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  • Things to do

Welcome to Germany’s second city, where the beer is flowin’ and the city is alive with culture. And it’s no surprise – Hamburg has long been a rock ‘n’ roll city; a ton of famous composers settled there over the years, and it was even home to some of The Beatles’ earliest and most notable concerts in the ‘60s.  Now? It’s as cool as it ever was, and it’s seriously populated (1.9 million people live there, to be exact). And as the Gateway to the World, Hamburg is a place that has always evaded tradition, and its innovative food scene reflects this as much as its many, many museums, galleries and theatres. What is Hamburg? Well, it is Hamburg. It couldn’t be anything else. From gourmet cuisine to the sinful lights of the Reeperbahn, here are the best things to do in brilliant Hamburg.  RECOMMENDED:🍲 The best restaurants in Hamburg🏛️ The best attractions in Hamburg🏨 The best hotels in Hamburg Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

  • Restaurants

Sure, a lot of Germany is thriving food wise, but don't sleep on Hamburg. The food scene is a seriously exciting place to be, and it helps if you know exactly where to look.  So that's where we come in. The best restaurants in Hamburg range from traditional German grub to delightful seafood (in fact, Germany’s largest port is famous for serving the best fish found in this part of the world, don'tcha know). Whatever you're after, here are the best restaurants in Hamburg.    RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Hamburg🐟 The best restaurants in Hamburg🛏 The best hotels in Hamburg💡 Hamburg travel tips every first-time visitor needs to know Eliza Apperly is a writer based in Germany. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

  • Attractions

At various points in its history, Hamburg’s been known as many things. A harbour city, media capital, millionaire’s metropolis and anarchist hub – and occasionally all at once. Germany’s second-largest city offers an intoxicating mix of blustery North Sea winds, rollicking nightlife, rich Hanseatic history and radical politics. Hamburg’s got more bridges than Venice and basks in a crisp northern light. It’s a city defined by its proximity to water, from its Sunday morning Fischmarkt and the picturesque Strandperle beach through to the Schanzenviertel, the traditional – if now much gentrified – heart of Hamburg counter-culture. It’s a city of contrasts: of the red light thrill of the Reeperbahn and world-class cultural institutions like the Elbphilharmonie and the Hamburger Kunsthalle. As you can no doubt already guess, Hamburg is a pretty darn difficult place to sum-up in a couple of paragraphs. So read on for our top 10 best attractions in this gloriously diverse, multifaceted, un-pin-downable city. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Where to stay in Hamburg
  • Hotels

Ah, Hamburg. From the craziness of a night out in St Pauli to a sleepy afternoon browsing the world-class art galleries with mates, we never tire of spending time in Germany’s second largest city. Culture vultures can get their fix of Old Masters and the Elbphilharmonie, while barflies won’t suffer for lack of beer. Ultimately, this is just a city with loads of things to do. The neighbourhoods all have their distinct flavours and, understandably, attract slightly different crowds. Altstadt is the place to be if you love a high-end boutique, a good smattering of historic architecture and exhibitions galore. Alternately, caffeine-fiends in need of a cup of the good stuff should make a bee-line to Schanzenviertel. Or, if you’re in the market for a blow-out meal and lovely views of the river Elbe, try Blankenese for Michelin-starred dining at Hamburg’s top restaurants and the city’s poshest hotels. RECOMMENDED:⛴ The best things to do in Hamburg📍 The best attractions in Hamburg⏰ How to spend 48 hours in Hamburg✅ Travel tips every first time Hamburg visitor needs to know

  • Bars and pubs

Don’t let it be overshadowed by the likes of Berlin: Hamburg is a great night out in and of itself. And sure, it’s less queueing for three hours and partying until 9am, but that makes it all the better for a city break. The best thing about the nightlife here? Bars, and lots of them. Here you’ll find everything from glitzy basement cocktail dens to vinyl-spinning DJs, and plenty of local craft beer too. Ready for your Hamburg night out? Here are the city’s best bars right now.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Hamburg🐟 The best restaurants in Hamburg🛏 The best hotels in Hamburg Eliza Apperly is a writer based in Germany. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

The 5 best day trips from Hamburg
  • Things to do

Should the brisk north winds leave you in the mood for a day trip out of town, you’re in luck. While big, proud Hamburg is no doubt the major North German metropolis brimming with attractions and things to do, there are several superb destinations just an hour or two from the city – not least its Hanseatic sisters of Bremen and Lübeck, and picture-perfect Lüneberg, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the country. For a dose of fresh air and forest, don’t miss the fairytale lake Schloss of Schwerin, or hire a bike and pedal through the apple, pear and cherry trees of the Altes Land, the North German answer to agri-tourism. RECOMMENDED: 📍 The best things to do in Hamburg🐟 The best restaurants in Hamburg🛏 The best hotels in Hamburg💡 Hamburg travel tips every first-time visitor needs to know

Fischmarkt
  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • price 2 of 4

Depending on how late last night was, or whether you went to bed at all, an early morning visit to the Sunday Fischmarkt is a legendary Hamburg experience. It’s been doing brisk, fishy business since 1703, with raucous criers promising all the bargains and bawdy banter you could wish for. Of course, there’s fish in abundance—smoked, fresh, pickled—alongside plenty of flowers, fruit, vegetables, second-hand fare and even livestock. For the unwearied Reeperbahn reveller, the neighbouring Fischauktionshalle promises to keep the party flowing with beer and live rock bands. For those looking for a more restorative breakfast, there are plenty of nearby cafés. The Fischmarkt is open from 5am in summer, 7am in winter, and closes at 9:30am throughout the year.

  • Things to do

Welcome to Hamburg, a city brisk with sea air, brimming with Hanseatic pride and open to the world not only in terms of centuries of maritime trade, but also in its vivid mix of nationalities, identities and political inclinations – not to mention its dusk-to-dawn party stamina. Whether you’re in town for 48 hours, a week or indefinitely, here’s how to make the most of this exciting harbour city, from public transport tips to tucked-away architectural treasures. ⛴ The best things to do in Hamburg📍 The best attractions in Hamburg⏰ How to spend 48 hours in Hamburg

Fischereihafen Hamburg
  • Restaurants
  • Contemporary European
  • price 4 of 4

For old-school Hamburg class and outstanding seafood, you can choose no better than the Fischereihafen. Run by the same family since the 1980s, it combines formal elegance with warm hospitality and counts Prince and Princess of Wales among its more eminent guests. It may be plain from the brick façade but feels like the first-class dining room of a transatlantic liner as soon as you’ve stepped through the door, with candlelight, carpeted floors, white linen tablecloths and nautical scenes on the wall. Unchanged over the years, it’s by no means a hip joint, rather the kind of place you want to play a little vintage dapper and order a glass of champagne. The oysters, lobster soup, turbot and tiger prawns come particularly recommended, but everything here is first-class and supremely fresh. The views across the harbor are great by day or night, and service is impeccable.  If it’s warm enough, book a table on the terrace.

  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • price 1 of 4

For the best retro or vintage souvenirs, head to Flohschanze, considered by many to be the city’s best flea market. Every Saturday, hundreds of vendors hold court at the market, which is located in the hip Schanzenviertel district near an old slaughterhouse and has an excellent view of the FC St. Pauli soccer stadium. Just about everything is on offer, from Mid-Century light fixtures to brass candle sticks, used bicycles, clothes, furniture and even car batteries. While you won’t find brand new items from local retailers, that’s a good thing; it’s a flea market in the truest sense, meaning bargains are to be found. Toilets are in a trailer on site, and offer a clean experience for a small charge.