Hamburg Travel Guide

Hamburg Overview

Hamburg is a major port city situated on the Elbe River in northern Germany. 1,740,000 inhabitants make it Germany's second-largest city. The Greater Hamburg Metropolitan Region has a population of four million. It is at the same time one of the 16 German Bundesländer (states).

Hamburg is a city-state. It values its status as a city, being as independent as possible of other states that have existed or currently exist in Germany. Nevertheless, over the centuries, Hamburg has always been an international city. This is not only because of its position in international trade, but also in political dimensions.

One of the most important harbors in Europe and the world, Hamburg takes great pride in its mercantile background, which built the city's wealth in the past centuries. From 1241 on, it was member of the Hanseatic League, a medieval trade monopoly over Northern Europe. In the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, millions left Europe on their way to the new world through the Hamburg harbor. Today, the harbor ranks second in Europe and sixth to seventh world-wide. Consequently, one of Hamburg's tag lines is The Gate to the World (derived from the city's coat of arms, showing an argent city wall with a gate and crowned by three towers on a field of gules). Hamburg is known to be the richest metropolitan area in the European Union (just followed by Bruxelles and London).

The harbor is the heart of the city, however, Hamburg is one of the most important media hubs in Germany, too. Half of the nation's newspapers and magazines have their roots in Hamburg. And unknown even to some locals is the fact that, with one of the Airbus aircraft assembly plants, Hamburg is a major location of the world's aerospace industry, right after Seattle (USA) and Toulouse (France).

The mercantile background reflects in the city's architecture. The only palace in Hamburg is the town hall, house of the citizen's parliament and the senate. Apart from that, the city still has large quarters with expensive houses and villas. These residences are home to merchants and captains, surrounded by lots of greenery. However, large parts of the city were destroyed during the devastating air raids of World War II, killing tens of thousands and leaving more than a million homeless.

Hamburg still keeps its tradition of being an open, yet discreet city. Citizens of Hamburg, just like most Northern Germans, sometimes appear to be quite reserved at first. Once they get to know with whom they are dealing, they'll be as warm and friendly as you'd wish.

The people of Hamburg are known as Hamburgers (pronounce the a like you're saying ah, and it won't sound as silly). The beef patties on a bun were named after this city, where presumably they were invented (although not popularized: you won't find any traditional hamburgers in Hamburg). See also frankfurter (Frankfurt) and wiener (Wien, aka Vienna).

Things to See in Hamburg

City Center

Around Mönckebergstraße

The area west of Hamburg's central railway station is mainly a shopping area with the streets Spitaler Straße and Mönckebergstraße, leading to Hamburg's town hall. Close to the Mönckebergstraße you find the churches St. Jacobi (at road Jakobikirchhof) and St. Petri (at road Bergstraße), two of Hamburg's five main churches. Directly beside St. Petri there is the Hubelhaus dating from the beginning of the 20th century as most buildings around, but looking much older.

Behind the Hubelhaus under the building of Radio Hamburg, you can visit the remains of the bishops tower, from the 11th century. On the other side of the road, you can currently see excavations in progress, seeking the remains of the small fortress Hammaburg, which was erected in the 9th century giving Hamburg its name.

The Mönckebergstraße ends at Hamburg's impressive city hall (Rathaus). It was built in 1897 out of sandstone in neo-Renaissance style, including a 112 m tower. Inside there are several magnificent halls used for representative purposes and sittings of government and parliament. These can be visited in guided tours (M-Th 10AM-3:15PM, F-Su 10AM-1:15PM, half-hourly in German, hourly in English and French. Closed during official events. Admission is € 2 for adults and € 0.50 for children).

The building behind the city hall is Hamburg's House of Commerce (Börse). Between the buildings, there is a little place called Rathaushof with its fountain Hygieia-Brunnen. The place in front of the city hall is the Rathausmarkt, hosting many events especially in summer.

North of the Rathausmarkt, you find white arches at a canal called Alsterarkaden. The whole area behind is full of indoor shopping arcades. The most well-known one is the Hanse Viertel.

Following the canal to the right and crossing the traditional shopping road, Jungfernstieg, you quickly get to the artificial lake Binnenalster. Boat tours take you to the even bigger artificial lake, Außenalster, directly behind the Binnenalster with lots of sailing boats in summer.

From the House of Commerce into the road Börsenbrücke, you get to the house of the Patriotische Gesellschaft. Behind the building to the right, you'll find the bridge Trostbrücke with the statues of Graf Adolf III and Bishop Ansgar on both sides. Following the water to left, there is Hamburg's oldest remaining bridge, Zollenbrücke, from the 17th century.

At the other side of the Trostbrücke, there is the ruin of the church, St. Nikolai. All five main churches of Hamburg were damaged in World War II. But in contrast to the other four, St. Nikolai has not been re-erected making it a memorial against war. The steeple is still standing and visitors can take an elevator to the top for a view of the city. The price to take the elevator is € 3.5. At the side of St. Nikolai, there is the hop market (Hopfenmarkt) with its fountain Vierländerinbrunnen.

Following the bridge over the huge street Willy-Brandt-Straße and keeping right takes you into the road Alte Deichstraße with its ensemble of traditional half timbered merchant houses and the canal Nicolai Fleet at the rear. This is the site where Hamburg's harbour was some centuries ago.

Harbour Area

At the southern end of the Alte Deichstraße, you see where the harbour moved after wards. There is a canal called Zollkanal. Looking to the left, you see the Speicherstadt, a large district of warehouses from around 1900. Some are still in use, but others have been converted to apartments. It's a "typical" location and worth a visit. It also houses attractions, such as the "Hamburg Dungeon" and the "Miniatur Wunderland".

• The Hamburg Dungeon is a live-action presentation of the "darker times" of Hamburg. It is probably mostly suited for a younger, easily impressed audience. But it might not be suitable for young children.
• The Miniatur Wunderland is the world's largest model railway layout. The panoramas include parts of Hamburg, the Alps, the American west, and a Scandinavian exhibit which features automated ships on a body of water. It is located in the Speicherstadt close to the Hamburg Dungeon.
• Behind the Speicherstadt is the area of Hamburg's HafenCity. It is Europe's largest project of city development, creating a whole new quarter from scratch in a former harbor region. The Kesselhaus also houses an exhibition (Am Sandtorkai 30, in the Speicherstadt, Open Tu-Su 10AM-6PM, free admission.
• The Hamburg Cruise Center, where cruise lines land in Hamburg, is in the HafenCity. Its terminal building is constructed out of 40 sea containers. Nearby, directly at the river Elbe, you find an orange observation tower called HafenCity View Point, allowing nice views on the HafenCity, the harbor, and the river (free admission).

Looking from Alte Deichstraße over the Zollkanal to the right, you can see the modern buildings belonging to the Hanseatic Trade Center ending to the right at the Kehrwiederspitze. Looking further right, you already see the modern harbor.

Walking in this direction takes you to the river, Elbe. At the opposite of the metro station Baumwall, there's Hamburg's city and yacht harbor (City und Sportboothafen). The big red lighthouse ship (Feuerschiff) hosts a restaurant today. Some yards further down the Elbe, you get to the Überseebrücke where formerly big cruise liners docked when coming to Hamburg. Permanently docked is the museum ship Cap San Diego, which is said to be last classic cargo ship.

Leaving the water, passing by the hyper-modern building of the Gruner + Jahr publishers, you get to the church St. Michaelis (called Michel, from the tower you'll have a great view over the city), Hamburg's well-known landmark. Close to the Michel off the road Krayenkamp the shopkeeper-office-flats (Krameramtswohnungen) are the last example of a typical 17th century housing estate.

Continuing down the river Elbe, you get to Landungsbrücken (landing bridges), the most touristy part of Hamburg's harbor, close to the metro station with the same name. Piers connected with several bridges swim on the water adapting to the tide. There tourism boats land and you will find tourist shops, restaurants, and snack bars. The sailing ship Rickmer Rickmers can be visited.

From Landungsbrücken, you can make boat tours into the harbour. These Hafenrundfahrten are available from various companies and take around an hour. Big ships provide more comfort, but smaller ships also go though the Speicherstadt. Both are well worth the money. Inquire about English language tours.

As a low-budget alternative for a boat tour on the river Elbe take a HADAG Ferry that is part of Hamburg's public transport system (HVV, see Get Around). If you have already bought a HVV day ticket, the ride is free. Most tourists take the number 62 to Finkenwerder, via the museum harbour Övelgönne. The whole ride to Finkenwerder and return takes about an hour. In Finkenwerder, you can continue with another ferry to Teufelsbrück (Line 64 which is also part of the HVV).

You can also walk through the tunnel Alter Elbtunnel from 1911 to the other side of the river Elbe and have great views from there. A lift or stairs bring you the 24 meters down into the tunnel. You then walk through one of its two 427 meter long pipes having 12 meters of water over your head. The tunnel is decorated with ceramic arts of maritime motives (e.g. fish, mussels, seals, old boots). At the other side, you again walk up the stairs or take a lift. Go out and back to the river to Aussichtspunkt Steinwerder for great views on Landungsbrücken and the sights behind. Even cars can pass though the tunnel (only M-F, 5:30AM-8PM for € 2) being brought down with four lifts. You find the tunnel at Landungsbrücken in the building having the biggest green dome. Signs to Aussichtspunkt Steinwerder also point to it. For pedestrians and bicycles it is free and open all day and night, every day.

Walking from Landungsbrücken down the river Elbe takes you to St. Pauli Fischmarkt, walking further you'll reach Övelgönne and Blankenese (Blankenese vacation rentals | Blankenese travel guide).

Other Neighborhoods

Sankt Pauli

Another Hamburg landmark is the Reeperbahn in Sankt Pauli. It's probably one of the most famous red-light districts in the world. From variety to prostitutes, from bars to sex-shops, you can find an assortment of attractions. Plus, it is frequently visited by a lot of travelers to go shopping for a huge variety of sex-related articles and toys. This is probably one of very few places worldwide where all shopkeepers give you serious and open advice on all kinds of sex-related articles. Commonsense and caution are advised here, as in any such area. It's relatively safe and a definite touristy place to see. A lot of people go there for dinner, live music, or other non-sex related activities. It is worth pointing out however, that one is likely to be accosted by prostitutes offering certain services for as little as € 30.

Three times a year (Mar, Aug, and Nov), there is an enormous fair in this part of down called Dom. It features rides, enormous numbers of food vendors, and a broad range of tacky animatronics. Take the U-Bahn to Feldstraße. In a park across the street is an enormous statue of Bismark.

The Hafenstraße (Harbour street) is between Landungsbrücken, the most tourist crowded place in the city, and the fish market, which is open only on Sunday morning from 4:30AM-9:30AM. The street between was a place for squatters in the 1980s and was well known by the media when there were battles between the Autonomous movement and the police. Some houses still exist there, though the 80s-Myth is dead. You can go to the Punksbar onkel otto or eat at the vokü.

During the time of squatting, the well known football club F.C. St.Pauli becomes an antifascist-fan-crowd, in opposition to right wing hooligans. The team played the last years in the third league, but was even one of the most popular teams in Germany. If you get the chance for a ticket of a match or you find a way over the fences around the stadium, don't miss the chance.

Sankt Pauli is one of the most populous district in Europe and a melting pot of all different people, thousands of stories and interesting histories.

Schanzenviertel

This neighbourhood is situated right in between Sankt Pauli, Eimsbüttel, and Altona (Altona vacation rentals | Altona travel guide). Get out Sternschanze station and walk down Schanzenstraße southward to reach the vivid center of Schanzenviertel. Students and immigrants from all around the world and young creatives give this quarter a unique and urban flair. During the last few years, Schanzenviertel became very popular among even wealthy people. This lead to rising living costs on the one hand and a variety of exquisite boutiques on the other. The Schulterblatt street with the Rote Flora building and its galore of bars and restaurants represents the center of Schanzenviertel. The Rote Flora is the last squatted house in Hamburg. During the week, it is turned into a café. You can sometimes find fantastic parties for small prices on Friday and Saturday.

The street life in the neighborhood is changing, from hanging around in the "Schanzenpark" with playing drums and juggling to sitting in a café on the place so called Piaza. It's losing its charm within a gentrification process, which will cost the city the name open-minded.

Sankt Georg

Situated northeast of Central Station and city centre, Sankt Georg is the lively, trendy centre of Hamburg's gay scene. Rainbow flags flutter from the balconies in summer. The streets are crowded with people shopping, having a chat, drinking coffee, or going to one of the many art exhibitions around the Lange Reihe street.

Ottensen

The former Danish village Ottensen, bordered by the River Elbe in the south and the Altona Central Station in the east, is not unlike Schanzenviertel, a very hip place to live. In the 1970s and 1980s, Ottensen was mainly populated by Turks, working class people, and political activists. Nowadays, it is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods. Its situation and the architecture let many inhabitants even today speak of Ottensen as a village. The Fabrik, an alternative concert hall, is situated at Barnerstrasse. Only a few blocks away lies Zeisehallen, a formerly occupied fabric hall, nowadays home to a movie theatre, a gallery, a restaurant, and a bookshop. Ottenser Hauptstrasse and Bahrenfelder Strasse, crossing at the Spritzenplatz, offers a huge variety of small shops and bistros.

Karolinenviertel

The Karolienenviertel (also known as Karoviertel) can be compared to the Schanzenviertel. Locals claim that the Schanzenviertel became too popular (and thus crowded). The Karoviertel is far from quiet, but populated by locals. The main attractions are unique clothing stores some of which are second hand. To get there take the HVV to either Feldstrasse

Blankenese

Blankenese was a fishing village on the Elbe to the southwest of Hamburg. It lies in a valley between two of the only ridges in the area that runs straight down to the river. On pretty weekends, the place will be full of Hamburgers there to enjoy the tiny beaches, the winding streets, and the charming houses. Blankenese is among the most picturesque parts of Hamburg.

To get there, take the S1 to Wedel or the S11 to Blankenese. The train station lies at the top of the valley, on Bahnhofstraße. Go straight across Bahnhofstraße and your will find the banks, an Italian gelateria and café, the market square (markets open early and close at 1PM on W, F, and Sa), the bakeries, grocery store, and post office.

Getting there

By plane

Airport Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel (IATA: HAM) (ICAO: EDDH)

Hamburg has the fourth largest international airport in Germany, so arrival by plane is an obvious choice for those visiting from far away.

Hamburg airport is closed at nighttime. Flights which have suffered severe delays will be diverted to Hannover (Hannover vacation rentals | Hannover travel guide), Frankfurt (Frankfurt vacation rentals | Frankfurt travel guide), or other German airports. It may, therefore, be prudent to avoid booking flights due to land late in the day. International flights are highly unlikely to be diverted as they are all scheduled to land well before the airport is closed for the night.

The airport, which is hugely popular with plane-spotters, is surrounded by Schrebergärten (meticulously maintained allotments), park lands, and open green spaces, crisscrossed by bicycle and walking trails. The popularity of this area is not only due to the many viewpoints, but also because Lufthansa Technik (Lufthansa's maintenance service) operates some large hangars on the airport, which means that the site is visited by a variety of rare and interesting aircraft (including VVIP).

The airport has been thoroughly modernized with a new terminal, streamlined infrastructure, and facilities that are by and large adequate, so you won't get lost. Depending on the gate your flight arrives at or leaves from, walking longer distances can be a problem.

Hamburg Airport is now connected to the city by the S-Bahn S1 commuter train line, which connects to the main station (Hauptbahnhof) and the city center in about 30 minutes. There are trains every 10-20 minutes, and a single fare is € 2,70. Beware on the way back: the train splits in two at Ohlsdorf, with only the front half (carriages 1-3) going to the airport, and the rest going to the suburb of Poppenbüttel. There are no trains between midnight and 4 AM, but a bus runs along the same route.

Airport Hamburg-Lübeck aka Lübeck-Blankensee (IATA: LBC) (ICAO: EDHL)

As with many other destinations, the discount airline Ryan Air does not operate from Hamburg, as their naming scheme might indicate. Instead, it operates from Lübeck-Blankensee airport (not to confuse with Hamburg's suburb Blankenese), which is 65 km from Hamburg via motorway A1. The second airline that offers flights to Lübeck (Lübeck vacation rentals | Lübeck travel guide) is Wizz Air [4]. Flights go to London Stansted (England), Shannon and Dublin (Ireland), Glasgow Prestwick (Scotland), Stockholm Skavsta (Sweden), Milan Bergamo (Italy), Pisa (Italy), and Gdansk (Poland).

Buses connecting to the flights go from Hamburg's central bus station (ZOB, adjacent to the main train station). They cost € 8 and take about one hour and 10 minutes. The buses depart about two hours and 50 minutes before every Ryanair departure, meet every arrival, and wait for delayed flights. Timetable is available on the bus company VHH's website.

Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport (IATA: XFW) (ICAO: EDHI)

XFW airport in the suburb of Finkenwerder is actually not an airport in its usual meaning, but part of Airbus' Finkenwerder aircraft plant and thus only accessible to Airbus employees. For them, two daily flights are available to/from Toulouse, but most of the time the runway is used for freight (either plane parts (up to complete sections of passenger planes using the Beluga aircraft or the delivery of new planes).

The runway, as well as the aircraft parking lot, can be observed from the public street Neß-Hauptdeich (bus 150, stop Neuenfelde, Rosengarten (Rosengarten vacation rentals | Rosengarten travel guide), follows stop Airbus), tours of the Finkenwerder plant are available exclusively via Globetrotter (ca. two hours, € 13, reservation required three to four weeks in advance).

As the airport is located near the city center, it might be the quickest way to reach Hamburg. Airbus Finkenwerder is accessible by harbor ferries (nr. 68, leaving from Teufelsbrück) and buses (nr. 150, stop: Airbus).

Hamburg-Uetersen Airport (ICAO: EDHE)

Air Hamburg serves several German islands from this airport. The only way to reach it is by taxi, the nearest railway station being Tornesch.

By train

Hamburg has five major stations: Hauptbahnhof (central station), Altona, Dammtor, Harburg, Bergedorf. Various types of train service are available.

• ICE (Inter City Express) high speed train service to or from most major German cities, including Berlin (Berlin vacation rentals | Berlin travel guide), Cologne (Cologne vacation rentals | Cologne travel guide) (Köln), Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich (Munich vacation rentals | Munich travel guide) also to Basel and Zurich (Zürich) Switzerland. There are usually hourly service to most destinations during the daytime.
• Direct service to or from Copenhagen (Denmark), Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), and Bratislava (Slovakia).

Use the German railway's online trip planner to find connections to/from Hamburg and buy tickets.

By car

via the Autobahn:

• A1 to/from Lübeck (north-east) - To get to the city change to the A24 at Autobahnkreuz Ost.
• A1 to/from Bremen (Bremen vacation rentals | Bremen travel guide), Cologne (Köln) (south/south-west) - To get to the city change to A255.
• A7 to/from Flensburg (Flensburg vacation rentals | Flensburg travel guide), Kiel (Kiel vacation rentals | Kiel travel guide) (north) - To get to the city exit at Bahrenfeld.
• A7 to/from Hanover, Kassel (Kassel vacation rentals | Kassel travel guide) (south) - To get to the city exit right after the Elbtunnel at "Othmarschen" or "Bahrenfeld". Use the rightmost pipe of the Elbtunnel to exit at Othmarschen.
• A23 to/from Husum (Husum vacation rentals | Husum travel guide).
• A24 to/from Berlin.

Be prepared to pay for parking or park outside the city and use public transportation.

By bus

Buses serving other cities (regional, national, and European destinations) arrive at or depart from Hamburg's central bus station (ZOB), which is located near the central railway station (Hauptbahnhof) (two minute walk). Destinations include Berlin (several times a day).

Buses to Lübeck depart from Wandsbek.

Hitchhike

You can leave Hamburg to the south (A7-Hannover/Frankfurt/Munich) and southwest (A1-Bremen/Cologne/Netherlands) from the filling station known as HH-Stillhorn you can get there with the Bus 13 from suburbanstation S-Wilhelmsburg.

To Berlin you can start at the Horner-Kreisel and take the Bus 161 from S-Berliner Tor or walk from U3-Rauhes Haus.

You can find cars driving to most German cities for € 10-20.

Getting Around

Public Transportation

Hamburg has a well developed public transportation system. Buses go around the clock. At night, a special Nachtbus (night bus) service connects the outlying districts and the city center. The buses depart and arrive at Rathausmarkt, near the town hall and operate all through the night. Intracity train service runs until approximately 5AM and 1AM in the central city, but there is often not service past 11PM in outlying districts. On weekends, it runs all night. See HVV - Hamburger Verkehrsverbund for lines and prices.

Vending machines in the rail stations (and at some bus stops) sell short distance, single ride, and day tickets. Group tickets are also available. On the buses, the driver will sell you what you need. To buy week or longer tickets, go to Hauptbanhof, get passport photos in the automated photo booth, and buy your pass in the information office. Or you can buy a Hamburg Card, which includes the public transport system, museums, and other things.

Hamburg's public transit operates on the honor system. Red vested officials make spot checks, but aside from this you simply get on and off as you wish with no turnstiles or gates. The exception is late evening (after 9PM) and Sundays on the buses, when the driver must check passengers' tickets.

Try to avoid rush-hour before 9AM and between 4-7PM. You are not allowed to take bikes into subways before 9AM and between 4-6PM, unless it is a folding bike model like a Dahon, Brompton, Bike Friday, etc... Folders are allowed on Hamburg public transit at any time of the day.

Six ferry services operate in the harbor and along the River Elbe as part of the regular public transport system. (Tip: Take ferry line 64 from Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder and back to enjoy a scenic trip through the harbor on a day ticket.)

On the two Alster lakes, a ferry boat travels once every hour from Jungfernstieg in the city center to Winterhuder Fährhaus. These boats are not in the general HVV ticket system, thus more expensive, however, they offer a splendid view to some of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Hamburg.

If you are traveling to Hamburg using a Niedersachsen ticket or Schleswig (Schleswig vacation rentals | Schleswig travel guide) Holstein ticket, then you have access to all the HVV lines.

By taxi

There is a good availability of taxis in Hamburg throughout the entire day, both at taxi stands and in the streets. You can identify a taxi rank by a green box on a post somewhat like an over-sized parking meter or alarm post. You will have to wait there or phone one of the numbers below, since the boxes can NOT be used to call a cab. Almost all vehicles are still in the traditional ivory white color, but even if not, a yellow and black sign on the roof reading Taxi indicates a licensed cab. As usual, the sign is switched on to indicate vacancies. The meter starts at € 2.20. A trip in the city area will be between € 6-12. For a trip from the city to the airport, expect to pay between € 20-25. Most taxis accept credit card payments.

By rail

Hamburg has six S-Bahn (suburban) lines and three U-Bahn (subway) lines, which will be joined by the U4 in 2012. This line will provide a much needed link between Jungfernstieg (i.e the city center) and the new developments in the Hafencity. All lines run partly over and underground, in the city, and in the outskirts. The only difference is that these are two companies and even this doesn't matter due to the unified fare system.

All train platforms have signs showing the next train, where it is headed, and how many minutes until it arrives. Trains are described by a number and the final station. Note that the final station may vary. For example, half of the S1 trains heading west go all the way to Wedel, but the other half only go as far as Blankenese. Also, all S-Bahn trains with one-digit numbers go via Landungsbrücken and Jungfernstieg and all S-Bahn trains with two-digit numbers go via Dammtor.

Note that train doors don't open automatically. You have to press a button or pull a handle on the door. Please wait for the passengers to get off first before you enter. In the cold seasons, don't forget to close the door after getting on the train if it looks like a longer stop. Either push the handle or press the closing buttons on the inside until the door is closed.

Since December 12, 2008 a new connection between Hamburg Airport and Ohlsdorf (S1 & U2 line) has opened making connection to the city much easier. The fare from Hamburg Airport to the city center is around 2.70 €.

[ source: Wikitravel ]