5 Top Places in Hamburg, Germany

Known as a major port city in Northern Germany, Hamburg is one of my favorites in the whole country. Full of impressive landmarks, captivating architecture, and unique history insights, Hamburg is considered to be one of the most innovative European cities! Let´s check my favorite Top places in Hamburg!

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There are so many unique things about Hamburg: a vibrant old warehouse district, the biggest port in Germany, the mind-blowing Miniatur Wunderland and even one of the coolest tea shops I´ve ever been to.

Hamburg is full of beautiful sites and unique locations – prepare your camera and keep your eyes open! In a city like this, you really need a full Hamburg photography guide in order not to miss any of the best photo spots!

The city of Hamburg has 2,300 bridges – more than Amsterdam, London, and Venice combined.

Also read: Expat Story – Life in Germany

The only drawback, in my case, was the weather. And it´s not only cause I´m used to the mild Spanish winters – the humidity in Hamburg makes you feel like it´s twice colder outside!!! Well, I´ve visited in January… I still think it was one of the coldest weekends I´ve experienced in my entire life. In addition, I haven´t seen the sun in 3 days. But that´s Germany in winter!

One way or another, Hamburg is picture-perfect capital with any kind of weather! I absolutely loved my time in the city and looking forward to come back!

My 5 Top places in Hamburg, Germany

1.Speicherstadt

The largest warehouse district in the world, built from 1883 to 1927, is also the ultimate business center and tourist attraction.

Speicherstadt has some special retro vibes and it´ s like nothing else I´ve seen before. Just think of it: only over the last decade, the industrial area full of abandoned docks has turned into one of the trendiest shopping and residential areas. That´s only in Hamburg.

No wonder, the splendid Speicherstadt was one of the ultimate “muses” for a world-famous designer Karl Lagerfeld, who shoot here his 30th anniversary Chanel collection for the iconic Vogue.

2. Miniatur-Wunderland

One of the Top places in Hamburg that had impressed me the most was the world’s largest model railway exhibition “Miniatur-Wunderland”.

To be honest, I´ve expected something like Mini-Europe in Brussels, but Germans took the details to the whole new level. The exposition has miniatures of countries, regions and even objects, like airports or stadiums. And most of them are connected. They even have the light control system – the day is followed by the night, and everything looks so real till the last detail.

Just WOW!

3. The Port of Hamburg

In the evening you could enjoy a night harbor cruise to see more of the Port area and learn about its history. Even a simple visit to the largest port in Germany, the second biggest in Europe (after Rotterdam) is a must.In the summer months, this area is full of nice cafes. Alternatively, you can also take ferry 62, like the locals do on a daily basis, to cross the river Elbe.

4. Hamburg-Altstadt / The Old City

As every huge German city, Hamburg literally has everything: museums, churches, restaurants, shopping centers… It is so diverse and international that over the years Hamburg has had a reputation of “Germany’s Gateway to the World”.

Also read: The Best Lunch & Breakfast Places in Berlin

Take a walk through the Old City Center to experience its vibrant city life. As I´ve already said, I was extremely unlucky with the weather, so my walks were fast [lol]. Don´t miss Hamburg´s Town Hall – the largest town hall in all of Germany.

It´s hard to beat Germany when it comes to Christmas markets. Actually, it is the first country that pops into my mind when someone mentions Christmas in Europe. Nevertheless, winter might not be the best season choice for the long city strolls…

5. Wasserschloss Tea Shop

Tea lovers can’t miss this place.

It is not the cheapest tea shop, but they have amazing quality and a great variety of teas from all across the globe. You could also enjoy some hot drinks at their cafe.

Also read: Cozy Lifestyle Inspiration from Denmark – Hygge Quotes and Tips

To be honest, every tea I bought in Wasserschloss store was simply perfect. So, every time someone from my friends or family travels to Hamburg, I still ask for a new tea flavor.

More places to visit in Hamburg

• Kunsthalle Hamburg ( one of the top art galleries in Germany )
• International Maritime Museum ( maritime and nautical exhibits )
• The Hamburg Museum ( interesting expositions related to the history of Hamburg )
• Kaffeemuseum (a museum dedicated to coffee)
• Ohlsdorf Cemetery ( the largest rural cemetery in the world )
• Altona District ( a picturesque neighborhood with a few interesting sights and museums )
• Wallringpark ( especially gorgeous in the Autumn months )
• Heinrich Hertz Telecommunications Tower ( this 124-meter-high building will be reopened to the public in 2023 )
• Elbphilharmonie ( Hamburg Opera House )
• Deichtorhallen Hamburg ( one of Europe’s largest art spaces for modern art and photography lovers)
• Gewürzmuseum (a museum of spices )
• Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe ( Museum for Arts and Crafts )
• Hamburg Zoo ( I avoid visiting zoos myself, like I´ve told you in my Tenerife and Jardin del Papagayo posts, but locals claim that the Hamburg Zoo is one of a few zoos in the world that doesn’t use cages )
• Street Art ( while Hamburg can´t compete with Berlin or Lisbon in terms of countless murals, you can still find a few unique art pieces around Große Elbstraße; don´t miss the feminist art project FrauenFreiluftGalerie )
• Non-touristy Hamburg ( for more local vibe check the areas of Karolinenviertel and Sternschanze or Reeperbahn, famous red-light and party district of St Pauli, at night)

Day trips from Hamburg

If you have a few days for your Hamburg city break and want to escape the bustling city life, take a day trip to explore more of the surrounding regions. You can set your eyes on Willkomm-Hoft, Schloss Ahrensburg, Lüneburg, Bremen, Schwerin. Personally, I really recommend Lubeck, as it is definitely one of the most picturesque small towns in Germany.

Have you ever been in Hamburg? Do you have a favorite German City?

For more Hamburg travel tips and alternative itineraries check my Pinterest board Germany Travel.

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This post is linked up with The Weekly Postcard and Feet Do Travel