There’s no denying that Hamburg is a pretty unique place, especially amongst other German cities. A long way from both Berlin to the east and Munich to the South, it has forged a singular identity. With my short stay in the city, I got the impression that Hamburgers are fiercely proud of both their city and their identity. Anchors and seafaring motifs are everywhere; this is a city that wears its history on its sleeve. It even has its own greeting, “Moin”, meaning ‘hello’ and the word “Quiddje” – a nickname Hamburgers use to categorise the rest of the world’s population – singling them out as different from all others.
Over the years, Hamburg has quietly grown its cultural cache to the point that it is almost on par with Berlin; The Beatles earned their stripes here, there are dozens of fantastic museums, and 100s of thriving live music venues. Beyond the city’s cultural side there is a rich maritime history, miles of beautiful canals right in the city centre, and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The city also has a countercultural edge and nightlife scene to rival that of the capital. From the seedy clubs of the Reeperbahn to the hip hangouts of Sternschanze, there is plenty to keep a visitor occupied for a weekend or even weeks on end.
The Best Things to do in Hamburg
1. Immerse Yourself in Beatles History
2. Enjoy the Views from the Elbphilharmonie
3. Wander around the UNESCO Listed Speicherstadt
4. See the Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s Red Light District
5. Party at Dawn in the Fischmarkt
6. Paddleboard Along the City’s Canals
7. See the world in Miniature at Miniatur Wunderland
8. Wander Through the Old Elbtunnel
9. Take a Leisurely Stroll Around Alster Lake
10. Take in a Panoramic View of the City from the Top of St. Michael’s Church
11. Eat Pastel de Nata in the City’s Portuguese Quarter
12. Visit the Rathaus
13. Hang Out in the Super-Cool Sternschanze Neighbourhood
14. Take a Boat Tour on the Elbe
15. Explore St. Pauli and its Street Art
16. Drink Craft Beer at Altes Madchen Brewhouse
17. Hamburger DOM
18. Get Some Culture on the Museum Mile
19. Attend a Festival
20. Eat a Hamburger
Immerse Yourself in Beatles History
There is a famous quote from John Lennon, “I was born in Liverpool, but grew up in Hamburg” – and growing up they did, both personally and professionally. It was in 1960 that Allan Williams, the band’s booking agent, decided to send the group to Hamburg to play in the seedy bars and strip clubs of the Reeperbahn. They began their apprenticeship playing 10-hour shifts at the Indra Club as a backing band to strippers, sleeping in the cold concrete storeroom. As they improved they were promoted to larger venues such as the Kaiserkeller, Top Ten and Star Club.
“I was born in Liverpool, but grew up in Hamburg”
Despite their relatively short stay in the city – it lasted just 2 years – their time there has become the stuff of legend. It was here that they met Ringo Starr, adopted their famous Beatles haircuts and recorded their first single under the guise of the Beat Brothers. Small signs of the Beatles still remain scattered around the St. Pauli neighbourhood; discrete plaques outside the clubs in which they played, small references in bar and shop names, and most prominently Beatles Platz – a small square at the entrance to Große Freiheit where metal silhouettes of the fab four stand in tribute.
Enjoy the Views from the Elbphilharmonie
In the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg finally has a venue to match its illustrious musical heritage. A jagged glass wave rising from the Elbe, the Elbphilharmonie took almost 10 years to construct.
Now it is the pride of the city and a major tourist attraction. I took advantage of the free entry and began my ascent up its long cavernous escalator tunnel into the airy reception halls. Floor to ceiling windows fill the building with light and orbs of glass hang from the undulating curves that mirror the waves sitting atop its roof. It’s an elegant homage to the cities two true passions – music and the sea.
Muffled orchestral sounds meandered through the airy halls as besuited patrons make their way up the stairs to the concert hall. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the foresight to buy tickets so made do with my Plaza pass and wandered the perimeter of the building, taking in the full 360-degree vista of a misty Hamburg from my vantage point 36 metres above the city.
Wander around the UNESCO Listed Speicherstadt
In sharp contrast to Hamburg’s most modern of structures, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, is a more tangible reminder of the city’s connection to the waves. Here a sprawling network of red brick, neo-gothic buildings tower over the canals like industrial canyon walls.
The Speicherstadt, literally meaning ‘City of Warehouses’, was built between 1883 and 1927 as a free zone for the city’s extensive imports of cocoa, coffee and spices.
Despite how this sounds, there is something both beguiling and beautiful about the uniformed rows of brick, topped by cylindrical spires and flourishes of oxidised copper. So beguiling that I found myself coming back once the clouds and rain had passed, just so that I could wander its wrought-iron bridges – Hamburg is said to have more bridges than Venice and Amsterdam combined – and photograph the facades as the evening sun receded, bathing the buildings in a glow of orange and pink.
See the Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s Red Light District
The Reeperbahn, known locally as die Sündigste Meile (the most sinful mile), runs through Hamburg’s St. Pauli neighbourhood like a mile-long river of neon and sin. Parties of stags and hens stagger beneath the iridescent glow of signs advertising table dances, drag shows, and ‘Sexy Sexy Girls’. A mix of cheesy Europop, bad karaoke and football chants echo from the bars of Hans-Albers Platz. The Reeperbahn was originally a refuge for the sailors and traders passing through the city’s ports – a place to while away their shore leave in the multitude of insalubrious bars and brothels. Although those days are long gone, the strip clubs and legalised prostitution remain.
Down Große Freiheit (“The Great Freedom”) illuminated lettering arches over the road promoting The Safari, the only live sex theatre left in Germany until its closure in 2013, and the Dollhouse, a popular table dancing venue. A few minutes walk from here, tucked away beyond Davidstraße lies Herbertstraße, almost as famous as the Reeperbahn itself. Historically, this was the only area where prostitution was tolerated in Hamburg and even during the Nazi regime it continued to thrive, only now blocked with barricades to protect the sensibilities of passing pedestrians. The barricades are as much a part of Herbertstraße as the women behind the windows, beckoning customers in to pay them a visit.
Despite its sordid past and occasionally sordid present, the Reeperbahn is very much a vibrant space that is embraced by the city’s residents both young and old. They come here to while away their evenings in the bars, clubs, and restaurants that lay alongside the sex kinos and strip clubs. Along the street’s central reservation, the locals mingle with groups of tourists at street food markets while well-dressed couples make their way to the elegant theatres and music halls that populate the Reeperbahn’s eastern side.
Party at Dawn in the Fischmarkt
Every Sunday morning between 6 and 9 am, crowds gather at the point where St. Pauli meets the Elbe. Some come to browse the market stalls and shop while others, surprisingly, come to party. Weary revellers making their way home from the bars of the Reeperbahn stop by the Fischmarkt stalls to peruse the rows of fish sandwiches while the early risers head here to pick up groceries and have a coffee, rather than anything stronger.
Inside the 100-year-old market building, despite the early hour, a party is going on. Bars line the perimeter of the room and picnic tables fill its centre to become a makeshift beer hall. At either end, ageing rockers take to the stage and play classic rock numbers to the already half cut crowd that are far too energetic, and far too drunk, for 7am.
Paddleboard Along the City's Canals
If you’re looking for an alternative way to see the city, what better way to do it than by water. Hamburg apparently has more canals than both Amsterdam and Venice combined, and with the Supper Club, on the north side of Alster Lake, you can hop on a paddleboard and explore the willow and extravagant mansion-lined waterways of the city with one of their helpful instructors, finishing up in the open waters of Alster Lake.
See the world in Miniature at Miniatur Wunderland
Hamburg’s most popular attraction is ‘Minitur Wunderland‘, a unique display of the world in pocket-size; shrunken down and squeezed into 2500 square metres of Speicherstadt warehouse space. Within these red-brick walls, you are transported across the globe with tiny scale models of Rome, Las Vegas, Cinque Terra and Scandanavia.
At a track length of over 15,000 meters, it is the world’s largest model railway and, although this may not sound particularly enthralling, I was spellbound from the moment I walked through the door. Each city scene is painstakingly detailed and wherever you look, there are witty little dioramas of life being lived in its miniature streets. Music festivals, football games and family picnics all shrunken down and frozen in time.
Wander Through the Old Elbtunnel
The plans for the Elbe Tunnel were revolutionary at the time of construction. With a great need for improved transport links to the other side of the river, city officials decided to ditch plans for suspended railways and or bridges and instead, decided to dig. After 4 years, 10 million marks and multiple worker’s deaths, the 2,000 foot long tunnel opened in 1911, allowing easier access for workers travelling from the city centre to the city’s industrial south side.
In 2003 the Elbtunnel was designated a cultural heritage site and it went on to win an award for its historic engineering on its 100th anniversary in 2011.
Take a Leisurely Stroll Around Alster Lake
Almost the whole perimeter of Alster Lake has been given up as public Parkland. I walked a small section of the lakeside path just as the last light of the day was fading, watching the kayaks, toppers and rowing boats cruising its calm waters. It’s a public space that Hamburgers take full advantage of. Groups of teenagers gathered with drinks and watched the mighty spray of its geyser-like fountain, joggers passed by with a nod and a “moin”, and couples huddled on the benches to take in the view as the evening drew in.
Take in a Panoramic View of the City from the Top of St. Michael’s Church
Situated between the inner-city and the piers of Landungsbruecken, this baroque gem is possibly the most beloved of Hamburg’s collection of churches. Its copper roof and 132m high clock tower rising above the surrounding buildings, making it visible from the Elbe, which was a welcoming sight for returning sailors and fishermen back in the day. The church that occupies this area today is the 3rd incarnation, built in 1912 and a survivor of the WW2 Allied bombing campaigns. It seems somewhat luckier than the previous two, destroyed first by a lightning strike and a then a catastrophic fire centuries later.
From the spire you can take in the arresting views of Hamburg; the clusters of clock towers rising from the city centre, the glass waves of the Elbphilharmony perched on the river edge and the turquoise spike of the Rathaus, the city’s beautiful neo-renaissance Town Hall.
Eat Pastel de Nata in the City's Portuguese Quarter
It is no surprise then that nestled a few short steps from the harbour is an area where you are more likely to be greeted with an “!Hola¡” instead of the customary “Moin” – Hamburg’s own word for hello – and served a pastéis de Nata rather than currywurst.
Portugiesenviertel, or the Portuguese quarter, developed in the 1960s as immigrants moved to the city looking for work at the bustling port. Even today the Bandeira das Quinas hangs from almost every Tapas bar or Brazilian barbeque restaurant that populated this small Portuguese enclave. It is a little piece of Lisbon, picked up and deposited in the centre of a north German city.
Visit the Rathaus
The Rathaus, Hamburg’s beautiful neo-renaissance Town Hall, took 44 years and seven architects to build. It was worth the wait. It is actually the 6th incarnation of the building and since it was opened in 1897, the 133 metres wide and 112 metres tall hall has become a much-loved landmark in the city.
Hamburg’s parliament, senate and mayor all have their seats in the City Hall but luckily, you don’t have to become mayor or be elected as a politician to take a peek around the building. The Rathaus is open to visitors via tours each day from 8am to 6pm.
Hang Out in the Super-Cool Sternschanze Neighbourhood
Tucked between the main avenues of Schanzenstrasse and Schulterblatt you will find sidewalk cafes, stylish, independent boutiques and achingly cool bars frequented by a mix of youthful hipsters, bohemians and the more well-to-do residents.
This is to Hamburg what Kreuzberg is to Berlin, albeit with a slightly gritty, revolutionary edge. At its heart, behind the hipster eateries and drinking spots, Sternschanze is a hotbed of left-leaning political activism. This is apparent in the storied history of the Rote Flora. Initially built as a theatre in 1888, it went through a variety of guises before being abandoned. In 1987 plans were made to refurbish the building, much to the chagrin of local residents. Within months the protests grew, culminating in violent assaults by militant groups and all renovation plans were scrapped. Ever since, the building has been squatted, functioning as a ‘community centre’ that offers space for cultural and political events.
Take a Boat Tour on the Elbe
I spent my last afternoon in Hamburg seeing the city from a whole new perspective, aboard a boat tour on the mighty Elbe, viewing it as so many people have done over centuries of fishing and trade.
With the help of a portable audio guide spilling facts and figures about the city, this was the perfect way to spend an hour; cruising the Elbe in the glorious sunshine, beer in hand and a view across the whole of Hamburg’s waterfront; People jogging and walking their dogs along the beach at Elbstrand; the beautiful traditional houses of Blankense, their white wooden structures poking out from the green, spacious, parkland of one of Hamburg’s richest neighbourhoods; towering walls of multicoloured shipping containers, stacked 5 high along the docks, ready to be lifted onto the waiting ships.
Explore St. Pauli and its Street Art
This is the strange dichotomy at play in St. Pauli. Among the sex tourists, party goers and stag dos that run-rampant along the Reeperbahn, this is a working, living neighbourhood, and an incredibly cool one at that. The first thing you will notice on entering St. Pauli is that street art is everywhere. Dig a little deeper amongst the cafes, galleries and boutiques of the area and you will see that that art is as big a part of St. Pauli’s identity as the ‘sinful mile’.
On my first afternoon in the city, I was lucky enough to combine two of Hamburg’s passions – art and music – with its one true love; Football. FC Sankt Pauli’s stadium was playing host to the Millerntor Gallery, an annual art, music and culture festival where the ground was filled with works by local and international artists. In one corner of the stadium, you could strip naked and have your Polaroid taken by Ali Altin and Jochen Goerlach to add to their wall of nudes, in another you could have a spur of the moment tattoo etched into your skin at the tattoo bar.
The split in St Pauli is not only ideological but in some places, physical. Look closely at the ground and you will occasionally see a dividing line marked between the cobbles, on one side an ‘A’ and another a ‘H’ – referring to the two cities of Altona and Hamburg. The neighbourhood first began to develop outside the gates of Hamburg on what was known as Hamburger Berg (or Hamburg Mountain) and close to Altona, then under the administration of the Danish monarchy. The settlement was initially used to house businesses deemed too noisy or pungent for either of the surrounding cities but soon more people settled here; the ropemakers that needed long stretches of land for their work moved in giving the Reeperbahn (literally meaning rope walk) its name, and sailors would stop by the area for ‘entertainment’ during their leave in Altona or Hamburg. Both St. Pauli and Altona were eventually absorbed into the sprawling expansion of Hamburg.
Maybe this is the reason that St. Pauli seems to have its own character, even in a city such as Hamburg that prides itself on being unique to the rest of Germany. Don’t be surprised if almost everyone you see in this corner of the city is sporting a St. Pauli hoody or t-shirt emblazoned with the areas skull and crossbones logo.
Drink Craft Beer at Altes Madchen Brewhouse
If you travel in Germany a lot, you may have noticed that the country isn’t necessarily embracing the craft beer revolution that appears to have gripped the rest of the world, with tastes tending to prefer the traditional brews that have made the country famous as one of the world’s best beer-producing nations.
However, as Hamburg is a city renowned for its independent spirit and love of local producers rather than multi-national chains, it seems fitting that the city has its fair share of microbreweries. The first place to check out on any beer-lovers list is Madchen brewhouse, a sprawling bar, restaurant and beer garden bolted on to Ratsherrn brewery.
Elsewhere, in Landgang Brewery (formerly Hopper Bräu) serves modern craft ales in their cool warehouse space on the edge of Altona-Nord where you can sup your beers amongst the kegs and tanks of their working brewery. For an amazing beer experience without having to leave the city centre, ÜberQuell at St. Pauli Fischmarkt have a fantastic taproom located near the banks of the Elbe.
Hamburger DOM
With vintage carousels, thrill-rides, street food and carnival games, Hamburger DOM is northern Germany’s largest fun fair and takes place three times a year – for 30 days every summer, winter and spring – at Heiligengeistfeld, next to the Millerntor Stadium in St Pauli.
The history of the fair dates all the way back to the 11th century when the old Mariendom cathedral was used each winter as a shelter by merchants and entertainers. When the cathedral was demolished in 1804, the entertainers were assigned a new location at Heiligengeistfeld and the fair has gone on to become a local institution, expanding the winter festival to both summer and spring, but always retaining the name DOM as a reminder of its humble beginnings in Mariendom cathedral.
Get Some Culture on the Museum Mile
Starting at one end with the impressive Kunsthalle – housing one of Europe’s largest art collections – and ending at the other with the Deichtorhallen, a 19th-century market hall that has been transformed into exhibition venues for contemporary art and photography, Hamburg’s museum mile contains 5 world-class museums. As well as the two galleries previously mentioned, there is the minimalist Art Hall, featuring avant-garde art work, a modern gallery that adjoins the original 1847 red-brick Kunsthalle showcasing modern art, and the Haus der Photographie.
A pass for all 5 museums costs between €25 (3-day pass) and €36 (12-month pass).
Attend a Festival
It’s a well-known fact that Germans love to party, and Hamburg is no exception. While the stereotypical view of German festivals is one of all-night raves and Techno music, the city actually has a wide variety of events and caters to everyone.
The world’s largest metal festival, Wacken Open Air, takes place an hour north of the city each year, while in the city centre, both the Reeperbahn Festival in September and MS Dockville in August are huge events.
This year I was lucky enough to attend Vogelball. Now in its ninth year, ‘The Wilhemsburger Piep-Show’, as it is also known, is described by its creators as “a queer masquerade, an electronic surprise, a variety of intrigues, identities and inspirations” which champions an “open mind, acceptance, and diversity”. Traditionally, Vogelball coincides with the city’s Christopher Street Day parade, contributing to the fact that Vogelball is a big event for Hamburg’s vibrant queer community.
Eat a Hamburger
It may seem obvious when you think about it, but believe it or not, the humble hamburger originates from the city of Hamburg.
This seems logical as, after all, the frankfurter hails from frankfurt; the Yorkshire pudding from God’s own country of Yorkshire; Bolognese sauce is from, surprise surprise, Bologne. However, the Hamburger’s origins are a little hazier. The dish as we know it today is more closely associated with the United States, not Germany, and while burgers nowadays are a little different to those served in Hamburg’s past, it does have its roots in the city. The Hamburg part of its name actually refers to the centuries-old hot pork sandwich, a kind of proto burger, called the rundstück warm – a “round piece warm”, referring to the sandwich’s round bun-like bread – that was eaten as a snack by the city’s dockworkers
The best place to find a rundstück warm is Oberhafen Kantine, in the seven-decade-old crooked, dockworkers canteen that still stands In a quiet corner of Hamburg’s Hafencity.
WHERE TO STAY IN HAMBURG
If a vibrant nightlife, cafe culture and super cool neighbourhoods are your thing, then look no further than Superbude St. Pauli Hostel. Located between the hip areas of St. Pauli and Sternschanze, Superbude oozes style and embraces the offbeat nature of this part of Hamburg. Furniture in its airy reception/dining area is made from upcycled wheelbarrows, the headboards in its rooms from old goal nets – a nod to St. Pauli’s famous football team – and clothes hangers come in the form of plungers stuck to the walls. It is quirky and humorous without being pretentious. Despite styling itself as a hostel, this is more a boutique hotel in terms of quality and customer care but without the extortionate prices. They also have a hostel located in St. George if you need your bed to be a little more central.
Check out my review of Superbude here.
