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Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city, and Europe’s
second largest port – yet it is 68 miles from the open
sea along the River Elbe. It is a city of affluence
(witness the succession of magnificent villas that line
the banks of the Elbe) and elegance (typified by its
many spacious shopping arcades and large department
stores); of churches, museums and impressive public
buildings, all with the austere beauty of North German
architecture. Shopping, sightseeing and nightlife – all
these holiday pastimes are catered for in this bustling,
cosmopolitan city of 1.6 million people. Nightlife (and
it goes on all night) is concentrated in the St. Pauli
district, with its famous Reeperbahn. And by day, the
intense activity of the port, where 13,000 vessels a
year bring cargo from all over the world, can be seen by
strolling along some of its 42 miles of quays or taking
a more leisurely steamer boat trip round the harbour.
Built
around the Alster lake, Hamburg is a city of greenery
and water, with a total of 2,400 bridges – more than
Venice, Amsterdam and London put together! Gardeners in
particular will be drawn to the “Planten un Blomen”, a
large, beautifully laid-out park in the city centre. The
Hagenbeck Zoo is Germany’s best known, and one of the
finest in the world. Hamburg’s famous Fish Market, first
registered in 1703, is fun, unusual and truly a must.
The
city is also a great cultural centre, with superb opera
and ballet – and it continues its reputation for staging
some of the world’s most famous musicals such as the
“Buddy Holly Story”.
Hamburg also offers some of the finest hotels on the
Continent and where food is concerned, naturally in an
international seaport like Hamburg, the world is your
oyster! |
