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Travel blogs, travel photos and features from Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg Travel Guide

The ultimate guide to the best things to do and see in Hamburg

Germany’s second city, Hanseatic Hamburg is both typically German and unique in its own way. With a long maritime history, this North Sea port city has a distinct feel from anywhere else in the country and tons of cool things to see and do. Start here with my basic Hamburg travel tips, or jump down below to read my latest Hamburg travel blogs.


When to Visit

Though winters in Hamburg are cold and wet, the city rarely sees snow due to its proximity to the sea and there is still a lot to do that’s indoors during winter. Summers in Hamburg are much nicer obviously, with the opportunity to enjoy its outside spaces, most notably the Alster lakes and along the river.

August is a particularly good time to visit to experience the city’s gay life, with their pride parade, pride dance and Vogelball, a masked ball all part of the CSD celebrations. All summer long, there are all other kinds of music festivals, outdoor film screenings, all-night parties and cultural events too.


Cool Things To Do

Explore the Reeperbahn – It’s notoriously dirty, but fun, the Reeperbahn is a street in the St Pauli district of Hamburg known as the Red Light District of Hamburg with its dive bars, strip clubs and some super cool gay nightlife, centred around Talstrasse, just a few streets away.

Get lost in Hafen City – This area is one of Europe’s largest redevelopment zones and home to one of Germany’s most controversial architectural projects, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall. Wander around and admire the stark modern architecture, and maybe check out the Spice Museum, a small place upstairs in one of the many converted warehouses with hundreds of samples that you can touch, taste and smell.

See some art – Hamburg is bursting with art and design, with the Hamburger Kunsthalle being a natural highlight. It’s a huge museum, one of the largest in Germany, in fact. It has entire wings dedicated to the Old Masters, to 19th century art and a cube filled with four floors of modern and contemporary art.


LGBTQ – Gay Hamburg Travel Guide

Hamburg is definitely northern Germany’s gayest city, and St Georg, the historically gay district right by the main train station, is where most of the city’s LGBT life is centered. These are a few of the best things you should know about:

Olivias Show Club – Craving comedy, drag and burlesque all in one place? This is it. This old-timey bar and performance venue is unlike anything else in Hamburg and great for a camp night out!

Café Gnosa – This cosy place is Hamburg’s oldest (and possibly only?) gay and lesbian café. It’s a cool place to get a taste of the old school Hamburg queer scene, and their cakes as well as their lunch menus are worth stopping by for!

Dragon Sauna – Right in the heart of St George, Hamburg’s main gay neighbourhood, this tasteful gay sauna is perhaps the best in northern Germany. There’s a Finnish sauna, caldarium, steam room (of course, with a labyrinth) and a whirlpool, as well as a well-equipped bar and restaurant.

More gay travel resources here.


Hamburg Hotel Deals

Hamburg has a reputation as one of Germany’s more expensive cities, and this is reflected in the hotel offerings. There’s something for everyone in Hamburg in terms of accommodation.


Follow @travelsofadam on Instagram for more travel tips!


Hamburg Travel Blogs

When  in Hamburg recently I saw a flyer for the Hamburger Kunsthalle‘s newest exhibit: Giacometti: The Playing Fields. Growing up, Giacometti’s sculptures were always an interest of mine so the museum exhibit was what drew me in. But it was actually what I discovered in the other parts of the museum that kept me in …

Read More about An afternoon at Hamburger Kunsthalle (Hamburg’s Art Museum)