Hamburg/Neustadt-Altstadt

By public transport

Most visitors to Hamburg will probably enter the city via Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, the city's main train station on the northeastern edge of the district. This is where all the long-distance and regional trains stop, and the city's S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines converge, connecting it to the other parts of the city. If you arrive at Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel airport, S-Bahn line S1 connects the airport directly to the Hauptbahnhof.

By car

Should you decide to drive into central Hamburg, there are parking lots on and around Deichtorplatz a few blocks south of Hauptbahnhof and the shopping district.

The five main churches of Hamburg

Central Hamburg has five Lutheran churches bearing the title of Hauptkirche, or "main church". They stem from various ages and are some of the most recognizable landmarks and orientation points, scattered across the centre with their tall steeples, easily visible from afar.

• Hauptkirche St. MichaelisThe youngest and most famous of the five is also the only baroque church. This building is not the original St. Michaelis - that one (built 1647-1669) was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1750. It was not until 1786 that the present church was erected on the site. From the tower (450 steps, or take the elevator) you'll have a great view over the city. Entry to the church is free, but the tower and the crypt cost extra (around €5/person).

• Hauptkirche St. Jacobi

  address: Jakobikirkhof
  St. Jacobi has been a parish since the 12th century, when it was not even within Hamburg's then city walls. The present-day church is a reconstruction of the late medieval one from the 15th century, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The reconstruction afforded St. Jacobi with a visibly modern roof and steeple.

• Hauptkirche St. Petri

  address: Bergstraße
  St. Petri has been a cathedral in the 12th century or possibly even earlier. As with other Hauptkirchen, the present version is one of many successive, and was only completed in 1878 after the great fire in 1842 consumed its predecessor. In turn, however, St. Petri survived the Second World War relatively intact. Of note are the large ornate door handles in the shape of lion heads, which have survived both the fire and the war.

• Hauptkirche St. NikolaiAll five main churches of Hamburg were damaged in World War II. But in contrast to the other four, St. Nikolai has not been re-erected making it a memorial against war. The steeple is still standing and visitors can take an elevator to the top for a view of the city

• Hauptkirche St. KatharinenSituated on an island, it traditionally served as the church of the seamen. The base of its spire, dating from the 13th century, is the second oldest building preserved in the city. The church is also famous for its centuries-old organ, played by Bach when he was visiting the city. The instrument was actually destroyed to a large extent by the wartime bombings, but has been meticulously rebuilt and is playable again.

Altona, which was a separate city until the 20th century, has its own Hauptkirche as well.

Around Mönckebergstraße

• Hulbe-HausDating from the beginning of the 20th century as most buildings around, but looking much older.

• Radio HamburgUnder the building you can visit the remains of the bishops tower, from the 11th century. On the other side of the road, you can see excavations in progress, seeking the remains of the small fortress Hammaburg, which was erected in the 9th century giving Hamburg its name.

Around city hall

• Rathaus

  address: Rathausmarkt 1
  Hamburg's impressive city hall was built in 1897 out of sandstone in neo-Renaissance style, including a 112-m tower. The square in front of the city hall is the Rathausmarkt, hosting many events especially in summer. Inside there are several magnificent halls used for representative purposes and sittings of government and parliament. These can be visited in guided tours (M-Th 10:00-15:15, F-Su 10:00-13:15, half-hourly in German, hourly in English and French

• Hamburger BörseBetween the buildings, there is a little courtyard called Rathaushof with its fountain, Hygieia-Brunnen.

Following the canal to the right and crossing the traditional shopping road, Jungfernstieg, you quickly get to the artificial lake . Boat tours take you to the even bigger artificial lake, , directly behind he Binnenalster with lots of sailing boats in summer.

Around St. Nikolai

• Wall-AnlagenThe western part of the former city wall is nowadays a park area surrounding the inner city as a semicircle, ranging from the Landungsbrücken (Helgoländer Allee) up to Binnenalster. In the Wallanlagen there's a big playground and in the winter an ice rink. There also the impressive Hanseatic Courthouse building.

• Patriotische GesellschaftThe building of the Patriotic Society was erected following the great fire of 1842 on the former site of the old town hall of Hamburg. Built using the most modern technology at that time, including concrete substructure, and featuring modern techology such as flush toilets, it was nevertheless kept in a style that was an interpretation of the surrounding medieval architectural heritage. Of note inside is the large hanging clock by Aloys Denoth.

• TrostbrückeIt has statues of Graf Adolf III and Bishop Ansgar on both sides.

• ZollenbrückeHamburg's oldest remaining bridge from the 17th century

• ChilehausThe house, depicting the form of a ship, is probably the best example of the 1920s style of "Kontorhaus" architecture. Large office buildings are displayed in the typical, northern red brick style.

• HopfenmarktThe hop market with its fountain Vierländerinbrunnen

• Alte DeichstraßeEnsemble of traditional half-timbered merchant houses.

• Nicolai FleetThis is the site where Hamburg's harbour was some centuries ago.

• Kleiner MichelBuilt after the reformation, it's functioned as a Catholic church since the 19th century.

Speicherstadt

At the southern end of the Alte Deichstraße, you see where the harbour moved afterwards. There is a canal called Zollkanal. Looking to the left, you see the , a large district of warehouses from 1888. Some are still in use, but others have been converted to apartments. In 2015 the Speicherstadt was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• The Hamburg Dungeon

  address: Kehrwieder 2
  A live-action presentation of the "darker times" of Hamburg. It is probably mostly suited for a younger, easily impressed audience. But it might not be suitable for young children.

• The Miniatur Wunderland

  address: Kehrwieder 2
  The world's largest model railway layout. The panoramas include parts of Hamburg, the Alps, the American west, and a Scandinavian exhibit which features automated ships on a body of water. It also has an airport exhibit with automated planes which taxi and fly.

• Viewpoint towards the water castleOne of the more famous photo spots in Hamburg on Poppenmühle bridge.

HafenCity

Behind the warehouse district Speicherstadt a totally new quarter, the HafenCity, is being shaped and erected on unused industrial ground, nerved by channel, docks and basins. It is Europe's largest project of city development, creating a whole new quarter from scratch in a former harbour region.

• ElbphilharmonieNew 'architectural lighthouse' of Hamburg. On the top of a huge old warehouse a 110 metres tall modern philharmonic hall with glass façade and wave-shaped roof. It also includes a fancy hotel, restaurant, as well as private apartments. Access to the observation deck (called "Plaza") is free (although you need to get a ticket to prevent overcrowding), and offers a great view of Hamburg. On days of long queues in front of the ticket booth for the Plaza get your ticket at the instead. Normally there are very few people.

• HafenCity Kesselhaus InfoCenter

  address: Am Sandtorkai 30
  Here can find information about the new buildings and whole district. The InfoCenter also provides free guided tours

• HafenCity View PointLook at the erecting process from an orange observation tower, which allows nice views on the HafenCity, the harbour, and the river.

• Magellan-Terrasse

• Hanseatic Trade Centre

  address: Am Sandtorkai 74-77 (Kehrwiederspitze)

Old harbour

• City und SportboothafenHamburg's city and yacht harbour.

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• Feuerschiff LV 13The big red lighthouse ship hosts a restaurant today.

• ÜberseebrückeThis is where big cruise liners used to dock when coming to Hamburg.

• Gruner + JahrHyper-modern building of the publishers.

• KrameramtswohnungenThe shopkeeper-office-flats are the last example of a typical 17th-century housing estate.

• FlussschifferkircheGermany's only floating church in Rothenburgsort.

• Alter Botanischer Garten

• Tropengewächshaus

• PortugiesenviertelEspecially during the warmer months the area around Ditmar-Koel-Straße has a very special flair. Lots of restaurants and shops invite one to linger.

Museums

• Kunsthalle

  phone: +49 428 131-200
  Glockengießerwall north of Hauptbahnhof. The museum houses an important collection of paintings from the 19th century with works from Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, Philipp Otto Runge, Caspar David Friedrich, Adolf Menzel, and modern arts. It rises on both sides of a paved court. The Baroque building on one side has the older works. The areas under the courtyard and the other, modern looking building house an extensive collection of very modern art. There are some extremely fine pieces, but the quality is uneven and the curacy curious at times. For instance, in a far back corner with minimal climate control and no observation are four or five gorgeous French Impressionist paintings which are among the finest in the museum.

• DeichtorhallenThe Deichtorhallen is one of the best known exhibition galleries worldwide. The historical buildings are divided into an exhibition hall for contemporary art and the "House of Photography". Together the two buildings organize a highly diverse program of changing exhibitions.

• Hamburg MuseumHolstenwall, close to Underground station "St. Pauli". This is the museum of city history, bringing the past to life with a lot of models showing the development of the harbour and the city. The club "MEHEV" is showing a 40-year-old and one of the largest scale model railroads here.

• Maritimes MuseumPrivately owned museum in HafenCity near Speicherstadt district houses a collection of thousands model ships, construction plans, uniforms and photographs on ten floors in the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg (from 1879).

• SpeicherstadtmuseumBranch of Museum of Labour in docklands warehouse. History of the district and tea and coffee trade.

• Traditionsschiffhafen

• Cap San DiegoOne of the last generation of pre-containerisation cargo ships (built in the 1960s), now semi-permanently moored halfway between Landungsbrücken and the Speicherstadt, and is the largest functional cargo museum ship in the world. The ship has been restored and is maintained in full working order by volunteers (who take it out a few times a year, notably during the Hafengeburtstag celebration). You can visit the ship and walk around most areas, including the crew quarters, cargo compartments, and engine room. The ship also hosts a number of other minor attractions, including an exhibit on emigration and an escape room. The ship also has a few guest rooms for overnight stays.

• Automuseum Prototyp

  address: Shanghaiallee 7
  Museum of car prototypes, nice shop inside.

• Deutsches Zollmuseum

• Bucerius Kunst Forum

  address: Rathausmarkt 2

• Spicey's GewürzmuseumLocated in the Speicherstadt. They claim to be the world's only spice museum.

• Chocoversum Hachez Schokoladen-Museum

  phone: +49 40 41 91 230-0
  address: Meßberg 1
  The Chocoversum is a "museum" run by chocolate manufacturer Hachez from Hamburg's fellow Hansestadt Bremen. Rather than focus on exhibiting historic artifacts, it presents the process of making chocolate from the plantation up to the finished confection. There is also a studio where visitors can try their hands at being a chocolatier. 90-minute guided tours are provided everyday.

• Rickmer RickmersA museum sailing ship (three-masted bark) from 1896, permanently moored off the Landungsbrücken. On board is a museum, a small restaurant, and an escape room.

• Dialog im Dunkeln

  address: Alter Wandrahm 4
  Seeing people get to experience the everyday of blind people. In completely dark rooms blind people guide seeing through the exhibition.

Performance art

• Hamburgische StaatsoperHamburg is home to the Hamburg State Opera House, one of the leading opera houses in Germany. It holds great historical significance, as in 1678 the first public opera house in Germany was built in Hamburg at Gänsemarkt Square, which is where the opera house is still today.

• LaeiszhalleThe Laeiszhalle is the main classical music hall in Hamburg, with two halls: the kleiner Saal and großer Saal. You can see the schedule on their website. For online ticket purchases, use Ticket Online.

• The Rover Rep Theatre

  phone: +49 40 317 31 41
  address: Großneumarkt 8
  At the Irish Rover. English language pub theatre under the Irish Rover at the Großneumarkt. High class professional productions in a special atmosphere.

• Thalia Theater

  address: Alstertor 1
  New directors and the continuing cooperation with young important writers based on the confidence in a strong and vital company lead to international acknowledgment.

Spa and fitness

• Club Olympus Spa & Fitness

  phone: +49 40 3332-1234
  address: Park Hyatt Hamburg Hotel, Bugenhagenstraße 8

• AlsterarkadenThe white arcades over the canal are Hamburg's prime shopping location

• Europa Passage

  address: Ballindamm 40
  The most frequented shopping complex in downtown Hamburg, near the town hall at the Alster lake.

• Hanse ViertelA large shopping centre, erected in early 20th century

• Alsterhaus

  address: Jungfernstieg 16–20
  One of the oldest department stores in Hamburg.

• Spitaler Straße / MönckebergstraßeThe area west of Hamburg's central railway station is mainly a shopping district.

• SouvenirsA good and not-overpriced souvenir shop is on the town hall square under the glass roofage. Typical souvenirs are statues of the Michel Church or the town hall, the water-carrying dogsbody Hummel hummel Mors mors, blue road signs like Reeperbahn, and a post card of the red light district.

Budget

• In the central station, you can get all kinds of snacks, including the fast food chains. But also fresh fish — Hamburg or Sushi style.
• As elsewhere in Germany, the Galeria and Karstadt department stores have a restaurant on the top floor. Open from morning to afternoon, you can have a decent meal at an affordable price.

Mid-range

• Galatea

  address: Ballindamm
  Good Italian food.

• Kartoffelkeller

  address: Deichstraße 21
  Large range of dishes with potatoes at their heart, including lots of traditional German dishes, e.g. Herring and Potatoes.

• Parlament

  phone: +49 40 70383399
  address: Rathausmarkt 1
  Traditional local food in the amazing basement of the Rathaus.

• Cafe Paris

  phone: +49 40 32527777
  address: Rathausstraße 4
  Classic French bistro in a beautiful historical building. Good place to get a coffee and pastry, or enjoy a leisurely lunch. Ground floor is very loud, crowded and busy. Upstairs (when entering turn right) is a quiet restaurant with a small bar (all food is also served at the bar). "Tartar" and "steak frites" can be strongly recommended.

• VapianoA chain, Vapiano serves Italian food, in a trendy, friendly atmosphere. By the entrance you will get a "credit card", you show when you order food in the different kitchens. You pay when you leave.

• Fleetschlösschen

  address: Brooktorkai 17
  Fish dishes, frikadellen and labskaus on the menu, in other words local cuisine.

Splurge

• Die Bank

  phone: +49 40 2380030
  address: Hohe Bleichen 17
  Contemporary and classy German food using seasonal ingredients. Die Bank is just that, a former bank, with a money themed contemporary decor. It's a classy place to be seen - dress fabulous.

• Old Commercial Room

  phone: +49 40 366319
  address: Englische Planke 10
  Founded in 1795, this upscale restaurant is best known for fish dishes and labskaus (Northern German variant of hash).

• Brauhaus Joh. Albrecht

  phone: +49 40 367740
  address: Adolphsbrücke 7
  Cosy brewpub with good beers and food.

The accommodation options in the city centre are mostly mid-range to upscale hotels. For more variety of accommodation options, see other districts.

Budget

• Jugendherberge Hamburg - Auf dem Stintfang

  phone: +49 40 313488
  address: Alfred-Wegener-Weg 5
  Priceless river/harbour view and in walking distance to the Reeperbahn.

On the floor

There is a Church mission on the West side of the main train station, mainly for homeless people and people with problems. But it's very clean, people are friendly, and if one is humble and polite, there is a good chance you can enter to chat (even in English) and sleep there on the floor in your sleeping bag. The night shift opens the place at midnight and everyone has to leave before seven in the morning.
Nevertheless, as a traveller, you should contribute some money to run the volunteer's service or at the very least offer some help. Remember: This is not a place for the unprepared traveller and definitely not a hotel!

Mid-range

• Barceló Hamburg

  phone: +49 40 2263620
  address: Ferdinandstraße 15
  Thoroughly modern business hotel in the second row of buildings to Binnenalster, which is visible over the rooftops of neighbouring buildings from the hotel's top floor. All the facilities you may expect, but the gym is an extremely small and narrow room.

• AMERON Hotel Speicherstadt

  phone: +49 40 6385890
  address: Am Sandtorkai 4
  A comfortable, modern hotel with interesting interior appointments right within Speicherstadt

• Lindner Hotel Am Michel

  phone: +49 40 3070670
  address: Neanderstraße 20
  Lindner is a chain of German upscale'ish hotels with nothing particularly special, but solid service standards and well-appointed rooms. The hotel's name is a bit of a stretch, as it is not immediately next to St. Michaelis church.

• Scandic Hamburg Emporio

  phone: +49 40 4321870
  address: Dammtorwall 19
  One of the Swedish chain's southernmost outposts is an all-new hotel opened in 2014, with an architecturally interesting building and Scandinavian flair throughout, meaning minimalist but tasteful appointments and lots of wood. Relatively large rooms, but most with views of opposite walls. Location on the edge of Neustadt is quite convenient for those visiting the CCH.

• JUFA Hotel Hamburg HafenCity

  phone: +49 40 794167660
  address: Versmannstraße 12-14
  Child-friendly hotel with family rooms of different sizes and playgrounds both indoors and outdoors.

• Hotel Baseler Hof

  phone: +49 40 35 90 60
  address: Esplanade 11
  Opened in 1907, the hotel was remodeled in 2000 to its current form. Wi-Fi is available. The hotels has many conference rooms for up to 200 persons, a sauna and a fitness studio. There's also a restaurant; Kaffee- und Weinhaus Kleinhuis.

Splurge

• Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

  phone: + 49 40 3494 0
  address: Neuer Jungfernstieg 9-14
  Complementing the Atlantic on the other side of the Kennedybruecke as one of Hamburg's finest and oldest hotels, Vier Jahreszeiten has been overlooking the Binnenalster since the early 20th century, expanded and refurbished many times since. Today it is managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and provides most comforts and amenities a contemporary luxury hotel can, but be aware that it has no swimming pool and the fitness/wellness offering is limited in comparison to its competitors.

• Park Hyatt Hamburg

  phone: +49 40 3332 1234
  address: Bugenhagenstr. 8
  The Hyatt took residence in an exquisitely-decorated historic building, and provides an oasis of relaxed tranquility in the busy area neighbouring the Hauptbahnhof. Rising to the challenge of fellow luxury hotels in Hamburg, the Park Hyatt offers no less than 1000 sqm of spa and fitness facilities.

• Marriott

  phone: +49 40 3505-0
  address: ABC Straße 52
  4-Star hotel with 270 guest rooms and 8 suites, also has a Body Care Centre with indoor pool and whirlpool as well as 416 m² conference facilities. Restaurant and piano bar with live music.

• SIDE

  phone: +49-40-30 99 90
  address: Drehbahn 49
  Under the unassuming name you will find one of Hamburg's finest design hotels, rivaled perhaps only by the Sofitel. Rooms are kept in minimalist white and are protected from any outside interference by a double facade. The SkyLounge on the 8th floor features a unique view of the city.

• Sofitel Hamburg Alter Wall

  phone: +49 40 369500
  address: Alter Wall 40
  Quite nondescript on the outside, the Sofitel shines inside with perfectly balanced and tasteful minimalist design, and of course great service standards.

• Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg

  phone: +49 40 368060
  address: Heiligengeistbrücke 4
  Situated right on the Alsterfleet, the Steigenberger is housed in a building made to look in line with Hamburg's traditional canal architecture. Inside you will find the usual German idea of Gemuetlichkeit combined with the chain's usual high standards of service. Of note is the gym and spa area with views over the neighbourhood.

• Renaissance Hamburg Hotel

  phone: +49 40 349180
  address: Grosse Bleichen
  The Renaissance is located in an interesting early 20th century building, which is a part of the Hanseviertel. Inside a bit dated, but with the usual Marriott quality.