How old is hamburg

Here, women still sit in shop windows waiting to be chosen, as in a similar district in Amsterdam. Other women, such as myself, are forbidden to enter. Hamburgers are proud of St. Pauli—Lennon once performed a set in his underwear and much later stated that though he was born in Liverpool, he felt he had grown up in Hamburg.

Some of the names of the dead are engraved on individual square brass plates set into the sidewalks here and in other German cities by the artist Gunter Demnig. So what is so Jewish about the Leonar? Perhaps the fact that there are so many newspapers to choose from, and even a few books. This is a serene place where one can read and think. If a cell phone dares to bleep discreetly, its owner heads for an enclave between the front door and a heavy velvet curtain to answer in whispers.

I had tea and toast. The butter and jam came in dainty white pots. There are many canals in Hamburg, and many bridges—more, they say, than in Venice and Amsterdam put together. The 17 dark-brick warehouses of the Speicherstadt, each seven or eight stories high, with entrances from the water and from land, were built at the turn of the last century. Some of them are still used to store spices, Oriental carpets, and other goods.

On my last day, I walked through the botanical garden and came upon a small and delightful Japanese garden with a few low thatched-roof wooden constructions.

In another downtown design shop, Richard, I found a refined selection of modern and antique furniture and objects. Then it was time for tea in the high-ceilinged drawing room of the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, overlooking the lake. The editor Nikolaus Hansen took me to dinner that night. We went to his favorite restaurant, Engel, on the Elbe River. You drive along the Elbchaussee and reach a point where the ferry docks.

Up the stairs, and seemingly suspended over the water, is a room with no more than 13 tables, all of them with views of the river. The space is long and narrow, somewhat like the interior of a ferry, so that you see the river close up or across the width of the restaurant.

Over a leisurely meal Hansen told me what it had been like to grow up in Hamburg. Before reunification Hamburg was hemmed in by the sea and by the nearby border with East Germany. To go to West Berlin took many hours, between police formalities on one side and the other.

The alternative was a one-hour Pan Am flight. More than two million people each year visit its memorials, monuments, and museum while strolling through the pleasant gardens along its 17 kilometers of streets and paths. Another important Hamburg memorial is the Bismarck Monument , the best known of Germany's many towers commemorating the country's most revered politician.

Fascinating English language guided tours are available, and are highly recommended. Planten un Blomen and Wallringpark. At the St. Pauli landing stages in Hamburg is the Wallringpark, a large recreational area that includes some of the city's most popular open spaces, such as the Old Botanic Garden and the Kleine and Grosse Wallanlagen , the gardens laid out on the line of the old fortifications.

The best of these excellent parks is Planten un Blomen — quite literally translated as "Plants and Flowers" — a acre park established in with the planting of a Platanus tree that can still be seen here. It's a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a picnic, or if visiting at night, take in the famous water-light concerts or a musical performance. From Wallringpark, you're just minutes away from the meter-high Heinrich Hertz Telecommunications Tower , popularly known as 'Tele-Michel"; though now closed to the public, it remains a striking sight.

With a focus on "Cultures and Arts of the World," this fascinating museum boasts more than , artifacts and documents. Highlights include a binder used to cover a Torah, dating from ; an African exhibition with traditional cultural and religious items; and fun hands-on exhibits such as foosball, xylophones, and cameras. Most of the 45 vehicles on display are racing and motorsport related and are accompanied with exhibits relating to their history and drivers.

Porsche fans will also want to try their hand at the driving simulator. Above the high bank of the Elbe is Hamburg's vibrant, ritzy Altona district. It's popular for sightseeing due to its many attractive Neoclassical houses, many of them protected as historical monuments.

Here, you'll also find Museumstrasse, which runs north from the end of the Palmaille, and the Altonaer Museum with exhibits relating to the geology, landscape, settlement, and economy of Schleswig-Holstein and the Lower Elbe region. Other highlights include displays of marine artifacts, including old models and preserved ship figureheads. Afterwards, be sure to explore the area around Altona, including the Altonaer Balkon , with its fine views of the river and the port, as well as the fishing harbor and fish market.

Historical ships at the Museumshafen Oevelgonne. Hamburg's popular Oevelgonne district contains the New Elbe Tunnel , a 3. This impressive collection of important old vessels includes traditional German and Dutch flat bottom ships as well as barges, fishing boats, and steam tugs, some of them open to the public. One of the larger vessels is the SS Stettin , a former icebreaker built in that's now used for pleasure trips.

Also of interest are the numerous pilots' houses on the Elbuferweg and the Oevelgonner Seekiste , a small museum with a variety of displays and maritime artifacts. Jenisch House. Not far from the New Elbe Tunnel , in the Klein Flottbek district of Hamburg, lies the beautiful acre Jenischpark , one of the city's largest and most attractive open spaces.

Here, you'll find the superb Neoclassical 19th-century Jenisch House Jenisch-Haus with its rooms reflecting the taste of the prosperous middle classes in styles ranging from Louis XVI to Art Nouveau, all preserved in the on-site museum, a branch of the Altona Museum. The park is also home to the Ernst Barlach Haus , with its collections of sculptures, drawings, and printed graphic art. A sleeping lion at the Tierpark Hagenbeck. Tucked away in Hamburg's northwestern suburb of Stellingen, Tierpark Hagenbeck, the city's zoo, was established in to house a collection of exotic animals owned by a local fishmonger-turned-exotic animal trader by the name of Carl Hagenbeck.

The zoo is still run by his descendants. This excellent facility was the first in the world to use open enclosures surrounded by ditches as opposed to cages, increasing the free-range area of the animals. It was also the first zoo to group animals by species, ideas that inspired the owners of other zoo parks to adopt. And yes, you can make your very own chocolate bars!

Schloss Ahrensburg. About 23 kilometers northeast of Hamburg is the town of Ahrensburg, famous for its old mansion, Schloss Ahrensburg Ahrensburg Palace. Now a museum, the castle was built in , and many of its original interiors and furnishings remain intact, providing a fascinating insight into the life of country nobility. The mansion also makes a great backdrop to the regular concerts and events held in its attractive grounds. For easy access to Hamburg's top attractions, the best place to stay is in the central Hamburg-Mitte district.

An easy walk to Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest model railway, as well as the city's always-bustling port, this district is also home to great shopping, dining, and art galleries. The following highly-rated hotels are perfect for exploring:. Nature Calls : Germany's magnificent Black Forest region should be on every travelers' itinerary, as famous for its incredible scenery as it is for its thermal springs, many of them located around the spa town of Baden Baden.

Equally as attractive is the lovely Lake Constance area , famous for its pleasant climate, rolling countryside, and many small lakeside towns and villages. Those seeking even more dramatic scenery should head for the hills of Garmisch-Partenkirchen , a mountainous area that's home to great skiing and the Zugspitze, the country's tallest mountain peak.

Medieval Times : The old merchant town of Augsburg is home to many important examples of medieval architecture, including its lovely 14th-century cathedral and the charming Fuggerei, an enclave of old townhomes built to house the poor in the s.

Historic Bamberg is where you'll find Klein-Venedig, or "Little Venice" with its well-preserved medieval fishermen's houses, as well as the Old Town Hall perched atop a bridge. Germany Vacation Ideas : The German capital city of Berlin needs at least a few days to explore, and is where you'll find some of the country's best known tourist attractions, from the infamous Berlin Wall to the famous Museum Island with its vast array of important museums and art galleries.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, as well as one of Europe's most-visited cities, famous for its magnificent cathedral and its many parks, particularly the huge English Garden Englischer Garten. Germany Travel Guide. Written by Bryan Dearsley Mar 10, We may earn a commission from affiliate links Hamburg, the largest city in Germany after the capital of Berlin, lies at the head of the long funnel-shaped estuary of the River Elbe.

See also: Where to Stay in Hamburg Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues. Miniatur Wunderland Miniatur Wunderland alex. Address: Rathausmarkt 1, Hamburg. Michael's Church St. Michael's Church The most famous of Hamburg's many churches, St. A comprehensive guide to the history of Hamburg's port as well as aviation- and aiport -specific history can be found in the links.

Hamburg's goal? Accessibility for all. Learn about signage, discounts, public transport and wheelchair-friendly city tours. Get an insider's view on the Hanseatic mentality and find out what distinguishes Hamburg from the rest of Germany.

Newly arrived in Hamburg? Prepare here. Hamburg is a city-state within the Federal Republic of Germany. Meet the First Mayor, the State Parliament and learn about local politics.

The lakes are a central part of Hamburg life Emigrants' historic journeys to the New World The grimmer side of history at this museum. The city's history through events and exhibits Hamburg's oldest church and an amazing view Residents About Hamburg About Hamburg. Close About Hamburg. Twitter Facebook Pinterest. Hanseatic League It all began in the year CE, when Emperor Charlemagne ordered the construction of a castle on the marshy land between the River Alster and the River Elbe to fend off Slavic tribes.

Alster Swans In , the senate of Hamburg enacted a law to protect the swans of the city. Fire and Black Death On 5 August, , a terrible fate befell Hamburg, as a great fire destroyed all but one of the city's residential houses. Religion Lutheranism became the state religion of Hamburg in the 16th century, drawing many religious refugees from the Netherlands and France.

Population boom and cholera epidemic In , Hamburg adopted a democratic constitution that established the separation of church and state and guaranteed freedom of press, assembly and association. First World War By the turn of the 20th century, the population of Hamburg had grown to 1 million. Nazi regime Before the war, Hamburg had the largest Jewish community in Germany.