The port city of Hamburg, Germany, with more than 40 mi/64 km of canals and 2,500 bridges, has an independent, entrepreneurial spirit. The city has established itself as a media and advertising center, but shipping is still a major industry. No visitor to Hamburg should miss a boat tour of the port and the Speicherstadt (a series of brick storage facilities).
Though commerce is Hamburg's strength, it has its share of cultural attractions, as befits a town that was once the home of Johannes Brahms. Be sure to visit the cathedrals of St. Jacobi (where you can see a distinguished 15th-century altar) and St. Michael (baroque, with a 440-ft/136-m spire offering a great view of the city) as well as the unique Rathaus (city hall, supported by dozens of pillars—it's really a grand building).
If you're a very early riser or the type to party till dawn, take time to stroll through Hamburg's famous fish market (which sells much more than fish). The Alster, a huge downtown body of water, is another good place for a walk.
The surrounding neighborhoods of Harvestehude and Eppendorf have nice villas that were left undamaged in the war.
Plan at least two days in Hamburg, more if you want to take day trips. Hamburg is 160 mi/260 km northwest of Berlin.
Sightseeing
The main arts museum in Hamburg, the Kunsthalle, has old masters and 19th-century paintings, as well as contemporary works.
Other museums include the Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe (Islamic, Asiatic and antique art and artifacts; industrial design) and the Museum of Hamburg History (scale models and replicas of street scenes, ships, trains and even a South Pacific island in miniature—it's world famous among model enthusiasts). Art lovers will also enjoy the Deichtorhallen (modern art in old flower-market buildings).
The Museum of Erotic Art, on Bernard Nocht Strasse, has works by such famous artists as Delacroix and Picasso. Nearby is Harry's Hafenbasar, with its huge collection of objects from Africa (masks, shrunken heads, etc.).
BallinStadt, an emigration museum, features interactive video and audio exhibits, reconstructions, life-sized animated figures, "talking" vintage photographs, artifacts such as steamer trunks, letters written home, and ships' logs. The museum comprises three reconstructed housing pavilions. Building 1 houses the Family Research Center, where visitors can search for data about relatives who emigrated from Hamburg between 1890 and 1908. It's at Veddeler Bogen 2. http://www.ballinstadt.de/en.
Nightlife
The St. Pauli district is the place to go for nightlife in Hamburg. In addition to bars and dance clubs, it has the Reeperbahn, one of the most famous red-light districts in Europe. Although it once had a reputation for sleaze, it's now closely patrolled and a big tourist attraction. Parts of it are family-oriented (video arcades, etc.), but parts are definitely for adults only—Herbertstrasse is for male adults only. The X-rated area has ladies of the night lining the streets and live sex shows in the bars.
Shopping
Hamburg has many shopping districts, including an antiques section in the Markthalle, near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), and many upscale stores in the Gansemarkt area. The granddaddy of all the shopping streets in Hamburg is Monckebergstrasse, with more than 100 shops. Three other streets are home to luxury boutiques: Grosse Bleichen, Neuer Wall and Jungfernstieg. Das Stilwerk, an upscale shopping mall next to the fish market, is an interesting place to buy or look at interior furnishings.
