Among the prime attractions in Hamburg Carl Hegenbeck’s Tierport, Kunsthalle Art Museum, Port of Hamburg, Reeperbahn & St Pauli District, St Nikolai Church lays its mark among all the visitors. The Carl Hegenbeck’s Tierport is the zoo which has almost 2000 animals. There are dolphin shows and the elephant rides makes it a place just like a fairy tale.
The port has the best scenic beauties and a tourist can sense the best of the place from here. There are several cafes and restaurants which line down near the harbor. Reeperbahn & St Pauli District represents the nightlife of Hamburg. Hamburg tourism is incomplete without the mention of this. The Erotic Sex museum is a must watch for everybody who visits this place. The St Nikolai Church is an architectural masterpiece.
St Michael’s Church marks the skyline of the Hamburg city and the Speicherstadt is the ware house district which has a history of 100years.
Hamburg tourism is the best in entire Germany because it has lavish arrangements of food for the tourist. The harbor restaurants and the fresh fishes they offer are a delightful treat for the visitors. Seven seas and Piment are restaurants which offer both reasonable and high priced food.
Hamburg tourism remains incomplete if we forget to speak about the green world. The parks and the gardens are a major attraction for the tourist. Alsterpark, Planten un Blomen Park and the Municipal park adds feather to the green world of Hamburg. The lake situated in the middle of the city helps the visitors to have a look on the surroundings while they ride on the boat.
There are several events and exhibitions that are organized in the city and the people just love those. Hamburg tourism is a success if a person visits the place during the period of these events.
Hamburg tourism is never a difficult task because there are rail links and bus links from the major neighboring city. The accommodation in the city is widely distributed from high priced to reasonable hotels. The Hamburg Airport has the airlines from all the major countries. Thus the tourism in Hamburg has a rich glamour of itself.History of Hamburg
The Hamburg city called as the second largest city in Germany was not built in a day. The historical evidences reveal that the city was not found on Elbe but on its tributary, the Alster. The History of Hamburg shows that people first settled in Hamburg in the eight century. During the 9th century Hamburg was founded by the Carolingians as a military base and also as a religious centre.
A fortress was built to prevent the Scandinavian and Saxon invasion. The fortress was called the Hammaburg. The city was previously known by this name only. The History of Hamburg suggests that a charter was passed to Count Adolf III in the 12th century by Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa which gave major trade rights to the city. Thus the city was converted into a major city of trade. History of Hamburg also suggests that it became the major city port of the Hanseatic League. The city harbor became a major trade centre for fur, grains and several other things. The construction of the Speicherstadt or the storage district made the city the major port city. It was also called to be the free port in 1888 representing it as the largest warehouse of coffee, cocoa and spices.
The History of Hamburg shows the disasters which struck the city. A fire broke in the year in 1842 which almost ate up third of the city. The World War I and World War II also mark repeated destruction in the city. But the people of Germany are always very patient. They built up the city once again and this marked the glory of the city.
In the modern times Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and the best port in the world. The city got the metropolis status in the year 1900.In the 1860 Hamburg became an industrial city. The History of Hamburg also shows the great disasters the city had to face. The Occupation of Napoleon’s troops from 1806-1814, the great fire if 1842, the World Wars and the Flood of 1962 are worth mention when a person is talking about the History of Hamburg.
The modern time Hamburg is far developed and sophisticated than the earlier days.
Sightseeing in Hamburg
Hamburg is popularly known as Germany's "gate to the world". It is Germany's second largest city, and with roughly 1.7 million inhabitants. Hamburg boasts of a history of more than 1000 years. Hamburg is a truly cosmopolitan and tolerant city with a remarkable variety of historic and modern architecture, international lifestyle and port city flair. Sightseeing in Hamburg is really entertaining and enjoyable.
Sightseeing in Hamburg offers some of the fascinating sights in the world. Otto von Bismarck Monument is one of the major attractions of the city. This statue marks the German leader who unified the country in the 19th century. Constructed at the turn of 20th century, the Bismarck Monument provides a great look at the history of Germany and its development into a modern state. Rathaus is a celebrated historical building in Germany that represents the culture, history, and people of Hamburg. This historical building houses 647 rooms and is commemorated by a neo-Renaissance motif and is capped by an ornate clock tower.
The public square in front of the Town Hall is home to numerous civic and cultural events and features memorial tributes to poet Heinrich Heine, composer G.P. Telemann, and the casualties of World War. The Rote Flora previously was home to the historic Flora Theater. Today this building is enshrouded with modern graffiti art and is home to a cultural center. This site offers an interesting look at the confluence of old and new in this historic German city. St. Jacobi Kirche is another major attraction of Frankfurt. St. Katharinen Kirche built during the 14th and 15th centuries reflects Gothic influences, as evidenced by its massive, openwork tower constructed in 1762. St. Michaelis Kirche brick church is among Northern Germany's loveliest Baroque-style buildings.
The signature feature of this church is the tower, which was added in 1786.This tower is also considered Hamburg's definitive symbol. Twice daily, a trumpeter plays a solo from the tower while a full ensemble performs during festivals. Besides these here are many other attractions here.
Sightseeing in Hamburg will certainly enthrall you and you will cherish this journey throughout your life.Festivals and Events in Hamburg
Christopher Street Day
Christopher Street Day is an annual festival held in many countries in Europe; wjile Germany and Switzerland know it as Christopher Street Day, other countries call it Gay Pride or Pride Parade: Austria calls the celebration Rainbow Parade.
Christopher Street Day started as a reaction against police atrocities against the homosexuals in New York's Christopher Street in Greenwich Village on June 27, 1969. New York initiated the celebration the following year in June; Germany started its celebrations in the two cities of Bremen and Berlin in 1979.
Christopher Street Day can also be compared to carnival processions, which are marked by a stream of music and revelry. The essence of Street Day is fun and celebration on the open street and an overt display of one sexual orientation without fear or embarrassment. The celebrations last for an entire week; in Hamburg alone over 30000 walk in the streets to participate in the celebration. It is not uncommon to see barely dressed men dancing on the road along with many drag queens and women.
The recent years have seen Christopher Street Day taking up political colors with political leaders using the day as an excuse to launch their political campaign, such act of interposition is regretted by many but also acknowledged as unavoidable; apart from political meetings. This increased political interference has prompted the organizers of Christopher Street Day in Berlin to launch an alternative to the celebration known as Kreuzberger CSD or Transgenial CSD. In these events the political parties are not invited and kept away from the celebration.
In Germany the largest of the Christopher Street Day take place in Berlin and Cologne. In 2002 Cologne witnessed over 1.2 million revelers on the streets. Hamburg receives a respectable number of participants in the fair; the strength notwithstanding, the joy in the celebration is no different from anywhere else in the world.
Hamburg International Short Film Festival
Hamburg International Short Film Festival was started in 1985 as a movie festival which was a far departure from the glamour and glitz of other film festivals around the world. The Short Film Festival sought to establish a separate podium for the talented film makers who made films on shoe string budget. Hamburg International Short Film Festival was initially called No Budget Film Festival. It was only in 1994 that the present name was adopted.
Hamburg International Short Film Festival has grown into a common plane on which filmmakers from various countries come and interact while appreciating each other’s work. This Film Festival in Hamburg also conducts an international competition for a short film which promises quality as well as originality, there is also a competition for No Budget films, which includes movies made without much funds spent. The awards given in the Hamburg International Short Film Festival include the Hamburg Short Film Award and Francois Ode Award, the latter award is a tribute to Agence du Court Metrage who lent invaluable support to ShortFilmAgency Hamburg. Other awards include Children’s Film Festival which welcomes movies made by 6-14 year-olds, Three Minute Quickie Competition on a particular theme and Made in Germany Jameson Award and Made in Germany Audience Award.
ShortFilmAgency coordinate the functioning of the Hamburg International Short Film Festival. The Festival lasts for a week from the first week of June to the second week.
The basis for festivals like Hamburg International Short Film Festival arises from the fact that only when a filmmaker is given creative license that he can live out his potential, this means that the filmmaker’s creative potency should not be tied down by the precepts of what is expected of a film.
Since its foundation, Hamburg International Short Film Festival has seen many talented filmmakers showcasing their talents. Many of the award winning archives are shown in the festival every year.How to get in
Getting to Hamburg (By Air Train Road Bus)
As a major city in Germany, Hamburg receives a huge crowd of visitors and tourists. The city therefore offers ample scopes for its guests to travel to the city with ease. The ones getting to Hamburg have a number of options which include traveling to the city by air, train, road, bus or ship.
Getting to Hamburg by Air: Getting to Hamburg by air is easy as the city possesses an excellent airport which links it to the other parts of the country and beyond. The airport of Hamburg boasts of a modern infrastructure which provides for every amenity required to guarantee a smooth flight. A number of major airlines like the British Airways, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, etc operate regular flights to Hamburg. As the airport stands a little away from the city, a number of buses run to take the passengers from the airport to the main city. Some flights to Hamburg land in other airports which are located at the vicinity of the city. For instance, several European flights land in the Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport near the main city. The Hamburg-Uetersen Airport receives several flights from the other parts of the country.
Getting to Hamburg by Train: The trains provide another convenient mode of traveling to the city. The city is served by 5 major stations, namely, Hauptbahnhof, Altona, Dammtor, Harburg and Bergedorf. Hamburg is linked to the other parts of Germany by the Inter City Express which provides an extremely fast and comfortable way of reaching the city. The ICE connects Hamburg to some major cities like Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, and even Basel and Zurich. Hourly trains run to some other cities like Copenhagen, Budapest, Prague, Vienna, and Bratislava, thus providing an easy access from across the continent.
Getting to Hamburg by Road: Hamburg is well connected to the other corners of the country by a number of roads and highways. The city can be easily reached by car via the motorways like:
A1( from Lübeck)A7( from Flensburg in north and Hanover in South)
A23 (from Husum)
A24 (from Berlin)
Getting to Hamburg by Bus: Well linked bus routes run to the city from several major cities across the continent. ZOB, or Hamburg’s main bus station operates a regular network of buses that move to and from cities like Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Copenhagen, and several other cities of Eastern Europe.
Hamburg Airport
Being a major city of Germany Hamburg receives a huge crowd of visitors. The airport here is therefore a vital gateway to the city as it welcomes innumerable visitors from across the globe. Hamburg’s airport is well equipped to guarantee its passengers a smooth and enjoyable flight.
The airport in Hamburg had been opened in 1911, and has since then has been functioning as a major international airport, connecting the city to the other corners of the country and beyond. Attempts had been made to abandon the present airport and shift it to northwards near Kaltenkirchen. The idea was however never implemented the airport still stands as a vital part of the city. Instead of shifting, the old structure has been considerably modernized, equipping it with cutting edge technologies and excellent service.
The airport in Hamburg sprawls across a huge distance which has increased from an initial area of 440,000 square meters to the present 5.7 square kilometers. The airport today ranks fifth in size among the country’s airports. A host of national and international flights travel here carrying passengers from distant corners. About 62 airlines operate here in total, linking the city to 120 airports across the globe. The major airlines hosted by Hamburg are:
Aer Lingus (Dublin)
Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)
airBaltic (Riga, Vilnius)
Air Berlin (Alicante, Arrecife, Barcelona, Heraklion, Ibiza, Jerez de la Frontera, Las Palmas, Mahon, Malaga, Manchester, Nuremberg, Palma de Mallorca, Rome-Fiumicino, Tenerife-South, Vienna, Zürich)
Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
Air Malta (Malta)
Air Transat (Toronto-Pearson)
Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
Austrian Arrows (Vienna)
Blue1 (Helsinki)
British Airways (London-Heathrow)
BA Connect (Birmingham, Edinburgh)
Condor Airlines (Antalya, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife-South)
Continental Airlines (Newark)
Czech Airlines (Prague)
dba (Düsseldorf, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Munich, Stuttgart)
easyJet Switzerland (Basel/Mulhouse, Geneva)
Emirates (Dubai, New York-JFK)
Estonian Air (Talinn [starts April 2007])
Finnair (Helsinki)
Germanwings (Corfu, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen, Izmir, London-Gatwick, Moscow-Vnukovo, Munich, Pristina, Split, Stuttgart, Toulouse, Zagreb)
Iran Air (Tehran-Mehrabad)
Jat Airways (Belgrade)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM Cityhopper (Amsterdam)
LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw)
Lufthansa (Brussels, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Innsbruck, London-Heathrow, Moscow-Sheretmetyevo, Munich, Palma de Mallorca, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Rome-Fiumicino, Vienna)
As the airport is located a few kilometers from the city, the city’s transport system operates a regular network of buses and taxis to take the passengers to and from the airport to the main city. The S-Bahn, o the city’s rapid transport links the airport with a network of speedy trains.
The airport possesses a large shopping and dining area to provide every amenity to the passengers. A number of bars and restaurants like the Alfredo Bar, Blue Sky or Pier 1 Bar cater a fine range of delicacies to refresh the passengers after a lengthy flight.
Medical facilities can also be availed here as the airport ensures a safe and healthy journey to its passengers. The German Red Cross operates a medical unit to provide first aid and furnish the passengers with tips to enjoy a safe trip.Hotels in Hamburg
