I have certainly enjoyed every other European city and Hamburg, Germany was no different. This was, however, not a planned stop for us. Our idea was to drive straight out to Berlin from The Netherlands but we just so happened to get a strong recommendation from friends to stop there. And I’m so glad we did!
I learned so many things about Hamburg that I didn’t know before. And I’m happy to share what I learned with you in this post. I think you will find each little-known fact very interesting. Maybe interesting enough for you to come for a visit! Let’s just start with this one… Fun Fact #1 :: Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany after Berlin. (I would have guessed Munich or Frankfurt…)
Hamburg is located in the northern part of German as you can see on this map ::
During our short stay in Hamburg I was able to visit some pretty awesome places ::
Rathausmarkt
It was a gorgeous day as we made our way to the Rathausmarkt which is where the Rathaus (City Hall) is located and has some of the city’s best shopping, a popular venue for fairs, markets and concerts. And it is a beautiful space.
Location :: Rathausmarkt 1, 20095 Hamburg
Rathaus (Hamburg City Hall)
The building of this magnificent piece of Neo-Renaissance style sandstone architecture which dominates the center of the city… Fun Fact #2 :: took 44 years to complete and 7 architects were involved in the project (that’s a lot of architects for one building!) located adjacent to the Stock Exchange (Börse). The Hamburg parliament and senate assemble here.
The Rathaus is open to the public and you have the option to join a guided tour or visit exhibitions housed inside.
Cost :: Free to enter
Hours :: Monday through Sunday from 8am to 6pm with several guided tours available to visitors
Location :: Rathausmarkt 1, 20095 Hamburg
Speicherstadt District
Fun Fact #3 :: Speicherstadt, or City of Warehouses, is the largest warehouse complex in the world (wow). Narrow cobblestone streets and small waterways are lined by 100-year old warehouses, which store cocoa, silk and oriental rugs. Light projections in the evening create a magical atmosphere on buildings, canals and bridges. Fun Fact #4 :: Hamburg has within its city limits more bridges than anywhere else in the world – somewhere between 2300 and 2500 have been counted – more than London, Amsterdam and Venice combined! (Who knew?! I would definitely not have guessed…)
These warehouses aren’t your typical warehouses either, they are a huge compound of beautiful red brick gothic revival buildings all along the water and canals of Hamburg. Fun Fact #5 (and one of my faves) :: Hamburg has more canals than Amsterdam and Venice combined! (That just seems crazy to me!) Visiting Speicherstadt is one of the best things to do in Hamburg if you love history, taking photos, chasing UNESCO sites and admiring the architecture.
Fun Fact #6 :: Now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has an atmosphere all its own and it’s enough just to walk through these red-brick canyons, crossing the canals and admiring the glazed decoration on the gabled fronts.
While some of the warehouses have recently been turned into apartments, others are visitor attractions yet a few still fill their original purpose storing spices, tea, coffee and even electronics.
Location :: along the Zollkanal, 20457 Hamburg
Elbphilharmonie
Elbphilharmonie (known as the Elphi) is a modern concert hall on top of an old warehouse and… Fun Fact #7 :: the tallest building (328 feet) in the city of Hamburg. Be sure to venture up to the Plaza on the rooftop for a grand view and sleek cafe, both open to the public.
Fun Fact #8 (another one of my faves) :: Elbphilharmonie is probably the best representation of perfect sound ever built. (Wow!) The design uses advanced sound algorithms, released by coral reef-like structures of more than 10,000 acoustic panels lining the ceiling, walls and railings. It features a total of one million “cells” or divots designed to shape the sound. When the sound hits a panel the uneven surface either absorbs or scatters it to create a balanced reverberation across the auditorium. Aside from the impressive audio experience the design is equally stunning with 1,000 hand-blown glass light bulbs that emphasize the futuristic feel of the wave-shaped facade.
Fascinating.
Location :: Platz der Deutschen Einheit 1, 20457 Hamburg
Click here to see about taking a guided tour
Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
As the sky turned white with clouds we were able to get to the Hauptbahnhof without managing to get wet. This beautiful train station is truly impressive and definitely something to behold. Opened in 1906 the platform hall’s 230-foot wide roof construction boasts true architectural excellence. Fun Fact #9 :: Hauptbahnhof is and always has been Germany’s largest unsupported station hall. (Unsupported? How is that even possible?)
If you’re looking to do some dining or shopping on your way in or out of Hamburg head to the shopping passages inside Hauptbahnhof. The Wandelhalle will provide you with a very diverse range of offerings of gastronomy, latest fashion or last-minute souvenir :: you can get pretty much anything you can think of here. And it’s a really fun place to wander around!
Location :: within walking distance from the city centre, 20099 Hamburg
Deutsches Schauspielhaus (German Playhouse)
German Playhouse, located in the St. Georg Quarter of Hamburg, a magnificent neo-baroque Schauspielhaus is… Fun Fact #10 :: the largest theatre in Germany (Wow! And it’s gorgeous too!) and one of Hamburg’s most impressive architectural treasures. I so agree :: it’s an amazing building! Opened in 1901, it is one of the leading theatres in the country known for its original, contemporary productions of classical plays. Gorgeous ambience is created by a beautiful fresco ceiling, chandeliers and luxurious red furnishings. We were able to duck in here before the sky opened up for a bit of rain. Luckily it didn’t last long and we were on our way again.
Location :: Kirchenallee 39, 20099 Hamburg
Port of Hamburg
Fun Fact #11 :: The Port of Hamburg has the third busiest harbor in Europe (unbelievably) after Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium. It was a delightful place to walk around and visit all the little shops and restaurants lining the harbor. In the evening you will hear wonderful music bellowing from the parties that are held on the rooftops, obviously a popular place for families and friends to celebrate special events.
Location :: Mattentwiete 2, 20457 Hamburg
I had to include a picture of what I found out later (after I did a double-take) is a statue of a stranded man (by artist Stephan Balkenhol) that serves as a buoy in the water. Can’t say I’ve seen that before! HA!
Hamburg’s Churches ::
St. Petri
With the skies giving us that gorgeous blue again we visited this 14th century Protestant cathedral, a great example of brick Hansa architecture with a 133-meter bell tower. Dedicated to the apostle Peter… Fun Fact 12 :: St. Petri is Hamburg’s oldest church. Located next to the City Hall it was first mentioned in records in 1195 as a market cathedral. Dang, that’s old!
Interestingly enough on a column in the south part of the church you will find a painting called “Christmas 1813” commemorating citizens who were locked in the church that year for refusing to provide food to Napoleon’s troops.
When you visit St. Petri you can admire some of the oldest works of art in the city. And today St. Petri is known for church music, in particular its Bach choir.
Location :: Bei der Petrikirche 2, 20095 Hamburg
St. Michaelis
Also known as ‘the Michel’ … Fun Fact #13 :: the grand St. Michaelis church is Hamburg’s largest church, one of the most famous landmarks of the city and a remarkable Baroque church. Its defining feature is the 132 m (144 yards) tall copper spire that once guided ships on the river Elbe beneath. An impressive bronze statue of the church’s patron saint the archangel Michael decorates the entrance portal. Spend some time in the vast church with its four organs, visit the crypt (hidden burial vaults in the basement) and ascend the tower for panoramic views of the city.
Location :: Englische Planke 1, Hamburg
St. Nicholas
After St Nikolai was destroyed in air raids during WWII which left only the magnificent tower in tact, its restoration was completed in 1874. Fun Fact #14 :: Prior to the bombings St Nikolai was the world’s tallest building. It is constantly going through renovations especially on the outside which you can see here. Scaffolding reaching nearly all the way up to the top makes it difficult to take a picture of the actual building. Today the church serves as a memorial site for victims of war, a museum in the ruins. The church spire is still one of the tallest structures in the city and offers beautiful sights from its viewing platform at the top.
Location :: Willy-Brandt-Straße 60, 20457 Hamburg
Monckebergstrasse ::
Monckebergstrasse and its neighboring streets are home to some of the city’s major department stores. The attractive tree-lined “Mo” is pedestrian-friendly with wide sidewalks and very little car traffic (the traffic lanes are used by buses, taxis and delivery trucks but other motorized vehicles are prohibited). I had to snap a shot of this beautiful fountain, directly behind which was a Starbucks!
See?
Location :: The Mo runs between the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and the Rathaus (City Hall).
By the way, sausage joint Mo Grill is an institution in Hamburg and a juicy currywurst to lift the spirits is highly recommended!
Location :: Jungfernstieg 7-8, 20354 Hamburg
Hop On Hop Off Bus Hamburg
As you probably know by now I highly recommend taking the HOHO in cities where it is available and Hamburg is certainly no exception.
Click here to check into tickets for the HOHO in Hamburg
Special Note ::
Going back to our second day in Hamburg we were surprised to find ourselves in the middle of a crowd of people chomping at the bit to see this ::
It was so cool to learn that inside that royal blue car with the English flag were Prince William and Kate Middleton! What are the odds? That was a fun little serendipitous experience!
And then as we were just aimlessly wandering to the other side of the docks about an hour later we found ourselves once again in an excited crowd… and guess who was on the boat they were watching? Yep! The Royals again!
I’m bummed that I didn’t get a glimpse of their faces either time. But it sure was fun being in the middle of all that excitement!
Read More ::
15 Must-See Places on Berlin Walking Tour
10 Other Things That Make Berlin Special
My Favorite Travel Products :: Top 50
Best Travel Tips After 30 Years of Traveling
Yet another awesome city in Europe crossed off our list (technically I had to ADD it to our list and THEN cross it off). Wonderful weather, amazing sites, fabulous food, warm people. You can’t ask for more! I hope you will put Hamburg on your list of places to visit when you come to Germany. It was a wonderful couple of days in Hamburg, Germany.
We were also blessed to find a wonderful place to stay not too far from everything, one that I would highly recommend! So I didn’t want to be remiss in sharing these wonderful pics with you!
Name of BnB :: Hotel Ausziet
Location :: Bauernweide 11, 21149, Hamburg
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