Hamburg Travel

Overview
Hamburg is a German city situated on the Elbe River, and its port is one of the ten most important in the world. The city's center is defined by the streets Spitaler Straße and Mönckebergstraße and is mostly a shopping district, though there are a few notable sightseeing attractions in the area. However, you'll find more valuable sights in the areas around both the city hall and St. Nikolai. The harbor area hosts a few decent sightseeing attractions, though it is the most modernized city district. This is the area that is most tourist-oriented, with the majority of the city's hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, and clubs.

Sightseeing Attractions
Around the city's center, you'll find the remains of two once-important Hamburg structures: the bishops tower, built in the 11^th century, and the Hammaburg fortress, built in the 9^th century. Hamburg's city hall is an impressive structure and is surrounded by other notable buildings such as Rathaushof and Rathausmarkt. Around St. Nikolai, you'll find Hamburg's oldest remaining bridge, the Zollenbrücke from the 17^th century, and the remains of the church itself are a sight worth seeing, especially the Vierländerinbrunnen fountain that sits in front of the ruins. Finally, the Auswandererhalle is a major sight for its historical notoriety.

Museum, Theater, and Outdoor Attractions
Hamburg is home to several world-renowned museums, some of the more notable being Deichtorhallen, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, and Kunsthalle. Hamburg is also a city that is heavily influenced by theater. There are many fantastic theaters scattered throughout the city, including Deutsches Schauspielhaus, the Ernst-Deutsch Theater, and the Laeiszhalle. There are several beaches in the area between Övelgönne and Blankenese, and these are nice places for a swim or a picnic in the summer. Additionally, Hamburg has many fantastic parks. Some of the more popular include the Alter Botanischer Garten, Planten un Bloomen, Ohlsdorfer Friedhof, and Hagenbecks Tierpark.

Nightlife
Hamburg's main shopping district runs along the Mönckebergstraße in the city's center, though the Schanzenviertel has recently been gaining popularity for its boutiques. Dining establishments are not hard to discover in Hamburg -- they can be found on just about any corner, offering traditional German dishes alongside other worldly cuisines. Nightlife is fierce in Hamburg. In fact, Hamburg's Red-Light District, the Reeperbahn in Sankt Pauli, is world-famous for its party scene. In this district, you'll find hundreds of bars, pubs, and nightclubs, offering everything from live bands to DJ-controlled techno music, traditional German beers to unique cocktails with liqueurs that are found only in Germany. Prostitution is legal and abundant in this district, and sex shops are scattered around the streets. Overall, it's the location of the best party scene in the city.