Hamburg

Germany's second-largest city and a major European port, where the Elbphilharmonie, the World Heritage Speicherstadt, Miniatur Wunderland and canal bridges create a distinctive northern German port-city character.

Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and a city-state in its own right, on the lower Elbe about 100 km from the North Sea, and is Europe's third-largest port. Laced with rivers and lakes, it has more bridges than Venice and Amsterdam combined, blending the red-brick mercantile heritage of the Hanseatic League era with contemporary landmarks such as the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. The climate is mild and oceanic, rainy and windy year-round; May–Sep is the best time to visit, with summer temperatures around 20–24°C, while winters are grey and cold with short days, and Christmas markets appear in December at the Rathausmarkt and elsewhere. Areas to explore: the port area (the St. Pauli Piers, the Old Elbe Tunnel, the Fish Market); HafenCity and the World Heritage Speicherstadt (Elbphilharmonie, Miniatur Wunderland); the old town (City Hall, St. Michael's Church, the Alster lakes and the Jungfernstieg shopping area); St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn form the nightlife and musical district, and shows such as The Lion King play at theaters across the harbor, reached by dedicated ferries. Getting there: travelers from China usually connect via Frankfurt, Munich or another European hub to Hamburg Airport, where the S1 reaches the city center in about 25 minutes; ICE trains take about 1 h 45 min from Berlin and 3.5–4 hours from Frankfurt. The HVV day ticket includes public ferries, making it a cheap way to tour the port; the Hamburg Card offers transport plus attraction discounts. How long: 2–3 days. Note: shops close on Sundays, but early Sunday morning is the only chance to visit the Fish Market; book Miniatur Wunderland, the Elbphilharmonie Plaza and concerts in advance; watch your belongings on the Reeperbahn at night.

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Itineraries