Hamburg Orientation

Hamburg lies on the northern bank of the Elbe river, 100km south of the North Sea. The city's Altstadt, full of old buildings and mazes of canals, lies north of the Elbe and south of the Alster lakes. Of the two Alster lakes, Binnenalster, the much smaller of the two, is located in the heart of the Altstadt, bordered by Jungfernstieg to the south and Ballindamm to the West. The much larger Außenalster, popular for sailing in the summer and skating in the winter, is slightly further north, just separated from the Binnenalster by the Kennedybrücke. Five beautiful churches, whose spires spear the Hamburg skyline, outline Hamburg's Altstadt. Anchoring the center of the Altstadt is the palacial Rathaus, the ornate town hall, and Rathaus market, home to political protests and farmers' markets alike. Alsterfleet canal bisects the downtown area and separates Altstadt on the eastern bank from the Neustadt on the west. The city's best museums, galleries, and theaters are located within these two districts.

The Hauptbahnhof lies at the eastern edge of the city center, along Steintorwall. Starting from the Kirchenallee exit of the Hauptbahnhof, Hamburg's unofficial gay district, St. Georg, follows the Lange Reihe eastward, where quiet cafes populate the streets. Outside the Hauptbahnhof's main exit on Sheintorwall is the Kunstmelle (Art Mile), a row of museums extending southward from the Alster lakes to the banks of the Elbe. Perpendicular to Seintorwall, Mönickebergstraße, Hamburg's most famous shopping street, runs westward to the Rathause, which connects the city center to the train station. The Neustadt's Hanseviertel, between Rathausmarkt and Gänsemarkt, is full of shops, galleries, and auction houses. Hanseviertel is striped with canals, giving the area a Venetian glamour.

Just south of the Rathaus, St. Pauli houses large stretches of walkways along the industrial Elbe, the Landungsbrücke, and the weekly Hamburg fischmarkt. Also in St. Pauli is the infamous Reeperbahn, running parallel to the river, packed with strip joints and erotic shops. To the north of St. Pauli, students and academics inhabit the Dammtor district, home to Hamburg's university and the Planten un Blomen botanical gardens. The city's wealthiest neighborhoods, including Winterhunde and Harvesthude, are just opposite Dammtor on the shores of the lake. Farther west, Schanzenviertel is a more liberal community of students, artists, and sizable immigrant populations. Here, rows of street-art-covered restaurants and a busy late-night bar scene impart the area's new-found edge. On the westernmost side of Hamburg, Altona celebrates with a nightlife and restaurant scene similar to Schanzenviertel. The area was an independent city ruled by Denmark in the 17th century before eventually being absorbed by Hamburg. Altona's pedestrian zone, the Ottenser Hauptstrasse, runs west from the Altona station. To the far east of Hamburg lies one of the city's most important, if distant sights. The former concentration camp, KZ Neuengamme, is now a memorial to victims of forced labor in World War II. On the extreme opposite side of the city past Altona, Klein-Flottbek has two of Hamburg's most beautiful museums, set in the scenic Jenisch Park along the Elbe.