Hamburg
More bridges than Venice, a harbour that never stops, and a nightlife district that argues with itself
Browse Hamburg
Hamburg is Germany’s port, and it behaves like one: outward-looking, understated and rather pleased with itself. The red-brick Speicherstadt and the glass of HafenCity sit end to end on the same water, the Alster puts a lake in the middle of the city, and the Elbe carries container ships past a beach where people sit and watch them. St. Pauli is the loud part, though it is also the part with the strongest sense of community, from the football club to the street magazine sold on its corners. Our local picks run from the Sunday fish market at dawn to the Labskaus tradition, the harbour-front clubs and the charities that make the city work.
Hamburg at a glance
- Ideal stay: 3 to 4 days
- Best time to visit: May to September
- Highlights: the Speicherstadt, the harbour and St. Pauli
- Where to stay: HafenCity, St. Pauli or the quieter Alster districts
- Getting around: U-Bahn, S-Bahn and the public harbour ferries
- Local picks: 32 hand-chosen places across the city
Where to stay in Hamburg
HafenCity puts you beside the Elbphilharmonie and the warehouses, and is quiet at night. St. Pauli is cheaper, livelier and loud at weekends. Uhlenhorst and Eppendorf near the Alster are residential and calm, ten minutes out by U-Bahn. Compare live prices and availability on the map. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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How many days do you need in Hamburg?
Three days covers the Speicherstadt and HafenCity, a harbour trip, the Alster and a night in St. Pauli. A fourth gives you the Sunday fish market, which only happens once a week and starts before most people are awake.
What is the cheapest way to see the harbour?
Public ferry line 62 from Landungsbrucken runs on an ordinary HVV transport ticket and crosses the same water as the sightseeing boats, calling at Ovelgonne and Finkenwerder. It has no commentary, which some people count as an advantage.
Is the Elbphilharmonie worth visiting without a concert ticket?
Yes. The Plaza, the open deck between the brick base and the glass hall, is a public space with a wraparound view over the port, and access to it is free. You collect a Plaza ticket on the day or book a slot ahead; the concert halls themselves are separate.
When is the Fischmarkt and is it worth the early start?
Sunday mornings only, from 05.00 in summer and 07.00 between mid-November and mid-March, packing up around 09.30. It is as much performance as shopping, thanks to the Marktschreier, and the Fischauktionshalle next door has live bands and breakfast. Many people arrive straight from a night on the Reeperbahn.
Is St. Pauli safe, and how should you behave there?
It is busy, well policed and generally fine, with the usual caution around late-night drinking crowds and pickpockets. Herbertstrasse is closed to women and to under-18s, and photographing the people who work there is not tolerated. Treat the district as somewhere people live and work rather than a set piece.
What should you eat in Hamburg?
Labskaus is the local dish, a mash of corned beef, beetroot and potato served with a fried egg, rollmops and gherkin, and it tastes far better than it reads. Beyond that, the north-German fish tradition runs from a Fischbrotchen eaten standing at the harbour to Matjes herring in midsummer and Aalsuppe.