Things to Do in Northern Germany

St. Peter's Church is one of the five main churches in Hamburg that survived World War II. It is also the oldest remaining church in the city. Although the church has been expanded and rebuilt a few times, a church has been standing in this place since at least 1195. It is located at the highest point in Hamburg's old town. Today you can see the church's tower which stands at 433 feet tall and was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1842. Visitors can climb 544 stairs to the top of the tower for one of the best views of Hamburg from above.

Inside the church you will find many works of art. A mural from 1460 depicts the first bishop Ansgar of Bremen with the words “Apostle of the North.” Two oil paintings from the 17th century by Gottfried Libalt were returned to the cathedral in 2001 after being restored. A painting entitled Christmas 1813 in St. Peter's shows Hamburg citizens locked in the church when they refused to provide food to Napoleon's troops.

The Outer Alster Lake (Aussenalster) is the larger of Hamburg’s two lakes, stretching to almost 400 acres (162 hectares) in size, although never more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) deep. Equally popular with tourists and locals, it provides a welcome place of calm and tranquility against the urban backdrop of the busy city.

The impressive St. Pauli Piers (St. Pauli Landungsbrücken) is one of Hamburg's most popular attractions. Built in 1907, the 2,257-foot (688-meter) landungsbrücke (“pier”) is composed of several floating pontoons, which are accessible from land by 10 movable bridges. Once mooring points for large passenger steamships, today the pontoons are mostly used by sightseeing boats. The structure also features two towers of differing heights, plus several copper domes.

The Landungsbrücken is located in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district, between the lower harbor and the fish market, on the banks of the Elbe river. It forms a central transportation hub, with streetcar (S-Bahn), underground train (U-Bahn), and ferry stations all stopping here. It’s also a major tourist magnet, with numerous restaurants and departure points for harbor cruises. (A boat tour is considered the best way to see Hamburg.) With the water on one side, and colorful souvenir shops and quaint fish restaurants serving North Sea shrimp on the other side, it’s easy to forget that you are walking on a floating platform.

Hamburg’s Old Elbe Tunnel (Alter Elbtunnel, or officially St. Pauli Elbtunnel) runs under the Elbe River, connecting the St. Pauli jetties on the river’s north side to the Steinwerder in the Port of Hamburg. Comprising two separate tunnels for pedestrians and vehicles, it takes on-foot visitors on a very unique sort of stroll—underwater.

Opened in 2001, Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland holds the Guinness World Record for the largest model railway. One of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions, the vast landmark encompasses more than 1,000 trains, as well as myriad model airplanes, cruise ships, and other vehicles.

Universum Bremen is an expansive science museum featuring over 250 exhibits. There’s also a large outdoor area and a variety of entertaining and educational science shows suitable for all ages. The children's area features about 25 exhibits designed for kids ages 3 to 8.

Jungfernstieg is Hamburg's most popular shopping street, located along the Inner Alster Lake. Its name originates from an old tradition of families who would take their unmarried daughters or maidens (Jungfern) to walk around on this promenade. Jungfernstieg was also the first street in Germany to be paved with asphalt.

The stores on Jungfernstieg are mostly upscale shops where you can find high-end clothing, shoes, and jewelry. You can also find accessories, bath products, perfumes, cosmetics, and purses. There is also a spa where you can get a massage and other wellness services. Along with department stores and boutiques, there is also a wide selection of restaurants and cafes where you can stop for a meal while you're shopping.

The most traditional building in the area is the Alster Pavilion, dating back to 1799. Today there is a restaurant there called Cafe Alex where you can have a meal or a coffee while enjoying views of the Inner Alster Lake and the big fountain in the middle of the lake. Nearby is the Alster Pier where you can join a boat tour of the lake.

Hamburg is famous for its Beatles history. It's the city where the band got their start by playing at various clubs near Reperbahn in the St. Pauli neighborhood, Hamburg's red light district. This is where they eventually gained worldwide fame. Of the many clubs they appeared at, Kaiserkeller, located at Grosse Freiheit 36, is one you can still visit today. The Beatles started playing here in late 1960 after the Indra Club closed. It was a good location for the band since it was closer to the heart of the neighborhood.

Today the club, which is known by its address Grosse Freiheit 36, continues to host live shows and other events. Visitors come to explore the history of one of the world's most popular bands at one of the first clubs where the Beatles performed. It's also a fun place to enjoy more current music and experience Hamburg's nightlife. Nearby you can also see the Beatles Square as well as other clubs, both original and reincarnated, where the Beatles once played.

The city of Hamburg played a big part in Beatles history. The famous band made it big in Hamburg and spent their early days playing at a variety of clubs in Hamburg's St. Pauli neighborhood. In 2001 a radio program manager proposed the idea of having a square to honor the band's importance in Hamburg's history. Beatles Platz was finally finished in 2008.

The square has five metal silhouette statues to represent each musician who was at one point a member of the band: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, Ringo Starr, and Pete Best. The drummer statue represents both Ringo Starr and Pete Best, who was the drummer before Ringo. Visitors often stand in the life-sized silhouettes and pretend they are part of the band. The square is actually circular with a 95-foot diameter and was paved black to look like a vinyl record. There are also steel bands with the names of around 70 Beatles songs engraved on them.

The Alster Lakes—the Inner Alster (Binnenalster) and Outer Alster (Aussenalster)—are the scenic heart of Hamburg. Created when the Alster river was dammed in the 12th century, the lakes are linked to the Elbe River via a maze of canals and lined with green parks and waterfront promenades.

Discover the leafy side of Hamburg during a visit to the Planten und Blomen Park in the heart of the city. While plenty of parklands line the city’s canals and waterways, this park offers a particularly beautiful concentration of green space. Hamburg’s old botanic garden is preserved within the park.

Speicherstadt is one of the largest warehouse districts in the world, and the Warehouse District Museum (Speicherstadtmuseum) sits inside a warehouse built in 1888. Here, visitors can learn how goods have been shipped throughout the world by way of Hamburg for years. Featured are typical tools and imported goods that demonstrate the work of warehouse workers, as well as displays highlighting the weighing and sampling of goods, the refinement process and all of the considerations that must be made in the storage of valuable, imported goods such as coffee, cocoa, tobacco and rubber.

The museum hosts some exhibits on the tea and coffee trade, while another features photos and blueprints that show the history of Speicherstadt’s sconstruction. Visitors can also learn about the men who used to transport goods to the warehouses on barges.

The Warehouse District Museum holds regular guided tours, tea tastings and crime-thriller readings. There is also a cafe where you can get hot and cold drinks and cake, plus a museum shop filled with gifts and merchandise.

Permanently moored along Hamburg’s waterfront, the Rickmer Rickmers is the oldest of the city’s numerous museum ships, standing in prize place next to the famous Cap San Diego. The historic trade ship was first launched in 1896 and was used to import rice and bamboo from Hong Kong, before serving in WWI and later, being used as a training ship for the Portuguese navy.

Today, the beautifully restored ship remains a majestic sight, with its three masts and eye-catching green and red painted hull looming over the riverside. Visitors can explore on-board the ship, stroll the wooden decks and peek into the crew quarters, then duck into the engine room, where an original steam engine and a Krupp diesel engine are on display.

Discover European art since the 14th century during a visit to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg’s major art museum. See highlights from the permanent collection including paintings by Manet, Picasso, and Klee. The museum also features a range of special exhibitions from sculpture to abstract art to installations.