When you think of Hamburg, what comes into your head is it that the area west of
Hamburg's central railway station is mainly a shopping area with the streets Spitaler
Straße and Mönckebergstraße, leading to Hamburg's town hall. Close to the Mönckebergstraße
you find the churches St. Jacobi (at road Jakobikirchhof) and St. Petri (at road
Bergstraße), two of Hamburg's five main churches. Directly beside St. Petri there
is the Hubelhaus dating from the beginning of the 20th century.
Behind the Hubelhaus under the building of "Radio Hamburg", you can visit the remains
of the bishops tower, from the 11th century. On the other side of the road, you
can currently see excavations in progress, seeking the remains of the small fortress
Hammaburg, which was erected in the 9th century giving Hamburg its name.
Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany. The town is a commercial and cultural
center and an international trade city. Hamburg Harbour, its port, makes Hamburg
the second largest port town in the European Union.
Some town attractions make Hamburg a popular tourist place. Tourism actually plays
an important role in its economy and places like the harbour get 8million visitors
per year.
The original language of Hamburg as elsewhere in Northern Germany is Low German
(Low Saxon).
Hamburg is the most important railway junction on the route to Northern Europe and
its airport is the oldest still working airport in Germany. The local public transportation
of the city is well organized by a Verkehrsverbund. This is a joint venture of all
public transport companies which service the area.
Hamburg has many channels, which are crossed by over 2300 bridges, which is more
than what Amsterdam and Venice have together.
Hamburg has a well developed public transportation system. Buses go around the clock.
At night, a special "Nachtbus" (night bus) service connects the outlying districts
and the city center. The buses depart and arrive at "Rathausmarkt", near the town
hall and operate all through the night. Intracity train service runs until approximately
5am and 1am in the central city, but there is often not service past 11pm in outlying
districts. On weekends, it runs all night.
Let’s re-cap on top of all of the above, there is the following highlights to see
in Hamburg:
- Beaches
- A number of wildlife Parks
- A number of museums
- Hamburg's top Zoo
- The Open Theatres
- Spa's
Not forgetting the Fish Market - Every Sunday morning vendors praise wares
of virtually every type at Hamburg's oldest open-air market, dating back to 1703.
The market takes place at the foot of the century-old Fish Auction Hall, where live-bands
perform jazz, skiffle, country, or western music. Open every Sunday from 5am - 9.30am,
in winter from 7am - 9.30am.
Harbour Birthday - Every year in May the harbor birthday attracts millions
of people. Dozens of stands and stages, a ship parade, and changing events are organized
to celebrate the cities spring of wealth. The harbor filled 800 years in 1989. Since
then, the Harbor Birthday grew the greatest harbor party in the world. It is generally
in early May.
Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival - On May 19th, the Japanese community of
Hamburg celebrates the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival by the Lake Alster. Enormous
fireworks and a peaceful atmosphere are characteristics of this event.
Fair - The Dom is one of the largest fairs in Germany. The streets of the
fairground, lined on both sides with stalls and rides, are some 3.3 km long. It
takes place in spring, summer, and early winter for the duration of one month each.
Street Parties - Watch out for neighbourhood and street parties during summertime.
Some of the biggest are:
- Altonale, in Ottensen
- Bergedorfer Stadtfest, in Bergedorf
- Osterstraßenfest, in Eimsbüttel
- Schanzenfest, in Schanzenviertel is self-organized and full of peace and happiness
until it ends around 10pm in fighting between a crowd and the police
- Stuttgarter Weindorf - Vintners from southern Germany present their products at
the Rathausmarkt (town hall square)
Street Parades
- Schlagermove Parade, a parody on the Berlin Loveparade with schlager instead of
techno music
- Hamburg Pride, the Gay Pride Parade usually takes place in August and moves from
the main station through the shopping streets to end at the Jungfernstieg with the
set up party tents
- Carnival of Cultures, a colouful and interesting parade showing off worldwide
cultures
Are you packed yet?
For further information about Athens we recommend that you visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg
where you will find many useful links and informative articles to prepare you for
your move.
