Top Tourist Attractions in Hamburg (Part 3)

 Altstadt (Old Town)

Hamburg’s old town extends to the south of the Rathaus (town hall) but, following the Great Fire of 1842 and bombing during World War II, only a few original buildings remain. Katharinenkirche (St Catherine’s), with its characteristic tower, was begun in the 13th century and completed in the 17th century. It has been restored after damage in World War II. Of the neighbouring Neo-Gothic Nikolaikirche only a single tower remained after 1945, the Nikolaiturm, which is the third tallest in Germany. It serves as a monument to the tragic consequences of war. Deichstrasse is one of a few surviving streets in the old town, with the original fa軋des visible from both the road and the canal (the best view is from Hohe Br・ke, a bridge). One of the many famous restaurants is at No. 25, “Zum Brandanfang”, where The Great Fire of 1842 was said to have broken out, which eventually destroyed most of the city.

 Michaeliskirche

The massive Baroque church of St Michaelis, visible from afar with its 132-m (433-ft) tower (the “Michel”), is the main symbol of Hamburg. The interior is preserved in a white, grey and gold colour scheme, and some of the fittings are made from tropical wood. The observation platform gives some splendid views of the city and its extensive harbour.

 Krameramtswohnungen

Near the Michaeliskirche a section of the old town, the Krameramtswohnungen, has miraculously survived. These half-timbered houses, linked by a courtyard, were funded by the merchants’ guild and built to house the widows of shopkeepers. Today they are occupied by tourist shops, cafe and restaurants.

 The Port

Situated 104 km (62 miles) inland along the Elbe River, Hamburg is Europe’s second largest port after Rotterdam, and the port dominates the panorama.

Every year 12,000 ships dock here from 90 countries. From the U3 Baumwall metro station it is best to walk to Landungsbrücken, past the museum ships moored here: the freighter Cap San Diego and the sailing boat Rickmer Rickmers (1896). Landungsbr・ken is a 200-m (656-ft) long building from where the passenger ferries depart. A tour of the harbour is highly recommended. Near Landungsbr・ken, in a copperdomed building, is the entrance to Alter Elbtunnel (the old tunnel under the Elbe) where people and cars are lowered in a giant lift.

 St Pauli

Infamous around the world, this area is also known as Reeperbahn, after the main street. It is a world of nightclubs and bars, pubs and theatres, sex clubs and brothels. It is here, in Hamburg’s red-light district, that some teenage seasonal workers from Liverpool, the Beatles, started their careers.

On Herbertstrasse, scantily clad women offer their services behind a metal barrier – women and those under 18 are forbidden entrance. St Pauli even has an Erotic-Museum, where next to the exhibits are reproductions of works by artists from Rembrandt to Picasso, which are said to “prove” that everything revolves around the female posterior.

Environs

The magnificent palace in Ahrensburg (1595), 23 km (14 miles) to the northeast, has Baroque and Rococo interiors open to visitors.

 Fischmarkt – A Market For Everything

This is an attraction for early risers or for those who never get to bed at all. From 5am (7am in winter) on Sundays the Auktionshalle (auction hall) and the nearby waterside turn into a colourful market place. Fishermen returning from the sea with their freshly caught fish compete with noisy greengrocers offering their wares and bric-・brac merchants setting out stalls. Thousands of tourists mingle with sailors and ladies of the night relaxing with a cup of steaming mulled wine after a hard night’s work in St Pauli. Here and there you can hear Plattdeutsch being spoken, the northern patois.

Morning mass at 10am used to mark the end of this colourful spectacle, but today’s public lingers on and then hurries off to bed instead of church.