Hamburg – A Bustling Port City

Helen Page — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:38:38 +0000

Hamburg – A Hanseatic League City With a Very Modern Outlook :

Hamburg Harbour © GNTB/Merten, Hans Peter

Hamburg, Germany’s second biggest city is also the second largest container terminal in Europe after Rotterdam. Once a leading member of the Hanseatic League, this city on the River Elbe prides itself of its maritime charm.

Hamburg is a very prosperous city and the Port of Hamburg is the biggest revenue generator for the city. Communications, heavy industry and media also play significant roles in Hamburg’s economy.

For a brief visit of Hamburg, a typical itinerary includes a visit to the historic centre to see the town hall and the grand St. Michael’s Church (called the Michel).

As Hamburg is one of the world’s largest ports, a harbour promenade (Landungsbrücken jetties) and a harbour or canal boat tour are popular things to do in Hamburg. The harbour cruise also shows visitors the world famous old warehouse district (Speicherstadt) as well as all the new developments that are happening along the waterfront.

If you happen to be in Hamburg city on a Sunday, the Hamburg Fischmarkt is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike.

Hamburg’s Reeperbahn in St. Pauli, is known the world over for its red light district. Once known as the ‘mile of sin’, these days there’s a mix of discos, strip shows, sex shops, pubs, clubs, snack bars and restaurants. Many visitors take a walk in the evening around the Reeperbahn area although this may not for everyone. Although the bright lights of the discos and clubs attract those who want to range, nestled amongst these entertainment venues are the sex clubs and brothels.

Hamburg Rathausmarkt © Travel Signposts

Hamburg is also known as Germany’s musical capital and the largest German musical company is based in Hamburg. Musicals like Cats, the Lion King, Tarzan, etc. have been major hits and many Germans come to Hamburg especially to see the musicals.

And for those who have more time to spend in this city, Hamburg is a shopping Mecca and Hamburg’s has many museums, theatres and art galleries to keep the visitor occupied.

The best way to get around Hamburg is by the metro, the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. A day-ticket or Hamburg Card (which includes discounts on many sightseeing attractions) is the cheapest way to travel and once in the city centre, walking is the best way to see the sights. The red double-decker Hop-On Hop-off sightseeing bus connects the many places of interest.

Hamburg Hotels

With over 260 hotels in Hamburg, visitors to Hamburg have a great range of hotels to choose from. Just within Hamburg Mitte (Central Hamburg), there are over 130 hotels so careful planning is required.

Luxury hotels like the Park Hyatt Hamburg, Sofitel Hamburg and the Steigenberg Hotel Hamburg are in the Altstadt (Old Town). In the Neustadt (New Town), hotels range from the 5-star Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten on the beautiful Lake Alster to the very popular 2-star Motel One Hamburg am Michel. For those who want to enjoy the nightlife of Hamburg’s Reeperbahn district, then the hotels in St. Pauli may be convenient. For the complete list of Hamburg hotels, see HERE.

Hamburg Map:

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Tour Routes in Germany

Tony Page — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:33:09 +0000

Suggested Tour Routes to make the best of your holiday in Germany

Touring Germany is a pleasure, whether you drive yourself, take a coach or relax on a boat; that’s because there’s a lot to see and the roads are excellent, so travel is easy.

Whether you’re looking for romantic castles, picturesque villages with twisting alleys and narrow gabled houses, mountain landscapes or vibrant nightlife in a modern metropolis, everything is within easy reach.

Try this Tour Route

You’ll notice that my suggested general tour route below misses out Duesseldorf, Stuttgart etc. because although major cities they aren’t really what people go to Germany for (unless you’re picking up a Mercedes or BMW).

This Europe tour roughly goes in a circle, so you could go either direction. No problems driving in Germany. You could do the Rhine cruise bit at the beginning if you wanted. The tour would take around 17 days to do, but it would be nice to take a bit longer.

Note: links to the towns go to photo albums on the Travel Signposts website

Frankfurt – Remagen – Cologne – Bremen – Hamburg - Lubeck - Celle (Luneburg Heath) – Hannover – Berlin – Leipzig – Dresden – Weimar – Erfurt – Wartburg – Wurzburg – Bamberg – Bayreuth – Nuremberg – Rothenburg – Romantic Road – Nordlingen - Dachau – Munich – Lake Chiemsee – Berchtesgaden – Garmisch (Bavarian Alps): Linderhof/Ettal/Oberammergau/Steingaden/Neuschwanstein – Lindau (Lake Constance) – Meersburg/Konstanz (ferry) – Freiburg – Lake Titisee (Black Forest) – Baden-Baden – Heidelberg – Rudesheim/Boppard (Rhine Cruise) – Koblenz – Cochem – Rudesheim – Marksburg Castle – Frankfurt