City Rating: Hamburg
Population: 1’800’000
Date of visit: October 2018
Attractions & sights: 4/5
Nightlife: 4/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 5/5
Low budget factor: 3/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Hamburg, Germany’s second city, is one of the most beautiful in the country. It’s a harbor city that offers everything: sights, nice districts, good restaurants and nightlife. It’s maybe not as hipster as Berlin and not as upscale as Munich, but at least as same fun as those. On the downside, weather can be pretty rough between October and March, what makes Hamburg not a good year-round destination. Nevertheless, this is one of the best cities in Europe.
Where to stay:
That depends on your interests. If you come to Hamburg for the notorious nightlife, then stay in or near St. Pauli (Reeperbahn). Another option would be near the harbor, because the Reeperbahn and the beautiful districts are nearby. Hotel prices in Hamburg are higher than in other German cities by the way.
The Good:
Many people call Hamburg the most beautiful city in Germany and I can understand why. The city reminded me of Amsterdam somehow, but as a better version. Although the cities are different, both cities are built around the water, have canals, notorious nightlife and the people look similar (tall and blonde). 😉
Hamburg has many sights and you won’t get bored during a weekend. Doing a harbor tour is highly recommended, as you will see Hamburg’s sights from the boat and you will learn something about the history of Hamburg. The tours are affordable (~15€ for one hour) and the ships leave every hour during the day.
Speicherstadt and Hafencity are two most see-districts and in my opinion the most beautiful of the city. Other things you can visit are the inner city or shores of Alster lake, a huge lake in the middle of Hamburg, just to name a few.
Hamburg is also a city that never sleeps. The city is full of restaurants and bars, which means that you can even have a good night out during the week. A friend of mine, who lives in Hamburg, told me that the Reeperbahn is more or less busy 24/7. And speaking of food, there is no shortage of good restaurants. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for good German cuisine or world-class gourmet restaurants, Hamburg has both. Try Schlachterbörse if you want value for money.
The Bad & The Ugly:
There is not much to criticize about Hamburg. I already mentioned that weather can be rough and I don’t think that Hamburg is as much fun in February as in May. It’s also a huge city, the 14th largest in Europe by population, which means that going from one place to another can be time-consuming.
Reeperbahn might not be for everyone. It’s a bit a shabby nightlife area and also the red-light district of the city. You either love it or hate it, but just be aware that you will see prostitutes, hordes of drunk people, people fighting and a high presence of the police.
Moreover, it’s definitely not the cheapest German city but one of the most expensive. It’s not as expensive as Copenhagen or other cities in Northern Europe, but don’t expect to find prices you will find in Berlin or Dresden.
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