Hamburg holidays

How to reach Hamburg

• Flight time: Flights to Hamburg from London take about 1 hour 45 minutes.

• Transfer time: Hamburg airport, around 8km north of the city, is connected to the centre by the S-Bahn line S1, which operates every 10 minutes to the Hauptbahnhof and takes around 25 minutes. Buses offer a similar service in about 30 minutes.

• Price: A single ticket for the S-Bahn costs €3.50, while a taxi to the city centre will cost around €30–35.

Best time to visit Hamburg

This will depend on what you want to do during your Hamburg holidays; some events are seasonal, and the weather may also play a part in your decision.

• April to June: Spring is the time to enjoy the first flush of Hamburg’s lively café terraces and riverside bars, not to mention the city’s many parks and gardens which burst into life. Temperatures climb from 10°C in April to around 20°C in June, with 5–8 hours of sunshine and around 30–50mm of rainfall.

• July to August: As summer approaches, the city’s urban beach bars start to come into their own. It’s never too hot, temperatures averaging 22°C to 25°C, with 7–9 hours of sunshine. However, occasional rain showers (50–70mm) are not unusual, so pack accordingly.

• September to November: As temperatures cool (from 18°C in September to 8°C in November) and the summer crowds disperse, autumn is a great month to explore the city’s cultural treasures. There’s still a good deal of sunshine (4–6 hours) and occasional rain (50–70mm).

• December to March: From the end of November, several Christmas markets go up across the city, with the largest taking place in front of the Rathaus. With temperatures ranging from 0°C to 6°C, it certainly gets chilly, but who cares when you’ve got so many cosy cafés to hole up in?

Practical information

• Spoken languages: German is the official language, but the local dialect (Plattdeutsch, which is akin to Dutch), is almost as impenetrable to most Germans as it is to foreigners.

• Local habits and customs: To tip in a café, round your bill up to the next €0.50 or €1 and give the total directly to the waiter; at restaurants, you should leave around 10 percent of the bill. Jaywalking is illegal in Germany, so only cross on the green man – you could be fined if you don’t.

• Health and safety: Though far from dangerous compared with other European cities, Hamburg demands basic city sense, especially around the Hauptbahnhof: drunks mean the Kirchenallee exit, nearby Hansaplatz and Steintorplatz are not places to linger at night. The main safety issues around the Reeperbahn are pickpockets and foreign stag parties.

• Currency: Germany uses the Euro (€), with credit and debit cards accepted in most restaurants and shops.

• Getting around: Public transport is run as a coordinated system of U- and S-Bahn trains and buses. All forms of public transport are priced by zone, although most of the time you’re unlikely to go outside central zone A (which also includes the airport). Costs are €1.90 for a Kurzstrecke (short hop); €2.50 for a single ticket; and €8.40 for a Tageskarte (day ticket), or €7.10 if bought after 9 am.

• Electricity and plug types: Germany uses the standard continental 220-volt system. UK travellers will need a two-pin plug adaptor.

• Time zone: Hamburg operates on Central European Time (CET), which is one hour ahead of GMT.

• Required travel documentation: UK travellers need a valid passport to enter Germany. No visa is required for short stays of up to 90 days.

Best things to do in Hamburg

Hamburg – booming port metropolis and the largest non-capital city in Western Europe – is renowned for its arts and theatre, as well as its strong counterculture movement, and a nightlife that is as raucous as it is refined.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Elbphilharmonie Plaza: A bold design by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the city’s magnificent concert hall is a futuristic tower of glass on the brown-brick shell of a former coffee warehouse. It’s well worth a visit for the views from its open-air public viewing plaza 37m above the river.

The best districts

• Schanzenviertel: A former working-class district that nurtured the city’s alternative culture, the “Schanze” has evolved into the epicentre of the hipster Hamburg scene, with a good spread of cheap eats, bars and boutiques and a scruffy, laidback vibe.

• St Georg: East of the Hauptbahnhof, this has gentrified from red-light district to a gay-friendly area centred on the restaurants and bars of Lange Reihe.

• Speicherstadt: Supposedly the largest warehouse district in the world, with red-brick buildings, narrow canals and cobbled streets, this is a great place to wander and soak up the atmosphere.

Museums

• Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe: The vast Museum of Art and Crafts is a treasure-trove of decorative arts, from antiquities to a who’s who of modern interior design, alongside superb Renaissance and Baroque exhibits, fashions, poster art and graphics, plus objets d’art from the Islamic world and East Asia.

• The Kunsthalle: The world-class Kunsthalle (Art Hall) opens the Kunstmeile (“Art Mile”) with a feast of paintings and sculpture, from medieval to modern, which takes at least half a day to digest properly.

Historical monuments

• St Michaelis: Built by Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse, this is Hamburg’s most iconic church and no wonder: the finest Baroque church in North Germany, the “Michel” mirrors the city’s irrepressible spirit.

• Rathaus: A monument to inspire Hamburg’s citizens and embody the city’s burgeoning wealth, this neo-Renaissance edifice oozes civic self-confidence.

• The Chilehaus: Taking inspiration from the ships in the docks, Expressionist architect Fritz Höger married cost-saving brick with sleek Twenties style. And the 10-storey Chilehaus certainly has style, despite locals’ quips about a flat iron.

Parks and gardens

• Planten un Blomen: One of Hamburg’s most beloved green spaces, here you’ll find the city’s Old Botanic Garden along with two Japanese gardens, one with a tea house - delightful.

• Jenischpark: With its rolling green acres, woodland paths and stately Jenisch House, this is highly reminiscent of a stately English park.

Day trips in the area

• Lübeck: The medieval queen of the Hanseatic League is as ravishing as ever – a small-town symphony that’s as cultured as it is charming. And all with a decent beach on its doorstep.

• Schleswig: The former Viking stronghold of northern Europe has mellowed into an idyllic small town on a fjord with a blockbuster museum to boot.

Activities for families in Hamburg

Few cities in Germany cater so well for families as Hamburg, with a positively endless supply of kiddie-oriented attractions to explore - many on or near the water, which is little surprise here.

• Ferry rides: An alternative way to reach the western suburbs – and do a bit of sightseeing at the same time– is by the Elbe River ferries from St-Pauli-Landungsbrücken. Boats to Altona or Övelgönne leave from Brücke 3; non-municipal tourist services of the ATG Alster-Touristik line circuit around the nine quays on the Aussenalster.

• Interactive museums: Kids will love Miniatur Wunderland, Europe’s largest model railway – currently 1500m squared, with around 900 trains over its 16km of track, it’s an astonishing sight - you could easily spend hours in here. The same building houses the Hamburg Dungeon, a franchise of the schlock-horror-fest with local themes.

• Harbour tours: Germany’s largest harbour (and ninth biggest in the world) is a must on any visit to Hamburg. In high season all manner of craft – from two-storey catamarans to replica Mississippi paddle steamers – set off every half-hour to spend an hour or two nosing around the vast container and ship-repair port.

Free things to do in Hamburg

Hamburg packs in an awful lot of free activities that allow you to explore the city without dipping too deeply into your pockets.

• Beaches: Yes, Hamburg has its own beach! Head to Elbstrand for a relaxing afternoon of sunbathing, people-watching or just taking in the views of ships sailing by on the Elbe - plenty of beach bars to indulge in too.

• Parks: Not only is Planten un Blomen free to enter, but during the summer months, you can enjoy free light and water fountain shows over the water.

• Markets: The city’s oldest market, Fischmarkt is a mind-boggling sprawl of wares, from genuine bargains to tat, from fruit and veg to livestock; a super place to wander without feeling like you need to spend.

Nature and outdoor activities in Hamburg

While Hamburg is known primarily for its urban energy, there are ways and means to escape the big city.

• Cycling: Thanks to a good network of cycle routes off the main roads, cycling is a joy here. Municipal StadtRAD bikes are on the street throughout the city or, alternatively, try Hamburg City Cycles in St Pauli at Gebrüder-Wolf-Platz.

• Water sports: At the nearby Alster lakes, you can pick up a pedalo, canoe or sailing dinghy at rental outfits dotted around the Aussenalster.

• Birdwatching and wildlife: North of the city, Duvenstedter Brook Nature Reserve offers up fantastic birdwatching, especially during the migration season - and you might also spot deer, wild boar and other animals if you’re lucky.

Local dishes in Hamburg

Hamburg’s culinary scene is as diverse as the city itself, offering a blend of traditional northern German fare and, with its proximity to the North Sea, superb seafood; holidays to Hamburg are sure to be a treat for the taste buds.

Some typical dishes

• Labskaus: A sailor’s hash that minces corned beef, potatoes and onion, and sometimes beetroot and pickled gherkin, and is topped with a fried egg and rollmop herring. The result: a bright pink stodge that locals swear cures hangovers.

• Aalsuppe: Vegetable-based soup or stew. Despite the seeming reference to eel, “aal” means “all” in Low Saxon, and refers to the mix of vegetables, herbs and meats traditionally used in the preparation, though most chefs now add eel to avoid arguments.

• Bohnen, Birnen und Speck: Literally, green beans, pears and bacon – a tasty, light dish that’s ideal for summer.

Meat dishes

• Frikadellen: German-style meatballs made with minced pork or beef, mixed with breadcrumbs and onions, and fried until golden.

• Grünkohl mit Pinkel: A winter dish of kale (grünkohl) cooked with sausages (pinkel) and bacon, this is a hearty and warming winter meal.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Matjesfilet: Fresh and tangy, this is pickled herring served in various ways, often with onions, apples or sour cream.

• Pannfisch: Using whatever is fresh that day, these fried fish fillets are served with a mustard sauce and fried potatoes.

• Fischbrötchen: Fish-filled sandwich, typically pickled herring, smoked salmon or shrimp, along with onions, pickles and sauce.

Street food

• Hamburger: The world’s favourite fast food was introduced to the States in the late 1800s by emigrants from Hamburg, who knew it as a dockers’ street snack.

• Franzbrötchen: A local Hamburg pastry, Franzbrötchen is a bit like a cinnamon roll, but flatter and crispier; made with butter, cinnamon and sugar, it’s popular both for breakfast and as a midday snack.

Sweets and desserts

• Rote Grütze: Rich dish made of red berries swimming in cream, popular on sweltering summer days.

• Kaffee und Kuchen: When visiting Hamburg, it’d be remiss not to take part in the local tradition of “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee and cake); the best coffee pairing is Apfelkuchen, a delicious apple cake.

Local drinks

• Alsterwasser: Fortunately not the water of the Alster lakes but shandy in a 50-50 ratio of beer and lemonade.

• Beer: Hamburg has a long brewing tradition, and its dozens of bars stock a wide variety of local brews; look out for Astra.