The metropole at the waterfront is extraordinary: the distinct maritime character, the international outlook and the cosmopolitan attitudes make the Hanseatic City of Hamburg one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Hanseatic elegance on Elbe and Alster, the historic Town Hall, the UNESCO Speicherstadt and Kontorhausviertel and the traditional Hamburg fish market are outlining the diversity of Hamburg as a tourist destination. Futuristic architecture is shaping the newly built HafenCity district and the unique Speicherstadt (historical warehouse district) give evidence of the city’s history and its future of urban building.

Hamburg is famous for its diverse shopping arcades, spacious boulevards and exclusive boutiques. Creative fashion, edgy streetwear, exclusive jewelry or perhaps just a souvenir with a difference – shopping in Hamburg provide a high level of versatility.

The maritime atmosphere at the Elbe invites to a stroll at the harbour’s edge offerings several highlights: At the waterfront between Baumwall and St Pauli, one can see the colourfully flagged sailing and motor boats in the City-Sportboothafen, where the bright red restaurant ship Feuerschiff is moored. Right next to the Überseebrücke, where large passenger ships formerly docked, the general cargo vessel Cap San Diego, built in 1961, is well worth visiting. The ship is the world’s last seaworthy freighter museum of its size. The berth of the lavishly restored barque ship Rickmer Rickmers is diagonally opposite. From here, it is just a short walk to the Portuguese quarter with its many fish restaurants.

Further down the River Elbe one should take a stroll along the jetties of the St Pauli Landungsbrücken. The Landungsbrücken (Landing Docks) line the edge of the harbour, from which visitors have the perfect view of a mighty port bustling with maritime life. This is also the traffic hub for port ferries, Elbe ferries and excursion boats, making it to the perfect starting point to get on one of the barges that are so typical for Hamburg and to join a harbour tour by boat.

One of the special festival highlights is the Hamburg Port Anniversary. The world’s biggest port festival revolves around cruise liners, sailing vessels and military ships in the port of Hamburg. The four-day programme includes the famous tugboat ballet and the grand finale parade. The biannual spectacular Hamburg Cruise Days will be held in September along with the international SeaTrade Europe convention, ringing in an entire Cruise week in Hamburg, where the fascination of cruise lining comes alive onshore as well as offshore. The harbour offers maritime markets with culture, music, culinaric highlights and an impressive cruise liner parade accompanied by traditional boats and fireworks.

 

Tip: The harbour is dipped into blue lights during Hamburg Cruise Days which creates a unique atmosphere.

UNESCO World Heritage Site “Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus Dirstrict with Chilehaus”

The historic Speicherstadt and the Kontorhaus District with the legendary Chilehaus are brickwork symbols of the rise of Hamburg as a trading metropolis and are known as the largest contiguous complex of warehouses worldwide.  Built on oak logs, the impressive red-brick buildings make up a unique district you simply can’t miss.

The famous Chilehaus is one of these beautifully decorated red-brick buildings which are so typical for Northern German architecture and the Wasserschloss is the Speicherstadt’s most photographed landmark.

Located right in the port of Hamburg the districts, preserved in their entirety, are the pride of Hamburg: In 2015 there were designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site – an outstanding ensemble of maritime warehouses and modern office buildings of exceptional universal value.

Today, the area presents itself as a lively cultural quarter which combines past and present where you can find numerous gastronomic facilities and tourist attractions.

Town hall

Built between 1886 and 1897, Hamburg’s town hall dominates the city centre with its impressive architecture and its 112 metre-high tower. This magnificent sandstone Neo-Renaissance building is the seat of the Hamburg Senate and the Hamburg State Parliament. It has 647 rooms and its façade displays the statues of twenty kings and emperors of the old German Empire. The representative halls and back rooms can be viewed only on guided tours. Also worth seeing is the fountain of Hamburg’s patron goddess Harmonia in the town hall’s courtyard.

The Old Elbe Tunnel has a length of 426.5 metres and connects the Elbe island of Steinwerder directly with the St Pauli Landungsbrücken. Built in 1911, the historic tunnel is still used by pedestrians and cars; it is equipped with a car lift. The opening of the tunnel was a technological sensation at the time. In 2003, the Old Elbe Tunnel with its maritime tiles was classified as a listed building, and since 2011 it also bears the title of “Historic landmark of German civil engineering”. The walk through the two narrow tunnels is rewarded with a magnificent view of the cityscape from the other side of the Elbe.

Noble and Beautiful: Just beside the town hall you will find Neuer Wall, one of Europe’s leading designer fashion promenades with labels such as Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander, Bulgari and Cartier, as well as Hermès accessories. But the street is also home to a number of traditional retailers.

Hamburg´s city centre has 26 shopping arcades, providing you with a sheltered shopping experience in all weathers. With a floor space of 30.000 square meters, the Europapassage is Hamburg´s biggest inner city shopping center and is located at the far end of the Jungfernstieg. In contrast to this, the Mellin Passage is the smallest of Hamburg’s arcades. It´s Venetian style ceiling paintings are a touristic attraction in itself. Also among the city’s smallest and finest shopping arcades is the Levantehaus, which is located at the Mönckebergstrasse, Hamburg´s major shopping mile. While the Alsterarkaden impress with their Venetian flair, the Hanse-Viertel let you experience shopping the Hanseatic way.  The Jungfernstieg along the Inner Alster Lake is Hamburg’s most renowned and most traditional shopping boulevard with different retail shops and large department stores such as the famous Alsterhaus.

Tip: For all those who are looking for quality while wanting to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city, should venture out to the districts of Eppendorf, Eimsbuettel and Winterhude.

The Hamburg Metropolitan Region offers art treasures, museums and exhibitions as well as world class music and theaters.

Hamburg is a city that historically always has been devoted to classical music.  Johannnes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Felix Mendelsohn-Bartholdy and many other outstanding artists have been working in Hamburg over decades to create the city’s cultural heritage. The magnificent, neo-baroque structure of the 1908 built Laeiszhalle provides a wonderful ambience for an unforgettable evening of classical music. The Hamburg State Opera was Germany’s first public opera house founded in 1678. Its repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary opera and ballet performances. With the Hamburg Ballet, directed by John Neumeier, the Hanseatic city is also home to a world-renowned ballet company.

 

In addition to this, the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s concert hall and new landmark is welcoming music enthusiasts as well as tourists from all over the world, seeing itself as a concert hall for everyone. The musical programme is therefore designed to be varied and inviting, offering capivating concert experiences to both connoisseurs and newcomers alike. Concerts and concertante opera performances in the Grand Hall featuring the best orchestras from around the world represent the epitome of musical achievement. But the Elbphilharmonie isn’t just a destination for the musically minded or culturally astute: the spectacular building houses not only three impressive concert halls but also gastronomy, a hotel and a public viewing plaza which offers a breathtaking and unbeatable 360° panoramic view over the entire city and harbor.

 

Also known as musical metropole, Hamburg is the world’s third-biggest musical metropolis just after New York and London. Five musicals are performed permanently, among those Disney’s The Lion King, which has been staged for more than 15 years in Hamburg now.