Hamburg

Discover the best of Hamburg with the Red Double Decker bus day ticket on Line A. With 20 stops to choose from, hop on and off as you please to take a closer look at the magnificent sights of this maritime metropolis. Additional tours, such as the twilight tour or the Elbe riverside tour, are also available, offering even locals new perspectives of Hamburg.

Sunday morning, 5 am. While most people are usually still asleep at this time, Hamburg is buzzing with activity. At the city's fish market in Altona, by the Elbe, around 70,000 people are either already working or still out and about. Trading here dates back to 1703. Night owls from the Reeperbahn and market enthusiasts meet once a week at this early hour to either end their night or start their day with live music in the fish auction hall.

The Elbphilharmonie is the new landmark of the metropolis on the waterfront. With the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg forges its path as a port city and a city of music, once again demonstrating that the city is shaping its future based on contrast. The spectacular building contains three concert halls with a diverse music programme, a comprehensive music education programme, a hotel, as well as the Plaza — a public viewing platform at a height of 37 metres that offers an amazing view of the city. If you are a modern architecture nerd, you simply must take the extremely popular guided tour that tells you all about the building's construction and history.

Unusually lavish for Hanseatic taste, the splendid sandstone edifice built in 1886–1897 in Neo-Renaissance style dominates the city centre. Hamburg Town Hall is the seat of the city's Senate (state government) and Bürgerschaft (parliament). With a total of 647 rooms, the building has more rooms than Buckingham Palace. The Town Hall can only be viewed on guided tours. Also worth seeing is the fountain of Hamburg's patron goddess, Harmonia, in the Town Hall's courtyard.

Hamburg's famous 'Michel' church is not only the most important baroque church in northern Germany; it has also served as an important landmark for boats travelling on the river Elbe, akin to one of the world's tallest lighthouses. The 106-metre-high viewing platform offers wonderful panoramic views of Hamburg and the harbour, making it a great destination for a romantic evening date.

Located in the heart of Hamburg next to the Town Hall, the Bucerius Kunst Forum exhibits art from ancient to modern times in four rotating exhibitions each year. A visit is an absolute must for art lovers. The concept of the Kunst Forum is based on reinventing the familiar to allow art lovers and novices alike to discover new interrelationships. Since its foundation in 2002, the Bucerius Kunst Forum has become one of the leading exhibition houses in northern Germany. A unique, modern exhibition space was created in the historic building of the former Reichsbank.

For contemporary art and photography, head over to Deichtorhallen, located in two former market halls built between 1911 and 1914. Spanning 5,600 square metres, it's the largest art space in Europe.

It's a captivating story — the tale of BallinStadt, the 'Emigration City', where millions of people found a safe haven before embarking on their journey to the New World in search of a better life. The museum chronicles the great European migration to America from 1850 to 1934. Here, you can explore the various emigration stations throughout the centuries. Across 14 themed rooms, the museum recounts the stories of emigration to the New World across four eras. In the family research centre, you can trace your ancestors in Hamburg: you have access to the digitised version of the unique Hamburg passenger lists.