Hamburg Holidays

Hamburg’s credentials as Germany’s biggest port and second-largest city earned it the nickname ‘The Gateway to the World’, and it does a good job of living up to the title. The banks of River Elbe are still buzzing with maritime activity, and are sprinkled with bars, breweries and markets that cater for modern tastes. Away from the waterfront, you’ve got protected historic neighbourhoods, mounds of living music memorabilia, and nightlife that rivals Europe’s best party spots.

Hamburg’s lively harbour is like a window to the past – boats still dock and trade here, and the iconic Fischmarkt still auctions seafood every Sunday. Wander away from the docks, and you’ll soon find yourself in Speicherstadt – this area’s filled with Gothic-style brick warehouses, which were built to support the waterborne trade. These days it’s a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is home to museums, Hamburg Dungeon and Miniatur Wunderland – the one of the world’s biggest and most detailed model railways. Over in the city centre, the pick of the historic sites is the mint green-roofed city hall, which has a spire that rises above the surrounding skyline.

The Reeperbahn shot to unprecedented fame when The Beatles started playing regular shows here in the 1960s, and it’s still Hamburg’s premier nightlife spot today. The neon-lit strip is packed with clubs, bars and music venues, and draws big crowds after dark. There are a few red light district areas woven into the Reeperbahn’s DNA, too, so don’t be surprised to see something of that sort. Elsewhere, on the fringe of the St Pauli district, you’ll find a more edgy scene in Sternschanze. Cocktail bars, quirky theatres and a club housed in a huge Second World War bunker are among the standout spots.

Hamburg’s had a long love affair with the Elbe River, and it’s still an absolute hive of activity today. In the traditional parts, market traders bellow for your attention by the water’s edge and some of the city’s best and freshest seafood is on show. Ferries and catamarans pull up to the piers in waterfront Landungsbrucken, and the riverside promenade is loaded with breweries, beach bars and museums. Plus, you can cross the river to the southern side by descending into the Old Elbe Tunnel – once a time-saver for dock workers, this underwater route is now decked out with pieces of art and often hosts pop-up exhibitions.