Hamburg is one of the most majestic and beautiful cities in Germany. The city’s long history has given it hundreds of unique attractions and deep traditions. It seamlessly combines medieval castles and modern entertainment centers, ancient museums and delightful parks, majestic churches and modern buildings.
Top 10 sights in Hamburg
Consider the most interesting sights of Hamburg and its surroundings, their photos and descriptions, which you can visit on your own.
Miniature Wonderland
If you are in Hamburg, even just for a day, be sure to visit the museum “Miniature Wonderland”. A visit to this exhibition is included in all excursion programs, and this is no accident. The composition is a miniature and very detailed layout of individual objects in Germany and the world. The main attraction is the railroad.
The layout is equipped with dozens of buttons and levers that set in motion various objects, change the lighting and recreate real events. Once here, every adult just returns to childhood, and every child gets a lot of indelible impressions.
At the moment the museum has 9 thematic sections, these are Switzerland, Knuffingen, Airport, Middle Germany, Austria, Bavaria, USA, Hamburg and Scandinavia.
Hafen City
Among the sights of Hamburg, the most ambitious architectural project in Europe, Hafen-City, is a must-see. This complex has no analogues in the world, and the quarter looks like the city of the future. The project was originally conceived to expand the central part of the city and provide people with additional residential, office and service space.
Remarkably, but the entire area is built on stilts and connects the center of Hamburg and the port. Today, only 30% of the area allocated for the project is built, but even this part is enough to understand that this is the most ambitious urban redevelopment project that has been implemented in the European Union.
You can appreciate all the beauty of the neighborhood while walking along the promenade. You can view the area from the observation wheel.
Port of Hamburg
The Port of Hamburg is Germany’s gateway to the World. It is the largest port in the country and the third largest in Europe. It is one of the most famous and most visited tourist attraction in the city. The port is more than 800 years old, and there really is a lot to see. It is a mistake to think that the port in Hamburg is just a place for ships to dock. No, this is the business and cultural center of the city.
On the territory of the port are concentrated dozens of interesting sights, must-see in Hamburg and described in all kinds of guides. Here you can visit museums, dine in famous restaurants, see the monuments and take a ride on a balloon. The port is divided into several quarters, of which the most interesting for tourists is Sandtorhafen. In this part of the port there are several ships-museums.
You can travel around the port on foot or by river streetcar.
Fish market
The fish market in Hamburg is a special place for locals. Every Sunday, hundreds of residents come here to buy fresh fish, fruit and sweets. The market is open from 5 to 9 a.m. In fact, the fish market is a tribute to Hamburg’s centuries-old tradition. For centuries, local fishermen sold their fish at this place, and the trade was accompanied by songs and drinking the local cocktail of beer and sweet soda.
Nothing has changed today. Germans come here with their families and buy groceries for a whole week. Somewhere along the way a local rock band is playing, and there are tents selling food and drinks. By the way, if you want to save 2 euros on drinks, when you buy coffee or beer be sure to take a deposit token. This token entitles you to a refund of €2 when returning an empty cup to the vendor.
Ballinstadt Immigrant Museum
The unique Ballinstadt museum complex was created to inform the world of the plight of the many migrants who came to the New World from all corners of the world. Hamburg has become a waiting area for these people, because it used to be the home of migrants, where people who were persecuted by poverty and racial oppression could live in relative comfort until the time of the ship’s departure came.
The museum contains thousands of stories of migrants and highlights their future fates. Many are looking here for information about ancestors who left Germany and landed in the United States or South America. Today the museum has an electronic terminal through which you can learn the fate of your ancestors who left the country between 1850 and 1938. Also in the complex you can learn about the lives of migrants, visit the exhibition “Port of Dreams” and have lunch in a local restaurant.
Historic Warehouse District
What to see in Hamburg if you are new to the city – of course the historic warehouse district. This place is located near the port and is called the city of warehouses. Here you can see the unique houses that rise straight out of the water and unusual bridges. Today, the warehouse city is recognized as a historic value of Hamburg and is protected by UNESCO.
In the city of warehouses tourists will be interested in visiting the Speicherstadt Museum, the Customs Museum, the Spice Museum, the Afghan Museum, the restaurant “Dialogue in the dark” and dozens of warehouse-stores that sell various goods from spices to carpets. There are no walkways or sidewalks. The excursion takes place on the river streetcar.
Especially tourists love the restaurant “Dialogue in the dark. Here visitors are offered to dine in complete darkness, which makes the meal mysterious and extraordinary.
Wax Museum Panopticum
Attractions of Hamburg in Germany is so diverse that every tourist will find interesting and wonderful places to visit. The Panopticum, Germany’s oldest wax museum, is one of them. The museum’s four floors house 140 figures of athletes, actors and politicians. But the most fascinating is the anatomy room. The exhibits here are simply shocking.
In the anatomy museum you can see human organs cast in wax, a collection of glass eyes and even stages of some diseases. The exposition is not for the faint of heart, and therefore it is better not to take small children and elderly relatives to this hall.
Interestingly enough, shocking exhibits have been present in the museum since its founding. The very first horror collection included instruments of torture, and severed heads of criminals.
Ethnological Museum
The Ethnological Museum is the place for a family excursion. There is a large display of household and cultural items from Australia, Indonesia, the South Seas, and Africa. Initially, the museum was created as an account of expeditions to different countries of the world. Over time, the exhibits accumulated so many that they no longer fit in the library hall and a separate museum was created for them.
Today there are 350,000 exhibits and more than 400,000 photographs. For tourists in the complex are shown historical chronicles, lectures and open discussions. On an area of 5,000 square meters. You can immerse yourself in the historical events of different countries of the world, learn how the natives of Africa, America and other countries lived. Modern equipment allows you to make the tour interactive and exciting.
St. Mary’s Church
The Church of St. Mary is considered one of the main temples of the city. Its founding dates back to 1350. It is truly a unique structure, for it was this church that laid the foundation for the North German brick Gothic. Originally there was a wooden church on the site of the brick church, which was rebuilt during the second founding of the city.
Today the church rises majestically above the city and its towers can be seen from hundreds of meters away. The vaults of the church are 38.5 meters high, and the central nave reaches 40 meters. Today the church has been completely restored. Through the efforts of dozens of artists were recreated paintings, icons and frescoes. The interior has been completely restored. Today the temple welcomes parishioners.
On Christmas holidays, a unique organ, the sound of which is unparalleled in the world, plays here.
Botanical Garden
The Hamburg Botanical Garden is an amazing place that attracts thousands of tourists and locals every year. The history of its creation began with an ordinary vegetable garden, where apothecary plants were grown. Later the garden began to expand and today it occupies an area of 24 hectares, on which there are several thematic zones.
You can even visit paradise in the garden. The small area contains unique plants that were gathered according to biblical descriptions. According to the creators, this is what the garden of Adam and Eve might have looked like. You can also stroll through little China, look into Japan, stroll through the Alps, and back to Europe. A walk through the garden can take all day, but you still can’t get around it all.
What else is there to see in Hamburg?
A trip to Hamburg is always fascinating. There are plenty of places to visit and a few vacations are not enough to explore this city completely. For a personalized itinerary, check out the sights of Hamburg, Germany on the map, and hit the road.
In the city and its surroundings most of all attracted by ancient castles. If you like historical monuments, be sure to visit Bergedorf Castle. This architectural creation does not at all resemble castles of noble lords and royal families. Rather, it is a military fortification with observation towers and a double moat.
If you are traveling with children, be sure to visit the local zoo. It is considered one of the largest in Europe, and the animals here live not in cages, and in natural enclosures. Animals can be fed special treats and even ride some of them.
Children will also love visiting the amusement park, where in addition to the carousels, swings and slides there is a dolphinarium, alligator show and wax museum.
For the youngest in the park there is an amazing fairyland with an electronic theater of birds.
