Explore Hamburg

Exterior shot of the impressive Hamburg Elbphilharmonie called Elphi

Hamburg is set to become a must-visit destination for architecture and design aficionados with the historic “Speicherstadt”, the 19th-century Warehouse District, which made the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015, and the much-anticipated opening of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Foto Credit: Maxim Schulz


We sampled a few ideas of what we love the most about our city for you to enjoy the beautiful city of Hamburg:

• Tour the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s state-of-the-art symphony hall boasting some of the best acoustics in the world. Enjoy not only classical masterpieces, but also contemporary compositions along with modern day singer-songwriters.

• Take a walking or boat tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Speicherstadt” – a 150 year old warehouse district which offers a wealth of history and landmark architecture. Enjoy the smell of coffee and spices from around the world. This is the perfect spot for a coffee or tea tasting at one of the many private coffee roasters.

• Visit HafenCity with its stunning architecture and the harbor with its magnificent ships, waterfront and harbor promenade designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid.

• Explore the Old Elbe Tunnel which takes you across to the opposite banks of the River Elbe. Don’t forget to grab a “Fischbroetchen”, a traditional ‘fish sandwich’, for a snack.

• Visit the museums on the “Kunstmeile”, encompassing five renowned art institutions including the Kunsthalle which features 700 years of art and ranks among the most substantial public art collections in Germany.

• Gin Tasting at Hamburg’s very own boutique gin distillery, ‘Gin Sul’.

• Exciting Culinary Masters: harbor-side restaurants featuring authentic seafood creations or with a bird’s eye view of the harbor and the city. Enjoy drinks with lake view at one of the many wooden piers around the Alster. Discover Hamburg’s culinary side including restaurants from Tim Maelzer, Germany’s Jamie Oliver, or at the 3 Michelin star awarded avantgarde restaurant The Table.

• Exclusive workshop tour of the world’s most sought after writing instrument – Montblanc, founded in Hamburg over 100 years ago.

• Take a ferry from the harbor and enjoy the view of Hamburg from the water. Later, stroll through the “Treppenviertel”, the ‘Staircase District’, with more than 5000 steps in the villa district of Blankenese. The natural beaches are beautiful during a summer sunset and the ideal spot to watch the cruise ships passing by. Jet boats get you there in no time.

• In the summer, ride alongside the Elbe River on a leisurely bike tour.

• Should you be visiting on a Saturday, expect bustling excitement and a Sunday morning fish market at the famous “Fischmarkt” in the harbor.

• Take a fashion walk on the heels of Karl Lagerfeld, Jil Sander and Wolfgang Joop and stroll through the fine shopping passages and arcades. Then explore the offbeat and funky “Schanze” area for eclectic vintage and cutting-edge shops, restaurants and bars that reflect Hamburg’s progressive, liberal character. The “Schanze” is the epitome of individualism.

• Enjoy an authentic “Franzbrötchen”, a buttery pastry with cinnamon and caramelized sugar, reminiscence of the French croissant.

• In the summer, hire a skipper or sail yourself across Lake Alster, experience city sailing directly in front of the hotel, take a rowing class at the city’s oldest rowing Club or try stand up paddling.

• Enjoy a trumpet chorale each morning as the sounds fill the air from the St. Michael’s tower. A tradition that has been in place for over 30 years.

• Visit the International Maritime Museum, 300 years of maritime history documenting the emigration of more than 5 million emigrants through the port of Hamburg. Among them the families of Barbra Streisand and Kirk Douglas.

• Take a harbor boat tour and cruise alongside some of the largest cruise and container ships in the world – some more than 300m long and 72m high.