Germany's 16 states: Hamburg

People the world over are talking about the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, Hamburg's new landmark, but there's much more to see in the northern German port city.

09.2015 Best of Bundesländer Teaser Hamburg

10 reasons to love Hamburg

Swan song

In Hamburg, the messengers of spring are the city's very own swans - hundreds of them. Overseeing their return after the winter is the city council's swan office called Schwanenwesen - the only authority in the world that employs a "swan father." By taking ownership of the white birds, normally an exclusive privilege of royals, Hamburg proved its independence as a free Hanseatic city.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Going with the flow

Boats sail night and day on the Elbe River to the harbor. Their fog horns and the sound of the seagulls create the soundtrack to any early morning run on the pale sand of the shore. The port of Hamburg is 70 nautical miles away from the open sea. Plans to widen the river are to be implemented in order to better serve the massive new cruise ships. Environmentalists protest against it.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Music at its best

Hamburg has a new landmark. Like the gigantic bow of a ship, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall sails into the skyline. Built on top of a former red brick warehouse for cocoa, the glass construction rises 110 meters (360 feet) into the sky. The concert house opened in January 2017.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Going underground

The Old Elbe Tunnel was the first river tunnel in Europe. It cuts the travel time from the city to the shipyards and docks on the southern shores of the river. Since 1911, lifts have taken pedestrians, cars and cyclists down to the bottom, where two 426-meter-long (1,398-foot) tunnels run under the Elbe. For pedestrians and cyclists, it costs nothing to use it - other than overcoming their fear.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Well connected

The people of Hamburg no longer count how many bridges there are, but statistics say 2,500 - more than Venice, Amsterdam or London. After a fire in 1842, many wooden bridges needed replacing. Bridges made of steel and cast iron were added as the harbor grew. They cross the Elbe and Alster and their tributaries, as well as the loading canals, known locally as "Fleet" in the warehouse district.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

A lot of storage room

In 1888, German Emperor Wilhelm II opened the "Speicherstadt" (the city of warehouses). Hamburg had already established itself as a free port, where storage and transfer of goods was duty free. As a result, it became one of the biggest storage districts in the world. The Speicherstadt, with its abiding aroma of tea, coffee and spices, was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 2015.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Tower tango

These days, office blocks do the dancing on the Reeperbahn - adding a kink to the façade of two office towers. The architect designed them as a couple dancing tango, a tribute to the red light district where they are located. There is a restaurant and a bar on the top floor and the roof terrace offers a fabulous view of the harbor, especially at night.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Everything in sight

Hamburg is redefining itself with its HafenCity, Europe's biggest urban regeneration project. When fully developed in 2025, it is to be home to 10,000 people. From the ViewPoint in the Baakenhafen, you can observe the development in a 360-degree panorama. The design of the orange steel tower was inspired by the dock cranes and was conceived to offer the panoramic view of a nautical periscope.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

'Big Freedom'

Sailors have spent entire wages in just one night in the Große Freiheit, a side street to the famous Reeperbahn. The St. Pauli district is filled with bars, clubs and a variety of fun and games. Artists and musicians discovered the charm of the seedy area in the 1960s. For the Beatles, playing at the legendary Star-Club became a warm-up exercise for their subsequent global success.
10 reasons to love Hamburg

Come back soon

There is so much to do and see in Hamburg that it is hard to fit it all into one visit. Museums and galleries, churches, concerts, musicals and theater performances: the choice is overwhelming. You can shop or relax by the Alster lake. The harbor and its famous fish market every Sunday is a must. Hamburg is always ready to welcome you back with its traditional greeting: "Moin, Moin!"

Author: Ille Simon

Hamburg is a city-state. A rainy, stiff breeze often blows over the city, but true Hamburg natives and their guests don't let it get them down. From musical theatres and museums to the Sankt Pauli red light district, there's always something to see in the Hanseatic city.

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Travel tips for Hamburg

Hamburg, metropolis on the waterfront

The old Hanseatic city is connected to the North Sea via the Elbe, and the reputation of the maritime metropole precedes it. A dense network of waterways characterizes the cityscape. Whether you're sailing right in the city center on the Inner-Alster-Lakes, Hamburg's blue center, or chilling out on the Elbe beach - Hamburg should be discovered from the water, Check-in presenter Lukas Stege recommends.

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Hamburg's loveliest waterside spots

Elbphilharmonie

Since early 2017, concerts have been taking place in the newest landmark in the Hamburg's harbor area. In its first year, the Elbphilharmonie - designed by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron – has already played its way into the league of international tourist attractions.

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Elbphilharmonie: a dazzling debut

Hamburg Fish Market

Despite the early opening time (officially 5 in the morning), there's always something happening at Hamburg's traditional fish market. Whether it's a basket of fruit, fresh eel or tropical flowers, everyone finds something at the riverside – and in the market hall, there's dancing into the wee small hours of the morning.

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Market Tales - Hamburg

Köhlbrand Bridge

This cable-stayed bridge in front of Hamburg's skyline is only something for those who have no fear of heights. 50 meters over the southern arm of the Elbe, the distinctive structure spans the port. Built in 1974, it soon became a city landmark. How long it will remain standing is unclear: because the new tall container ships no longer fit under them, they are to be replaced by 2030 at the latest.

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#DailyDrone: Köhlbrand Bridge, Hamburg

A highlight in a 360 degree video

The Miniatur-Wunderland in Hamburg's former warehouse district is the world's largest model railway complex. 1040 locomotives pull some 10,000 carriages over more than 15 kilometers of tracks, lined by thousands of houses, 263,000 figurines, 9250 vehicles and an incredible 13,000 tiny trees.

Use the mouse on your computer or your finger on your smartphone to choose what you want to see. Click on the video and drag the image sections wherever you want. If you are using a PC, use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as a browser. And if you have VR glasses, you can watch the video in virtual reality.

Your trip to Germany

Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We've got them: Tips for Germany - state by state.

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10 reasons to love Hamburg

It must be marvelous to live in a harbor city. A thought that surely occurs to anyone visiting Hamburg. Here "Große Freiheit" - or great freedom - is more than merely the name of a road. It is a unique approach to life. (22.02.2018)