I've been living in Hamburg, Germany for almost 6 months now and every time a friend or a relative asks for recommendations, I have to go look up websites like tripadvisor and I realise I haven't done most of those things myself.
So I decided to create a list of my own. A list that would be my personal view of Hamburg and could be helpful for travellers who want a more local experience alongside all the touristy expensive things they wanna do.
So here is a list of my personal recommendations for tourists/travellers visiting Hamburg for 2 days to a week (minimum).
Sight-seeing
Town hall
Big historic beautiful building in the centre of the city. Built as a parliament house in the 19th century. Usually has a flea/food market in front of it on the weekends.
Miniatur Wunderland
The entire architecture, plan and map of over 20 different cities around the world, shrunk to the size of our fingers. It’s a great experience and one could easily spend 3-5 hours exploring every tiny detail of this attraction. Cost: 11-20 (depending on time and date) Euros per person.
Elbphilharmonie
Hamburg’s latest cultural centre. It’s a hall for classical music and it’s right beside the river Elbe in Haffen City. People from all over the world come to attend concerts here. Getting a ticket is next to impossible unless you book it months in advance but a guided tour of the whole building is highly recommended. Cost: 11-20 (depending on tour package).
International Maritime Museum
If you’re interested in old ships, models, understanding the importance trade and shipping and routes, then this museum is definitely worth a visit. Cost: 10 Euros
Chocoversum by Hachez
This is the chocolate museum which I haven’t visited personally but has been on my list for a very long time. It took awards for being the best chocolate museum for 2 years in a row and you can always taste the different kinds of chocolates they make. Cost: Unknown
St. Pauli
St. Pauli is a district in Hamburg and also home to the football club- St.Pauli FC. It is the liberaltarian side of the city with graffiti about freedom, love and peace can be see everywhere. It is generally a very picturesque part of town and home to a lot of bars and cafes. It is also a great place to do some local shopping. Homemade products are very popular in this area.
Food
Peter Pane
This is a chain of restaurants in north Germany and as the tagline suggests, it is a burger place. Hamburg is famous for its hamburgers and this place is my personal favorite. They have amazing, juicy and tender burgers and they make it fresh. You can customize your orders and there are always multiple offers running. Cost: 8-15 Euros per person.
Block House/Jim Block
This one’s a steakhouse for the meat lovers. I’ve only eaten here once and it has proven to be one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Of course, there are other options in the menu but the steak and sides here are mouthwatering. This is also found all over the city so finding it shouldn’t be a problem. Cost: 14-20 Euros per person
Down Under
Down Under is essentially an Australian bar. Their specialty is chicken wings and ribs. They have a variety of options for seasoning your wings and ribs and I can personally vouch for most of them. Cost: 8-12 (without alcohol) Euros per person.
Saigon Cafe
Saigon is a Vietnamese restaurant. Its super local and won’t show up in most commercial touristy websites. Though it’s a small place and its not very fancy either but It is without a doubt quality Asian food.
Schlüters
Schlüters is a unique one in this list. It is located inside the main campus of the University of Hamburg and it is run by the uni itself. They have a limited menu and they only serve pizzas but they’re some of the best pizzas I’ve ever had for the price. Cost: 5-8 Euros per person.
Bars/Pubs/Nightlife
Reeperbahn
Reeperbahn is an area inside of the St. Pauli district and is usually considered the nightlife capital of the city. It is also the red light district of the city, but that is limited to only one street. If you want to genuinely have a fun night, be it sitting in a bar for a couple of hours, going karaoke or even clubbing, Reeparbahn is the place to be. I would personally recommend Berg 4 and Ambers for chilling and getting good local beers with good contemporary indie music.
As for the music scene, its very diverse. You can find everything all the way from underground and techno to classic rock and indie pop, all within a few meters from each other. Overall, Reeparbahn should cover all your nightlife woes. It is open at all times and is in full swing between 9pm to 9am everyday (more on the weekends thu-sun) Cost: 2-4 Euros per beer, 6-8 Euros hard drinks.
Irish Pub Fleetenkeiker
An underground local irish pub and needless to say it’s a sports bar. It has multiple screens and showcase multiple important sporting matches but prefers football over all others. They have decent finger food but it’s a little expensive to eat there. All the regular drinks+ Guiness (if you’re a fan) are available there and the place is usually full and has a good ambience. Recommended for sports lovers.
General Tips
Carry Cash
Hamburg is old school that way. Most local stores, bars and even food joints do not accept card. The few that do, also have restrictions like- a minimum of 10 Euro spend or places where only German local cards (GiroKartte) work. Therefore, always good to carry cash
Learn the magic words
It will take you a long way. Especially when you encounter people who don’t speak a spic of English.
Danke Schon: Thank You very much
Bitte Schon: You’re Welcome
Entschuldigung: Excuse me/ Sorry/ Pardon
Tut Mir Leid: I am sorry
When you wish to pay by card you say : Karde Bitte
When you want to order something, you say: Kann ich bitte (insert name of item) haben? (Can I please have _____?)
Hamburg Card
If you plan to do a lot of tourist activities and plan to visit museums and places, I would recommend you to buy the Hamburg Card, which is available at the Hamburg Welcome Centre at the airport and in the city centre. It gives you access to multiple tourist attractions for free and free transport for a couple of days. Depending on how long you stay, you can pay for the card. The basic price is 11 Euros and its usually worth it for short visits.
