The port, canals & Reeperbahn
Hamburg
Hamburg · Harbor city of canals & music
Germany's gateway to the sea is a city of red-brick warehouses, more bridges than Venice and Amsterdam combined, and the wave-shaped Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Maritime grit meets refined culture along the Elbe.
Top sightsSights
Elbphilharmonie
The glass-crowned concert hall with a free public viewing plaza over the harbor.
Speicherstadt
The UNESCO warehouse district of canals and Gothic-revival brick.
Reeperbahn
St. Pauli’s legendary nightlife and music mile where the Beatles cut their teeth.
Miniatur Wunderland
The world’s largest model railway, a jaw-dropping miniature world.
Harbor boat tour
Cruise the working port, one of Europe’s busiest.
What to eatFood
Fischbrötchen
A fresh herring or fish roll from a harbor stand.
Labskaus
A sailor’s hash of corned beef, beet and potato topped with a fried egg.
Franzbrötchen
A buttery cinnamon pastry unique to Hamburg.
Good to know
- Visit the Fischmarkt early Sunday morning for the spectacle and street food.
- The Elbphilharmonie plaza is free but needs a timed ticket at busy times.
- Pack a rain jacket — the northern weather is famously changeable.
Getting there
Hamburg Airport (HAM) serves Europe; frequent ICE trains connect Berlin in under two hours and reach Copenhagen north.
Next city
Cologne