Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany has a rich maritime history. Its huge harbor is still the economic heart of the city with an astonishing amount of cargo ships docking there each year. Between 6,800 and 8,000 ships including the “ultra-large” cargo ships dock there each year. Saltwater has molded the architecture and history of the city. It was the embarkation point for 4 million emigrants who made their way to America.

But there’s more! It’s home to a fabulous concert hall, a warehouse district that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a former stomping grounds for the Beatles and, it has its own signature pastry. We are sooo in for that! Ready to visit Hamburg? Advisors at GetAway Travel can put you on the road to a Hamburg adventure.

Water, water everywhere

Connected to the North Sea by the Elbe River, Hamburg is crossed by hundreds of canals. It has 2,500 bridges, more than Amsterdam, Venice and London combined. In addition to crossing the Elbe River, they also cross the city’s Alster Lakes. The Port of Hamburg is one of the largest and busiest in Europe and the best way to see it is to take one of the boat tours.

There’s lots of cool maritime points of interest at the docks.

For instance, check out Rickmer Rickmers. This fully-rigged beauty is permanently docked at the harbor. First launched in 1896, it was propelled by wind, then steam and finally, diesel. It has been fully restored as a museum ship.

Cap San Diego is another museum ship. It is larger than the Rickmer and when it was built in 1961, it was the world’s largest freight ship in the world. Nicknamed the “White Swan of the South Atlantic” it also functions as a hotel alternative. You can stay in a passenger cabin or book the captain’s quarters. There’s a restaurant on board.

The largest hunting and spy submarine in the world, built by Russia for use during the Cold War, is moored in the harbor. Built in 1976, you can tour it and marvel at the cramped conditions the crew had to work in.

The Elbphilharmonie was built in 2017 with a roof that is contoured to mimic huge rolling sea waves. Constructed of 1,096 individual glass panes, the acoustics of the two concert halls inside are reputed to be the best in the world. You can get on the observation deck for astonishing panoramic views of the city.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Speicherstadt is the world’s largest contiguous warehouse complex built on oak log timber foundations. Constructed between 1883 and 1927, there are 15 large warehouse blocks of red brick warehouses resting on timber foundations. The sophisticated uniform design as well as the neo-Gothic brick facades are an extraordinary sight!

Many of the warehouses are used as offices, but there’s also museums, amazing restaurants and the nearby Miniatur Wunderland.

Learn all about the district’s history of trade and storage at the Speicherstadtmuseum. Imported goods such as coffee, tea, cocoa and spices all had to be sampled and stored by the quartermaster. You can get a little hands-on experience as a quartermaster.

The history of borders, smuggling and tariffs in on display at the German Customs Museum. Learn all about the work of customs officers and tour the customs boat museum.

One of the most photographed spots in the district is the Wasserschloss. This photogenic restaurant and teahouse is located between two canals. The teahouse offers 250 different teas.

Experience 3,000 years of maritime history at the International Maritime Museum. There’s 10 floors of seafaring info including intricate ship models, antique nautical instruments, historic uniforms and marine art. There’s rafts, deep sea shipping materials and a LEGO model of the Queen Mary 2.

The Miniatur Wunderland is the city’s most popular tourist attraction. It is the world’s largest model railroad exhibit with tiny renderings of everything from Rome to Carnival in Rio and, of course, Hamburg. Construction was started 2,000 and eight months later, it opened. Since then theme worlds have been continuously added. Right now there are 14 with the Atacama Desert and Rainforest as well as the Caribbean under construction.

Take your pick of more things to do

There’s lots more to see and do, but first — a food break. There are some unique regional foods you must try. The franzbrötchen is a buttery, sticky croissant-like cinnamon pastry. Labskaus is a traditional sailors dish with the main ingredient being salted meat or corned beef mixed with potatoes and onions. Sometimes it is served with a fried egg and do try it with the pickles that accompanies the dish.

Fischbrötchen is a fresh fish sandwich, like herring or mackerel, serve on a crispy bread roll. It’s a great street food sandwich, but you can also enjoy it with many variations at the Fischmarkt. Every Sunday at the harbor, the fish market is packed with stands selling fresh fish, fish sandwiches and fruit, chocolates and flowers. Inside the Fish Auction Hall you can enjoy a beer, even at 7 a.m., and live music.

Composers Quarter is a complex of six museums with each paying homage to a classical composer that was born or lived in Hamburg. Audio recordings, photographs and even musical instruments teach visitors about Brahms, Telemann, Carl Phillipp Emanuel Bach, Gustav Mahler and Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn.

From bean to bar, the Chocolate Museum reveals the makings of a chocolate bar and, you can create your own chocolate bar with your favorite ingredients.

St. Michael’s Church is a stunning example of Baroque architecture. St. Peter’s Church is the oldest church in Hamburg renowned for its three pipe organs. St. Nicholas Church was heavily damaged by a fire and then by bombs during WWII. It is a war memorial now with an observation deck that also offers great views of the area.

The Reeperbahn, the historic red light district area, is now a night-life hub. Theaters, clubs and lots of live music draw visitors at night. It is here, between 1960 and 1962, that the Beatles honed their music style by playing set after set in the night clubs.

Three building, each with a distinctive style, houses the Kunsthalle, the city’s art gallery and museum. Ranked as one of the top art museums in Europe, it has more than 145,000 works of art dating back to the 14th century. There is a huge sculpture collection and a paper collection of 140,000 prints and drawings.

The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe highlights the decorative and applied arts as well as design and crafts. The exhibits and permanent collections include fashion, textiles, ancient antiquities, sculptures, photographs, new media and Islamic and Asian art.

Hamburg, what a great place to visit! GetAway Travel advisors can add Hamburg to your next itinerary. We can be reached at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel