats and seafood restaurants. There are great views from the top of the hill over the river.
Lübeck
For a day trip from Hamburg visit the Medieval town of Lübeck. It’s easy to take the train from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) to the medieval town 40 minutes away. Check out my blog for more information.
Practical information for visiting Hamburg
Getting around on public transport
HVV (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund) runs the public transport system including buses, trains U-Bahn (subway) and S-Bahn (commuter rail) networks. You can use a HVV ticket for underground/suburban railway or bus on the ferries. Ferries – there are 18 jetties along the river, including stops at the Landungsbrucken and Fischmarket.
Note – You can catch the S1 S-Bahn from the airport directly to the city centre which takes 25 minutes and only costs a few Euros.
Hamburg Card – consider buying the Hamburg card for free unlimited travel on public transport (buses, trains, and ferries) plus discounts to city attractions and eateries.
Cash is king in Hamburg
We found that ‘cash was king’ in Hamburg, for example, the taxis required cash and didn’t have card machines onboard.
Drinking age
If travelling with teenagers it’s useful to know that in Germany you can drink beers from 16+ years, but not spirits.
Where to stay
As a big city, there is a range of accommodation, so it is easy to find something to suit all budgets. If you want a splurge stay, then head to The Fontenay on Lake Alster as it’s fabulous!
Our first visit to Hamburg, left us keen to return. Whilst being an industrious city, the vibe felt relaxed and welcoming.
Thank you so much for reading my blog, I hope you found it useful?
For more stories, itineraries, and advice, check out my Related Posts and sign up to receive my blogs by email.
If you have a blog-related question, please do ask in the Comments box and I’ll try to help…
Request please – if you use my photos, then please credit Love Travel Planning on your social media or give me a shout out on Instagram @lovetravelplanning as I am growing my website. Huge thanks.
Enjoy your travels!
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.