Sightseeing
Hier wollen wir Ihnen nicht die „normale“ Stadtrundfahrt nahe legen, sondern Ihnen einige Stadt-Touren vorstellen, die sich mit den weniger bekannten Seiten der Stadt beschäftigen:Alternative Alsterkanalfahrt:
Vor dem Hintergrund gewaltiger Kontorhäuser, gepflegter Parkanlagen, Villen, Schrebergärten, urwüchsiger Uferpartien und traditioneller
Industriestandorte vermitteln Herbert Diercks und Michael Grill eine andere
Geschichte unserer Stadt: Nationalsozialistische Gewaltherrschaft, Widerstand und Verfolgung in den Jahren 1933-1945.
Eine Veranstaltung der KZ- Gedenkstätte Neuengamme ( http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-neuengamme.de/ )
Alternative Hafenrundfahrt
Während der zweistündigen Hafenrundfahrt berichten Herbert Diercks und Michael Grill über Zwangsarbeit, Widerstand und Verfolgung von 1933 bis1945 im Hamburger Hafen. Die Route führt zu den Orten, an denen Konzentrationslager eingerichtet waren. Auf der Elbe werden die Ausbaupläne Hamburgs zur "Führerstadt" vorgestellt.
Eine Veranstaltung der KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme ( http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-neuengamme.de/ )
Fahrradrundfahrt über den Ohlsdorfer Friedhof
Auf einer Fahrradrundfahrt geht es nicht nur um das Kennenlernen eines der schönsten Friedhöfe Deutschlands. Nicht nur Stätten des Gedenkens der Einkehr und der Mahnung- wie die Gräberfelder für Kriegs- und Bombenopfer, Ausländer und KZ-Opfer finden sich. Der Friedhof war selbst Ort der nationalsozialistischer Verfolgung und des Widerstandes. Er liefert auf den zweiten Blick zahllose Einblicke in die Hamburger Geschichte.
Eine Veranstaltung der KZ Gedenkstätte Neuengamme und der Geschichtswerkstatt Willi-Bredel-Gesellschaft ( http://www.okenko.de/termine'5/termine5.htm )
Literarischer Spaziergang über den Ohlsdorfer Friedhof
Auf einem literarischen Spaziergang berichtet Herbert Diercks von der
Verfolgung Hamburger KünstlerInnen in den Jahren 1933-1945.
Michael Grill liest begleitend aus ihren Erzählungen, Gedichten und
Berichten und letzten Briefen. Zu den bekannten KünstlerInnen, deren
Grabstätten aufgesucht werden, gehören unter anderem Wolfgang Borchert, Ida Ehre und Friedrich Wield.
Eine Veranstaltung der KZ Gedenkstätte Neuengamme und der Geschichtswerkstatt Willi-Bredel-Gesellschaft ( http://www.okenko.de/termine'5/termine5.htm )
Alternative Stadtrundfahrten
"Seit 25 Jahren gibt der Landesjugendring Einblick in die Geschichte der Stadt Hamburg im Nationalsozialismus. An Orten und Gebäuden, die mit dieser Zeit in Verbindung standen und heute noch im Stadtbild integriert sind, wird Geschichte erfahrbar gemacht. Biographien von WiderstandskämpferiInnen und VerfolgerInnen geben Einblick in subjektive Konstellationen" (zitiert aus der Broschüre).
http://www.ljr-hh.de/
Touren über den Kiez
Ungewöhnliche und recht individuelle Führungen über den Kiez bieten die "Kurverwaltung St. Pauli e.V." und "Landgang St. Pauli" an.
Wer Reeperbahn & Co mal von einer anderen Seite kennen lernen will, ist bei beiden Organisationen sicher an der richtigen Adresse.
Mehr Info:
http://www.kurverwaltungstpauli.de
http://www.stpauli-landgang.de
Hamburg entdecken mit dem Fahrrad
Lassen Sie sich überraschen von der Vielfalt unserer Stadt abseits der Hauptverkehrsstraßen: Von St. Pauli über den Hafenrand, Alter Elbtunnel, Portugiesenviertel, Deichstraße, Speicherstadt, Chilehaus, St.-Georg, Altstadt, Fleetinsel, Neustadt, Planten un Blomen, Karolinenviertel.
Hamburg-Radtour organisiert Radtouren auch individuell.
http://www.hamburg-radtour.de/
Events Calendar
Regular Events:Fish Market
every Sunday morning, Hamburg's oldest, most traditional open-air market
down at the Fish Market building at the Elbe
Events by month:
March
Hamburg Dom
funfair at Heiligengeistfeld, St Pauli
April
Hanse Marathon
Run or skate more than 26 miles past all of Hamburg’s most famous landmarks
May
Harbour Birthday
June
International Short Film Festival
July
Hamburg Dom
funfair at Heiligengeistfeld, St Pauli
Schlagermove
celebration of the Genman “Schlager”
August
Fair: Du und deine Welt
the great consumer exhibition
Alster fair
October
Fair: Hanseboot
international boat show
Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
November
Hamburg Dom
funfair at Heiligengeistfeld, St Pauli
December
Christmas Markets
traditional but commercial markets in most districts
New Year’s Eve at the harbour
don’t miss it!
Culture and Society
Nightlife:Since there is no curfew in Hamburg, nightlife might well turn into morning…
Try the Schanzenviertel for cult bars and shops. St Pauli may be a tourist trap on the Reeperbahn, but in the side streets there are clubs and bars with DJs from all over the world.
And don’t miss Ottensen – multicultural flair and a lot of street life.
Below are just a few recommendations – but check it out for yourself!
Große Freiheit and Kaiserkeller St Pauli
made famous by the Beatles
( http://www.grossefreiheit36.de )
After Shave, St Pauli
R’n’B, HipHop, funk and soul
Headbangers Ballroom, St Pauli
heavy metal club
( http://www.headbangers-ballroom.com )
Hafenklang, St Pauli
alternative club at the Elbe with a history
( http://www.hafenklang.de )
Duschbar, Ottensen
Unusual furnishings – sinks and showers – and even drinks
Fabrik, Ottensen
a Hamburg institution for live music
( http://www.fabrik.de )
Gazoline, Ottensen
stylish and uncomplicated bar
439, Schanzenviertel
classical late-night bar
Rote Flora, Schanzenviertel
alternative cultural center
( http://www.rote-flora.de )
Fundbureau, Schanzenviertel
poets, artists, DJs and bands
( http://www.fundbureau.de )
Food And Drink:
There is at least one restaurant for every nationality, or so it seems. Of course, there is also local cuisine.
Again, some recommendations:
Suryel, St Pauli
veggie food is served
( http://www.suryel.de )
Abendmahl, St Pauli
Mediterranean cuisine
Junge Liebe, St Pauli
international cuisine
Freudenhaus, St Pauli
modern German cuisine
Fischerhaus, St Pauli
Fischmarkt – traditional seafood
( http://www.restaurant-fischerhaus.de )
Schanzenstern, Schanzenviertel
organic food
( http://www.schanzenstern.de )
Bok Restaurant, Schanzenviertel
far Eastern cuisine
Lokma, Schanzenviertel
Turkish cuisine
Colln's Austernstube, city
traditional (oyster) restaurant
Old Commercial Room, Neustadt
traditional Hamburg cuisine, not cheap! ( http://www.oldcommercialroom.de )
Feuerschiff, city (harbour)
bright-red light ship with traditional seafood dishes
( http://www.das-feuerschiff.de )
Museumshafen-Café, Neumühlen (Elbe)
breakfast, coffee, dinner on a former ferry
Eisenstein, Ottensen
trendy, Italian-Mediterranean cuisine
Zur Traube, Ottensen
old wine bar from the twenties
Altamira, Ottensen
original Spanish tapas
Culture:
Culture sure is a big thing in Hamburg, look at its famous musicals, theaters, museums, film festivals... Take your pick!
We give you a few ideas for places that are either not so well known or typical for Hamburg:
Schmidt’s and Schmidt’s Tivoli St. Pauli
cabaret and musicals
( http://www.schmidts.de )
Ohnsorg Theater, city
traditional theater in “plattdütsch”,
the Northern German dialect. You won’t understand a word, but enjoy the atmosphere
( http://www.ohnsorg.de )
Museum für Völkerkunde, Rotherbaum
one of the important ethnological Museums of Europe ( http://www.voelkerkundemuseum.com )
Hot Spice Gewuerzmuseum, Speicherstadt
smell what has been stored in the houses of the Speicherstadt ( http://www.spicys.de )
Rickmer Rickmers and Cap SanDiego
museum ships in the harbour
( http://www.rickmer-rickmers.de and http://www.capsandiego.de )
Dialog in the Dark
an exhibition where it is totally dark; explore how blind persons see the world ( http://www.dialog-im-dunkeln.de )
Off-mainstream movie theaters with an interesting program:#
3001 Kino, Schanzenviertel
( http://www.3001-kino.de )
Abaton, university district
( http://www.abaton.de )
Metropolis, city
( http://www.metropolis-hamburg.de ).
Gay and Lesbian:
Café Uhrlaub, St Georg
gay café
Café Gnosa, St Georg
gay café
Black Change, St Georg
gay disco
Toom Peerstall, St Pauli
watch out for special performances by owner Katharina the Great ( http://www.toompeerstall.de )
Hein & Fiete, St Georg
gay info shop (
http://www.heinfiete.de )
Angie’s Nightclub in Schmidt’s Tivoli, St Pauli
Frauencafé Endlich, city
lesbian café
Frauenkneipe, Schanzenviertel
disco on Fridays, various events on Saturdays; strictly for women!
Amantes
lesbian parties in different locations
( http://www.amantes.de )
Hinnerk
gay magazine
( http://www.hinnerk.de )
History
Hamburg's history begins with the Hammaburg, a moated castle, built about AD 825. The city began to rise as a trading power in the 12th century. In the middle ages, Hamburg became one of the leading cities of the Hanse, a trading network which included more than 60 cities at its height. Hamburg was the most important harbour of the Hanse; grain, cloth, furs, herrings, spices, timber and metals were traded here.The big fire of 1842 levelled most of the city, but it was rebuilt and later on, Hamburg became one of the most important ports for trade with and also emigration to America. The harbour expanded even more, and from 1881 to 1888 the Speicherstadt (i.e. Storage City) was built, because more room for the goods was needed. In the following years, the Speicherstadt was filled with coffee, cocoa, spices and carpets.
Some goods are still stored there today, and you can still smell coffee and spices walking through the streets and canals of the Speicherstadt.
World War I took most of the city’s merchant fleet away, and also the 3rd Reich turned out to be a bad choice for Hamburg. Its open-minded and liberal mentality was cut back by Hitler’s fascists. There has been an opposition – the “Swing-Jugend” was famous in the thirties – but in the end, Hamburg also became a national socialist city. Visit the “Moorweide” in the city – the square where Hamburgs jews were deported - and the concentration camp in Neuengamme.
World War II destroyed Hamburg much more than the first: The inner city and port were destroyed almost completely, and the firestorm created by allied bombing on 28 July 1943 killed more than 50,000 civilians and burnt out entire streets and neighbourhoods.
As a result of the bombings, Hamburg has no real old city; there are several old buildings scattered throughout the city, though – so keep your eyes open!
After the war, Hamburg was part of the German “Wirtschaftswunder”. The harbour is still important for city economics, but Hamburg also became Germany’s media capital. Many of the country’s biggest print publications are produced here. Hamburg has developed into a service metropolis. Other important sectors are civil aviation, microelectronics and communications industries.
Neighbourhoods
Most of Hamburgs neighborhoods are characterized by water: Rivers Elbe, Alster and Bille as well as many narrow canals called Fleet traverse the city. In the center, you have also the Inner and Outer Alster Lakes. So it is not surprising that Hamburg has 2302 bridges, more than Amsterdam or even Venice.First of all, you should visit the harbour. Take a stroll along Landungsbrücken, take the tour, the Große Hafenrundfahrt. It takes about an hour and you can see the big container ships, the Speicherstadt, the docks and much more from the water side.
Or you might want to take a ferry to Finkenwerder, on the other side of the Elbe. Here you get into the Altes Land (i.e. Old Land), with its apple and cherry plantations.
If you come to Hamburg in spring, there are two events that you shouldn’t miss: the cherry blossom in the Altes Land and the harbour birthday celebration with millions of visitors and impressive ships.
The city center between Alster and Elbe is also the center of commercial, political and social activity. Its boulevards are lined with shops, and you will find Hamburg’s main atttractions here.
East of the city there is St.Georg, formerly an upmarket neighborhood; today it has become a little run-down. Close to the Central Station there is drug dealing and prostitution. But only a few streets away, you will find lovely streets with cafes, little shops and interesting people. St Georg is also the heart of Hamburg’s gay community.
To the west of the city is St Pauli, well-known for the Reeperbahn and its red-light district. But if you explore the side streets, you can discover good music clubs, bars etc.
North of St Pauli are the Karolinenviertel and the Schanzenviertel. Alternative vibes are still alive here in the streets, bars and shops, although commerce is slowly taking over.
A little further to the west you come to Altona, which used to belong to Denmark. Altona is very lively, heavily populated and – like Schanzenviertel and Karolinenviertel - very multicultural. It is also very close to the Elbe beaches, which makes it a good place to be in summer and winter alike.
Every Hamburg tourist should visit Blankenese, travelling further west over the 10 km long Elbchaussee, which is lined with old trees and impressing villas. Blankenese seems like a seaside resort with its parks, gardens, its narrow paths and stairways and, of course, the views of the Elbe.
Geography
Hamburg, like most coastal regions of Germany has a temperate climate with warm summers and mild cloudy winters. Almost always there is at least a little western wind, which sometimes rises to storms in spring and autumn. The wind sometimes brings sunny skies, and sometimes rain, which then is known as “Hamburger Schietwetter”.Winter might bring a little snow (seldom a lot), summers can be hot, especially in August. Then you will appreciate that the beaches of Baltic and Northern Seas are not far away…
Even closer, not far from the city, are the beaches of the river Elbe.
Hamburg is located in Northern Germany, about 150 km from the border to Denmark. It is situated between Northern Sea and Baltic Sea, the direct link to the former being the river Elbe. Distances to major German cities (approx.): Berlin 300 km, Munich 800 km, Cologne 500 km.
Practical Information
Formalities:You need a passport to enter Germany. Countries belonging to the European Union, as well as Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Israel and Japan, do not need a visa for stays of up to three months. For countries not listed, check with your German Embassy as to whether you need a visa or not.
Getting There:
Getting to Hamburg is no problem, no matter what type of transportation you might use. The airport is only 20 minutes from the city; Hamburg has 3 railway stations, and the IC(E)’s of the Deutsche Bundesbahn provide hourly connections to every major city in Europe ( http://www.bahn.de ).
Many travellers use RyanAir. Ryan Air services the Lubeck airport, which is about 75 km from Hamburg. There are shuttle buses available. ( http://www.ryanair.com )
Travelling by ship is the obvious way to get to Hamburg and there are car ferry links with Harwich and Newcastle in the UK. Hamburg is surrounded by 7 highways, so even if you come by car, you will find a fast way in!
Getting Around:
Mobility without a car is not a problem in Hamburg. The Hamburg Transport Authority (known as the HVV) will transport you quickly and comfortably to virtually any place in Hamburg and surroundings aboard its buses, underground trains (U-Bahn), metro trains (S-Bahn) and night buses. Enjoy Hamburg nightlife without the worry of driving in town. It's safer and the night buses run till the wee hours of the morning. But if you stay in one of the hostels in Hamburg, you won’t even need the buses: most of the important locations can be reached by foot.
Depending on your needs you can choose between several kind of special tickets to save money, for example the Hamburg Card or the Power Pass.
You can find ticket and schedule information at http://www.hvv.de
General Facts
The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is the cultural and commercial center of Northern Germany and - with its 1.7 million inhabitants - the second largest city in Germany. It is a city as well as a state. The metropolitan region consists of 3.5 million people.With its large harbour, the city has always been an open-minded commercial center. The liberal mentality of its habitants has been determined by the many influences from overseas.
Today, the harbour is the second-largest in Europe, and the seventh world-wide; you can see here some of the biggest container ships the world has to offer.
Official Language: German
Population: about 1.7 million
Currency: the EURO
