What state is Hamburg in? Hamburg (Germany) - a city of rich cultural traditions - interesting information for travelers

Hamburg is a modern city with centuries of history, which, it would seem, should "tempt" any traveler to cultural discoveries. However, in reality the majority architectural structures harmonizes quite well with shopping malls and other entertainment venues, but in truth, they do not attract attention at all, at least that's how it was with me).

But it turned out to be only at first glance, in fact, having been in the central and historical part of Hamburg, the city opened up for me in the light of a charming place that is full of canals, seaports, as well as cobbled bridges and modern bridges, which, according to local there are more inhabitants here than in Venice itself :).

But be prepared to leave ships and sea romance for “breakfast-lunch-dinner”. Because the night “dessert” in the form of real frivolities, emancipation and a sea of ​​​​alcohol, you will see at every step, because this atmosphere of carelessness will haunt you on any day of the week and on any street. It seems that even the historical part of the city with the advent of darkness radically changes its appearance.

Nobody is usually prepared for this turn of events. Anyway, my companions and I certainly weren't. But soon the effect of surprise is replaced by interest and desire to "plunge" into the cultural, domestic, and club life of Hamburg.

After visiting this city, I can say with confidence that this is a huge center of all kinds of contrasts, where everyone can feel as cozy and comfortable as possible.

That is why everyone who is ready for great adventures will be able to “feel” and discover this metropolis for themselves.

And how to get to them? By plane, car or train? Let's find out now).

How to get there

Today, getting to Hamburg is quite easy. Despite the fact that the main flow of tourists begins their study of the German land precisely from Berlin, Hamburg, as the second largest city, is also a popular destination.

Whether you spend your holidays in this metropolis, see and admire HafenCity or go on a business trip - whatever your plans, you can easily get to Hamburg by plane, train, bus or car. In general, to your taste and budget. :)

By plane

Perhaps it is no secret to anyone that the fastest, most comfortable and convenient way to travel is by plane. Directly to Hamburg, you can depart from and, and.

Flight options

Every day, an Aeroflot flight departs from the capital's Sheremetyevo Airport, which spends about three hours in the air. An aircraft of Rossiya Airlines departs daily from St. Petersburg's Pulkovo and spends 2.5 hours in the air.

Personally, I have ever flown with Aeroflot from Moscow, as this seems to be the easiest option. By the way, I didn’t have the task of saving money on the flight, so I bought a ticket for the “standard” cost, which varies from 180–200 EUR or about 12,500 rubles (round trip).

But if you are a budget tourist, then you should pay attention to such life hacks as:

  • subscription to the newsletter from Aeroflot, where discounts sometimes slip;
  • price monitoring on specialized search engine sites, for example,.

Airport in Hamburg

There are three airports in Hamburg. One of them is designed for cargo aircraft, and the other two for passenger airliners. But Russian travelers are more interested in Flughafen Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport, since it is he who receives domestic aircraft. For reference, it is worth mentioning that Lübeck Airport is located near Hamburg. However, it is popular only with small private European carriers. That is why we will talk about Flughafen Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel.

Here I would really like to note that this airport is one of the busiest, so my advice to you: try to think through your actions in advance and move quite dynamically. Otherwise, you can simply get lost, or a crowd of hurrying Chinese tourists will simply lead you astray. By the way, this was exactly the case with me, and heading to one terminal, I ended up at another :). By the way, there are two of them at Hamburg Airport.

How to get to the city

Getting from the airport to the central part of the city is not difficult. Due to the high passenger traffic, there are too many options for moving "Fullsbüttel - center". So to say, for every taste and budget.

Express route

I would strongly recommend using the branded express route, if only because I myself was among its passengers. It seemed to me that this option of moving is not so bad. The express route is a bus that runs every 15 minutes from the main airport stop to the very center of the city. The trip will cost 6 EUR or 370 rubles, and it will take about thirty minutes in time.

By the way, one cannot fail to say that simple buses run from the same stop: No. 274 and No. 292. The fare there is two times lower, but the time spent on the road is twice as long.

Metro

If you have small bags or if it is convenient for you to ride the metro with suitcases, then you can use this option. Directly opposite the terminals there is a huge sign, and behind it there is a staircase that takes you down to the subway to the Hamburg Airport (Flughafen) station. By the way, it is located on line S1 (S-bahn/land lines). The trip itself from the airport to the center will take about half an hour. Trains depart in almost 7 minutes, and the cost will be 3.5 EUR or 220 rubles.

Taxi

If you are traveling with your children or with a lot of luggage, then I would recommend using a taxi service. It does not need to be ordered, just leave the airport building - there will be about a hundred cars, the drivers of which will be happy to offer their services. The prices are the same for everyone, and a trip to the center will cost about 40 EUR or 2,500 rubles. But here it is worth saying that if you are as polite as possible and ask for a discount, then most drivers will give up a couple of euros. It seems like nothing, but it's very nice :)

By train

For all those who are afraid of flying by plane and prefer to make their way to their destination by train, there is the possibility to get to Hamburg by rail. However, it should be said here that the time spent on the road will be longer, the ticket will be more expensive, and direct routes - Hamburg has not yet been launched.

Due to such a large number of "buts", the most optimal and convenient option would be a train from Moscow to the capital of Germany, the city. And from there, any traveler can easily get to Hamburg by transferring to another train or even to a high-speed train.

The district of Hamburg-Mitte is one of the most peaceful. Despite the fact that this is the center and there are always a lot of people there, tourists do not have to worry about their safety. However, this does not mean that you should lose your vigilance.

Harburg

Harburg is a small area located near the center. It cannot boast of iconic sights and memorable places and, probably, this explains why there are catastrophically few hotels there. Nevertheless, I would advise you to take a closer look at this area, since the prices for renting rooms there are affordable, and the area itself is quiet and clean.

Bergedorf

A place with quite comfortable living conditions. If you decide to stay there, you can visit a large number of parks and squares every day. In addition, you will have the opportunity to admire the medieval castle, the territory of which is strewn with a large number of fountains surrounded by beautiful flower beds.

There are catastrophically few hotels in Bergedof. However, if you want your vacation to be calm and quiet, and when you go out into the street, you do not fall into a hurrying crowd, then choose this area to stay.

On a note

From my own experience I can say that the choice of hotels, hostels or apartments in an apartment building is quite difficult. That is why, if you have the time and energy, I would recommend looking for several housing options in advance. And only then visit them all in one day to make right choice.

Even though you are going to Europe, whose inhabitants are famous for their honesty and openness, it is still worth remembering that some of the services described on the Internet do not always coincide with reality. Therefore, it is better to spend a little more time, effort and nerves, but play it safe and not spoil your vacation :).

What are the prices for holidays

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, Hamburg is many times more expensive than Berlin. That is why, once in this German "Venice", you need to be prepared for the fact that your wallet will be empty at breakneck speed. However, if you are a frugal tourist and are ready to look for profitable options, then you can certainly do without losing your budget.

In the meantime, consider spending on one standard day of living in Hamburg under the program "do not deny yourself anything").

Housing

I talked about it above, and also gave the average cost of rent. Therefore, everything is simple here. For housing for a day you will have to spend about 50 EUR.

Nutrition

It's no secret that in the city center prices in cafes and restaurants are much higher. Therefore, if you are not embarrassed by the prospect of eating right on the street, then feel free to stand in line for street food. It is delicious, filling and relatively inexpensive. So, for one full meal in such an institution, you will pay about 5–7 EUR. By the way, it is three times cheaper than visiting a cafe on the same street.

Cultural program

Entry to churches and temples in Hamburg is free, but you will have to pay for tickets to most museums. However, these cultural venues quite often arrange promotions and all kinds of discounts. Of course, you never know when you'll hit them and when you won't. Therefore, my advice to you: look for companions in line at the box office, since you can save money at the entrance to most museums if you go in a group of 5 people.

We usually did this - approached the couples who were already standing in the checkout line and asked if they would like to cheat the cashier a little and save money by saying that we were together). And no one has turned us down yet. Well, otherwise, if you go to the museum alone and pay for a full ticket without discounts and promotions, then be prepared to give 5–7 EUR.

Directions

The cost of public transport in Hamburg is quite high. In addition, the whole city is divided into zones, and the fare increases exponentially if you go beyond the border of the central part of the city. In general, this is an extremely complex system, which, it seems, the locals themselves have not yet fully figured out.

That is why I would advise you to purchase the Hamburg Card. This is a ticket that is valid for 1, 3 or 5 days per adult. Among other things, you will receive a good bonus in the form of benefits for sightseeing tours, visits to museums, theaters and galleries. The price of such a ticket starts from 9.9 EUR.

Clue:

The cost of food, lodging, transportation, etc.

Currency: Rubles, rub. Dollars, $ Euro, €

Main attractions. What to see

Hamburg has been the cultural center of northern Germany almost since its inception. That is why the city has quite a lot of attractions and memorable places that can conquer even the most demanding tourists.

Well, let's start studying the most popular and unusual?).

Top 5

There are a lot of attractions in Hamburg, and all of them are so different that in the first days of my stay in the city I was simply lost. But, having gathered all my thoughts together and curbed all my emotions, I will highlight the top 5 memorable places in Hamburg that everyone should visit.

"Miniature Wonderland"

This is the most grandiose and largest railway model in the whole world. Perhaps this fact alone becomes a clear reason to look into the area of ​​​​the former port warehouses of Speicherstadt and personally admire the scale of this “Miniature Wonderland” (Miniature Wunderland).

The construction of this model began in the 2000s. But then no one could even imagine that this attraction would become one of the most visited in all of Germany.

To date, Miniature Wonderland has eight thematic areas, and also has about twelve kilometers of railway tracks, which are presented at a scale of 1:87.

All this splendor, which we all so dreamed about in childhood, is located on an area of ​​more than 1500 square meters.

Zoo "Hagenbeck"

It seems to me that this is just the perfect vacation spot for travelers with children. From my own experience, I can say that even an adult tourist will be terribly interested there. The uniqueness of "Hagenbeck" lies in the fact that it is one of the first zoos in the world, where the most natural conditions were created for the animals living there. That is, in many enclosures you can see birds and animals on real trees, rocks, in waterfalls and lakes.

Thanks to this, the animals themselves do not experience stress and are completely liberated. And watching fauna in their natural habitat is always entertaining for a visitor of any age.

speicherstadt

Speicherstadt, or as the locals used to call it, Speicher - unspoken business card Hamburg. This place is a mini-city, which is woven from centuries-old warehouse buildings. The mysterious and mysterious atmosphere of this attraction is also given by the fact that it is located near the port of Hamburg.

The construction of this warehouse complex began in 1883. However, its appearance has changed over time, and the buildings underwent the most extensive restoration after the Second World War.

Today, the narrow channels of Speicher are perceived as a historical, architectural and natural landmark. I would recommend everyone to visit a water excursion along these channels, the beauty and grandeur of which is still difficult for me to compare with anything.

hamburg town hall

The town hall is located in the heart of Hamburg. Its construction began in 1886 and, despite the military past of the camp, this building managed to survive in its original form to this day. The building is located on central square, so it is difficult to bypass or ignore it.

What impressed me the most about the Town Hall was the clock tower and the splendid façade. It is hard to imagine that such a thing could have been built more than a century ago. Of course, for those who do not like architecture, the Town Hall will not be a discovery at all.

However, I want to note that it is surrounded by a beautiful, wide area, which is strewn with cafes, bars, shops and souvenir shops. In addition, near the Town Hall there is a small Alster lake, which has long been a part of this building.

Rota Flora

This is a small area that has not been legalized in any way, which has grown around former theater located in the Schatzenviertel quarter. Today it is a street painted in all the colors of the rainbow, where you can meet a large number of street musicians, artists and magicians. By the way, keep in mind that this attraction is not in the guidebook, and, perhaps, many do not consider it a memorable place.

But I really liked Rota Flora. There is some other, lively, cozy and very warm atmosphere. But do not forget: despite the fact that the Schatzenviertel is a rather attractive quarter, there are many scammers and thieves among street performers. Therefore, if you decide to look there, be extremely careful.

Beaches. Which is better

Due to the fact that Hamburg stands on the river, in the summer, locals and visitors to the city can enjoy relaxing on the beach. To be honest, Hamburg is definitely not the Cote d'Azur of Nice, although it is just as clean and comfortable there. And there are actually very few beaches in Hamburg. The most popular and suitable for recreation is the beach, located right in the city center, on the Elbe. Close to the city port and the Hamburg fish market.

(on the map the beach is marked by one of the attractions that is located right on its territory)

It is equipped with typical paraphernalia such as sun loungers, umbrellas, tents with ice cream and soft drinks. Plus or minus (for each in their own way) is the fact that huge industrial ships quite often sail across the river in which vacationers swim at a fairly close distance. Therefore, I would not advise you to swim far, and indeed to swim in this river. But it’s definitely worth taking a walk along the coast, admiring the landscapes and ships sailing somewhere into the distance.

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

There are a lot of churches in Hamburg. Most religious buildings are located in the heart of the metropolis. I have had the pleasure of visiting almost every one. I will tell you about the most interesting ones in more detail.

Church of St. Nicholas

The Church of St. Nicholas is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever visited. Currently, it serves as a kind of memorial in memory of the soldiers who fell in the war. It is noteworthy that today we can observe only the main tower, which was built in the neo-Gothic style. The main part of the building was destroyed during World War II.

But even despite this, the Church of St. Nicholas really fascinates and conquers with its grandeur. By the way, a rather interesting fact is that in 1874 the bell tower that has survived to this day was called the most tall building worldwide. True, she could only wear this proud title for two years. Today, the height of the bell tower is 147 meters.

Church address: Willy-Brandt-Straß e 60, 20457.

Church of St. Petri

Mönckebergstrasse

Mönckebergstraße has long been considered a shopping street that attracts a large number of visitors. Today, it houses not only shops and souvenir shops, but also a large number of interesting memorable places.

That is why the Mönckebergstrasse is so beautiful for the simple walking tours. There you can save yourself from the heat at the old Mönckeberg fountain or go to the Church of St. Jacob. On the same street there are many old, but at the same time luxurious and elegant houses, designed in the same style.

Jungfernstieg

Mönckebergstrasse intersects with another old city street, which, to be honest, attracted my attention much more. This is the tourist street Jungfernstieg.

One side of it is full of old buildings, which are decorated with columns and panoramic windows. And on the other side there is an embankment of incredible beauty, from where you can see the city hall. There is also a pier where you can buy a ticket for a pleasure boat. By the way, I still regret that I missed this opportunity.

What to see in 1 day

Once in Hamburg for just a day, immediately head to the central part of the city.

  • 09:00. In the morning, be sure to visit the Plants and Flowers park, which I wrote about above. Enjoy the beauty and bright colors.
  • 12:00. During the day, take a walk along the embankment, because quite often from 12:00 to 16:30 you can watch pleasure and merchant ships sail by. It is indeed a very beautiful and spectacular sight.

By the way, before you come to the embankment, do not forget to buy a bun to feed the seagulls. They are so accustomed to people that they have become almost tame :).

  • 17:00 . And devote the evening to shopping in a series of a large number of shopping centers and small souvenir shops.

As for snacks or full meals, in the center you can also find many interesting establishments with reasonable prices and delicious dishes. About cafes, bars and restaurants, I will tell further).

What to see in the surroundings

As I already said, there are catastrophically few parks in Hamburg where you can relax, have a picnic, ride bicycles and just enjoy nature. That is why you can catch up outside of Hamburg, besides, it is there that several rather interesting natural places are located.

"Heide-Park"

"Heide-Park" is located 70 kilometers from Hamburg. It is not only a place where you can walk along the paths between lush green bushes and enjoy the bright flowers in the flower beds, but also an area strewn with a large number of various attractions. All of them are scattered around the lake, which is inhabited by swans and ducks. By the way, the "White House" was recreated on one of the banks, in which there is an expensive restaurant.

In Heide Park there will be entertainment both for young visitors, who can feel like real Formula 1 racers, and for their parents, for whom roller coasters and others have been built. extreme entertainment.

Entry fee:

  • Children from 3 to 11 years old - 39 EUR;
  • Adults - 46 EUR.
How to get there

You can get to the park from Hamburg by taking a train or bus that goes to the Soltau Han or Wolterdingen train station. And already from those stations every hour there is a bus that will take you right to the entrance to the park.

By the way, from my own experience I can say that it is better to use a transfer. Many travel companies arrange one-day tours. From a financial point of view, this is a couple of euros more expensive, but in terms of time - much faster and more reliable.

Serengeti Park Safari Park

In my opinion, Serengeti Park is one of the most interesting parks in all of Germany. To date, the territory of the safari park is spread over 200 hectares, which have become home to thousands of exotic animals. Throughout this area you can drive around both in a private car and on a sightseeing bus.

I think it's more interesting on your car, although sightseeing tour with other tourists did not spoil my impressions at all. In general, the safari park is divided into two zones. On the territory of one live wild animals, which are interesting to watch in their natural habitat. Serengeti Park has lakes that have been chosen by flamingos, cliffs that have become a haven for mountain goats, and a large amount of jungle that has become a favorite place for monkeys.

The territory of the second zone boasts "harmless" animals that can be stroked, fed and even held in your arms. These are rabbits, pigs, chickens, sheep and lemurs. In addition, the safari park has play areas, rides, playgrounds and lots of other entertainment.

Ticket price:

  • Adults - 27 EUR;
  • Children under 12 years old - 22 EUR;
  • Children under 3 years old - free of charge.
How to get there

You can get to the park by train or train to the station, which is called Hodenhagen. And from there by bus, which will take you directly to the park in half an hour.

In this case, you can also use the transfer of any travel company. However, the cost will be quite high. On average, travel companies offer a round-trip "Safari Park Serengeti Park" for 160 EUR.

Food. What to try

The gastronomic side of Germany has always attracted me as a big fan of tasty and satisfying food. In general, I noticed that no matter what city I am in, local residents have one feature - they like to eat a lot, but only in cafes and restaurants. Even in supermarkets, a noticeable advantage is in favor of ready-made meals than individual products - just warm up, so to speak.

Prices

The pricing policy in this area is extremely diverse. Quite large and tasty portions at an attractive price can be found in the city center, or you can leave a fortune on the outskirts of Hamburg. So to say, you need to know the places. But the average check for lunch, for example, in the city center varies from 25 EUR to 35 EUR. And in sleeping areas the amount will be slightly lower - 22 EUR.

Dishes and portions

When I first went to a cafe, I was extremely surprised: the servings in the establishments are quite large. It seems that a man can also eat one plate, this is a big plus.

It seems to me that street food cannot be ignored. It is cheaper compared to the restaurant, but the taste is in no way inferior to it. Therefore, if you see an attractive pork knuckle, brandies or typical fast food, then do not pass by and be sure to try it.

Budget

You can eat tasty and economically in fast food establishments. Here is a list of some of them:

  • Cafe Sul (Ditmar-Koel-Str. 10, 20459, Hamburg);
  • Cafe May (Hein-Hoyer-Str. 14, 20359 Hamburg);
  • Campus Suite (Stephansplatz 2-8, 20354 Hamburg);
  • Dat Backhus (Neuer Steinweg 20, 20459 Hamburg);
  • Amber Cafe (Schaarsteinwegsbruecke 2, 20459 Hamburg).

Intermediate level

Mid-range gastronomic cafes are mainly located in the central part of the city. The most popular of them are:

  • Cafe Paris (Rathausstrasse 4, 20095 Hamburg);
  • Von der Motte (Mottenburger Twiete 14, 22765 Hamburg);
  • Erste Liebe Bar (Michaelisbrucke 3, 20459 Hamburg);
  • Cafe Knuth (Grosse Rainstr. 21, 22765 Hamburg);
  • Gretchen's Villa (Marktstr. 142, 20357 Hamburg).

Expensive

You can enjoy gourmet cuisine in these establishments:

  • The Table (Shanghaiallee 15, 20457 Hamburg);
  • Heldenplatz Restaurant (Brandstwiete 46, 20457 Hamburg);
  • Theo "s (Rothenbaumchaussee 10, 20148 Hamburg);
  • La Mirabelle (Bundesstr. 15, 20146 Hamburg).

Holidays

Unlike Berlin and Munich, Hamburg cannot be called a city that hosts a large number of holidays or bright events. However, during the year there are still significant events that delight local residents and travelers with their scale.

Harbor's birthday

Every year, an impromptu stage opens in the city port area. Many local artists perform there, competitions and draws are held. This festival, which takes place from 11 to 13 May, coincides with the Hafengeburtstag, which means "Hamburg Harbor Birthday".

Hamburger DOM

The festival, which takes place on March 25, is an incredibly bright fair with a lot of entertainment, rides, raffles and gifts. The Hamburger DOM is held annually at the Heiligengeistfeld. This celebration originated in the 14th century, and it has been held on Heiligengeistfeld since 1892.

Venice Carnival

But the most incredible, beautiful and mysterious holiday for me was the Venice Carnival, which starts on February 10th. This is a real mysterious madness and magic of a bygone era, which splashes with furious force onto the streets of the city. Dressed up in costumes, ladies and gentlemen surprise with their exquisite manners and fancy hairstyles. During this period, you can meet anyone on the street - from fantastic creatures to heroes of myths and fairy tales, who dance to beautiful music and arrange incredible performances in which anyone can participate.

Safety. What to watch out for

Almost all parts of the city are safe. If you decide to go for a walk at night, then feel free to leave the house. Just take your documents with you, because often foot police officers patrol the streets and can approach anyone, as they themselves put it, “purely for prevention.”

However, I would strongly recommend that you be vigilant in the subway, shopping malls and other places where there are quite a lot of people. Try to keep money, valuables and mobile phones in your front pockets so you can feel them, and take off and hold backpacks in subway cars. Thieves are not uncommon in Hamburg, so do not neglect these simple rules that will help you keep your property.

Things to do

In Hamburg, you will definitely not be bored. The variety of leisure activities here is higher than in many European cities. You can spend time in the favorite way of many tourists - go shopping, try traditional cuisine, plunge into the nightlife of the city, admire nature or spend the day with benefit, but in rather atypical places.

Which ones exactly? And what does Hamburg offer from entertainment? Now we'll find out.

Shopping and shops

If you want to devote your day to shopping, then go to the very center of the city. It is there that the bulk of shopping centers are concentrated, in which world brands are represented.

Shopping centers

Be sure to check out the Alsterhaus. This is one of the most popular shopping centers in the city. In it you can find a whole scattering of incredibly famous brands. In addition to clothes, shoes and perfumes, the Alsterhaus sells interior and decor items, go to the cinema and have a cup of coffee in a specially designated food court.

The shopping center is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00. Address: Jungfernstieg 16-20.

Other popular shopping malls:

  • Europa Passage (Ballindam 40);
  • Hanseviertel (Grosse Bleichen 30);
  • Brinkmann (Spitalerstrasse 10);
  • Gansemarkt Passage (Gansemarkt 50);
  • Galleria (Grosse Bleichen 21).

Discounts and promotions

It is best to visit shopping centers and shop during sales periods. In Hamburg, as well as throughout Germany, the sales season is summer and winter. It is noteworthy that there is no specific start and end date. The winter sale starts around January, however, quite often you can buy something at a discount already in the midst of the holidays. The summer sale starts at the end of July.

Bars. Where to go

Hamburg never sleeps. Even late at night on weekdays, almost all the bars are packed. Couples in love, lonely and thoughtful visitors, loud men's and modest women's companies - bars are visited by everyone without exception.

Here are a couple of places that I would strongly recommend everyone to go to:




And here are a few more establishments that can not be ignored:

  • Oyster Bar (Rothenbaumchaussee 10) - open from 12:00 to 00:00;
  • Chapeau! Grill & Bar (Moorfuhrtweg 9) - open from 12:00 to 00:00;
  • Ciu "Die Bar (Ballindamm 14-15) - open from 16:00 to 05:00.

Clubs and nightlife

Did you think that after the bars, the people of Hamburg go to their homes to sleep off? It wasn't there. They are used to having a blast, which means that after a couple of liters of intoxicating drink and shank, you can safely conquer the dance floor. And which clubs are the most beloved and popular? Now I'll tell you.



Catch a couple more interesting places with great dance floors:

  • Disco Tschako Official (Weidenbaumsweg 13);
  • Kaiserkeller (Grosse Freiheit 36);
  • Klubhaus St. Pauli (Spielbudenplatz 21-22);
  • Pit Club (Pulverteich 17).

extreme sports

If you like to conquer the waves, then Hamburg will be your godsend. Due to the fact that the city stands on the water, locals and travelers have the opportunity to go diving and cliff diving. By the way, international competitions were even held in the last sport in Hamburg a couple of times.

As for surfing and windsurfing, such entertainment is not relevant in Hamburg, because it is simply impossible to meet steep waves there.

And all those who are afraid of water can go on a trip in a hot air balloon or jump with a parachute. The instructor, the cost and the possibility of implementing the idea are discussed by everyone individually in specialized clubs or in tourist centers.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

Bring from Hamburg what is related to the marine theme. Local souvenir shops are simply filled to the brim with magnets and postcards depicting the port of Hamburg. And if you want something more original, then go to any grocery store and along with German beer, buy a couple of cans of dried or pickled seafood. Take my word for it, it's delicious. Do not forget about sweets - they are simply magical in all of Germany.

The cost of gastronomic souvenirs is different, it varies from 5 EUR to 20 EUR. You can buy a bottle of beer for 3 EUR.

But souvenirs, such as magnets, bottle openers, postcards and photographs depicting the port or city sights, can be bought for 1 EUR.

How to move around the city

Net public transport in Hamburg is organized just perfectly. Metro, electric trains, trams and buses - all of them are part of a single city public transport system, which can be observed in a special HVV application. There you can set the routes you need. The application is quite simple and extremely easy to use, so my advice to you - be sure to use it if you want to choose to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. :)

Transport system

As for the transport system, it is extremely complex. Sometimes it even seemed to me that the most local residents do not really understand it, but simply use public transport in the way they are used to.

Such carelessness did not suit us, so we decided to study all the nuances. So, the transport system of Hamburg consists of five rings. They diverge from the central part of the city, forming tariff zones.

  • The "Greater Hamburg Zone" (Großbereich Hamburg) covers zones "A" and "B".
  • Zones "C", "D" and "E" include remote residential areas of the city and their surroundings.

For clarity, I will attach below a map of the public transport of Hamburg, which clearly shows the division by color (each designates a corresponding zone).
All the main tourist places are located mainly in the central zone "A", which is why I recommend not to fill your head with other zones - after all, the city's public transport system is already quite difficult to understand.

Fare

The price will depend on which ticket you need. Most cheap ticket- This is Kurzstrecke. It is intended for trips in the "Big Zone". You will have to pay 1.5 EUR for it.

That is why I recommend saving and buying a Hamburg Car right away. This is a fairly convenient travel ticket for tourists, which allows you to travel within the "Greater Zone" for 1, 3 or 5 days. The cost of this card is only 9.9 EUR.

Taxi. What features exist

I did not notice any obvious features and distinctive features in the Hamburg taxi. On the contrary, drivers are always extremely polite, help with luggage, advise interesting places to visit.

It is noteworthy that in a German taxi, just like in Russia, payment is made by the meter, but you can ask for a receipt. If you take a taxi, then be prepared to pay only in cash. In general, theoretically, payment by cards is possible, but in reality, drivers simply do not have a terminal. As for the cost, taxi services are, of course, expensive. For example, for a trip from the airport to the city center, you will have to pay about 40 EUR.

Usually taxi drivers do not need to be looked for - they will, so to speak, find you themselves. City roads are full of checkered cars: they are at stops, at shopping centers, near the embankment, at the port and at all kinds of attractions. In general, the matter remains small - just choose a car and a driver).

Trams

Transferring to trams is extremely convenient during rush hour. Almost all cars of this type of transport are new, with soft seats and an electronic running line that tells you what the next stop is.

Trams are part of a single transport network, so if you have a travel card, you can use it. If not, then a one-time ticket can be purchased from the driver himself or in a special machine at stops.

Metro

Hamburg has a subway, moreover, it is the fastest and most convenient form of transport. A clear plus of the subway is that there is a metro station at almost every attraction and memorial place.

By the way, the metro also has a ticket. If you don’t have one, then it’s okay - there are quite a few vending machines inside where you can buy a one-time ticket.

The metro operates daily from 4:30 am to 00:40 am. It is noteworthy that at night from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday it does not close.

Transport rental

In addition, you can rent a car. This is very convenient for those travelers who, in search of adventure, are not going to stop at Hamburg alone and are ready to explore other cities of the German land.

There is a fairly convenient service at the airport where you can draw up an agreement and leave from there in a comfortable car with full tank. The average price of renting a car per day is 15 EUR or 950 rubles. You can see other options and compare prices, for example,.

Usually, in order to rent a car, you need to have the following documents: passport, driving license and credit card.

I didn't rent a car, but my friends did a couple of times. Here are some tips they shared:

  • be prepared for the fact that you will not find a free place in paid parking and you will have to spend about 10-15 EUR per place;
  • within the city, you must adhere to a speed of 50 km / h;
  • take a car only with a Green Card (insurance certificate).

Hamburg - holidays with children

Hamburg is a good place not only for youth recreation, but also for holidays with children. The Germans are quite patient with young travelers, so do not be afraid that you will interfere with someone. Feel free to take the subway with your children, take them for shopping or to the nearest cafeteria.

And here are some family places:

  • Zoological Museum (Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3);
  • Playground "Spielstadt Hamburg XXL" (Niendorfer Weg 11);
  • Panopticon Wax Museum (Spielbudenplatz 3);
  • Miniature Wonderland (Kehrwieder 2-4);
  • Chocolate Museum (Messberg 1).

Hamburg, Germany: the most detailed information about the city of Hamburg, the main attractions with photos and descriptions, location on the map.

City of Hamburg (Germany)

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, located on the banks of the Elbe River. This is one of the richest cities in the country, the largest port and a real "gateway to the world." Hamburg has been a center of European trade ever since it joined the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. This brought great wealth to the city and left a rich cultural and historical heritage. The maritime spirit and traditions of the Hanse permeate Hamburg through and through: from architecture and sights, to culture, food and the cries of seagulls in the streets.

Geography

Hamburg is located in northern Germany at the southern tip of the Jutland peninsula in an area that lies between continental Europe and Scandinavia. The city stands at the confluence of the Elbe and its tributary Alster. The administrative unit is the free Hanseatic city of Hamburg, bordering on the lands of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

The terrain is calm with slight elevation changes. The most high point just over 100 meters above sea level. Surroundings - picturesque natural landscapes, lakes and parks, gardens and farmlands.

Climate

The climate of Hamburg is maritime with warm (sometimes cool) summers and mild winters. The warmest months are July and August. The coldest is January. Precipitation is distributed evenly throughout the year. From November to February in Hamburg it is often cloudy and damp. In winter, slight frosts and snowfalls are not uncommon.


Story

The main milestones in the history of Hamburg:

  • 808 - Emperor Charlemagne ordered the foundation of a fortress at the confluence of the Elbe and Alster to defend against the Slavic tribes. A settlement grew up near the fortress, which gave life to the new city.
  • 1189 - Emperor Frederick Barbarossa grants Hamburg the privileges of a free imperial city, which, together with its favorable location, turns the city into one of the trading centers of Europe.
  • 1241 - Hamburg and the prosperous trading city of Lübeck entered into an alliance, which in the future turned into an association that we know as the Hanseatic League. This was a powerful impetus for the subsequent economic and cultural development of the city.
  • 1264 - the city authorities issued a law on the protection of swans, which forbade the killing and eating of these birds. In Hamburg, they believe that as long as the swans live here, the city will grow and prosper (it is interesting that in Bremen there is such a belief about Roland).
  • 1284 - a great fire that destroyed almost all the buildings of the city.
  • 1350 - an epidemic of plague, during which half the population died.
  • 1558 - the foundation of the stock market.
  • 1810 - Napoleon's invasion.
  • 1842 - another strong fire destroyed and damaged a third of the city and many historical sights
  • 1871 - Hamburg becomes part of the German Empire with broad autonomy rights. Also, the port of the city becomes the second largest in Europe.
  • 1892 - cholera outbreak, which was caused by the rapid growth of the city and poor water quality.
  • 1945 - over 39,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Hamburg, destroying more than half of the city and 80% of the harbor.

Gastronomy

Historically, Hamburg has always had a variety of dishes and gastronomic traditions. Local sailors who went to other countries and the crews of foreign ships constantly brought something new to the Hamburg cuisine.

It is not surprising that the cafes and restaurants of Hamburg offer a huge variety of dishes that belong to a wide variety of cuisines. And in the city you can find big variety dining establishments: from exclusive and prestigious restaurants to typical gourmet cafes, from modern and stylish to traditional family restaurants.

Despite this, don't underestimate Hamburg cuisine, which can offer both simple and sophisticated traditional dishes. The most popular of them:

  • Currywurst
  • Franzbrötchen
  • Labskaus (stew)
  • Rote Grütze - berry dessert with custard.

Markets

Historically, markets have always been one of the main events in the life of Hamburg. And now in the largest city in northern Germany, there are quite a lot of weekly markets where you can buy food, and flea markets where you can find a lot of interesting things from household items to collectibles.

The most popular market in Hamburg is the fish market or the Fishmarkt. This is one of the oldest and most legendary markets in the city, which began its history in 1703. Located at St. Pauli Fischmarkt 2. Attention: The Fischmarkt is open on Sundays from 5.00 am to 9.30 am (from 7.00 am in winter).


In the Eppendorf district, the Isemarkt is held on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is the largest open-air market in Europe, where you can buy almost everything from food to books and tools. There is also a night market in Hamburg, which is based on Spielbudenplatz.

Every Saturday from 8.00 to 16.00, one of the most important flea markets, the Flohschanze, is held on Neuer Kamp. Here you can not only buy various interesting and collectible items, but also take a look at various curiosities.


If you are planning a trip from the end of November to the end of December, be sure to visit the wonderful Christmas markets. At this time, Hamburg is filled with winter magic: thousands of lights are reflected in the Alster, Elbe and canals, the air is filled with the smells of roasted almonds, warm mulled wine and spruce branches. The eyes of all tourists light up with a romantic light, turning Hamburg into a real Christmas fairy tale. Christmas markets sell arts and crafts, delicious delicacies and food.

Christmas markets:

  • Santa Pauli
  • Alton/Ottensen
  • Christmas market at the Michel
  • Winter Pride
  • Winterdom

shopping

Hamburg - real paradise for shoppers and shopping enthusiasts. Here, on almost every corner, there are shops that sell everything: from souvenirs to household items, clothes, jewelry. There are also large shopping centers.

If you are a fan of dressing up, then Hamburg is definitely your Mecca. In the city center there is a huge number of shops from world fashion brands to products of local designers. Hanseviertel, Europapassage, Jungfernstieg Mönckeberg and Spitalerstrasse will help you to take away from Hamburg not only great memories. Between the arcades, cafes and shops of the Alster promenade, you can spend the whole day in any weather!


For those who prefer everything at once in one place, we recommend shopping centers. The largest shopping centers in Hamburg:

  • Alsterhaus - five floors and 24,000 sq. meters of shops. Address: Jungfernstieg 16-20
  • Mercado is a large shopping center in the pedestrian area of ​​Ottensen. Here you can find food, books, perfumes, clothes. Address: Ottenser Hauptstrasse 10
  • Levantehaus - cafes, fashion, bakeries, souvenirs. Address: Mönckebergstrasse 7
  • Hamburg Meile - 150 shops and food court. Address: Hamburgerstr. 27
  • Europa Passage - more than 120 shops. Address: Ballindamm 40

How to get there

Getting to Hamburg is not difficult. The city is distinguished by excellent transport accessibility:

  • The international airport connects Hamburg with 120 cities around the world.
  • railways - with almost all large and not very large cities in Germany and some cities in other European countries.
  • bus service is also quite developed and popular. It is very profitable to travel on Flixbus buses.
  • a car with excellent roads becomes a very fast and convenient way to travel. Hamburg is easily accessible by car from all parts of Germany via four motorways (Autobahnen-A) and six federal highways (Bundesstrassen-B).

Public transport

Hamburg boasts an extensive public transport system including the metro, light rail network, buses and ferries. Ticket machines offer one-time (for one trip), daily (1 day), weekly, monthly and annual tickets. Tickets are valid for all types of public transport. Public transport operates from 4.30 to 1.00 (24.00 days off).


S-Bahn and U-Bahn

A key element of Hamburg's public transport system is the network of rapid transit and regional railway routes that connect the city center with the surrounding area. There are four U-Bahn metro lines, six S-Bahn suburban lines and nine regional rail lines connecting Hamburg with other cities in the region.

Buses

The rail network is complemented by a wide range of bus routes, both intracity and intercity.

Ferry

There are six ferry lines serving the harbor and the Elbe River. These routes have two-digit numbers starting with 61. All ferries stop in Landungsbrücken.

Interesting places around Hamburg

North and Baltic Sea: islands and beaches

If you have a free day, we recommend going for a walk to the Wadden Sea, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a series of shallow areas along the coastline. Next, you can stop by the coastal town of Cuxhaven. Or Sylt, which is the most northern island Germany. It is well known for its beaches and surfing. The best way to get to these places from Hamburg - by train.


Medieval cities: Lübeck, Wismar and Lüneburg

Most likely, you have heard about the Hanseatic city of Lübeck before. After all, once it was the leading city of the Hanseatic League. Until our time, the city has preserved a unique historical heritage, and its center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a must see in Northern Germany. Just one hour from Lübeck is Wismar. This charming city has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its beautifully restored townhouses.

Lüneburg completes the list of must-have historic cities in the vicinity of Hamburg. This medieval city still remembers the times when it was one of the richest cities in Northern Europe. You can easily and quickly get here by car or train.

Sights of Hamburg

Thanks to its cultural and historical heritage, sea charm, Hamburg is one of the most beautiful and interesting cities Germany. "Gateway to the World", as it is often called seaport on the Elbe, offers tourists to get acquainted with the sights of the past and the present time of one of the main and richest Hanseatic cities.

Landungsbrücken


Landungsbrücken, Hamburg

Landungsbrücken or simply Pier (Pier) is one of the symbols of Hamburg that offers gorgeous views and unrivaled historic buildings.

Two towers with beautiful green roofs mark the 205-meter terminal between the lower harbour, the Reeperbahn and the Fischmarkt. Situated on the Elbe, Landungsbrücken (German: Landungsbrücken, meaning illuminated boarding bridges) was once home to ships and now functions as a link for underground and suburban trains. In addition, all Hamburg ferries depart from here.

Port


Hamburg

The Port of Hamburg is the second largest seaport in Europe and one of the nine largest container harbors in the world. More than eight million containers are handled here annually. Despite the purely practical application, the port is one of the most popular attractions in Hamburg and northern Germany.

About 13,000 ships from all over the world visit the second largest port in Europe every year. From port terminals to historic Speicherstadt warehouses, boarding bridges and a modern container port, you can smell and hear the flavors and languages ​​of many countries, feel Hamburg's rich maritime past and the real atmosphere of a free Hanseatic city. And by taking a ferry ride or visiting one of the legendary museum ships, you will once again be convinced that Hamburg is the sea capital of Northern Germany.

Speicherstadt (Speicherstadt)


Speicherstadt (Speicherstadt) - one of the main attractions of Hamburg, the world's largest integrated warehouse complex, built in 1883. Since 1991 it has been a monument of history and architecture. The warehouses are built on oak piles, and the entire area is riddled with channels that flood at high tide and become accessible to ships. You can travel through the narrow channels on small barges to enjoy the architectural details if the tide is high.

We highly recommend walking in this area after dark, when Speicherstadt is shrouded in an aura of mystery. At this time of day, red-brick buildings and steel bridges are skillfully illuminated by 800 spotlights. And the atmosphere becomes simply fabulous: the illuminated facades of the old port gothic buildings, their reflections in the water of the canals and the spicy aromas of goods from all over the world.


HafenCity combines tradition and modernity in a unique symbiosis for a true architectural and cultural delight. The modern architecture of HafenCity creates an interesting contrast to the historic warehouse area of ​​Speicherstadt.


The architectural highlight of the area is the futuristic Elbphilharmonie, with its impressive glass façade and undulating roof that rises from the former Kaispeicher building at the western end of HafenCity. Inside there are two concert halls, a hotel and residential apartments. Between the old warehouse and the glass structure is a public area for viewing and visiting, which extends around the entire building. This state-of-the-art facility opened in January 2017.

Miniature Wonderland is the largest model railway system in the world and has been voted Germany's most popular tourist attraction. Visitors can admire different countries and even a miniature airport. In addition to impressive miniature versions of Hamburg, the mountainous German region of Harz, the Austrian Alps, France, Italy, North America and Scandinavia are represented. A very interesting place for all the curious.


The City Hall is an eclectic neo-Renaissance building from the late 19th century that houses the city government of Hamburg. This town hall is the sixth building of this type in the city. The rest, for certain reasons, have not survived to this day.


Church of St. Michael is one of the most famous religious buildings in the city, the tower of which has become one of the symbols of Hamburg. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Previous buildings were damaged during fires. The 132 meter high tower with the largest belfry in Germany offers a fantastic view of the city.


The planetarium is one of the oldest observatories of its kind in the world, located in the northwestern part of Hamburg and opened in 1930. The building itself is a modernized old water tower early 20th century.

Video - City of Hamburg

Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany, is characterized by a variety of architectural styles in urban areas and openness to the whole world, which makes it attractive to tourists. And Hamburg is the greenest city in Northern Germany. It has 120 magnificent parks. Numerous canals and two large lakes add charm to the city.

Hamburg was founded by Charlemagne to defend against Slavic and Danish raids. At the end of the XII century. the city achieved self-government, which it retained in the future. Hamburg has never been ruled by kings or princes. For many years Hamburg was independent trading city and a leader in the Hanseatic League, and in 1945 became a city-land of Germany. Currently, the territory of the federal land is 755 km?, 1.686 million people live in the city (2003). Hamburg is a city of rich cultural traditions. There are many museums and theaters, art studios, concert halls. World famous for its theatrical and artistic experiments won the theater "Kampnagel Fabrik", located in the converted premises of the former factory.

Gallery Kunsthalle in Hamburg

The Hamburg Kunsthalle is the most important art gallery in northern Germany. Its history began in 1817, when the Society of Fine Arts Lovers (Kunstverein) was founded. Since 1869 the museum has been open to the public. All European styles are represented in his collection, but the most valuable is the collection of works by German romantic artists of the 19th century - Caspar David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge.

Old city

The old town extends south of the town hall, but due to the “great fire” of 1842 and bombing during World War II, very few old buildings have survived here.

The construction of the church of St. Catherine with a characteristic tower was started in the 13th century and completed in the 17th century. The church was damaged during the last war, but was restored. From the nearby Neo-Gothic Church of St. Nicholas in 1945, only the Nikolaiturm tower remained - the third tallest in Germany.

Deichstraße is one of the few surviving streets in the old part of the city with original facades of buildings that are visible both from the road and from the canal. At number 25 on this street, the “great fire” began, destroying most of the city.

Deichstraße at night.

The main symbol of Hamburg is the massive Baroque St. Michael's Church with the 132-meter-high "Michael". The interior of the church is well preserved in white, gray and gold tones. Some details are made of tropical wood. So observation deck offers stunning views of the harbour.

Near the church of St. Michael is a miraculously surviving quarter of the old town of Krameramtsvonungen. His wooden-brick houses with an inner courtyard were built at the expense of the merchant guild for the widows of merchants. Now they house shops for tourists, cafes, restaurants.

Two more remarkable architectural monuments remind of the historical past of Hamburg. In the church of St. Peter, which was badly damaged in 1842 and was reconstructed in the neo-Gothic style, you can admire the Gothic sculpture of the Madonna, created in 1470. The church of St. James was damaged during the Second World War and was rebuilt in the original style. Its delightful interior includes Arp Schnitger's largest baroque organ in Northern Germany. The triptych in the altar part of the south nave, depicting St. Luke, is a magnificent example of late Gothic art. It was created in 1499 for the Hamburg cathedral demolished in 1804

Seaport

Hamburg, located on the Elbe, 104 km from the sea, is the second largest European port after Rotterdam. The port largely determines the appearance of the city. Every year, 12 thousand ships from 90 countries come here. Exhibit ships are moored here: the cargo ship Cape San Diego and the sailboat Rickmer Rickmers. The building with a copper dome houses the entrance to the Old Tunnel under the Elbe, where people and cars are released in a giant elevator. Next to the port is the Speicherstadt district.

Hamburg - customs district Speicherstadt

All sorts of goods come here immediately after customs clearance. This is the most large complex warehouses in the world. The nearby German Customs Museum tells a fascinating story of customs and excise taxes over the past 100 years.

The famous Hamburg fishmarkt (fish market) is also located on the banks of the Elbe. The market is open every day from 5 am. Once this colorful spectacle ended with the beginning of the morning mass at 10 am, the modern public lingers longer, and then goes not to church, but to bed.

Spruce quarter

After the First World War, a business district called the Office Quarter appeared in Hamburg. Here in 1922-1924. Fritz Geger built the Hillehaus, an experimental brick building in the spirit of modernism. It is a ten-story building with a gabled east façade of Expressionist architecture.

Nearby are the huge Deichtorhallen, the commercial premises of the port, built in 1911-1912. In 1997 they were transformed into spectacular showrooms.

Photographs of Hamburg
















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City
German Hamburg
Coat of arms
53°33′ N. sh. 10°00′ E d.
A country Germany
Status administrative center of the land
Earth Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
internal division 7 districts
Burgomaster Peter Chencher
History and geography
First mention 810
City with 7 May 1189
Square
  • 755.3 km² ( 2016 )
Center height 6 ± 1 m
Timezone UTC+1, summer UTC+2
Population
Population
  • 1 810 438 people ( December 31, 2016)
Density 2388.57 people/km²
National composition Germans - 87%,
other nationalities - 13% (2011)
Confessional composition Catholics - 10%,
Protestants - 30%,
others - 60% (2011)
Digital IDs
Telephone code 040, 04721
Postcode 20095–21149 And 22041–22769
car code HH
Identification code 02 0 00 000
hamburg.de

Hamburg(German Hamburg [ˈhambʊɐ̯k], local [ˈhambʊɪç], N. German Hamborg [ˈhambɔːx]; pronunciation) is a city in the north. How Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg(German Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg) is one of the 16 states, a city-state in its composition. It is the second largest in the country (after ), the seventh largest in European Union and the most populated non-capital city in the European Union. As of December 31, 2014, the population of the city was 1,803,752.

Hamburg is one of the largest port cities in Germany, located at the confluence of the Elbe River into the North Sea. The motto of the city, which can be read in the form of an inscription above the portal of the city hall, reads: "Libertatem quam peperere maiores digne studeat servare posteritas". The accepted verse translation of this phrase into German sounds like "Die Freiheit, die erwarben die Alten, möge die Nachwelt würdig erhalten"(“The freedom that our ancestors achieved for us, let our descendants honorably keep it”). The Latin name of the city, used, for example, in the anthem of the city, is lat. Hammonia. The coat of arms and flag of Hamburg depicts the gates of the city fortress, and Hamburg is often called the "gate to the world" for this (German: Tor zur Welt). In addition, Hamburg has its own anthem. They became a song praising the city and composed in 1828, when Hamburg was an independent city-state, Georg Nikolaus Berman (German: Georg Nikolaus Bärmann). This poet wrote many songs in Low German and was known to be a great connoisseur of the history of Hamburg. The song in honor of Hamburg sounded for the first time in the finale of his play "Civil Fidelity", staged on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Reformation.

Symbolism

The first image of the coat of arms of the city is found already in the XII century on an old Hamburg seal: a city wall with battlements as a symbol of the power and independence of the city, three towers above the wall. There is a cross on the middle tower, because Hamburg was an episcopal city. The hexagonal stars of the Virgin Mary hover above the two extreme ones. For many centuries, it was she who was the heavenly protector of the city, and her image was strengthened over every gate that led to the city. The gates on the emblem were depicted either open or closed, and this did not have any special meaning. Until the 18th century, the wall and towers were red, and the background was white. But in 1752, the Senate changed the color scheme, now we see white towers on a red background. This is the so-called small coat of arms of Hamburg. It also adorns the city flag. The Senate approved its appearance in 1834 - a rectangular panel of red color with a white image of a city wall with a gate and three towers. The use of the coat of arms and the flag is determined by law and is permitted only to state organizations.

Hamburg also has a large national emblem. It is decorated with formidable lions and other heraldic attributes - and has existed since the 16th century. This emblem is also depicted on the state flag of Hamburg, which was specially created for the celebrations on the occasion of the opening new town hall in 1897. Only the senate and the parliament of the city can use the large coat of arms, and only the senate can use the state flag.

The maritime coat of arms and the maritime flag of Hamburg can be found on buildings where state organizations related to navigation are located, and on ships belonging to the city. The coat of arms with the city wall also adorns the anchor, and this coat of arms appeared in 1642.

Keeping up with the times, Hamburg in 1999 acquired its own brand name - the logo (author - Peter Schmidt). On it, the city gates are depicted as open, emphasizing the openness of Hamburg to the whole world, and the blue wave symbolizes the port, maritime traditions and the dynamism of the city.

In the Eimsbüttel district of Hamburg there is a Metfesselstraße street. It is named after the composer Alfred Metfessel (1789-1865), who lived and worked in Hamburg from 1823-1832. Metfessel is the author of operas, song compositions popular at that time, the oratorio "Jerusalem Liberated". In 1824, the composer founded the Hamburger Liedertafel Choral Society, one of the first singing unions in Germany. This choir performed the premiere of the Hamburg anthem.

The original song written by Berman consisted of 7 stanzas. For choral performance, this text was both too long and too complicated. In 1890, a shorter version of the anthem was adopted - from four stanzas. This variant very quickly became popular, and is performed in our time. And the final words of Berman's stanzas have now become a chorus in which Hammonia is praised. Since the 17th century, the city of Hamburg itself and its heavenly patroness, the goddess Gammonia, who replaced the Virgin Mary, have been called in Latin since the 17th century. The anthem is performed during solemn events held in the Hamburg City Hall.

Geography

Hamburg is located in northern Germany on both banks of the Elbe River at the confluence of the Alster and Bille rivers, about 110 km southeast of the place where the Elbe flows into the North Sea. The natural sea harbor extends along the entire length of the Elbe, especially along the southern bank of the Elbe opposite the urban areas of St. Pauli and. City blocks on both sides of the river are connected by many bridges, as well as old and new tunnels under the Elbe. The natural landscape south and north of the Elbe is called the Geesta and is a hilly lowland of sandy and sedimentary rocks formed by a glacier that descended during the Ice Age. The federal state of Hamburg is located between the lands in the north and in the south.

Climate

The climate of Hamburg (Fülsbüttel Airport) over the past 10 years (2004 - 2013)
Index Jan. Feb. March Apr. May June July Aug. Sen. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year
Absolute maximum, °C 14,4 19,2 23,0 29,7 33,5 37,7 41,9 39,3 32,3 28,6 20,2 17,8 41,9
Average maximum, °C 3,5 4,0 8,0 14,6 17,9 20,8 23,5 22,2 18,9 13,9 8,3 4,4 13,3
Average temperature, °C 1,7 1,9 4,6 9,6 13,0 15,8 18,7 17,8 14,9 10,6 6,2 2,7 9,8
Average minimum, °C −0,1 −0,3 1,1 4,7 8,1 10,9 13,8 13,5 10,8 7,3 4,0 1,0 6,2
Absolute minimum, °C −21,9 −18 −12,7 −8 −0,5 2,4 4 5,8 0,3 −1 −10,5 −17,2 −21,9
Precipitation rate, mm 68 50 52 28 76 74 96 77 60 59 67 64 771
Source: weatheronline

Story

Map of Hamburg from 1800

The remains of the first buildings on the territory of modern Hamburg are dated by archaeologists to the 5th-6th centuries AD and belong to the era of the Great Migration of Peoples. The oldest traces of dwellings of the North Albing Saxon tribe found today are located in the area where the Alster River flows into the Elbe (modern city center) and date back to the 4th century AD. e.

The settlement, which gave rise to the city, supposedly arose at the mouth of the Alster in the 8th century. In 808, the emperor Charlemagne built a fortress Hammaburg to protect against the Western Slavs. Modern name comes from the old Saxon name burg - fortress; the origin and meaning of the word "ham" is unknown. The name underwent a phonetic transformation: Bogborg → Bockborg → Buckborg → Huckborg → Huhborg → Hubbouch → Humbouch → Humbourg → Hambourg → Hamburg. The original name suggests that this place was a Slavic shrine (“city of God”), which, among other things, is indicated by its name in the Vandal chronicles as “the city of God”. Thus, there are two main hypotheses for the origin of the toponym: Either this land was already inhabited by the Slavs and was a sacred place, or the city arose here during the time of Charlemagne to resist the Slavs. Supporters of the first hypothesis tend to believe that the original name of this place was "Chrám Boha".

In 810 the fortress was taken by the Velets and practically destroyed. In 834, the residence of the archbishop was formed here, which was repeatedly besieged and devastated by the Slavs, Danes and Normans.

In the XII century, due to the rapid development of trade in the north, the importance of the Elbe River as an important transport artery increased significantly. On May 7, 1189, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa grants significant trading privileges to Hamburg, including allowing Hamburg to collect customs duties on goods transported along the Elbe. This circumstance played a big role in the development of the Hamburg port, and now this day is celebrated in Hamburg as the "birthday of the port" (German Hafengeburtstag).

Map of Hamburg (late 19th century)

Hamburg was one of the first to join the Hanseatic League created in the Middle Ages in Northern Europe and became the most important port on the North Sea. The city served as a transit point for the transportation of grain, fabrics, furs, herring, spices, timber and metals. In 1510, Hamburg received the status of a "free imperial city" (German: Freie Reichsstadt), which essentially granted it independence from imperial power and the right to self-government.

The further growth of Hamburg is associated with the discovery of America and sea routes in. Since 1550, it has become one of the most important ports for the delivery of goods to European countries.

In the 18th century, Hamburg in foreign trade experienced strong competition from the city, which belongs to the Danish crown and is located right next door - on the banks of the Elbe near the western city limits of Hamburg, and also strongly encouraged to compete with Hamburg by the Danish king. The sovereignty of the city was violated in 1806, when, after the invasion of Napoleonic troops, it was annexed to the French Empire, becoming administrative center Department of the Elbe Estuary. The occupation by French troops lasted until 1814, after which the independence of the city was restored.

Hamburg on a postcard (1895)

After the unification of Germany in 1871, the city became its main "sea gate to the world." About half of German exports and imports pass through the port. Hamburg becomes one of the most important industrial centers in Germany. The opening of the Kiel Canal in 1895 further increased the attractiveness of the port of Hamburg, as the canal provided a direct connection to the Baltic Sea.

Until the middle of the 19th century, Hamburg remained within its medieval borders. Starting from 1860, due to the rapid development of industry, nearby settlements were gradually included in the city. By 1900, the city's population exceeded one million inhabitants. In 1923, a communist uprising led by Ernst Thalmann took place in Hamburg. In 1937, the "Greater Hamburg Act" was adopted, which determined the new boundaries of the city, which have been preserved to this day. To Hamburg were attached: the largest city of the province -, the city and other settlements and territories.

During the Second World War, the city was repeatedly subjected to air raids by Anglo-American aircraft. During the operation "Gomorrah" on July 25 - August 3, 1943, more than 50 thousand inhabitants died from the bombing and the gigantic fire caused by them and was destroyed most of city ​​buildings.

Policy

  • The legislature is the Hamburg Burgerschaft (German: Hamburgische Bürgerschaft), elected by the population,
  • the executive body is the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg ( Senat der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg), consisting of:
    • First burgomaster ( Erster Burgermeister) And
    • Hamburg senators,
  • body of constitutional supervision - the Hamburg Constitutional Court ( Hamburgisches Verfassungsgericht),
  • the highest court is the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court ( Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht),
  • the highest court of administrative justice is the Hamburg Higher Administrative Court ( Hamburgisches Oberverwaltungsgericht).

The last parliamentary elections in Hamburg took place on 20 February 2011. The SPD received 48.6% of the vote, the CDU received 21.9% of the vote, the Green Party - 11.2%, the FDP - 6.6%, the left - 6.4%.

Administrative division

Administrative divisions of Hamburg

Hamburg is a federal state in .

Hamburg consists of 7 districts and is divided into 105 quarters.

Area Population (people) Area (km²) Density (person/km²)
Hamburg Center 292 659 107,1 2733
262 129 78,3 3348
255 018 50,1 5090
Hamburg-North 294 479 57,8 5095
419 610 147,5 2845
123 288 154,8 796
Harburg 156 569 161,0 972

Representative bodies of districts - district assemblies ( bezirksversammlung), elected by the population, executive bodies - district departments ( bezirksamt), elected by district assemblies.

Religion

The majority of believers are Lutherans, the largest Lutheran denomination is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany ( Evangelisch Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland).

Population

The population of the city as of December 31, 2011 (taking into account the results of the 2011 census) was 1,718,187 inhabitants (and earlier on the same date it was estimated at 1,798,836 inhabitants).

According to the data for 1970, 1,793,640 people lived in the city, for 1980 - 1,645,095 people, for 1990 - 1,652,363 people, for December 31, 2000 - 1,715,392 people

Hamburg reached its peak population (1.9 million inhabitants) in 1964. The outflow of the population led to a decrease in the population to 1.6 million inhabitants in 1986. Since then, the population has risen to 1,786,448 by December 31, 2010. Prior to the 2011 census results, the city's population was projected to continue to grow over the next 10 years, to approximately 1.79 million inhabitants.

By the end of 2007, 257,825 residents had only foreign citizenship, which is 15% of the total population. 183 different nationalities are represented. One fifth of all foreigners (57,220 people) had exclusively Turkish citizenship, 8% (21,455 people) were citizens, 6% (15,666 people) were Serbs and Montenegrins, 5% (12,694 people) were citizens. More than a quarter of all foreigners registered in Hamburg are EU citizens.

Year population
950 500
1430 16 000
1840 136 956
1867 271 000
1871 302 000
1880 412 000
1890 573 000
Year population
1900 705 738
1903 743 860
1910 931 035
1920 1 026 989
1930 1 145 124
1940 1 725 500
1950 1 605 606
Year population
1961 1 832 346
1970 1 793 823
1980 1 645 095
1987 1 592 770
1990 1 652 363
1995 1 707 901
2000 1 715 392
Year population
2001 1 726 363
2011 1 706 696
2013 1 746 342
2014 1 758 041
2014 1 803 752
2015 1 787 408
2016 1 810 438

Economy and industry

Hamburg is the largest port in Germany, the second largest in Europe, and ranks ninth in the world. The largest shipyard Blohm und Voss. Hamburg is an important location for the civil aerospace industry. Two companies are represented in the city - EADS and Airbus, which has an assembly plant in Hamburg, the plant employs more than 13,000 people. The head office of Beiersdorf is located in Hamburg. Also in the city there is a large brewery producing the well-known Russian beer brand Holsten. Hamburg is a center of mechanical engineering, light and printing industry. Famous press publishing houses are located in the city: Spiegel and Stern. The city is also home to the headquarters of Otto, Europe's largest mail order business.

Logistics and transport

Ways of the main railway station

Hamburg is a major transport hub (railways and highways), as well as a sea and river (Elbe River) port. The seaport is the largest port in Germany, which is the second largest in Europe after. The industrial area of ​​the port includes shipyards, oil refineries and factories for the processing of foreign raw materials.

The public transport system of Hamburg includes the metro (German: U-Bahn), city railway(German: S-Bahn), shuttle river ferries, suburban trains and buses. All city transport is under the control of the Hamburg Transport Association (it. Hamburger Verkehrsverbund, HVV). Fares are determined by zone. There is a flexible fare system that provides for the possibility of purchasing single tickets for different types of transport, for different periods, individually or for a group. Especially for tourists, there is also a preferential card “Hamburg CARD”, which, in addition to the right to travel on all modes of transport, allows you to visit 27 city museums free of charge or at a discount, take part in city tours, boat trips, etc. One of the Deutsche railway directorates was located in Hamburg Bundesbahn. The main Fülsbüttel airport is located 8.5 km from the city center, in the south-west of Hamburg is Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport, the Airbus base in Germany.

The motor-pedestrian tunnel under the Elbe of 1911, which is still functioning today, is recognized as a historical symbol of the engineering and construction art of Germany.

Culture and attractions

Town Hall and city center.

The city has retained certain features of medieval buildings. The city center, located at the confluence of the Alster River with the Elbe, is divided into the districts of Altstadt ("Old Town") and Neustadt ("New Town"). Among the main attractions: the neo-Renaissance City Hall (1886-1887, the city hall and the senate are located here) on the famous Town Hall Square, the houses of the 17-18 centuries on the streets of Reimerstvite, Cremon, Deichstraße; St. Catherine's Church, Neo-Gothic St. Nicholas Church, St. Michael's Church, Jakobikirche, St. Paul's Church, Christuskirche Church, Bismarck Monument on Helgolander Allee, Chilihaus and Sprinkenhof houses, Opera House.

Museums

Kunsthalle.

There are approximately 60 museums in Hamburg. One of the city's most famous museums is the Hamburg Kunsthalle, located northwest of the central station. The museum exhibits works of art from the 15th to 20th centuries, especially the collections of German Romantics and Expressionists. The exposition area of ​​the museum is 6,000 m²; temporary exhibitions are often held here. The Altona Museum of Northern Germany is located in the Altona area, the expositions of which tell about the history of Northern Germany, about its art, shipbuilding, and ethnography.

Next to the Altona Museum is the Ernst Barlach Museum, dedicated to the sculptor and expressionist writer E. Barlach, who was persecuted by the Nazis. The museum presents wooden and bronze sculptures, graphics and ceramics. The Hamburg Ethnological Museum is interesting with exhibits representing cultures and. Another interesting museum in Hamburg is the Erotic Art Museum, which displays works on erotic themes from five centuries. The History Museum of Hamburg tells about the history of Hamburg and the federal state from prehistoric times to the present day, about the history of the port and navigation. This city is also home to the world's largest railway mock-up "Miniature Wonderland", the total length of which is about 13 kilometers. In the HafenCity area is located the International Maritime Museum of Hamburg ().

Theaters

German National Theatre.

In 1678, the first permanent opera house in Germany was founded here: Georg Friedrich Handel (1686-1759) staged his first opera Almira here. The great son of the city is the composer Johann Brahms (1833-1897). In 1767, the German National Theater, associated with the name of Lessing, was founded here, which gained a leading position mainly due to the productions of Shakespeare's works. Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1724-1803) and Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) were known in Hamburg as "literary idols". New, avant-garde impulses, which received an international impact in the development of opera, were given by Rolf Liebermann, and in the development of drama theater - by Gustaf Gründgens. Unforgettable is the actor in the role of Baron Munchausen - Hans Albers (1891-1960). The city is in third place after and in terms of the number of musicals staged in the city. Especially for the "Phantom of the Opera" by EL Webber, the New Flora Theater was built. More than 40 theaters and 50 museums of various kinds operate in Hamburg. In January 2017, after 10 years of construction, the Elbe Philharmonic opened in Hamburg.

Other attractions

There are about 120 parks in Hamburg, including the world's largest Ohlsdorf Cemetery Park (German: Ohlsdorferfriedhof), a small Sternschanze park, Jenischpark park. To the north of the Old Town is the artificial lake Alster (Alster), around which a seven-kilometer "health path" is laid.

The botanical garden is open all year round. It presents in natural conditions most of the plants of Europe and Asia. Admission is free. In the heart of Hamburg is the Planten un Blomen botanical garden, which hosts fireworks and fountain performances every evening from May to October.

The Hamburg Zoo was the first to recreate the natural habitat of animals.

Sport

There are two football teams based in the city. FC Hamburg is one of the oldest, most popular and titled German clubs playing in the Bundesliga. The team plays its matches at the Imtech Arena. St. Pauli is the second most important football club in the city, has not achieved great achievements, plays in the second German Bundesliga at the Millerntor stadium. Ice hockey is very popular in Hamburg. The city has a large number of amateur and semi-professional hockey clubs. There is a professional hockey club Hamburg Friesers, which plays in the highest hockey league in Germany. There is also a professional handball club HSV Hamburg, which plays in the third Bundesliga (north). Hamburg is often referred to as the unrecognized capital of German field hockey. Many well-known men's and women's clubs exist in Hamburg. Tennis is also popular, the central court Am Rothenbaum, with a capacity of 13,200 people. the largest in Germany. The city has hosted: World Football Championships 1974, 2006, World Men's Handball Championship 2007, World Triathlon Championship 2007, UEFA Europa League Final 2010, World Championship 2004, 2014 about kettlebell lifting.

Science and education

University of Hamburg.

The school system is administered by the Ministry of Schools and Vocational Training. In 2006, about 160,000 students were enrolled in 245 primary schools and 195 secondary schools.

There are 17 universities in Hamburg. About 70,000 students study, including 9,000 foreigners. Six universities are public. The largest institutions are the University of Hamburg (one of the largest in Germany and Europe, 38 thousand students - 2008/2009), the University of Music and Theater, the University of Applied Sciences and the Hamburg Technical University. There are also small private colleges and universities in the city, including many religious and special institutions, such as the Helmut Schmidt University (University of the Federal Armed Forces of Hamburg) and others. In the west of Hamburg is one of the world's largest particle physics research centers DESY.

  • Hamburg ranks first among European cities in terms of the number of bridges (according to various sources, from 2300 to more than 2500). There are more bridges in the city than in (400), (1200) and combined.
  • Hamburg is home to the world's largest port warehouse area- Speicherstadt (German: Speicherstadt), built at the end of the 19th century. on wooden piles driven into the shallow water of the Elbe. With their architectural appearance, the sooty red-brick 5-6-storey warehouse buildings, located in rows-blocks on islands in the middle of the Elbe, where canals serve as “streets”, in the evening and twilight can serve as an excellent stage for filming movies about Sherlock Holmes based on the novels of Conan Doyle. For tourists, it is considered a good omen - a successful throw from the bridge of a coin "for memory" - on the end of a pile sticking out of the water a few meters from the bridge. The art of throwing is to try so that the coin does not bounce when struck and does not fall into the waters of the canal, but remains lying on a pile.
  • In Hamburg in 1960-1962, in the Reeperbahn-St. Pauli district, the legendary rock band The Beatles began their musical career, while still little known in their homeland, in Liverpool. Here they decided to recruit Ringo Star and retire drummer Pete Best. Also here, after a short family life, one of the "initiators" of The Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe, died.
  • The current world heavyweight boxing champions, the Klitschko brothers, lived and trained in Hamburg. Currently, the "white Tyson" - Ruslan Chagaev - is training here.
  • Since July 2000, a monthly publication in Russian has been published, “We in Hamburg”. The main content of the editorial part is articles on the history of Hamburg and its famous people, museums, the Hanseatic traditions of the metropolis on the Elbe.
  • German actress Nina Bott is from Hamburg.
  • The asteroid (449) Hamburga, discovered in 1899, and the asteroid (723) Gammonia, discovered in 1911, are named after Hamburg.
  • TV tower in Hamburg

Notes

  1. Hamburg. . Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  2. Hamburg. Regionaldatenbank Deutschland. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  3. https://www.destatis.de/DE/ZahlenFakten/LaenderRegionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ/Aktuell/05Staedte.html
  4. Bevölkerung in Hamburg am 12/31/2014 (Hilfe dazu) (German)
  5. Listen to the anthem of Hamburg
  6. V.V. Vodovozov// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
  7. Website for the history of German cities: Hamburg
  8. Hamburg // Military encyclopedia: [in 18 volumes] / ed. V. F. Novitsky [i dr.]. - St. Petersburg. ; [ M. ] : Type. t-va I. D. Sytin, 1911-1915.
  9. Verg, Erich. Das Abenteuer das Hamburg heißt / Erich Verg, Verg. - 4th. - Hamburg: Ellert & Richter, 2007. - P. 8. - ISBN 978-3-8319-0137-1.(German)
  10. Charnock, Richard Stephen. Local Etymology: A Derivative Dictionary of Geographical Names. - London: Houlston and Wright, 1859. - P. 125.
  11. Falckenstein, Johann Heinrich von. Antiquitates et moralia Marchiae Brandenburgicae. - Bayreuth und Hof, 1751. - ‎P. 153.
  12. Origines Hamburgenses. - Liebezeit, 1706. - P. 95.
  13. Radlinsky, Andrej ; Sasinek, Viťazoslav. Albert, arcibiskup Hamburgský. // Slovesnos. - Oct 6 1864. - R. 2 - Chis. 35 - S. 547.
  14. SPD kann Hamburg allein regieren (German)
  15. Statistisches Bundesamt: Gemeinden in Deutschland nach Bevölkerung am 12/31/2011 auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011 und früherer Zählungen
  16. Cities and rural settlements of the federal states of Germany according to official sources Germany (German)
  17. Statistics. Hamburg Archived October 4, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  18. (unspecified title)- S. 2.
  19. (unspecified title)- S. 12.
  20. Railway transport. Encyclopedia.: M. Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1995 pp. 88-89
  21. Hamburg // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
  22. Wunderland Facts - model building - model railway Hamburg www.miniatur-wunderland.com
  23. Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg (German)
  24. Arno Kappler, Adriane Grevel. Germany. Data. - Frankfurt am Main: Societets Verlag, 1995. - 492 p. - ISBN 3-7973-0603-2.
  25. World Championship 2014 in Hamburg
  26. The most interesting and informative about Hamburg
  27. Here in Hamburg Main page (Russian) (German)

Literature

  • Buldakov G. N., Leiboshits N. Ya. Hamburg / Cover design by M. A. Bychkov; Leningrad organization of the Order of Lenin of the Union of Architects of the USSR. - L .: Stroyizdat, Leningrad branch, 1983. - 104 p. - (Sister cities of Leningrad). - 20,000 copies.(reg.)
  • Hamburg, city // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron. - St. Petersburg. , 1908-1913.

Links

  • Official website of the city of Hamburg (German)
  • Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Hamburg (Russian) (German)
  • Short film "Hamburg Life" - Youtube

Basic moments

The city was not lucky: in 845 Hamburg was burned by the Vikings. Over the next 300 years, it burned and was rebuilt eight times. In 1842, a three-day fire destroyed more than a quarter of the city. With the expansion of the port area in the 1880s. part of the old building was destroyed. During the Second World War, 55 thousand people died in the city. Over half of the houses, 80% of port facilities and 40% of industrial enterprises turned into piles of stones. Is it any wonder that there are almost no monuments of the medieval past left in Hamburg?

Buses run along the city streets, the engines of which burn hydrogen; such cars do not pollute the air at all. Hamburg has 70 bicycle storage and rental stations. In 2011, the city received the title of capital of Europe for the protection of the environment.

Story


The city was founded by Louis the Pious around 811 under the name Hammaburg (Hammaburg)- Forest town. Archbishop Ansgar, canonized in 865 for his merits in spreading Christianity in northern Germany and Scandinavia, conducted his missionary activity from here.

By the end of the XI century. the rapid development of Hamburg was due to brisk trade. In 1189 Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa granted him important customs and economic privileges. In the same year, the port of Hamburg began its work. The city was one of the first to join the Hansa and was in this union for more than three centuries. Kings and princes never ruled the city, its fate was always determined by the citizens themselves.


Thanks to powerful fortifications, Hamburg managed to survive the Thirty Years' War without great losses. By the end of the XVII century. it already had 70 thousand inhabitants and was the second largest after Cologne.

From the beginning of the 17th century Hamburg merchants regularly visit the largest Russian commercial port of Arkhangelsk at that time. Of the 40-50 European ships that annually arrived at this port, eight were from Hamburg.

The official name is "Free and Hanseatic city Hamburg (Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg) he purchased in 1819.


In 1678, Germany's first permanent opera house was founded here. Composers J. L. F. Mendelssohn were born in Hamburg (Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, 1809-1847) and I. Brahms (1833- 1897) .

During World War II, the city was bombed several times by Anglo-American aircraft. As a result of the operation "Gomorrah" on July 25 - August 3, 1943, more than 50 thousand inhabitants died from the bombing and the giant fire caused by them and most of the city buildings were destroyed.

Hamburg has the right to be called the second home of the Beatles. In 1960-1962 they played in it every night for at least 8 hours. Paul McCartney once said: "Hamburg is 800 hours of rehearsals."


Glorious musical traditions are continued by three large symphony orchestras and many other diverse creative teams. Center of Musical Life of the City - Musical Hall (Musikhalle, neo-baroque, 1904-1908). Hamburg state opera (Hamburgische Staatsoper) in terms of skill level, the production of classical and contemporary works is on a par with the leading opera houses peace.

For tours of foreign theater groups, the workshop of the former Kampnagel crane plant was adapted ("Kampnagel") in the Barmbek district, where the famous musical "Cats" was performed ("Cats") Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Hamburg today

Currently, Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and the second largest industrial centre countries. Main Landmarks - TV Tower (Heinrich-Hertz-Fernmeldeturm, northwest of the center) and the bronze spire of St. Michael's Church (St. Michaeliskirche, in the center). The appearance of Hamburg is largely determined by water. There are more than 2500 bridges in the city.

Most of the sights of Hamburg are concentrated in the central part, bounded from the south by the Elbe and its channels, and from all other sides by the exaggerated former city ramparts, the existence of which is now only reminded by the names of the streets laid instead of them: they all end in -wall (German wall - "shaft").

This semicircle is bisected by the mouth of the Alster River, which has been turned into a canal. (Alsterfleet) and artificial ponds Outer and Inner Alster (Aussenalster and Binnenalster).


Southeast of the latter - Old Town (Alte Stadt), and to the northwest - the New City (Neustadt).

Hamburg is divided into several districts, very different from each other. The center of the modern city coincides with the old city, which was seriously damaged by a fire in 1842.

Like other large cities in Germany, Hamburg has two-story tourist buses with a guide. However, seeing the sights with the help of transport, with a breeze, is almost the same as seeing a documentary film about the city. Convenient, interesting, but quickly forgotten. Only what you walk around with your feet, slowly examine, remains in you.

Center of Hamburg

The bridge is thrown over the canal connecting the ponds. It offers a very beautiful view of the center of Hamburg.

Jungfernstieg Promenade

This promenade - wide and elegant - stretches along the southwestern shore of the lake. Here the marina of pleasure boats, cafes, the Alster pavilion (Alsterpavilion).

Grosse Bleichen and next to it are the most sophisticated shopping arcades: "Hanse" ("Hanse Viertel"), "Gallery" ("Gallery"), Goose Bazaar ("Gaensemarkt"), "Old Post" ("Alte Post"), "New Goose Bazaar" ("Neuer Gaensemarkt"), "Bleichenhof" ("Bleichenhof") and etc.

Town Hall

IN luxury building the town hall built in neo-renaissance style (1886- 1897) , sits the state government. It has 647 superbly finished rooms. The town hall is decorated with a 112-meter tower. During the day, excursions are organized for tourists in the building.

Church of St. Peter (St. Petrikirche)

This church is from the 12th century. with a 133-meter tower is located next to the town hall. It is the oldest in Hamburg. The church acquired its neo-Gothic appearance after the fire of 1842 and the subsequent reconstruction. Pay attention to the figure of the Mother of God (1470) .

Church of St. Jacob (St. Jacobikirche)

Built at the end of the XIV century. the church was restored in 1959. In its interior, a medieval altar and an organ have been preserved - one of the best works master Arp Schnitger.

House of Chile (Chilehaus)

This is one of the architectural symbols of the city, a vivid example of expressionism in architecture. (architect F. Heger, 1920-1923). Part of this brick building protrudes sharply forward, resembling the prow of a ship. The name of the house is due to the fact that the customer of the building, businessman G. Solomon, imported Chilean nitrate to Germany, from which smokeless powder and fertilizers were made.

Church of St. Nicholas (Nikolaikirche)

The church was destroyed during World War II. Only a 147-meter tower has survived from it. Now in its basement there is a museum that tells about the bombing of the city.

Dam Street (Deichstrasse)

The street runs parallel to the Nikolai Canal (Nikolaifleet) and built up with houses of the XVII-XIX centuries. with high and narrow facades. This is the last untouched urban development of traditional Hamburg architecture.

Warehouse City (Speicherstadt)

"City of warehouses" built in the late 19th century. located on Brokinsel Island (brookinsel). Old brick buildings, sometimes up to seven stories high, line the narrow canals that cut through the island. They kept carpets, tea, coffee, spices. Canals do not have embankments: sailboats and steam ships moored right next to their walls. With the help of ropes stretched through the blocks, bags of colonial goods from the holds of ships were lifted to the warehouses. And from the opposite side of the warehouse, at the right time, the goods were lowered onto carts, later into trucks.

Now the technology has changed: most goods are delivered in containers. They are directly from the ships, bypassing warehouses, are reloaded into railway cars or cars.

The "city of warehouses" has now lost its purpose, now offices, restaurants, and museums are located here. (If you're lucky, you can sometimes see how carpets are unloaded from the warehouse in the old fashioned way.)

It can also be viewed from the board of a pleasure tourist boat. (departure from St. Paul's Piers).

Port

Hamburg is Germany's gateway to the world. Everyone who arrives in the city should visit the port - one of the largest in the world. More than half of German exports and imports pass through it. The total length of the berthing line is about 275 km. Approximately 12,000 ships arriving from all over the world are served here annually. You can see the tourist steamer with stern wheels - such sailed a century and a half ago on the Mississippi - and a modern bulk carrier carrying so many containers that only dozens of trains can carry them overland. Hundreds of different ships, a forest of port cranes, docks where ships are being repaired, warehouses and fuel tanks. An unforgettable experience can be obtained by making a circular trip on a tourist ship. In the center of the harbor, close to St. Paul's Piers (St. Pauli Landungbruecke), at the eternal parking lot there is a banana carrier ship-museum "Cape San Diego" ("Cap San Diego"), nicknamed the "White Swan of the Atlantic". Nearby is the sailing ship Rickmer Rickmers, built in 1896 in Bremerhaven, now there is a restaurant on board.

Early Sunday morning it is interesting to visit fish market (Fischmarkt). It is located in the port, just below the Reeperbahn. Every night from Saturday to Sunday pallets of seafood are unloaded from the refrigerators of fishing boats. City elders from the time of opening in 1703 allowed trade only from 4.00 to 10.00, that is, before the start of the church service. The Fish Market sells not only fish, but also other products at prices lower than in ordinary stores. Everything has been preserved the same as in the beginning of the 20th century: marble tables, ceramic jugs, an accordion player plays sea melodies at the entrance. If desired, you can drink a mug of mulled wine or a glass of hot punch.

Sea bass and flounder, smelt and herring are laid out on the pier in wooden boxes covered with ice (fried herring is one of the favorite treats in northern Germany). Mountains of mollusks and arthropods rise on long counters.

Nearby, at the port piers of Landungsbrücken (Landungsbrucken) curious to see the old tunnel under the Elbe (Alter Elbtunnel, 448 m, 1906), leading to the shipyards on the island of Steinwerder (Steinwerder). In 1975 a new tunnel was opened (Neuer Elbtunnel) 3200 m long, depth under the river up to 27 m.

From afar, the 130-meter pylons of the new symbol of the city, the highest Kelbrand bridge in the country, are visible. (Kohlbrandbrucke, span height 53 m, length 3.9 km, 1974) through the southern channel of the Elbe in the port area of ​​Hamburg.

Monument to Bismarck (Bismarck-Denkmal)

The monument, built in 1906, rises near the former city ramparts, in the old park above the Elbe (Alter Elbpark). More than 60 m high, it was built on the model of medieval statues of Roland.

St. Paul's area

Not far from the piers of Landungsbrücken on the Elbe, the Reeperbahn, well known to sailors and tourists from all over the world, stretches. (Reeperbahn), which means cable car. It is the busiest in the St. Pauli area, among the red-light districts. Nightlife is in full swing here: brothels, discos, a theater, all kinds of clubs, bars and restaurants.

Church of St. Michael (St. Michaeliskirche)

This late baroque Protestant church (architect E. G. Zonnin, 1750-1762) on Neander street (Neanderstrasse) is the symbol of Hamburg. locals affectionately call her "Michel". The height of the tower is 132 m. In the old days, the captains of ships sailing to Hamburg first saw the spire of this church on the horizon. From the observation deck on the tower (there is an elevator) opens a magnificent panorama. Next to the church are several old houses built by the trade guild for the widows of merchants.

Other attractions

Botanical Garden (Botanischer Garten)

The garden is located behind Gorha Fok Street (Gorch-Fock-Wall). Behind him is the People's Park "Plants and Flowers" (Volkspark Planten und Blomen). It is a recreation center with a music pavilion for outdoor concerts, greenhouses, a Japanese garden, a children's playground and a miniature railway. There is a fountain with color music on the pond.

Congress Center Hamburg

The Congress Center, built in 1973 next to the park, is one of the most modern in Europe. It consists of 17 halls and can accommodate up to 7500 people.

Hamburg Trade Fair (Messegelande, Messe Hamburg)

The fair is adjacent to the Plants and Flowers park. Its territory of about 60 thousand m² accommodates 12 exhibition pavilions.


Television tower them. Heinrich Hertz (Heinrich-Hertz-Fernmeldeturm)

The TV tower is located northwest of the park. Its height is 271.5 m. There is a restaurant on the rotating platform (132 m).

Art Gallery (Kunsthalle)

In the exhibition of the Art Gallery of Hamburg (1850) the art of the 19th-20th centuries is widely represented, including the works of F. O. Runge (1777-1810) and K. D. Friedrich (1774-1840) . Glockengiesserverwall.

Open: Tue, Wed, Fri-Sun 10.00-18.00, Thu 10.00-21.00.

Museum of Ethnography and Primitive History (Museum fur Volkerkunde und Vorgeschichte)

The museum, which opened in 1878, has about 350,000 exhibits! Rothenbaumchaussee, 64. Open: Tue, Wed, Fri-Sun 10.00-18.00, Thu 10.00-21.00.

Submarine U-434 (U-Bootmuseum)

The submarine, made in Russia, is the largest in the world: length - 90 m, width - 9 m, height -15 m. It is powered by diesel engines. St. Pauli, Fischmarkt, 10. Open: Mon-Thu 10.00-18.00, Fri-Sun 9.00-19.00.

Miniature Wonderland (Miniatur-Wunderland)

It's hard to believe this: 700 small locomotives pull freight and passenger trains through cities, forests, mountains, deserts, across bridges over abysses. Day and night change. 10 km of tracks have been installed, 15,000 wagons, 150,000 figures, 200,000 lights, 150,000 trees, 5,000 houses and bridges, 300 vehicles are moving along the roads. Scale 1:87. 36 computers run it all. Over 3 million visitors a year! Kehrwieder 2 (in Warehouse City), Block D.

Open: Mon, Wed-Fri 9.30-18.00, Tue 9.30-21.00, Sat, Sun and public holidays 8.30-20.00.

Emigration Museum Ballinstadt (BallinStadt das Auswanderermuseum)

From 1901 to 1934, about 5 million people left Hamburg for the New World in search of a better life. The camp for departing emigrants has been reconstructed. BallinStadt, Veddeler Bogen, 2. Open: April - October 10.00-18.00, November - March 10.00-16.30.

To visit the numerous Hamburg museums, you can purchase a museum card or a family ticket that is valid for all museums at once.


  • Hamburg ranks first among European cities in terms of the number of bridges (over 2300). The city has more bridges than Venice (400) , Amsterdam (1200) and London combined.
  • Hamburg has the world's largest port warehouse district (German Speicherstadt), built at the end of the 19th century on wooden piles driven into the shallow water of the Elbe. With their architectural appearance, the sooty red-brick 5-6 storey warehouse buildings located in rows-blocks on the islands in the middle of the Elbe, where the canals serve as "streets", in the evening and twilight can serve as an excellent stage for filming movies about Sherlock Holmes based on the novels of Conan Doyle. For tourists, it is considered a good omen - a successful throw from the bridge of a coin "for memory" - on the end of a pile sticking out of the water a few meters from the bridge. The art of throwing is to try so that the coin does not bounce when struck and does not fall into the waters of the canal, but remains lying on a pile.
  • In Hamburg, the musical group "The Beatles" toured several times, being still known only at home, in Liverpool. Here they decided to recruit Ringo Star and retire drummer Pete Best. Also here, after a short family life, one of the "initiators" of "The Beatles" Stuart Sutcliffe died.

Geography

Hamburg is located in northern Germany on both banks of the Elbe River at the confluence of the Alster and Bille rivers, about 110 km southeast of the place where the Elbe flows into the North Sea. The natural maritime harbor stretches along the entire length of the Elbe, especially along the southern bank of the Elbe opposite the urban areas of St. Pauli and Altona. City blocks on both sides of the river are connected by many bridges, as well as the old (now pedestrian) and a new tunnel under the Elbe. The natural landscape south and north of the Elbe is called geesta and is a hilly lowland of sand and sedimentary rocks, formed by a glacier that descended during the Ice Age.

The federal state of Hamburg is located between the states of Schleswig-Holstein in the north and Lower Saxony in the south.

Logistics and Transport

Germany's largest port is located in Hamburg, which is the third largest in Europe after Rotterdam and Antwerp, as well as the second largest cargo container terminal in Europe.


Hamburg's public transport system includes the underground (German U-Bahn), urban railway (German S-Bahn), suburban trains and buses. All city transport is run by the Hamburg Transport Association (German Hamburger Verkehrsverbund). Fares are determined by zone. There is a flexible fare system that provides for the possibility of purchasing single tickets for different types of transport, for different periods, individually or for a group. Especially for tourists, there is also a preferential card "Hamburg CARD", which, in addition to the right to travel on all modes of transport, allows you to visit 27 museums of the city free of charge or at a discount, take part in city tours, water walks, etc.

One of the railway directorates of the Deutsche Bundesbahn was located in Hamburg.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Hamburg is in spring or summer.

Special offers for hotels

What to see

  • A boat trip along the harbor and / or along the canals of Hamburg will allow you to admire the wonderful city (you can use the public ferry "HADAG" for this).
  • Ride on ground metro from Rodingsmarkt station to Landungbrucken. You will have amazing views.
  • The Baroque Church of St. Michael, built in the 17th century, is one of the most ornate churches in Northern Germany.
  • Blankenese - a former fishing village on the Elbe - with picturesque streets, small houses and tiny beaches.
  • A magnificent shopping center with columns of the Victorian era on the shore of the lake is called the Alter Arcades. In 1842, the shopping center suffered a severe fire, but was completely restored.
  • You can walk in the Old River Tunnel under the Elbe, and the Steinwerder entrance offers an unforgettable view of the city.

The Beatles performed successfully at the Reeperbahn in 1960: 48 shows at the Indra Club and 58 at the Kaiserkeller.