Hamburg

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854408680 Architecture; Brick; Bridge - Built Structure; Building Exterior; Built Structure; Business Finance and Industry; Canal; City; City Life; Cityscape; Color Image; Day; Economy; Elbphilharmonie; Europe; European Culture; Facade; Finance and Economy; German Culture; Germany; Hamburg; Hamburg - Germany; Harbor; History; Horizontal; In A Row; No People; Old Town; Outdoors; Overcast; Photography; River; Travel; Travel Destinations; Urban Skyline; Water; Waterfront; Western Europe; Hamburg historic district with old buildings along the canal, Germany.

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Overview

When all's said and done, Hamburg's appeal can be narrowed down to one simple calling card: Welcome to one of the coolest cities on earth.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Sunday morning market in Fischmarkt

    Fischmarkt

    St Pauli & Reeperbahn

    Here's the perfect excuse to stay up all Saturday night. Every Sunday in the wee hours, some 70,000 locals and visitors descend upon the famous Fischmarkt…

  • HAMBURG, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 04: Visitors walk through the large hall of the newly-completed Elbphilharmonie concert hall on November 4, 2016 in Hamburg, Germany. Designed by the archiecture firm Herzog and de Meuron and begun in 2007, the Elbphilharmonie was originally slated to be completed by 2010 at a cost of EUR 241 million. Instead it was finally finished on October 31, 2016 at a cost of EUR 789 million. Germany has been burdened with a string of high-profile construction projects whose completion has been years delayed and whose costs have ballooned. The first public concert at the Elbphilharmonie is scheduled for January 11, 2017 as part of its official opening. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

    Elbphilharmonie

    Hamburg

    Welcome to one of the most Europe's most exciting recent architectural creations. A squat brown-brick former warehouse at the far west of HafenCity was…

  • Miniature Wonderland in Hamburg, Germany; Shutterstock ID 696145270; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: BiT Destination Page Images

    Miniatur Wunderland

    Hamburg

    Even the worst cynics are quickly transformed into fans of this vast miniature world that goes on and on. The model trains wending their way through the…

  • (GERMANY OUT) Deutschland, Hamburg Veddel: Auswanderermuseum BallinStadt. (Photo by Uwe Steffens/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Auswanderermuseum BallinStadt

    Hamburg

    Sort of a bookend for New York's Ellis Island, Hamburg's excellent emigration museum looks at the conditions that drove about 5 million people to leave…

  • (GERMANY OUT) Hamburg: herbstliche Szene auf dem Altonaer Balkon in Altona. Sie Menschen sitzen in der Sonne auf B?nken und dem Gel?nder und schauen auf die Elbe. Aufnahmedatum:1999. (Photo by Schwartz/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Altonaer Balkon

    Hamburg

    Thrill to some of Hamburg's best harbour views from this accurately named and quite pretty park.

  • St Michaelis Kirche

    St Michaelis Kirche

    Hamburg

    ‘Der Michel’, as it is affectionately called, is one of Hamburg’s most recognisable landmarks and northern Germany’s largest Protestant baroque church…

  • St Pauli Nachtmarkt

    St Pauli Nachtmarkt

    St Pauli & Reeperbahn

    Wednesday late afternoon and evening is a terrific time to be in St Pauli when the weekly night market takes over Spielbudenplatz with food stalls, live…

  • Germany, Hamburg, International Maritime Museum at Magdeburger Hafen in Hafencity

    Internationales Maritimes Museum

    Hamburg

    Hamburg's maritime past – and future – is fully explored in this excellent private museum that sprawls over 10 floors of a revamped brick shipping…

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Planning Tools

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Best Things to Do

Germany’s second-largest metropolis, Hamburg is one of Europe’s coolest destinations. Here are the top things to do in this historic port city.

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Articles

Latest stories from Hamburg

A view of Hamburg's riverside warehouses illuminated at night.

Activities

The 13 best things to do in Hamburg

Feb 25, 2025 • 9 min read

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