Hamburg is often overlooked on journeys to Germany, however it’s a wonderful metropolis with a distinctive vibe and culture. A journey right here will give you one other view of Germany that you can’t get in locations like Berlin or Munich. Its location on the water has formed Hamburg’s historical past for centuries, making for an interesting experience. Here are some issues to do in Hamburg that will persuade you so as to add this metropolis to your Germany itinerary.
Best Things to do in Hamburg
Hamburg has a lot to offer, greater than you could match proper into a few days. If you solely have two or three days in Hamburg, these are a few of the best issues to do within the city.
Explore Hamburg Harbor and maritime history
Hamburg is found on the Elbe River, which connects to the North Sea not too far away. Due to this location, Hamburg has a wealthy maritime history.
For over 800 years, Hamburg has had a busy port, and as a half of the Hanseatic League for a lot of centuries, Hamburg has certainly left its mark on the world. Its port is the busiest in Germany, third busiest in Europe, and eleventh busiest within the world.
Take a stroll down by the port to see ships of all sizes. There are boat excursions of the harbor and the canals, in addition to a ship museum inside of a completely docked ship called Rickmer Rickmers.
This is additionally a pleasant place to get lunch or dinner and benefit from the native fish cuisine.
The inner and outer Alster Lakes are a good place for swimming, boating and different water activities. They can be found within the middle of the city, west and north of the main train station.
Near the harbor is an space called Speicherstadt. This is the largest warehouse district within the world. It used to be strictly for storage as a results of the shipping industry, however today there are a handful of museums here.
Go to Spicy’s Spice Museum to learn about the spice commerce and Hamburg’s role in spreading spices, chili peppers and different merchandise all through the world.
Another museum located in Speicherstadt is Miniatur Wunderland. This is the world’s largest mannequin railway display, however I promise you, it’s greater than simply mannequin trains.
Different rooms have shows replicating parts of Switzerland, Bavaria, Hamburg, Austria, and some different countries, a few of which change every few years.
There’s additionally a fully functioning mannequin airport with dozens of planes that take off and land, an elaborate arrivals and departures board, and support vehicles that occasionally drive round to do issues like put out fires.
Give your self a few hours to stroll through right here and admire the tiny little particulars and hidden Easter eggs.
Wander through Hamburg’s old metropolis and metropolis center
Like many cities in Europe, Hamburg has an interesting old metropolis to wander through. The Rathaus (city hall) constructing is very detailed and dominates the main square.
This is the middle of the city, and whereas you can nonetheless discover many old buildings, a lot were broken or destroyed all through World War II and later rebuilt.
Hamburg’s structure is varied from modern to centuries old. Spend a whereas simply strolling round and taking all of it in.
And due to it’s location on the Elbe River, there are numerous canals all through the city. There are extra bridges in Hamburg than in London, Amsterdam and Venice combined.
This is additionally the central shopping district. If you enjoy shopping, Hamburg’s shopping district won’t disappoint. Hamburg is one of many wealthiest cities in Germany, and shopping choices abound.
Near the middle you’ll additionally discover St. Michael’s church. This is one of many best locations to go for a view of Hamburg from above.
For a small fee you can climb the tower (or take the elevator most of the way) and get a 360 diploma view of the city. Try to go on a transparent day.
If artwork is what you’re after, you’ve come to the proper place. Hamburg’s Kunsthalle is a premier artwork museum and one of many largest in Germany with three different buildings. It has seven centuries of artwork, and each everlasting and temporary exhibits.
Be a fan of Hamburg’s Beatles history
Hamburg is the place the Beatles got their big break. They performed in a number of different golf equipment within the St. Pauli neighborhood on the beginning of their profession whereas living in cramped quarters and barely making any money, however eventually it paid off.
Start at Beatles Platz, a sq. constructed to honor the band. The 5 figures represent every of the Beatles, together with members from their early days, and the drummer can represent both Pete Best or Ringo Starr.
Though the golf equipment they performed at within the early 1960s have modified hands (and names) a few times, and one even burned down, you can go see the Indra Club, Kaiserkeller, Moondoo (which was the Top Ten Club on the time) and Highway (which was the Star Club on the time) all located on Große Freiheit.
Eat fish in Hamburg
Most people don’t consider fish when they consider German cuisine. But that is why it’s so important to go to different parts of the country, such as Hamburg, because meals in Germany varies greatly from one area to another.
Because Hamburg is found on the water, fish has performed a bigger role in its meals tradition than in different parts of the country. From fancy eating locations to market stalls, you can try fish dishes almost anywhere.
Don’t leave Hamburg with out tasting a fish Brötchen. Brötchen is one of many phrases for bread, however on this case it refers to a fish sandwich.
If you’re in Hamburg on a Sunday, get up early and go to the well-known fish market. It opens at 5am all through the summer and 7am all through the winter. Aside from the apparent fish stalls, you can additionally discover flowers, fruit and greens here.
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For a well-rounded expertise in Germany, I extremely recommend visiting different cities, such as Hamburg. This maritime metropolis will make a good addition to your Germany itinerary, and it’s solely two hours by train from Berlin. Explore the harbor, see a few of the distinctive museums, enjoy some fish, and take in but one other side to German culture.
Check out these different good posts about Germany:
- A Week of Things to do in Munich: An Itinerary
- Black Forest & Beyond: 1 week itinerary in Germany
- Simple Germany Itinerary
- Castles and Wine: 1 Week Itinerary within the Rhine Valley
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