The sights not only include buildings in the historic city center, such as the Speicherstadt and the magnificent town hall. There is also a lot to discover outside the center on your journey.

Examples are the planetarium in the city park or the Ohlsdorf cemetery.

There are also several activities in Hamburg with your children. For example, the Hagenbeck Zoo, the famous Miniature Wonderland and the planetarium

A boat trip is also a must on every trip. The city offers interesting things to do for every age.

Things to do in Hamburg with map

Sightseeing in Hamburg with a lot to see

Speicherstadt – warehouse district in Hamburg

The Speicherstadt of Hamburg is famous for tis warehouses and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015.

Hamburg Speicherstadt

This site was inaugurated by Kaiser Wilhelm II on October 29, 1888.

Since then, companies have stored and refined goods from all over the world.

There are also interesting things to see in the Speicherstadt. These include the Miniatur Wunderland and the moated castle.

Especially the moated castle in particular is a popular photo motif.

The approximately 26 hectares large and 1.5-kilometer-long area is not only accessible to entrepreneurs and workers today. It has also been open to visitors for around 25 years and is a tourist magnet for the city.

You can find out more about the history of the Speicherstadt in the Speicherstadtmuseum. A trip by boat through the canals should also be on your list.

The location of the warehouse district is ideal for visitors because it is not far from other sights of Hamburg.

The Elbphilharmonie (Elbe Philharmonic Hall) is a short walk away. The modern “Hafencity” district is also worth a visit, as well as the Deichstrasse with its historic buildings.

Elbphilharmonie – Hamburg’s new landmark

The new landmark of Hamburg is the Elbphilharmonie. The distinctive shape cannot be overlooked and thereby redefines the panorama of the Hanseatic city.

The 110 meter high structure was built in Hamburg's HafenCity. Constructions were completed in November 2016.

It is a project of the century by the city of Hamburg, and it is also one of the most famous sights. Construction lasted from 2007 to 2016, and the construction continued to cost around 866 million euros.

In short, the popularly known "Elphi" combines the traditional construction of the city with contemporary architecture. That is why the modern glass front stands on the typical brick walls.

You can go up to the viewing platform with the free Plaza ticket. From up here you have a nice view over Hamburg and its port.

Town hall - like a castle in the middle of Hamburg

The Hamburg City Hall stands like a magnificent castle in the middle of the city center. It is also one of the city's main attractions.

The building was built between 1884 and 1897. In addition, at a height of 112 meters, it is the center of the city center.

In the courtyard of the town hall is a fountain with Hygieia, who stands for health.

The fountain is supposed to be a reminder of the last cholera epidemic in Germany.

Miniatur Wunderland - worth seeing for young and old

In Hamburg's Speicherstadt you will find the Miniatur Wunderland. It is on the top of the most popular sights in Germany.

The old warehouse is now the site of the largest model railway in the world, which has existed since 2001.

The place is just as worth seeing for children as it is for adults.

St. Pauli Piers– With the ferry through Hamburg

You start your harbor tour through Hamburg at the St. Pauli Piers (“Landungsbrücken”).

We recommend the port ferry 62 to Finkenwerder. It is part of the city's public transport system, so it is an alternative tour at an affordable price. You will find line 62 from bridge 3.

On your trip on the ferry 62, you will see many sights of the city. You see the panorama of the city, the fish market and the harbor.

The trip is also interesting because it occurs at the fish market and well-known buildings.

Dockland - lookout point at the port of Hamburg

If you like, you can get off at the “Dockland” station. Here you can climb up to the viewing platform and let your gaze wander over the harbor.

From time to time the huge container ships also pass by here.

Planten un Blomen - Hamburg's green lung

If you want to see all of Hamburg's sights, you have to move around the city a lot. You can take a break in Planten un Blomen and relax in the famous park of the Hanseatic city.

Around 45 hectares of park form the green lung of Hamburg with various types of trees, flowers and animals.

It is a place to linger and relax, at the same time there is a lot to see.

The park is located on the old city fortifications.

The origin lies in the Old Botanical Garden, which has stood here since 1821 and was founded by Johann Georg Lehmann.

Over time, the facility has grown steadily and now offers visitors numerous themed gardens.

Worth seeing include the Japanese garden with the tea house by the lake. There are also several types of tea here.

Sun worshipers feel at home on the Mediterranean terraces. There are also around 300 species of roses to be seen in the rose garden.

A small travel tip in the park are the many seating options. At “Café Schöne Aussichten” you can see many chairs and loungers in the meadows. If you stay here longer and keep quiet, you might see one of the very trusting squirrels.

Architecture enthusiasts will enjoy with the buildings of the regional court and the constitutional court.

St. Michael's Church - Baroque church in Hamburg

St. Michaelis, popularly known as Michel, is an evangelical baroque church.

The Michel has a total height of 132 meters, which makes the tower clock the largest in Germany.

At 106 meters it goes to the viewing platform of the church, which offers a 360-degree view.

The history of the church goes back to the year 1600. At that time there was a chapel outside the city walls at the plague cemetery, the so-called Little Michel.

From 1647 to 1669 the first construction of the St. Michael's Church was built here as one of the main churches in Hamburg.

After a lightning strike on March 10, 1750, the church was completely destroyed by the fire.

Accordingly, the reconstruction began the following year. This dragged on until 1786.

On July 3rd in 1906 a fire broke out in the roof of the church because of soldering work. The tower and the nave burn down, and the building finally collapses.

The Michel is rebuilt with modern steel and concrete. After the reconstruction, the St. Michael's Church was inaugurated in 1912 by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Entry and ascent to the tower are possible, but not free.

Normal entry costs 5 euros, and the tower is 6 euros. There are also prices for children and discounts.

At “Nachtmichel” you can climb the tower at night and enjoy the view of Hamburg.

The Michel is not far from other sights of Hamburg. The Bismarck Monument Hamburg is located in the Old Elbpark, and we continue to the St. Pauli Piers for a boat trip.

Old Elbe Tunnel - Along under the Elbe in Hamburg

The old Elbe tunnel is right next to St. Pauli Piers at the port of Hamburg. It was built from 1907 to 1911, and it leads 12 meters under the water from one side to the other.

In the 19th century, around 25,000 workers were on their way from the Süderelbe in St. Pauli to the jetties over to the Steinberger shipyards every day. The overloaded ferries could no longer carry this high number of people. Building a bridge was out of the question because it would have been far too expensive. More ferries would not have been possible in terms of traffic. Therefore, the decision was made for the “St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel ".

St. Petri Church - Hamburg's parish church

St. Petri is one of the five main churches in Hamburg and, with its 1000 year old history, is the oldest parish church in the city.

This Hamburg attraction is located directly on Mönckebergstraße at the town hall in the city center.

The church tower has a total height of 132 meters and can be climbed to a height of 123 meters via its 544 steps. From up here you can marvel at the Hamburg sights of the city center through a porthole.

St. Nicholas Church

If you are on the way between the town hall and the Speicherstadt, you will see the St. Nikolai memorial from afar.

It is the ruin of the main church St. Nikolai and stands as a memorial to the victims of war and tyranny from 1933 to 1945.

On the night of July 24th to July 25th, 1943, the ten-day bombing raid by British and American air squadrons began. A large part of Hamburg is destroyed as a result, over 30,000 people fall victim to this attack.

You get admission to the memorial with a combined ticket for the museum and the ride in the elevator to the observation tower.

The church was founded in 1195, but its neo-Gothic design was completed in 1874.

Jungfernstieg - promenade in Hamburg

The Jungfernstieg is Hamburg's historic promenade and is located in the center of the city.

The name originated in the middle of the 17th century. At that time, wealthy Hamburg families took their unmarried ladies, also known as maids, for a walk on Sundays.

Locals as well as visitors to the city enjoy the beautiful panorama on the banks of the Hamburg Alster.

The Jungfernstieg in Hamburg was the first paved road in Germany when it was built in 1838.

Anyone who is already here can have a look at the Alsterhaus. It is a 100-year-old department store with a fine-cost department.

As a sign of the mobility transition in Hamburg, the Jungfernstieg is being converted to make it a car-free zone until the end of 2020.

Deichstrasse - Hamburg's historic street

Old Hamburg town houses, which the bottom line no longer exist in Hamburg, can be found in the historic Deichstraße.

Today's pedestrian zone is reminiscent of the Great Fire of 1842 on some information boards and thus tells of the history of the city at that time.

Deichstrasse is one of the sights in Hamburg not only for historical and architectural reasons, it is also known for its gastronomy. Numerous restaurants and cafés are lined up here.

Chilehaus - in the middle of the office district of Hamburg

The Chilehaus in Hamburg was built from 1922 to 1924 as the office building of the businessman Henry B. Slomann. It is famous for its unique shape and its brick facade and is therefore one of the sights of Hamburg. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is now used as office space and for retail and, by the way, has 2,800 windows.

Up on the roof of the Chilehaus there is a great view over to the Speicherstadt, and you can also see the church towers of the city.

Before the Kontorhausviertel with the Chilehaus was built, the Gängeviertel stood here. This consisted of small half-timbered houses, but was demolished after the Great Cholera Epidemic in 1892 that broke out here.

59 of these half-timbered houses previously stood on the property where the building stands today.

Before the Chilehaus was built here, the police station was built, which now stands next to the Chilehaus in Hamburg.

Mönckebergstrasse - a shopping street worth seeing

The Mönckebergstrasse in Hamburg, also simply called Mö, is one of the most popular shopping streets in Germany. Over 12,000 passers-by go along the Mö every hour.

After the Senate had decided, it was built on a splendid street between the newly built train station and the newly built town hall. It was completed on October 26th, 1909, its name comes from the mayor Johann Georg Mönckeberg.

Almost the entire historical everyday life of Hamburg was demolished in 1907 for the construction of Mönckebergstrasse. More than 8,000 people, mainly port workers and their families, lost their homes as a result.

The construction of Mönckebergstraße resulted in Hamburg's first underground line. Today's U3 finally ran for the first time in 1912.

Reeperbahn

The Reeperbahn is known and notorious as one of the most famous sights in Hamburg.
Germany's most sinful amusement mile is in the St. Pauli district.

On the Reeperbahn and the Große Freiheit, the clubs and dance halls are lined up like a string of pearls.

Up to 24 million visitors come here, and the mile in St. Pauli is particularly popular on weekends.

St. Pauli lives from the worldwide reputation of the wicked, but the quarter is also a party and event mile.

Even if it stands for it like no other street in Germany, not everyone here is looking for love that can be bought.

Right in the middle of the Reeperbahn is the world-famous “Davidwache”, the St. Pauli police station.

Hamburg Planetarium

The stars in the Hamburg Planetarium are within reach. Star theater has been delighting young and old for 90 years.

While it is one of the oldest star theaters in the world, it is also one of the most modern.

The prices vary depending on the event and artist. They usually start at 12 euros. For "The Star Fairy and the Moon Knight" 7.50 euros are charged.

The building has been in Hamburg's city park since 1915 and originally served as a water tower. It attracts visitors because with its height of almost 65 meters you have a good view over Hamburg. A lift takes you to the platform at a height of 42 meters.

If you are traveling with children, this place is definitely a great travel tip and a special thing to do in Hamburg.

Tierpark Hagenbeck

The Hagenbeck Tierpark has been a Hamburg original for over 100 years. Almost 2,000 animals from all continents live here on 19 hectares and attract over 1 million visitors every year.

The zoo is clearly one of the top things to do Hamburg that is particularly interesting for children and families.

The eleven Asian elephants, for example, belong to the animal kingdom. This number makes it one of the largest herds in Europe.

Visitors will also find the Eismeer House and the tropical aquarium here.

Lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, tigers, bisons and coatis are part of the zoo's biodiversity.

The food bags that visitors can buy for a small donation are popular. The feeding of certain animals is allowed, especially the elephants are gladly fed by the visitors. There is no other zoo in Europe like this.

Hamburger Kunsthalle – Art Museum

For the observer, the old building is probably the most interesting. This comes from the designs of Georg Theodor Schirrmacher and Herman von der Hude.

The building's striking brick facade is designed in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The foundation stone was laid at the end of 1865 and the opening of the museum was celebrated in mid-1869.

With the new building, the collection was expanded by 128 paintings.

The Galerie der “Gegenwart” (contemporary art) is the third building in the group and was opened in 1997.

Collections of the “Kunsthalle”

Sculpture collection
Old masters
Kupferstichkabinett
Art in Hamburg
19th century gallery
Classic modern
Library of the art gallery

If you like, you can also take a 360-degree tour of the Hamburg attraction online.

You will be guided through twelve selected rooms. These include the study room, the historic staircase and the atrium of the contemporary gallery.

So if you plan your trip to Hamburg more precisely, let your visitor review the museum again or simply enjoy the art, this virtual tour is the right one for you.

Ohlsdorf Cemetery - largest park cemetery in the world

The Hamburg cemetery in the Ohlsdorf district is the largest park cemetery in the world.

This Hamburg attraction is located with its impressive total area outside the center north of the city park and the Hamburg Planetarium.

With 36,000 trees and 202,000 graves are spread over the entire area.

Opened in 1877, the cemetery resembles an English landscape park. Nature should help the bereaved to get over the painful loss.

With its historical tombs, a special garden architecture and the harmony of the overall ensemble, the cemetery is considered a cultural monument.

There is a variety of burial forms and places of remembrance. Among other things, there is the women's garden, a Jewish, a Muslim and a Japanese part.

The military cemeteries of the two world wars, the memorials for the victims of National Socialism and the storm surge of 1962 are a reminder of the disasters of the past.

Celebrities from politics, literature, music and theater are buried here.

These include the former Chancellor Schmidt, the comedian Heinz Erhardt, the news anchor Karl-Heinz Köpcke and the singer Roger Cicero.

Here is a list of some of the graves in the Ohlsdorf cemetery:

Helmut Schmidt
Heinz Erhardt
Karl-Heinz-Koepcke
Roger Cicero
Inge Meysel
Wolfgang Borchert
Roger Willemsen
Monica Bleibtreu
Jan Fedders
Hans Albers

Schanzenviertel & Rote Flora | Sternschanze Hamburg

The Schanzenviertel is a famous trendy district and thus also a Hamburg attraction. The Sternschanze district is the smallest in Hamburg and borders St. Pauli to the north.

In Hamburg they say "Schanze". A good 8,000 people live here on half a square kilometer in the middle of Hamburg. Originally the Schanze was a district for workers. The students came later and today artists, journalists and creative people live here. Residents from different cultures determine the street scene.

Tourists are attracted by the rough charm as well as the culinary variety of the trendy district. The residents appreciate the "village character".

In the middle stands like a temple the Rote Flora, the most famous autonomous center of Germany. It stands for a leftist attitude, a symbol for protest and resistance.

The story goes back to the year 1888. This is where the Flora Concert Hall opened.

After the war, the building was initially used as a cinema, later rented to a discounter in the 1970s.

In 1988 the historic Flora Theater was demolished. Due to the protest of the residents, the planned construction of a musical theater did not take place.

Autonomous groups occupy the remaining building.

The name Sternschanze comes from a time when Hamburg was much smaller and surrounded by a city wall. In front of the city gates there was a defensive structure built in a serrated star shape.

Hence the beautiful name of the district.