Explore The Harbour Of Hamburg

Rich with maritime history, Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, behind Berlin. You can find just as much culture and entertainment by the harbour as you can in the capital, with over 40 performance spaces, 50 museums and 4,000 restaurants.

It’s clear to see how the harbour impacts on the entire city. The formation of Hamburg is determined by the rivers, streams and canals with over 2400 bridges. In fact, there are more canals in Hamburg than Amsterdam and Venice combined. Current and future developments are also based around the harbour, including HafenCity with its modern architecture of the Unilever building and Marco Polo Tower on the banks of Elbe River. There are also permanent artworks on display, historical ships, spectacular views and literature and theatre events.

The traditional cuisine of Hamburg is also characterised by the harbour. Local fish from the river and Baltic Sea, and international imports from overseas through the port, have created a melting pot of dishes. Beer is also big in Hamburg; there’s evidence of the brewing of beer since the 14th century – this is Germany, after all. You can either visit the welcoming pubs and restaurants, or buy your own produce from the famous fish market.

When it comes to entertainment, there’s everything from the classics to the profound and the light-hearted to the deliciously naughty. Famous stages include Thalia Theatre, which offers English subtitles for some performances, and Imperial Theatre, Germany’s largest crime-thriller theatre. As with many other European cities, museums and galleries have a home in Hamburg. There’s the traditional Hamburg Museum and International Maritime Museum, and the quirkier Chocoversum, which celebrates chocolate, and Hamburg Dungeon, like London Dungeons, but in the Hamburg. For something a little more frivolous, Reeperbahn is the centre for Hamburg’s nightlife, and also home to the city’s red light district. At night, this street comes to life, lit up by neon lights on bars, pubs and restaurants serving up frothy German beer.

With so much to see and do inside and outside the city buildings, there’s cultural experiences and enriching entertainment around every corner in Hamburg.

Images courtesy of Christian Spahrbier, Roberto Kai Hegeler and Jörg Modrow.