Hamburg Travel Guide
Although it’s several more miles before the mighty Elbe empties itself into the North Sea, Hamburg has all the atmosphere and attributes of a busy harbour town.
Hamburg’s status as a heaving international port has seen it labelled as the so-called “gateway to the world”, and the description certainly sits well with somewhere constantly awhirl with different cultural flavours.
Hamburg is the second largest metropolis in Germany and has every ounce of the grit and character that this would suggest.
Aesthetically, it’s less like Berlin and Munich and more akin to northern European capitals such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen. All are cities set on water (Hamburg in fact has more bridges than Amsterdam or Venice), and many of its buildings stand along quaysides and canals. It’s also Germany’s greenest city, with a full two thirds of its area dedicated to parkland or lakes.
Away from the greenery though, Hamburg can change at the turn of a corner. This was where the Beatles nurtured their talents in the early 1960s, playing the dingy clubs of the notorious Reeperbahn red-light district. The area still draws visitors in large numbers – Hamburg’s nightlife and live music scene are both renowned today. Elsewhere, you’ll find moneyed waterside neighbourhoods, colourful fish markets and a handsome spread of period buildings. This is, after all, somewhere that was declared a Free Imperial City more than 500 years ago.
Today, the city’s most popular visitor attractions form an appropriately diverse collection. They range from the impressive concert hall Elbphilharmonie which is already Hamburg’s new landmark, the Miniatur Wunderland, a colossal model railway that continues to be expanded, to Hamburg Zoo, open since 1863 and notable for using moats in place of barred cages. Elsewhere, theatres, museums and lakeside walks all add to the city’s all-round appeal.
It’s a fantastic place to eat and a great place to cycle – a city where street art meets summer beaches and electronic music meets edgy architecture. To say Hamburg is rarely boring is something of an understatement.
The ‘Hammaburg’ was the name given to a fortified structure, complete with moat, that was first built here by Saxons between the Elbe and Alster Rivers in AD825. The fortress was raided and burnt by marauding Vikings on numerous occasions over the next century, but as the nearby town of Lübeck flourished to become a major regional power, Hamburg, perfectly located 100km (62 miles) from the mouth of the Elbe, gladly donned the mantle of North Sea port and trading post. Commerce then took over as Hamburg’s principle function, and has remained so to this day.
By the end of the Middle Ages, Hamburg was really coming into its own as a major economic power in Northern Europe, developing an independent infrastructure, including its own stock exchange and bank.
As a fortified and protected city always careful to adopt a politically neutral stance, Hamburg continued to prosper while war and conflict debilitated many other parts of Europe. In fact, Hamburg was further bolstered by a profusion of Dutch seafaring merchants who immigrated to the Elbe region during the ’80-year war’ for religious independence, which ravaged the Netherlands during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
However, this thriving city-state could not escape the clutches of Napoleon, and was annexed into part of the French Empire in 1810. Yet this was short-lived, as the Emperor was overthrown five years later, and by 1819 the newly titled ‘free and hanseatic city of Hamburg’ was enjoying business as usual.
Hamburg concentrated on broadening and developing its trading connections across the globe, including Africa, South America and the Far East, and the harbour city expanded dramatically to accommodate new trade, swallowing up many small villages on the southern banks of the Elbe.
Yet Hamburg’s more recent history has been less rosy. Fire destroyed a quarter of the city centre in 1842, and a firestorm started by Allied bombing during WWII totally eradicated the eastern half of Hamburg, which took another 20 years to rebuild.
Today, however, the city that’s also the continent’s second largest port continues to enjoy its centuries-old tradition of economic good fortune.
Hamburg has 2,300 bridges – more than Amsterdam and Venice combined.
Opened in 1907, the city’s zoo, Tierpark Hagenbeck, has no cages. Instead, animals freely roam in open enclosures surrounded by moats.
The Beatles regularly performed in different clubs in Hamburg between 1960-62 before achieving worldwide fame.
Hamburg has a maritime temperate climate.
Spring (March to May) start off cold with an average temperatures of 4°C (39°F), reaching to a comfortable 12°C (54°F) by May when the city celebrates Port Anniversary (Hafengeburtstag Hamburg) along the banks of River Elbe. This is a fantastic time to visit Hamburg.
Summer (June to August) is warm, which consequently marks the main tourist season. August is the warmest month with average high temperatures reaching 22°C (72°F). August is also the best month to go swimming in the ocean.
Autumn (September to November) is pleasant. In October, the average temperature is 10°C (50°F) and it has about 10 rainy days.
Winter (December to February) is cold in Hamburg, although it is getting milder due to global warming. Christmas is a picturesque and atmospheric time in the city; the average temperature is 2°C (36°F) in December and sometimes you can skate on the city’s frozen lakes. January is usually the coldest month.
Getting around Hamburg
Public transport in Hamburg is popular, efficient and used by almost everyone. Buses travel around the clock, including a special Nachtbus (night bus) service, and the hub is centrally located at Rathausmarket by the town hall.
Website:
www.germany/hamburg-airport
HVV
Telephone: +49 40 19449
Website: www.hvv.de
Runs Hamburg’s excellent integrated system combining rapid transit rail, regional rail, buses and harbour ferries. The U-Bahn (Unterbahn, underground railway) and S-Bahn (Schnellbahn, rapid transit light railway) form a very useful, interlinked network.
You must buy tickets for the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and all regional trains in advance. You can buy individual tickets per journey, but if you are around for a day or more, it is worth investing in an All Day ticket, which offers unlimited travel for one adult and three children under the age of 15. The 9am Day Ticket offers the same but is only valid after 0900.
The Happy Weekend ticket allows unlimited travel for up to five people on Saturday and Sunday. The Hamburg Card, which you can buy at the tourist office, gives unlimited travel on all public transport and grants free or reduced-price admission to many top attractions and excursions. You can buy all travel-only tickets from automated ticket machines at the stations or from bus drivers.
Taxis in Hamburg are easily available throughout the day, and can be hailed in the streets or taken from the frequent taxi stands, which are signified by a green box on a raised post. For advance booking, reputable companies include;
Taxi Downtown Cab
Telephone: +49 40 6386 0553
Hansa Taxi
Telephone: +49 40 211 211
Autoruf G.m.b.H.
Telephone: +49 40 44 10 11
Driving in Hamburg has all the drawbacks of driving and parking as in any other major city and is not recommended. Note that if you do drive, you can leave your car free-of-charge at one of the
HVV park-and
-ride facilities (
Website:
www.hvv.de ) for more information) at rapid transit and regional rail stations which avoids the hassle of finding an inner-city car park.
Hamburg’s StadtRAD
bikeshare scheme
Telephone: +49 408 2218 8100
Website www.stadtrad.hamburg.de
Has hundreds of unmistakable, pillar-box-red bikes neatly lined up at numerous rental points across the city. Often located outside U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations, StadtRAD bikes are free for the first half hour.
Benefit from Travoley’s great deals available all year round for a seamless car hire experience in Hamburg in Germany. Travel your way by choosing from our collection of brand new cars.
Whether you are looking for car rental in Hamburg as part of a vacation, or renting a car for a special event, you will be sure to find a car to suit your needs from our wide range of economy and luxury models.
In order to hire a car, drivers must be at least 21 years old, depending on company policy. All drivers without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit.
Our simple booking system makes it easy to reserve online before you go, offering flexible short- and long-term rental, all at great prices with no hidden charges, so when you arrive all that’s left is to discover the best of this exciting city.
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Book popular activities in Hamburg
Things to see in Hamburg
Attractions
The brand new Philharmonic Hall, which opened in January 2017 in the Speicherstadt area, is a lot more than just a concert venue. The modern building incorporates an historic warehouse complex, and offers a panoramic viewing platform, dining and general cultural experiences, along with a built-in hotel.
Address: Platz d. Deutschen Einheit 4, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 357 6660
Opening times:
Website: www.elbphilharmonie.de
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
- Hafen Hamburg (Port of Hamburg)
Europe’s second largest port and harbour district is a busy commercial area that’s still the beating heart of the city’s affluence and economic success, and parts (notably the Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus warehouse districts) have recently gained UNESCO World Heritage status. An early morning visit to the Fish Market is also a highlight. Don’t miss the Hamburg Port Anniversary which is celebrated in May every year.
Address: Speicherstadt, south of Zollkanal, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 300 51 701
Opening times: Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00.
Website: www.hamburg-travel.com
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: Yes
- Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte (Museum of Hamburg History)
Put the city in context with a visit to the fascinating Museum of Hamburg History, and follow the story of this crucial harbour town, from it origins as an early settlement to its height as a Hanseatic port, trading from the 8th century right up to the present day. Detailed scale models of Hamburg at various times during its development will also help with orientation for further exploring. Conveniently located in the city centre, but closed on Mondays.
Address: Holstenwall 24, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 428 132 100
Opening times: Tues-Sat 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.shmh.de
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
The St Pauli district of Hamburg used to make rope for ships but you can bet anyone still doing that here today is using it for far more ‘specialist’ reasons. This is the area containing the Reeperbahn, a half-mile strip that’s become one of the most notorious red-light districts outside Amsterdam, and one which has similarly managed to attain acceptable tourist attraction status, as curious visitors mingle with the locals and the workers here in this vibrant melange of strip-clubs, bars, erotic theatres and glass-fronted bordellos.
Address: Reeperbahn, Hamburg.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
From humble origins, Hamburg’s church developed, from 1647 onwards, into the grand edifice that today forms such a prominent city centre landmark. With its unmistakable, 132m-high (433ft) baroque tower stunningly clad in beaten copper, ‘Michel’ continues to form an unmistakable part of the city skyline, even though it has undergone major reconstruction three times in its history, most recently after WWII.
Address: Englische Planke 1a, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 376 780
Opening times: Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00.
Website: www.st-michaelis.de
Admission Fees: No (charge for tower and crypt visits).
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Claimed as the world’s biggest model railway, this is a draw for adults and children alike. More than 900 model trains trundle through miniature landscapes ranging from Scandinavia to Germany, Austria and even Las Vegas, along 15km (9 miles) of trackwork. It’s constantly growing as well, the latest highlight being a scale rendition of Hamburg’s newly opened Elbe Philharmonic Hall.
Address: Speicherstadt, Kahnwieder 2-4, Block D, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 300 6800
Opening times: Daily 08:00-20:00.
Website: www.miniatur-wunderland.com
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Close to St. Michaelis Church, the curious can gain an insight into Hamburg life during the mid 19th century at the restored Grocers’ Institute houses, one of which has been preserved in its original condition with period furnishings. The buildings started life as housing for the widows of local shopkeepers.
Address: Krayenkamp 10, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3750 1988
Opening times: Fri-Mon 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.kramerwitwenwohnung.de
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: Yes
As one of Germany’s most important art museums, Hamburg’s Kunsthalle houses a wealth of work from leading German artists, including the country’s masterful yet overlooked impressionists. There’s also plenty of space devoted to two of 19thcentury romanticism’s most important painters, Caspar David Friedrich and Philip Otto Runge.
Address:
Glockengießerwall 1, Hamburg.
Telephone:
+49 40 428 131 200
Opening times: Tues-Sun 10:00-18:00.
Website:
www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
In a bustling metropolis that’s currently home to nearly 1.8 million people, this beautiful park right in the centre of Hamburg provides a green and leafy sanctuary for visitors and residents alike. This oasis of calm also houses Hamburg’s botanical garden. It also offers restaurants and cafés.
Address:
Marseiller Promenade, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 428 280
Opening times: Daily 07:00-23:00.
Website: www.plantenunblomen.hamburg.de
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Hagenbeck Zoo)
It may seem a slightly dated concept these days, but Hamburg’s zoo is still well worth a visit. It’s widely regarded, since being founded in 1907, as the zoo that set the gold standard for others around the world. Hamburg’s zoo was one of the first to do away with cramped, fenced enclosures in favour of large, open paddocks. Highlights include The Eismeer, where you can watch Arctic animals, and the Tropen-Aquarium.
Address: Lokstedter Grenzstrasse 2, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 530 0330
Opening times: Daily 09:00-18:00.
Website: www.hagenbeck.de
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Tourist Offices
Address: Hachmannplatz, Kirchenallee 1, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3005 1300
Opening times: Daily 09:00-19:00.
Website: www.hamburg-tourism.de
Hamburg’s main tourist information office is at the back of the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), by the Kirchenallee entrance. There are also offices at the St Pauli Landungsbrücken (between piers 4 and 5) and in the airport at the new Airport Plaza (between Terminals 1 and 2).
Tourist passes
One of the best ways to get into and around Hamburg and its main attractions is with the Hamburg Card, which can be purchased at the tourist office and gives unlimited travel on all public transport in the Greater Hamburg area as well as free or reduced-price admission to many top attractions, museums and excursions
Things to do in Hamburg
- Escape the city for a day
If you’ve had enough of the urban sprawl, then put a visit to the stunning
Duvenstedter Brook Nature Reserve
Website:
www.hamburg.nabu.de
Located just outside the city’s northern suburbs, this protected 800-hectare (1,977-acre) area is comprised of marshlands, forests and heath, all equally stunning.
- Sail a sloop on Alster Lake
What could be more pleasant than sailing a boat across the broad tract of Alster Lake on a clear sunny day? Sailing boats such as Skippi 650s, big enough for the whole family, can be hired by the hour or for a full day.
The Hamburg Tourist Office
Telephone: +49 40-300 51 701
Website: www.hamburg-travel.com has plenty of rental options.
- Take a go-kart out onto the streets
If you have a full driving license, then you’ll be able to take a go-kart that’s fully road legal out onto the Hamburg’s highways and byways. Karts have a top speed of 85kph (53mph), and rules of the road obviously still apply – other than that, the whole world’s a kart track.
Karts4You (
Website:
www.kart4you.de ) will get you the wheels.
- Take a walk through medicine’s history
The Medical History Museum at
Hamburg University
Is a fascinating journey through modern medicine, from the 19th-century to modern day.
As well a large collection of moulages (wax work models of bodies suffering from disease and affliction), it also has kept the university’s dissection hall in mint condition.
Website:
www.uke.de
The moment you catch sight of the:
Holthusen Baths’
Gorgeous 19th century facade, it is clear that this is not just any old pool complex.
The exclusive swimming pool offers waves generated every half hour, an outdoor pool heated year-round, Turkish baths, steam rooms and, for those who can stand the heat, a traditional Finnish sauna.
Website:
www.baederland.deHamburg tours and excursions
Hamburg tours
Not only do the Hamburg double-decker bus tours take you to the most interesting parts of new and old Hamburg, but they also give you the freedom to see and do what you want, when you want, by allowing you to disembark at leisure and pick up the tour later at one of the many designated stop points en route. Tickets are valid for 24 hours.
Telephone: +49 40 3005 1701
Website: www.hamburg-travel.com
Hamburg is aesthetically set around the two lakes – Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and Aussenalster (Outer Alster). Cruising the Aster Lake is an experience allowing you to view the city from a uniquely scenic perspective. One of the best boat trips is the
Alster-Kreuz-Fahrten
Which makes nine stops on its leisurely two-hour journey and where you can hopp on and hopp off wherever you like.
Telephone: +49 40 357 4240
Website: www.alstertouristik.de
Hamburg excursions Blankenese
One of the quaintest and most charming riverside villages, and a favourite spot for city-dwellers on weekend breaks. Perched on the north bank of the Elbe, its narrow, winding streets lined with beautifully preserved fishermen’s cottages lead down to a picturesque harbour. From Hamburg, Blankenese is just a 35-minute ride on bus 36 from Mönckebergstrasse or via the ferry service from St Pauli-Landungsbrucken
Telephone: +49 40 4109 5330
Website: www.blankenese.de
Lübeck
Located 60km (37 miles) northeast of Hamburg, with trains running half-hourly, Lübeck was head of the influential Hanseatic League controlling the highly lucrative Baltic Sea routes during the Middle Ages. Today, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, whose 16th-century Old Town, located on a central island, retains a unique architectural legacy as well as picture-perfect looks.
Telephone: +49 451 889 9700
Website: www.luebeck-tourismus.deShopping in Hamburg
Shopping opportunities in Hamburg (/germany/hamburg-airport) are of exactly the affluent, upscale variety you’d expect from one of Europe’s most prosperous cities, and with a little bit extra. Hamburg’s main shopping mall, Europa Passage, is in fact the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, the historic city centre offers a profusion of intriguing and quirky second-hand stores, while those with plastic to melt can visit the expensive and über-chic fashion boutiques of the rejuvenated Schanzenviertel district.
The main retail street in Hamburg is Mönckebergerstrasse, and there are several major indoor centres with varying degrees of exclusivity. Jungfernstieg and Neuer Wall boast the most expensive stores. The emphasis is on national and international brand names in fashion, jewellery and high-class furnishings.
The centrally located Altona Fish Market has been a lively and vibrant market ever since it began in 1703. It’s open daily and now sells an awful lot more than just fish. Locally, the market has something near cult status and is worth a stroll simply for the atmosphere and notoriously lively banter between stallholders.
For those religiously dedicated to their shopping and the culture of the mall, a visit to Europa Passage, Ballindamm 40, will be like a pilgrimage to a major cathedral. This is the largest inner-city mall in all Europe; a vast retail sanctuary designed in spectacular contemporary style, spread over five floors and containing 120 shops housing every conceivable international brand name. The Hamburg’s longest shopping centre Hamburger Meile, Hamburger Straße 27, hosts even 150 shops, restaurants and cafés.
The biggest shopping temple of Hamburg with 240 shops is the AEZ Alstertal shopping centre, Heegbarg 31. No desire remains open in this mall. In the west of Hamburg there is the Elbe shopping centre, Osdorfer Landstraße 131-135, with 180 shops. A cosy little mall with shops with moderate prices is the shopping centre HarburgArcaden, Lüneburger Straße 39.
Shops in Hamburg are open Monday to Saturday from around 10:00 to 18:00; and until 20:00 in the larger malls such as Europa Passage and on Mönckebergstrasse.
Restaurants in Hamburg
The clichéd notion of German cuisine consisting exclusively of schnitzels, spuds and pickled veg has been a relic for years now, but of all the cities in Germany in which to enjoy a wealth of gourmet experiences, Hamburg ranks high among the very best. The finest restaurants in Hamburg make full use of the abundance of fresh seafood, as fishermen bring in a daily catch that includes lobster and shrimp, turbot and sole. Eel soup is a traditional dish of the region that’s still popular, as is the internationally famous Stubenküchenor ‘hamburger steak’.
Being a truly cosmopolitan city, the choice of dining experiences in Hamburg is totally international, from gourmet French cuisine, to Italian pizzerias, high-end sushi or a taco to go. For those who like to push the boat out, as of 2017, Hamburg boasts 17 Michelin-star restaurants, placing it almost on a par with Berlin. But whatever your budget or preference, you can be virtually certain you’ll find somewhere to suit in Hamburg. The Hamburg restaurants below have been grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over €75)
Moderate (€35 to €75)
Cheap (up to €35)
These Hamburg restaurant prices are for a three-course meal for one without drinks.
Expensive
Cuisine: International
Boasting two stars in the 2017 Michelin guide, Haerlin is a treat for the senses, for both its original and creative food, but also a very interesting wine list. Situated at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, its menu is varied, full of surprises – and while the prices reflect the quality, it’s nothing but a very special treat.
Address: Neuer Jungfernstieg 9-14, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3494 3310
Website: www.restaurant-haerlin.de
Cuisine: German
Many of the best restaurants in Hamburg have a tendency to ignore their German gastronomic heritage, not so this highly regarded eatery, located in a beautiful period property dating from 1827 (once an old brewery) and set near the edge of the Elbe River. The north-Germany speciality here is the Vierländer duck for two.
Address: Elbchaussee 130, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 157 9235 2009
Website: www.landhausscherrer.de
Cuisine: International
Michelin star-rated, this fine-dining restaurant in Hamburg has a reputation for excellence that has reached far beyond the city limits. Décor is light and modern, and the decked terrace, with its splendid view across the harbour, is very popular in summer, however, making reservation here is essential year-round
Address: Elbchaussee 139, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 8812 9531
Website: www.lecanard-hamburg.de
Moderate
Cuisine: Italian
This waterside restaurant is at its best in summer, its outdoor dining terrace affording great views across the Alster lake. The varied but not over-long menu includes the full range of Italian/Mediterranean flavours, complemented by a suitably high quality wine list. Fixed price menus-of-the-day are also available, as a buffet breakfast at weekends.
Address: Hartwicusstraße 7, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 4134 6991
Website: www.anleger1870.com
- Fischereihafen Restaurant
Cuisine: Seafood
This restaurant has been an institution in Hamburg for nearly 40 years and is generally regarded as the best seafood place in town. Demurely squeezed into a space between two warehouses by the fish market, this is a classic example of a restaurant for those in the know. Inside, the cosy layout consists of the restaurant and a separate oyster bar.
Address: Große Elbstraße 143, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 381 816
Website: www.fischereihafenrestaurant.de
Cuisine: German
A favourite amongst Hamburg’s creative and media types who love its unconventional location. Once an old shoe shop with much of the original 1950s décor maintained, this is certainly a restaurant with both an aesthetic and a culinary style all of its own. The food itself is high-end bistro fare prepared by a skilled team of chefs and served at prices that are extremely reasonable for such a sophisticated menu.
Address: Neuer Pferdemarkt 5, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 439 7823
Website: www.restaurant-nil.de
Cheap
Cuisine: German
In the heart of the St. Pauli district, this is a small café serving snacks, breakfasts, lunch ‘specials’ including soups, pasta, pizzas and salads, on weekdays, and a variety of other snacks and sandwiches. Home made cakes are another feature of this budget eatery.
Address: St. Pauli, Clemens-Schultz-Straße 87, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3203 7989
Website: www.cafemimosa.de
Cuisine: Seafood
This harbour-side business concern founded in 1879 still supplies lobster and shellfish to many of Hamburg’s best restaurants. However, within the establishment’s bistro, opened here in 2003, you can enjoy the same delicious luxury seafood at a fraction of the cost. Some locals come to eat here on a daily basis.
Address: Große Elbstraße 152, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 405 2299 3926
Website: www.hummer-pedersen.deHamburg Nightlife
Nightlife of a wide and exciting variety is one of Hamburg’s key cultural ingredients. Much is concentrated in the St Pauli district, with most action in and around the Reeperbahn. Although notorious for its sex trade, the Reeperbahn these days is regarded as a historic part of the city’s cultural identity, with an edgy cache that’s bought a variety of distinctly non-sleazy cabaret shows and theatres, music bars and trendy nightclubs into the famous street. Another central nightlife area in Hamburg is the bohemian Schanzenviertel district, while good places for bars and pubs are Lange Reihe street and Grossneumarkt square. To find out what’s on in Hamburg, pick up a free copy of the monthly
- English-language Hamburg Guide
available from several hotels and shopping malls, or Go online (
Website:
www.hamburgguides.de ).
Also see the events section on (
Website: www.hamburg-tourism.de ).
Bars in Hamburg
- Willi’s Bierstube & Lounge
Willi’s Bierstube is a place with history and tradition. The beer hall is dedicated to Willy Bartels, the founder of our hotel, who himself enjoyed spending time in the authentic beer hall. Let yourself be inspired by the enchanting marine atmosphere!
Address: Seewartenstraße 9, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 31 1137 0410
Website: www.hotel-hafen-hamburg.de
Of course, this being Germany, beer flows through Hamburg like the waters of the Elbe, and here at the Gröninger Privatbrauerei, in the heart of the Old Town, they’ve been making their own since 1750. This is a no-frills traditional brewpub, and as such attracts an authentic clientele comprised of young locals, old fishermen and beer connoisseurs from everywhere.
Address: Willy-Brandt-Straße 47, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 405 7010 5100
Website: www.groeninger-hamburg.de
If the excesses of the Reeperbahn are not for you, Klimperkiste is a rather more sedate, but nevertheless very attractive, alternative in the city centre. Offering light meals and snacks as well as the obligatory range of beers, wines and other alcoholic temptations, the bar is open until the small hours daily.
Address: Esplanade 18, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 346 350
Website: www.klimperkiste.com
Clubs in Hamburg
A trendy and lively nightclub featuring hip-hop music, as well as state-of-the-art sound and light technology, it is lively and is a magnet for “beautiful” people. Designed by discerning DJs, the property features hip and plush furnishings
Address: Conventstraße 8-10/Eingang C, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 8060 7692
Website: www.h1club.com
As a libertarian city, Hamburg takes its nightlife seriously, and that’s proved by the quality, profusion and variety of its nightclubs. Blankenese Kiez Internat, popularly known as BKI, is a nightclub just off the Reeperbahn with a solid reputation for rocking nights, but it’s the big techno sessions that the locals put their party clothes on for.
Address: Große Freiheit 10, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3117 1900
Website: www.blankenesekiezinternat.de
Housed in a former fat factory, this huge venue features two dance floors and two lounge bars. The musical accent here is on electronica and the like. A highlight of the venue is the building’s tower, from which dancers can take a break from the action downstairs and enjoy great views over the city.
Address: Schnackenburgallee 202, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3003 3270
Website: www.edelfett.de
Live music in Hamburg
Another legendary venue on Hamburg’s music scene, Cotton Club is the oldest and most esteemed jazz club in the city. As such, its regular program is a showcase bulging with some of the best exponents of trad, ragtime and Dixieland jazz from around the world. Music usually starts around 2030.
Address: Alte Steinweg 10, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 343 878
Website: www.cotton-club.de
Once a machine factory, today, the galleried floors and steel-girder architecture of its interior space play a big part of what makes this such a special and unique location both aesthetically and acoustically. This mid-sized venue has a program which, depending on the night, can involve musical theatre, stand-up, rock or world-music concerts.
Address:
Barnerstraße 36, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 391 070
Website: www.fabrik.de
Musically, live performance is what it’s all about in Hamburg, with a venue to suit every genre and every band, from the touring stadium-fillers to the local garage acts. The now world-famous Grosse Freiheit 36 isn’t just at the epicentre of this culture; it’s a living part of its history!
Address: Große Freiheit 36, Hamburg.
Telephone: +49 40 3177 7810
Website: www.grossefreiheit36.deHamburg Food And Drink
Traditional Hamburg Food
Hamburg’s signature dishes include (from breakfast to dessert):
- Franzbrötchen (French rolls, allegedly influenced by Napoleon’s troops)
A particular local speciality is the franzbrötchen
– literally, the French roll. You won’t find these sweet pastries, which are made with lots of butter and cinnamon, anywhere else but in Hamburg and its surrounding towns. As the story goes, their creation was inspired by the French croissant introduced in Hamburg during the occupation of Napoleon’s troops in the 19th century. Traditionally made only with sugar and cinnamon, today most bakeries offer several types of franzbrötchen, for example with marzipan, chocolate pieces or pumpkin seeds.
The ingredients of the dough include flour, butter, yeast, milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. The filling is a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Several times in succession, the dough is folded and rolled out thinly, and coated with butter. They are similar to cinnamon rolls but more moist and softer.
- Currywurst (Celebrated in Uwe Timm’s novel ‘The Invention of Curried Sausage’)
The currywurst’s origins are attributed specifically to the German capital. In 1949, a resourceful German housewife, Herta Heuwer, traded some spirits with British soldiers for ketchup. The trade created the dish – composed of German sausage, or wurst, sliced and doused in ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder.
- Labskaus (Seafarers’ stew of various ingredients tinted a bright pink from beetroot)
The meal is traditionally prepared by boiling the beef in broth and then mincing it with the beetroot, onions, boiled potatoes and herring (some recipes use ham). Finally the base is fried in lard, condiments as nutmeg, pepper, coriander, or allspice are added. The dish is similar to the British hash.
The humble fish roll is a snack in which its appeal lies in its simplicity. The sandwich is typically made with pickled herring (bismarckhering) or soused herring (matjes), some onion, pickles and remoulade sauce. But the options are as varied as the food stands that offer them. You can have fried fish or fish patty, North Sea shrimp or crabmeat. The fischbrötchen tastes best if eaten while enjoying views of the River Elbe’s or the North Sea’s wind in your face.
Throughout the winter, kale – known in German as
grünkohl – is served across North Germany in a manner unsuited to its fame as a healthy superfood. Kale is stewed for several hours and served with the sides of smoked pork, one or two types of sausage, as well as boiled or fried potatoes. The kale season begins after the first winter frost and is often celebrated by groups of friends or colleagues doing a ‘
kohlfahrt’ – literally, a cabbage tour. In a nutshell, they walk for several hours playing drinking games, and finish the day in a restaurant by eating as much
grünkohl as their bellies can hold and dancing until morning.
The oldest recipe of the Hamburg eel soup dates back to a cookbook from 1788. Some claim this dish traditionally contained no eel, but was rather a meal made from leftovers. These days, this sweet-and-sour soup is cooked with meat broth, cured beef, vegetables, baked fruit and dumplings, as well as some eel. Some claim the latter was added to avoid confusing and disappointing the city’s guests. The soup is usually served as a main course.
Rote grütze, or red porridge with cream, is perhaps the best dessert Hamburg has to offer. The dish has a red pudding base made from summer fruits such as cherries, raspberries, or blackcurrants and is traditionally served with custard, ice cream, or vanilla sauce.
Best Drink In Hamburg
Coffee and the city of Hamburg have a strong relationship that goes back centuries. Thanks to the port of Hamburg, at the end of the 19th century the city had become the largest coffee market in the world.
It is here that the famous coffee houses of Tchibo and J. J. Darboven were founded. Still today, the warehouses of the Speicherstadt district are the biggest trading place for coffee worldwide. More than three centuries have passed since Hamburg’s first coffee houses were opened, and the city’s offers for great-quality java will not disappoint even the most picky coffee lovers.
Helbing Kümmel The most popular beyond Hamburg’s borders. For over 180 years, the Hanseatic art of distilling, a unique recipe and ingredients such as caraway seeds and the purest grain alcohol with a high quality level have been on the agenda of the “Helbing Kümmel” brand.
The aniseed liqueur from Hamburg. The name is a combination of the spirit “Sambuca” and the hometown of Hambuca “Hamburg”.