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A city on water... Germany’s second largest city, Hamburg is a city influenced by water. The rivers Elbe, Alster and Bille flow through it and an attractive series of canals known as Fleete bisect it. Hamburg is the second largest port in Europe and despite being an important industrial centre, two-thirds of the city is made up of parks, lakes and tree-lined canals. Hamburg, then, has an unusual rural feel. Strolling around the stunning Inner and Outer Alster lakes in the city centre is an intrinsic part of the Hamburg experience.
S
tart your exploration of Hamburg in
its oldest and most vibrant area – the
harbour. Just east of the harbour lies the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest continuous
warehouse complex. The ornate, statuesque buildings look like they belong to a bygone
era but are still very much in use today. Stroll across the many bridges
or take a harbour cruise to get a panoramic view of
the port. Just north of the St Pauli Landungsbrucken
is the area knowns as St Pauli - home
to numerous bars and restaurants. You’ll also find the Reeperbahn here – Hamburg’s legendary red-light district. Catch the
weekly Fischmarkt on Sunday morning. An institution since 1703, it’s a
not to be missed market selling everything from fish to flowers and
doubles as an early morning party with bars and restaurants in full
swing until 11am.
Visit the city’s renowned Kunsthalle,
lying just north of the Hauptbahnhof. It houses an internationally
important art collection encompassing everything from medieval
portraiture to 20th century minimalism. The impressive Museum fur
Kunst und Gewerbe at Steintorplatz 1 traces the evolution of applied
art and sculpture in Europe right through to the 20th century. The
neo-Renaissance Rathaus is the seat of Hamburg’s government. When
parliament isn’t in session you can go on a guided tour of the
interior. For some excellent shopping, head for the area around the
Binnenalster lake or the pedestrianised Spitalerstrasse.
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