Hamburg – Complete Travel guide all you need to know
Rathaus Hamburg
Hamburg is located in Northern Germany. It is the country’s second largest city. It is also a major port city and is the second largest Port City in Europe. The river Elbe flows through the city and connects it to the North sea.
The city has a bit of a negative reputation. Tourists often associated the city with prostitution due to it having a well known red light district. However its also a very affluent city with the largest number of millionaires in Germany living there.
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Table of contents
TOP THINGS TO DO IN HAMBURG
1. Hamburg Town Hall
Located on Rathausmarkt, city hall is where the senate and the mayor all have their seats. Due to fires and relocation’s and other issues this is the 6th city hall that Hamburg has had. Construction on the current building started in 1886. This is a beautiful building and visitors can enjoy the inside of the building as its open to the public. There are guided tours and exhibits inside the town hall. Its opened everday from 8am – 6pm. The Rathausmart which is the square in front of city hall is a popular venue for fairs, concerts and markets.
2. St Michaels Church
St. Michaels church is one of five Lutheran chuches in Hamburg. It is also one of the most famous churches in the city. The church is seen as one of the Landmarks of the city. It is considered to be one of the finest Hanseatic Protestant baroque churches.
3.The Harbour
The Port Area is another great area for a walk with cafes and restaurants all over its nice area for a stroll. Its easily accessible from other areas of the city.
4. The Dungeons
Hamburg Dungeons is great experience I have been to a few of these experiences and this is one of the better ones. My friend who was with me and usually not scared of anything said she was scared. Its really fun if you dont mind it being a little bit scary. This is an actor led interactive experience and they do shows in both English and German. you need to make sure you book the correct language when booking tickets.
5. St. Nikolai Memorial
First constructed in 12th century the St. Nikolai church is a fantastic Gothic cathedral located on the banks of the river Alster. The church has been rebuilt a number of times over the years. The church was largely destroyed during the air raids in world war II. However the cathedral tower still stands. 35000 people were killed during operation Gomorrah. Today the church is a museum and memorial remembering those who lost their lives.
OTHER THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN HAMBURG
1. Museum of Illusions
The museum of illusions is a great way to spend an hour or so especially if your travelling with children. It has many different exhibits that will thrill and amaze and change your perception. Its open everyday 10am-7pm. Closed Christmas eve, Christmas day, new years day and good Friday. tickets are 14 Euros for adults.
2. Walking tour
Take a free walking tour of the city they are great way to get your bearings and find out more about the places your visiting. Tours are free in the sense that there is no set price. However at the end of the tour you give the guide a tip based on how much you enjoyed and how much you can afford. I use guru walks for my tours and ive never been on one yet that I didnt like.
3. Hamburg’s Old Elbe Tunnel
The St Pauli Elbtunnel is a tunnel that runs under the Elbe River. The tunnel was built in 1911 it was built to provide dock workers with a more direct route over to the southern banks of the Elbe river from the Landungsbrücken piers in St. Pauli,
A technical innovation at the time of its construction, the tunnel became a tourist attraction when the ‘new’ Elbtunnel and several bridges were built in the 1970s. Now pedestrians and bicyclists wishing to cross below the river can ride a free lift into the deep, and cars can use hydraulically driven cages for a small fee.
The tunnel was a technical innovation at the time. It became a tourist attraction in the 1970’s when a new tunnel was constructed and several bridges over the river were built. Today Pedestrians and cyclists who wish to cross below the river can ride the free lift down to the tunnel and cars can also for a small fee use the hydraulically driven cages.
4. Miniatur Wunderland
Whether your travelling with kids or your just simply young at heart Miniatur Wunderland is a must see. There is a story unfolding throughout the minature world so be sure to pay attention. It takes about 3 hours to see everything. Also try and not get annoyed or frustrated by the crowds of people all trying to get the perfect photo. It home to a model railway world that is the largest in the world stretching over 50000 feet and runs throughout several of the model areas. Also if you Book in advance you can skip the queues. Adult tickets are 20 Euros and opening hours. It also open every day of the year from at least 9.30am-6pm although its often much later especially during holiday periods.
5. Take a boat trip
There are several boat tours in Hamburg you can do on the river Elbe they start ataround £19 for 2 hour cruise.
BUDGET FOR HAMBURG
Accommodation
Hostel prices – Dorms cost 32-54 Euros per night while private rooms for two cost around 63-140 Euros per night. Free Wi-Fi and lockers are standard in all hostels in Hamburg. Most hostels also offer free coffee/tea and have a kitchen and lots also have a bar on site. Apart from a few exceptions most hostel in Hamburg don’t offer free breakfast. However lots offer a buffet breakfast for around 6 -8Euros
Lots of hostels also offer bike rentals for 10-15 Euros per day and some offer free walking tours.
Budget hotel prices – Budget hotels cost between 45-80 Euros per night. Free Wi-Fi, flat-screen tvs. Some have shared bathrooms but most have private bathrooms, free breakfast is not normally provided. Many hotels offer a breakfast buffet for 8-12 Euros.
Mid range hotel prices– Mid range hotels cost75-120 Euros per night and usually Wifi, flat screens and private bathroom comes as standard. Breakfast is usually available at extra cost of 8-12 Euros.
Airbnb – Airbnb’s are available all over Hamburg with a private room costing around 45-70 Euros per night with apartments starting around 80-150 Euros per night. In winter they can be as lows as 70-90 per night.
Booking.comWhen i visited Hamburg i stayed in Buch-Ein-Bett Hostel. I stayed in triple room with private bathroom. The room was very basic but was clean and suited our needs and had a private bathroom. There was a full kitchen on site. There was good transport links and its on a quiet street.
Food and Drinks
Food – Food in Hamburg is like the rest of Germany is cheap but tasty and filling. Eating out in Hamburg is affordable and you can get a nice take away meal for around 5 Euros. Such as Pizzas and Asian food. Sit down meals in budget Asian restaurants are around 7-10 Euros for lunch. Fast food such as McDonalds costs around 10 Euros for a combo meal
Dinner for two in budget restaurant will cost 35 -40 Euros for two. A meal at higher-end restaurant will cost around 20-22 Euros for entrees, steak is around 25 Euros
Drinks – Expect to pay around 4- 5 Euros in a bar for a pint of beer and about 5.50 Euros for a glass of wine. A cocktail will set you back 8-11 Euros with a cappuccino costing 3-4 Euros.
Groceries – If you are going to cook for yourself you can get a weeks worth of groceries for around 50 – 55 Euros. This will get basics like milk, bread, eggs, pasta, vegetables and some meat. Also the cheapest places to buy Groceries are Aldi, Lidl, Netto and Penny. Don’t forget to bring your own bags.
GETTING AROUND
Hamburg also has an extensive public transport network of subways, buses, ferries and trains to help you get around and make the most of the city. There are also various tickets which start from 3.80 euros for a single ticket and 7.50 euros for a day ticket. See here for full details of all available tickets. Also if you have a Hamburg card public transport is free.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Finally Hamburg was not my favourite place on my trip. However I still had a great time here but I don’t feel i even scratched the surface of what this great city had to offer. Take your time and really enjoy the city.
If you like my Hamburg guide check out my other German guides Germany and Berlin.
Also why not have a look at my guides to other other countries and cities Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Belgium.
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