Day 2 : Hamburg City and Harbor Tour

Hamburg Harbor , Germany
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Before we start our European Discovery with Contiki we had a free day to experience and explore Hamburg Germany's "Gateway to the World" and Hamburg Harbor , the largest sea-port in Germany and - in terms of numbers of containers handled in 2004 - the second-largest in Europe and the ninth-largest worldwide.

Far up north in Germany the city of Hamburg lays like an emerald surrounded by hundreds of waters in the middle of Europe . Most people do think that Venice in Italy is the city with the most bridges , but it's not - it's Hamburg!

Harbor Tour , Speicherstadt and river Elbe

Hamburg Harbor , Germany
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There is water and greenery wherever you look at . Small cute canals run like veins inside the city center . There is soooo much green, everywhere! Parks, gardens and nature preserve areas. In Hamburg you will notice at once that this is not a typical 3 million city like any other on the world. Particularly the skyscrapers are missing. You will have a hard time finding a building higher than 10 floors. So whenever you take a stroll in the city center you will never have the feeling of being just in the middle of a pulsing huge metro pol and very cosmopolitan indeed .

Hamburg harbor , Germany
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The highlights of the city should be Lake Alster and Harbor . The Alster lake in the heart of Hamburg defines the city’s image and its lifestyle .

The large lake in the heart of the green Hanseatic city is a paradise for sailors, rowers and canoeists. A whopping 160 hectares in size (and, by the way, only 2.5 meters at its deepest) this artificial lake was created as early as the 13th century out of the Alster rivulet and its even smaller tributaries, which today provide a romantic stretch of water for rowers and paddlers.

Fish Market , Hamburg
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Hamburgers and visitors to Hamburg like to stroll around the Alster, because a walk around the Alster is one of the most rewarding things that the green city has to offer.

The Kennedy bridge separate the Alster into the Außenalster (outer Alster) and the Binnenalster (inner Alster) in the city centre . The Binnenalster gives the city center a romantic and maritime touch .

The Alster steamers on the Jungfernstieg depart for a “Törn übern Teich” (a turn around the pond). The sightseeing tours provide enchanting views of the city skyline . You can also get a different view if you choose to take a hot air balloon tour .

Sunset @ Binnenalster , Hamburg
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We took a Sightseeing bus tour for 2-3 hours followed by a Grand Harbor Tour which also lasted around 2 hours .

Well, despite the fact that almost every tourist guide book on this planet covers Hamburg you will never see the real beauty of it if you follow the tourist tracks ! Go where the locals go . Do yourself a favor and skip the Kietz (Reeperbahn). In my opinion it is more a dirty tourist trap than anything else . Go and experience the night scene in Ottensen where you can have your beer outside of the bars (if it does not rain :-) surrounded of tens of other bars and thousands of nice people hanging around . This is really special and even for Germany very unique. You have to see the Binnenalster Its a river which turns into a kind of huge lake in the middle of the city center . During summer time there are hundreds of sailing boats out there and you can stroll around the lake on a beautiful path . Do not miss Landungsbrücken and of course not Wittenbergen (this is one of the secret tips!) . Wittenbergen is on the outer west corner of Hamburg and you one of the verry specials!

What's really great:

Hard to say, because there are so many special things. I love the Alster, the Speicherstadt and of course the river Elbe.