With plenty of canals and more bridges than Amsterdam, Hamburg is often referred to as the Venice of the North. Located in northern Germany and being the country’s wealthiest city, Hamburg is an interesting cultural city to discover. Its history as a member of the medieval Hanseatic League and as a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire is still noticeable today in the architecturally significant buildings and churches.
Being a major tourist destination for both overseas and domestic visitors, many five-star hotels in Hamburg offer sumptuous old-fashioned luxury; nevertheless, there are plenty of cheaper, clean hostels that offer excellent value for money. Most major international hotel chains can be found here and much of their trade is geared towards catering to the international business traveller.
Top Attractions in Hamburg
Major tourist attractions include the Town Hall, the impressive Saint Michaelis Church, the Old Warehouse district (Speicherstadt) and the Harbour promenade (Landungsbrücken). There are many museums in Hamburg including the famous Deichtorhallen, a world-renowned exhibition gallery, the Altonaer Museum giving you an insight in both the culture of Hamburg and northern Germany, and the Hamburg Museum devoted to the history of the city.
Touring through the city, you will be surprised by how green the city is, offering delightful walks in the Botanical Garden, City Park and Hamburg’s Central Park, home to a large water tower which houses one of Europe biggest planetariums.
Traditionally, the town of Hamburg is Lutheran evangelic. Nowadays though, there is a large ethnic diversity that has resulted in a variety of religions having a presence in the city. Almost all the synagogues were destroyed at the time of the Nazi regime, but the Synagogue Hamburg can still be found in the Jewish neighbourhood of Grindel. There are a number of Baroque churches, including the Chrstiankirche, while there is also the Flusschifferkirche, a floating church. The city’s Iranian community worships at the Imam Ali Mosque.
Entertainment
A big attraction is the Night of Museums that takes place every April. Over 50 museums take part in this event and stay open until 2 am.
The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival or Kirschblutenfest, is celebrated on 19th May by Hamburg’s Japanese community. A peaceful atmosphere and enormous firework display also forms part of this Lake Alster event.
The Hamburger Dom (or Fair) is one of Germany’s largest fairs. The 3.3 km long streets are lined with rides and stalls during spring, summer and the onset of winter.
Shopping in Hamburg is a unique experience offering a combination of pricy name brand boutiques and second hand stores. Food and beer are high quality and not expensive. A buzzing after-dark scene with plenty of bars, night clubs and strip clubs around the Reeperbahn area guarantees some good nights out. Being the perfect blend of historic beauty, cultural sightseeing, shopping possibilities and sparkling nightlife, Hamburg is one of the favourite destinations for a city trip in Europe.
Hamburg Hotels
Hamburg accommodation includes budget, mid range and five-star hotels. Cheap hotels in Hamburg are available in the form of youth hostels with lovely river and harbour views and back-packers rooms, complete with kitchens. Mid range accommodation includes modern spacious rooms or suites, while five-star hotels feature suites with indoor whirlpools and swimming pools. The rates for all hotel rooms tend to be lower on the weekends and higher during the week.