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Sightseeing in Hamburg - Top Attractions in Hamburg - Indian Chief Travel
GERMANY  |  Hamburg, Germany Travel Guide
Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Sightseeing in Hamburg

Reeperbahn in St. Pauli, Hamburg, Germany (cc)
Photo: G H
 

Sightseeing in Hamburg

Hamburg has fewer high-profile sights than other large German cities such as Berlin and Munich. Like its inhabitants, Hamburg itself seems to enjoy being a bit reserved, formal, elegant, and stylish – never vulgar or showy.

The city is large and spread-out, but the tourist area is mainly concentrated in the area bound by the Hauptbahnhof and Binnenalster, St Pauli and the River Elbe. It is generally a pleasant city to stroll in but it is a long haul from for example the Hauptbahnhof to St Pauli, or even from the Rathaus to Speicherstadt. It is often best to use buses or trains to move between major sightseeing areas.

Rathausmarkt

Rathausmarkt is the heart of Hamburg and the place where most festivals and protests take place. Gotttfried Semper and Alexis de Chateauneuf used Venice’s St Marks Square as inspiration when designing the Rathausmarkt in the 1840s, following the Great Fire. This is clearly seen in the Renaissance-style, white-pillared Alster Arcades. At the Kleinen Alster is a memorial for the fallen soldiers of the First World War. This monument, showing the misery of war, did not please the Nazis, who erected a more belligerent monument near Dammtor station. At the south end is a memorial for the poet Heinrich Heine that replaced a memorial destroyed by the Nazis.

However, the square is dominated by the magnificent Neo-Renaissance Rathaus (Town Hall), built 1886-97. It has 647 rooms – for some reason the Hamburgers seem proud that this is apparently six more than in Buckingham Palace. The building is 111 by 70 m (364 x 230 feet) with a 112-m (368-foot) campanile. The façade facing the square is decorated with the bronze statues of 20 former emperors. The building rests on over 4,000 piles. The fountain in the courtyard commemorates the cholera epidemic of 1892 when almost 9,000 people were killed in just over two months. The interior of the Rathaus can only be seen on guided tours.

Alster

The Alster is a 500-acre lake in the heart of Hamburg formed when the River Alster was dammed. The lake is divided into the Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and the much larger Aussenalster (Outer Aster). The division is formed by the Lombard rail bridge and the Kennedy road bridge.

The Binnenalster is lined on three sides by elegant buildings that form a beautiful backdrop to the water. In summer, a fountain sprays up to 35 m (115 feet) into the air. Walking around the Binnenalster takes just over half an hour. The most famous part is the Jungfernstieg, which is lined by expensive shops.

The Aussenalster is mostly lined by parks and a popular relaxation area. The lake itself is at most two m (6½ feet) deep and popular for all kinds of watersports. The shore is suitable for walking and cycling, but even a car trip is rewarding as several points allow views of the skyline with the four church towers and the Rathaus tower, all over 100 m (328 feet) high. (Drive clockwise for the best views and easier parking.) In summer, ferries operate on the lake, while pleasure cruises are available as long as the lake remains ice-free.

Hauptbahnhof

Mönckebergstraße, a major shopping street, leads from the Rathausmarkt to the Hauptbahnhof. In addition to the numerous department stores, two of Hamburg’s main churches are along this boulevard.

St Petri Kirche (St Peter’s Church) at Speesort 10, first mentioned in 1195, is the oldest parish church in Hamburg. The Gothic church of the 14th century was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1842 and rebuilt in a Neo-Gothic style. The tower is 132 m (435 feet) high. The church suffered relatively minor damage duringWorldWar II and has many old artworks that were rescued from the fire. The lion door knob on the left door of the main portal dates from the 14th century and is considered the oldest artwork in Hamburg. The Madonna with Child dates from 1470.

The nearby Jacobikirche (St Jacob’s), Jakobikirchhof 22,   040-303-7370, has a slightly shorter history, but parts of the 1340 brick Gothic basilica survived as the oldest actual church building in Hamburg. The church was frequently changed and has elements from every century in its design. The tower is 123 m (405 feet) high. The church was severely damaged during World War II but most of the art treasures were saved. Of special note are three early 16th-century altars and a marble pulpit from 1610. The 1693 Arp Schnitger organ, with 3,880 pipes, is the largest Baroque organ in Northern Germany.

Two blocks south of the church is the Kontorhausviertel (Counting House Buildings Quarter). Here, several huge brick office buildings were built in the 1920s. The best known is the 10-story Chilehaus, Buchardsplatz, which was erected in 1924 for the successful trader Henry B. Sloman, who traded sulfur with Chile. Its decorative façade serves as a prime example of the versatility of brick. Nearby, just south of the Hauptbahnhof, is the excellent Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Arts & Crafts), Steintorplatz 1. It opened 1877 and established itself as one of Europe’s leading museums for cultural history, decorative arts, design, and photography. In addition to the large collection of European items, it also has objects from the Middle East, China, and Japan. It has an impressive collection of keyboard instruments – an audio guide with music samples is included in the admission price.

Hamburg Kunsthalle (Art Gallery), Glockengiesserwall, has art from Renaissance to modern. It has lesser-known works from all the major artists, as well as a large modern art collection displayed in a post-modern cubic building. Although the largest collection in Northern Germany, the old masters’ section is not of the same quality and depth that is available in Berlin, Dresden, and Munich. The modern art collection is large, and especially strong in late 20th-century art.

St Michaelis

St Michaelis (St Michel’s Church), Englische Plancke 1a,   040-3767-8100, locally known as the Michel, is the symbol of Hamburg. The church had a rather eventful history. The first large church built here in 1647-61 was struck by lightening and burned down in 1750. Its replacement, completed in 1762, was a Baroque masterpiece. However, soldering work in 1906 caused the wooden tower to catch fire and the entire church burned down. Its replacement, completed in 1912, was severely damaged during World War II. The current church was completed in 1952 to the designs of 1750, but used more modern building techniques, including a convenient elevator to the top of the tower. The tower is 132 m (435 feet) high with a viewing platform at 82m(264 feet). The church clock, with a diameter of eight m (26 feet), is the largest in Germany. The hands are fivem(16 feet) and 3.6m(11.8 feet) respectively.

The lovely Baroque interior seats 2,500 and is frequently used for organ concerts. The church has three organs, including a 1962 Steinmeyer organ with 6,665 pipes, a 1912 Marcussen organ with 3,562 pipes, and a Grollmann organ with 224 pipes. All three can be heard daily at noon. From Monday to Saturday at 10 am and 9 pm, Sunday at noon only, the tower trumpeter plays a hymn from the tower platform in all four wind directions.

Planten und Blomen

Dammtor Bahnhof (station), Dag-Hammarskjöld-Platz, is in a 1903 Art Nouveau, glass and steel building. On the approach from downtown are a series of memorials for victims of World War II – a dispute between the Senate and the artist ended with only two of the works completed. Also in the region is the 1936 Kriegerdenkmal (War Memorial), erected by the Nazis who found the Hamburg First World War memorial at the Rathausmarkt too pacifist and defeatist.

In the 1930s, a large park called Planten und Blomen (Plants and Flowers) was laid out on the land of the former city defenses. It stretches as a wide green belt, a half-circle from the Alster to the Elbe. Close to Dammtor is the botanical garden as well as the largest Japenese garden in Europe. A Wasserlichtorgel (water and light organ) plays summer evenings.

Still in the park, but close to St Pauli, is the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte (Hamburg History), Holstenwall 24. It is the largest city history museum in Germany and has several scale models in addition to historic items. Particularly popular are the models of the harbor and the railway system. It is housed in a 1922 building.


Speicherstadt

When Hamburg lost its free trade status at the end of the 19th century, it responded by creating the world’s largest free harbor to facilitate trade. In the process the Speicherstadt was built. Here, huge brick buildings formed the largest warehouses in the world. Up to 20,000 Hamburgers had to move to make way for these buildings that became the economic lifeline of the city. Many of these buildings, as well as large sections of the former port – the so-called HafenCity (Harbor City) – are currently being converted into office space and apartments in what is the largest building project in Europe. Several popular tourist spots are still open but note that the building activity makes navigation difficult in the area and signposting is presently poor to non-existent.

The Hamburg Dungeon, Kehrwieder 2-3, offers a multimedia trip through the trials and tribulations of Hamburg’s past. Themes include the great Hamburg fire, the Black Plague, the Inquisition, the floods of 1717, plundering Vikings, and the execution of the pirate Störtebeker.

Miniature Wonderland, Kehrwieder 2, has one of the largest miniature train sets in the world. The display has models from many parts of the world using 500 trains, 5,000 m (16,400 feet) of rails, 50,000 lights, and 60,000 figures.

Spicy’s Gewürzmuseum (Spice Museum), Am Sandtorkai 31, claims to be the only spice museum in the world. It has 800 displays including 50 spices that can be touched, smelled, and tasted.

Some distance away in the Baakenhafen is the U-Bootmuseum Hamburg (U-Boat Museum), Versmannstraße 23c. On display is a decommissioned Russian U-434, built in 1976 and in use until 2002. Guided tours of 45 minutes are available in multiple languages.

The Deutsches Zollmuseum (German Custom Museum), Alter Wandrahm 16,  040-300-876, has exhibitions on customs in Germany and the world. On display are customs receipts dating back to Roman times as well as confiscated goods. Some original smuggling methods are also illustrated. The museum is appropriately located at the edge of the free port area.

Some of the loveliest early buildings in Hamburg are in the Deichstraße. The street has been in existence since at least 1304 but most houses here actually date from the 17th to 19th centuries. Many buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1842 but rebuilt on the original foundations.


St. Pauli and Reeperbahn

St. Pauli is Hamburg’s most (in)famous neighborhood. From St Pauli U-Bahn Station, the 600-meter (660-yard) Reeperbahn stretches westwards towards Altona. The Reeperbahn and Große Freiheit have traditionally been the red-light district of Hamburg. In addition to sex-related shops, they have 500 bars and restaurants. The area attracts 15 million visitors each year. Recent years have seen a gradual gentrification, with musical shows doing well in theaters at both ends of the Reeperbahn – Cats played nonstop for 15 years in the 1980s and 1990s. Sex still sells, but middle-class and family entertainment clearly brings in bigger profits.

During the day, the area is quiet – it only comes to life after 8 pm and then knows no official closing time. A huge police presence means that the area is pretty safe at all hours. Halfway down the Reeperbahn is the Davidwache – Germany’s bestknown police station. In addition to being busy, it also features frequently in German films and television programs. Nearby is the Herbertstraße, since 1900 a closed-off street that basically turned into a huge brothel district. Since the mid-1980s, the street has been open to men only. (The prostitutes working here got tired of troops of school and pensioner bus parties strolling through with cameras in hand.)

The Landungsbrücke

The Reeperbahn runs parallel to the River Elbe, which is only a few minutes walk downhill. In between St Pauli and the Landungsbrücke U-Bahn stations is a 14.8-m (50-foot) high statue of Otto von Bismarck. It was erected in 1906 and depicts the protective power of Bismarck’s mighty German Empire over the trade interests of Hamburg.

The Landungsbrücke is Europe’s largest floating island – it is a pontoon bridge that is a popular hangout spot with ample benches and restaurants to sit and watch the world go by. Many future Americans departed from here to the New World. Nowadays, virtually all harbor cruises leave from here. The Art Nouveau reception halls were constructed in 1909, with archways to the pontoon, two corner towers, and cupolas.

At the west end is the Alte Elbtunnel (Old Elbe Tunnel). It was completed in 1911 and connects St Pauli with the opposite bank via two tiled tunnels. Elevators on both ends are used to lower cars and pedestrians by 23 m (75 feet). Cars have to pay a toll and may only use the tunnel from Monday to Saturday. The New Elbe Tunnel, part of the Autobahn A7, is three km (two miles) west of the old one and opened in 1975. It currently has four passageways and is used by 100,000 cars per day.

At the east end is the Rickmer Rickmers, St Pauli Landungbrücke Pier 1, a former East Indies windjammer. A museum is housed inside this green and red vessel. Built in Bremerhaven in 1896 and confiscated off the Azores in 1916, it served the Portuguese navy up to 1962 as a training vessel and opened as a museum following restoration in 1987.

Slightly farther upstream is the Überseebrücke. Visiting naval vessels often anchor here – opening hours are listed at the gangway. Permanently anchored here is the MS Cap San Diego, Überseebrücke,   040-364-209, built in Hamburg in 1962 to serve the trade route to South America. The ship remained in service up to 1986 but the changeover to containers made it outdated. It is one of the last ships built of this type.


Altona

Altona is about four km (three miles) west of downtown Hamburg. It only became part of Hamburg in 1937 and previously often acted as a rival. The town was under Danish control from 1640 until 1867 and, during this period, was a constant thorn in Hamburg’s side. At times it allowed more liberal drinking hours within easy strolling distance from the often more conservative Hamburg. Far more seriously, it also tried to compete in trade and shipping.

The Altona Museum/Norddeutsches Landesmuseum (North German Museum), Museumstraße 23, has exhibitions on North German art and cultural history. The importance of the fishing and shipping industries is tracked as well. The museum also has a large collection of ships’ figureheads.

South of the Rathaus is the so-called Altonaer Balkon (Altona’s Balcony). This terrace allows views of large stretches of the Elbe and is one of the best spots to admire the incredible number of ships passing through to the harbor. Cruise ships dock nearby in the Altona Harbor when visiting Hamburg. From here the Elbchaussee runs parallel with the Elbe River and passes some of the largest and most expensive houses in Germany en route to the suburb of Blankenese.

The most famous sight in Altona is the Fischmarkt (Fish Market).

Last updated September 2, 2012
Posted in   Germany  |  Hamburg
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