Insider tip among locals and tourists is nowadays Hohe Bleichen. This shopping street and the whole quarter around the Neuer Wall, Poststrasse and Grosse Bleichen turn a stroll into a real event. Specialist shops, passages, cafés and noble restaurants offer everything that your heart might desire.

„With new and renovated architecture, spacious shops and noble restaurants Neuer Wall between ABC quarter and Grosse Bleichen, has been revived and reshaped into a splendour shopping mile. But also in Poststrasse and Grosse Bleichen many excluding labels are situated.“ “Window-shopping under glass” it is called by the city of Hamburg, since the Hanse quarter connects different streets.

Also Jungfernsteg invites in the city centre to shopp, stroll and enjoy. Almost all shops are open until 20 o'clock, which makes it possible to do shopping after work or simply do a stroll through the city centre of Hamburg.

Binnenalster and surroundings

Hamburg’s city centre is the area around the Inner Alster. The city centre consists of parts of the districts of Old Town, Neustadt and harbour city.

When arriving at Hamburg central station, you can go along Mönckebergstrasse, Hamburg’s main shopping street, to reach the city hall market. In Mönckebergstrasse church Saint Peter and right next door Hulbe house are worth seeing. Crossing “Europe passage” you will get to Gerhart Hauptmann Square where the Thalia theatre is located. At the southern end of Mönckebergstrasse are church Saint Jacobi and the office house quarter.

South of central station are the city court houses, market hall and Deichtor halls (former market halls, event centre and exhibition halls).

From the city hall market you can go over Jungfernsteg or Poststrasse to Gänsemarkt. The Opera at Gänsemarkt was previously the most important middle-class theatre in the German speaking area. Hamburg state opera is at Dammtorstrasse which leads to Gänsemarkt. Hamburg‘s stock exchange which is situated at bank quarters just behind city hall is also interesting.

In 1842 large parts of the city centre burned down. Due to a cholera epidemic in 1892 incisions followed in order to improve hygienic situations. Finally, World War 2 destroyed many parts of the city centre.

Other interesting facts are: the first railroad line was opened in 1842 and the first horse driven train did go through city centre in 1866. Finally, in 1894 the first electric streetcar was taken into use, which today is the city railroad, and in 1912 the high-level road, today‘s underground. A traffic light at a square in Paris and another one used since 1922 at the Stephansplatz in Hamburg are the first traffic lights in Europe.

Altona

Köhlbrandtreppe, an impressive construction inaugurated in 1887. Special about it is that it was used till 1960 daily by thousands of workers who oscillated from upper town to the harbour operations and industrial companies at the shore.

For tourists the fish market with its fish auction hall is of special attraction. Also the Wooden Harbour which was invested in 1722 is an interesting place to see.

Today the city hall of Altona can be found in Altona’s first railway station building. Here also begins street Elbchaussee which stretches westwards until Blankenese. There is the „Altona balcony“ which offers a miraculous view of the harbour. From here you can excellently start a walk at the Elbe shore or Elbe bicycle trail or ride a bike. In Neumühlen are some restored historical ships that are worth seeing.

Altona‘s most important symbol is the well Stuhlmannsbrunnen. It shows the fight of two centaurs about a gigantic fish. From Saint Pauli piers you can take a ferry to Finkenwerder, to the museum‘s harbour and to Blankenese. Further five landing stages in Altona are starting point of boat trips on river Elbe.

St. Pauli

St. Pauli, part of the district Hamburg Mitte, is known for its amusement quarter Reeperbahn. But St. Pauli offers many more attractions, for instance the museum “Beatlemania Hamburg” at the Beatles Square, Harry´s Hamburger Hafenbasar or the waxworks Panoptikum.

City Hall

Hamburg‘s city hall was built of sandstone in neorenaissance style and opened in 1897. It has 647 rooms and stands on over 4000 oaken posts. Striking is the fact that this city hall is not built in the typical Hanseatic style. On the contrary, it disposes of a very luxuriously formed facade which is decorated with 20 imperial statues.

Above the main gate stands in Latin language: „The freedom, ancestors gained, shall be kept with dignity by their descendants." A smith-iron grid door leads through the main entrance into the city hall’s hall. The hall stands on 16 sandstone columns on which are painted 68 portraits of Hamburg‘s citizens.

Something special is the emperor‘s hall which got its name on account of the emperor Wilhelm II’s visit at the opening of the Kiel Canal. The hall disposes of a remarkable ceiling fresco which symbolises the merchant ship journey under German flag. Walls are covered with leather wallpaper.

In the mayor's hall prominent visitors sign the golden book of town. According to old Germanic customs the senate used to meet under open sky. The great conference hall meets this custom in so far that the only light comes through the big glass roof.

The big festivity hall disposes of several imposing paintings which show the history of Hamburg. Further, 62 coats of arms of the former Hanse alliance decorate the walls. The hall is 46 metres long, 18 metres wide and 15 metres high. It is equipped with three chandeliers, each having 278 lamps and weighing 1500 kilos.

Harbour

It‘s a crowd-puller! Hamburg’s harbour is definitely an attraction worth seeing. Cruise ships, container ships, old and modern ships as well as an old yacht like the museum ship. In Hamburg’s harbour the spectrum of ships is great and not less interesting.

This cosmopolitan city can be explored in quite different ways.

For example by bus which winds with an escort vehicle and special approval for three hours through gigantic mountains of containers. Skilled tour guides will show you container terminals like Burchardkai and Altenwerder of HHLA. Thus you will see places which usually are restricted to public.

Another possibility is a tour through harbour city, Speicherstadt and past Elbe-philharmonic. Get tantalized by stories about the harbour, visit museum ships like Rickmer Rickmers, Cap San Diego or the old Elbtunnel, pass harbour police and go to the museum of spices, Kesselhouse or the world-biggest model railway - a tour will definitely get into an unforgettable experience.

Further attractive destinations of a walking tour through harbour city are for example the traditional ship harbour, Magellan terraces, Sandtor park, Magdeburg harbour where Greenpeace‘s European headquarters are built, Marco Polo's terraces or the cruise terminal.

Experience tradition and modern age at a visit to this famous harbour!

Michel

The Protestant main church impresses with a nave, three organs, a cellar vault and a marvellous view from its tower.

If walking through Hamburg, you see it over and over again: Hamburg‘s Michel. 132 metres high the tower of this church rises above most of Hamburg’s buildings. The baroque church with an impressive bonnet is situated near harbour and landing stages and certainly one of the most remarkable churches in North Germany. The tower is dressed up with copper plates and offers a miraculous view of town and harbour from its view platform. Besides, the clock is eight metres and thus the biggest in Germany.

Before ascending the tower you will see at the main entrance archangel Michael, patron saint of knights, soldiers and other professional guilds. Every midday starting at twelve o'clock an organ play can be listened to for a quarter of an hour. This makes a visit to the bright church nave especially attractive.

TIP: If you want to climb to the top of Michel in the middle of the night, this is possible at certain times. Opening hours are constantly changing thus reservation is recommended. Please check out opening hours and reservation terms on the day of your planned visit.

Reeperbahn

The red-light district in Hamburg – where Reeperbahn meets other streets and night is day. The nightclub district lies in Hamburg‘s part of Saint Pauli and is known far beyond Germany’s borders.

People visiting Hamburg’s famous street during the day will find only a quiet street with some stores. Most doors are closed at this time. But as soon as it is getting dark the street comes alive. Colourful signs start shining at bars, restaurants, theatres, discos and night clubs that line up. In this district is Germany’s highest density of bars! Life is everywhere - live music, stage performances, bachelor parties in night clubs or performances at the operetta house, Schmidt‘s Tivoli or Saint Pauli Theatre. As a general rule, shows don’t end until early morning hours.

In a side street of Reeperbahn, the Grosse Freiheit, the Beatles played in the 60s every evening at Club Indra. Of this still reminds the square that is designed in form of a Beatles record. The museum "Beatlemania" is nearby.

In the waxwork museum Panoptikum at Spielbuden square for over 130 years now celebrities of history, science, culture, art and music are shown there full-size on three floors. Whether king Heinrich VIII, the Beatles or Robbie Williams – here you can get really close to celebrities!

The name "Reeperbahn" has its origin in Hamburg‘s rope makers, the so-called Reepschläger. They needed a long road in order to produce ropes.

Blankenese

In the west of Hamburg, in the district of Altona lies Blankenese. It is a part of town where many wonderful old villas and mansions stand. Built by rich businessmen around the turn of the 18th to 19th century, classicistic style is prevailing. Still today these mansions are mostly owned by wealthy citizens.

Numerous historical fishing houses dating back to the same time can be discovered in the Treppenviertel around Süllberg. These are often small brick buildings which nevertheless partly dispose of extravagantly formed, half-timbered facades and reet covered roofs.

Old traditions are still alive in Blankenese. For example, on New Year's Eve the bustle pot running is still done. Children hit spoons on pots, sing, knock at front doors and ask for sweets. Another tradition still maintained is the Easter fire. Four fires are lighted at Elbe beach from east to west, which attract many visitors. „Kreekfahren“, a ride in a wide, low box sledge which is steered by help of a slat, is probably only possible in Blankenese. Of course only when there is snow.

In the west of Blankenese lies a nice and popular place for excursions: the Roman Garden. High over river Elbe this garden spreads over several levels. In summer you can attend here performances in the nature theatre. Further beautiful parks are the Baurs park at the yacht harbour of Mühlenberg, Hesse park and Großlers park at Blankenese‘s railway station.

More information: http://english.hamburg.de/

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