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Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and with Hamburg Harbour, its principal port, Hamburg is also the second largest port city in Europe, no. 9 in the world-ranking of ports and the largest city in the European Union which is not a national capital. A large part of the port is a fenced-in duty-free area. The official name Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg refers to Hamburg‘s membership in the medieval Hanseatic League and the fact that Hamburg is a City State and one of the sixteen Federal States of Germany.

Hamburg geographically centred between Continental Europe and Scandinavia and between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The city of Hamburg lies at the junction of the river Elbe with the rivers Alster and Bille and the city centre is beautifully set around two lakes, the Binnenalster and the Aussenalster. Hamburg is built on water. There is the Alster River and its many canals -- patrician, stately and dammed to form two huge lakes in middle of the city -- and the Bille River, a blue-collar waterway that pours into the Elbe River. The Elbe travels some 960 km across Europe before its waters beckon us here. The harbor is our gate to broad horizons, our exclamation point, the part of our city that defines us and contains our soul, because it connects us, just 112 km upriver, to open ocean and high sea.

Hamburg is an international trade city and the commercial and cultural centre of Northern Germany. The city takes its name from the first permanent building on the site, a castle ordered to be built by Emperor Charlemagne in 808 AD. The castle was built on some rocky ground in a marsh between the Alster and the Elbe as a defence against Slavic incursion. The castle was named Hammaburg, where "burg" means "castle". The charter in 1189 by Frederick I "Barbarossa" granted Hamburg the status of an Imperial Free City and tax free access up the Lower Elbe into the North Sea. Its trade alliance with Lübeck in 1241 marks the origin and core of the powerful Hanseatic League of trading cities. With Albert Ballin as its director the Hamburg-America Line became the world‘s largest transatlantic shipping company at the turn of the century, and Hamburg was also home to shipping companies to South America, Africa, India and East Asia. Hamburg became a cosmopolitan metropolis based on worldwide trade. Hamburg was the port for most Germans and Eastern Europeans to leave for the New World and became home to trading communities from all over the world.

The most significant economic basis for Hamburg is the harbour, which ranks 2nd in Europe and 9th worldwide with transshipments of 9 million standard container units (TEU) and 115 million tons of goods in 2004. International trade is also the reason for the large number of consulates in the city. Although situated 90 kilometres up the Elbe, due to its ability to handle sea ships it is considered a sea harbour. Hamburg follows third after Seattle and Toulouse in the list of the most important locations of the civil aerospace industry worldwide. Airbus, which has one of its two assembly plants in Hamburg, and related companies employ over 30,000 people in or near the city.

Other important industries are media businesses, most notably three of Germany‘s largest publishing companies, Axel Springer AG, Gruner + Jahr and Heinrich Bauer Verlag. About half of Germany‘s national newspapers and magazines are produced in Hamburg. There are also a number of music companies (the largest being Warner Music Germany) and Internet businesses (e.g. AOL, Adobe Systems and Google Germany).

GO THERE FOR

The History – The historical evidences reveal that the city was not found on Elbe but on its tributary, the Alster.

The Cuisine – Whether Michelin, Gault-Millaut, Varta- or Aral Guide: in terms of gourmet cuisine and feasting Hamburg ranks at a top position.

The Museums – There are many museums in Hamburg including the famous Deichtorhallen, a world-renowned exhibition gallery, the Altonaer Museum devoted to both the culture of Hamburg and northern Germany, and the Hamburg Museum devoted to the history of the city.

The Culture – Hamburg is the third-biggest musical metropolis worldwide. One of the classics is Disney's Lion King in the grandiosely situated Theater im Hafen. But also numerous theatres, museums and galleries as well as the State Opera and a colorful club scene make Hamburg a pure cultural enjoyment.


DON’T MISS

Hafen City & SpeicherStadt – The same lot to do, it's Elbe Philharmonic and warehouse district cruise ships - in the district HafenCity right there.

Elbphilharmonie – The Elbe Philharmonic Hall is a new landmark for Hamburg and a house for all are one. And she is one of the best concert halls in the world get.

Fischmarket Hamburg – Wake up early Sunday (or stay out late Saturday) and shuffle in your sleep to the Fischmarkt for breakfast and a few good deals on this week’s grocery list. Whether fruit basket, fresh fish and tropical flowers, this every Sunday morning.

Michel Hamburg – The landmark of the Hanseatic city is the main church of St. Michaelis. The nave, together with three organs, and the vaulted cellar from the church tower and impress the visitor can enjoy a great view of the city.

BASICS
Country Code: +49
City Code: 040
Emergency Services: 110 (for police); 112 (for fire and ambulance)
Directory Enquiries: 11800
Electricity: 220V/50HZ, European two-pin
Language: German
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Exchange Rate: EUR 1 = GBP 0.84; GBP 1 = EUR 1.18 (Subject to change)
Time: CET (UTC +1), Summer - CEST (UTC +2)

Hamburg Airport
Flughafenstr. 1 - 3
22335 Hamburg
General Enquiries: +49 (0)40 50 75 0
www.hamburg-airport.de

How to get there
We recommend travelling with Lufthansa, who operate between the world and Hamburg, and offer a comfortable and efficient service.

GETTING AROUND
From the Airport…
Hamburg Airport is connected to the city by the S-Bahn S1 commuter train line, which connects to the main station (Hauptbahnhof) and the city center in about 30 minutes. There are trains every 10-20 minutes, and a single fare is €2,70. Taxis and limousines are readily available and standard, and the ride into the city centre will likely cost around EUR 30.

Around Town…
Hamburg’s transport system is formed by rail services, bus routes and harbor ferries. The rail services are focused on the city-centre; there are three underground lines U-Bahn, six Suburban lines S-Bahn and nine regional rail services which work all night in weekends and on public holidays. Tickets are not expensive and for visitors exists travel cards with different costs favorable for them. The metro buses offer direct and very frequent services; there are also express buses, sprinter buses and town or regional buses.

MUST TO DO

1)Try a currywurst (a wurst swimming in ketchup and coated in curry powder) at Reeperbahn’s small, oval-shaped Lucullus (located at Reeperbahn 73)
2) Hop on a ferry and drift from one stop to another along the Elbe River and see what you can discover
3) Rent a bicycle and cruise around the city’s different neighborhoods, parks and waterways.

Public Holidays in Hamburg:
1st January – New Year’s Day
Variable – Good Friday
Variable – Easter Monday
1st May – Labour Day
Variable - Ascension Day
Variable – Whit Monday
3rd October – German Unity Day
25th December – Christmas Day
26th December – St. Stephen’s Day