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- Destinations
- Europe
- Germany
- Hamburg
Hamburg
Hamburg is a watery city, geographically, historically and
atmospherically. It is Germany's second largest city and lies on
the Elbe River, for centuries a major port and trading centre for
central Europe. The city has a network of canals that rival those
of Venice (it is said to have more bridges than Venice) and is
centred on two artificial lakes that take up eight percent of its
total area. Probably because of all the water, Hamburg is also
known as Germany's 'green city', sporting 1,400 parks and gardens.
Modern buildings sit cheek by jowl with historic Baroque and
Renaissance architecture, and by night the neon lights dazzle
all-night revellers, particularly in the city's notorious red light
district, the Reeperbahn.
Hamburg was founded in 810 by Charlemagne and earned its place
in history by becoming the most strategic port in the Hanseatic
League of North German cities which controlled trade in the Baltic
and North Seas between the 13th and 15th centuries. A great fire
destroyed much of the city in 1842, and a century later World War
II bombing raids again laid it waste, but Hamburg bounced back with
style, thanks to the wealth garnered from its position as a trading
centre. The city's tourist board claims that Hamburg is now home to
more millionaires per capita than any other city in Europe.
Most of the sights of interest to tourists in the city are
centred on its maritime traditions, particularly in the harbour
area, where the warehouse district (Alster Arkaden) has been
transformed into an entertaining destination offering a variety of
shops, cafes and restaurants. Hamburg also has a number of lovely
gardens and pretty churches and cathedrals, though there is little
old architecture left in the old town. There are also a number of
museums dedicated to history, art, communications, ethnology, and
even spices. Further afield, Hamburg is the gateway to the seaside
and spa resorts of the Baltic and North Sea coastline.
Information & Facts
Climate
Hamburg is a fairly wet and windy city, prevailing westerly
winds blowing in moist air from the North Sea. Summers are warm but
rainy, with occasional brief dry, sunny spells. Winters are cold,
sometimes chilling to 28ºF (-2ºC) or below in January, the coldest
month, when the Elbe and lakes in the city centre have been known
to freeze enough for ice-skating. Snowfall is usually light,
starting in early December, with icy sleet being the more common
form of winter precipitation. Spring is very pleasant in Hamburg
when the city's thousands of trees come into bloom with a new cloak
of green, and days start to warm up after the dreary winter.
Getting Around
Hamburg's extensive public transport system consists of the
U-Bahn (subway), the S-Bahn (suburban train), buses and harbour
ferries, and makes getting around without a car pleasurable. The
U-Bahn is excellent and serves the whole city centre; it connects
with the S-Bahn that services the suburbs, and this train network
is the fastest way to get around the city. Buses are also
convenient and night buses operate in the downtown area. The
Hamburg Card allows unlimited travel for a day on all public
transport as well as discounted rates or free admission to museums,
on city tours and lake cruises. Taxis are less expensive than other
German cities and are available at all hours.
Language
German is the official language. English is also widely
spoken and understood.
Money
The unit of currency is the Euro (EUR), divided into 100 cents.
ATMs and exchange bureaux are widely available. The major credit
cards are becoming more widely accepted in many large shops, hotels
and restaurants, although Germans themselves prefer to carry cash.
Travellers cheques are best cashed at exchange bureaux, as banks
often won't change them. The quickest and most convenient way to
change money is to obtain cash from one of the ATM machines that
are ubiquitous features on all German streets. Banks are closed on
weekends, but exchange bureaux at airports and main railway
stations are open daily from 6am to 10pm.
Time
GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the last
Sunday in October).