Hamburg City Hall

Hamburg

Copyright: Malte Flechner/Hamburg Tourismus GmbH
DESTINATIONS germany hamburg Do & See Hamburg City Hall

Hamburg City Hall

Unusually lavish for Hanseatic taste: built in 1886–1897, the splendid sandstone edifice in Neo-Renaissance style dominates the city centre. Hamburg town hall is the seat of the city’s Senate (state government) and Bürgerschaft (parliament). The building has more rooms than Buckingham Palace — 647 rooms in total. 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.

Do & See

Since the medieval days if the Hanseatic League, Hamburg has maintained its free spirit and its status as an international port city, with riches and a cosmopolitan vibe that comes attached to the constant ebb and flow of seafarers. You can still feel the edgy atmosphere in the bars and clubs on the Reeperbahn in St Pauli — an area that entertained sailors for hundreds of years. To explore the more relaxing and peaceful side of Hamburg, get lost in its canals or stroll along the Alster lake in the summer. Hamburg is not standing still, either. The new HafenCity district brings unmistakable modernity to the waterfront, and the instantly iconic Elbphilharmonie is stunning both inside and out. Here are some of the best things to do and see in Hamburg: