With the Elbe River and the Alster Lake, its boulevards, public places and parks, Hamburg is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the heart of Europe. The Hamburg Metropolitan Region is home to more than five million people, who treasure its unique waterside location and the cosmopolitan atmosphere of this liveable metropolis.

With its port and its strong economy, this dynamically growing, international trading metropolis offers a highly attractive business environment. International sport and culture events, shopping and leisure opportunities, street festivals and a vibrant nightlife lure millions of visitors here each year. Discover Hamburg with its wealth of attractions!

Metropolis on the water

Water gives life. People strive for proximity to water – and find it in Hamburg like nowhere else. This metropolis on the water is incomparable and has a unique character. Almost 2,500 bridges – far more than in Amsterdam, London and Venice combined – cross the innumerable watercourses between the Elbe, Alster and Bille. Its maritime flair, fresh air, and Hanseatic cosmopolitanism make Hamburg the finest city in the world for many people. With the North Sea and the Baltic Sea in easy reach, the Hamburg Metropolitan Region is seen as one of Germany’s favourite holiday areas.

Cosmopolitan Diversity – Urban Live and Lively Enclaves

Tolerance and a cosmopolitan mindset are Hanseatic virtues you can witness on the spot – hardly any other big German city offers such varied local street scenes. In Hamburg you will find elegant town houses next to multicultural quarters; artists and start-ups in the lofts of historic red-brick buildings, and an unparalleled choice of international cuisine.

Urban Cultural Landscapes of World Repute

Thanks to its wealth of versatile, high-quality cultural offerings in particular, Hamburg’s culture scene enjoys an outstanding reputation. Its theatres and concert halls, stage musicals and museums – among them Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Thalia Theater, Laeiszhalle Hamburg and the Hamburg State Opera – attract more than ten million people every year.

Even during construction, the new Elbphilharmonie Hamburg with its bold artistic and architectural approach is stirring immense interest on the international culture scene. Elbphiharmonie Hamburg concerts are already displaying the highest of musical standards. With its four musicals theatres, Hamburg has long been ranked as a musical capital comparable with New York and London. Also extremely popular is the Hamburger Szene with its plethora of heaving clubs, a thriving off-scene, as well as cabarets, contemporary dance studios and sketches.

Creative Metropolis – Up with the Trends

When it comes to nightlife and creativity, Hamburg’s music and “in” crowds are constantly setting fresh trends. Hamburg’s former red-light district, the Reeperbahn in St Pauli, became an attractive entertainment district long ago, offering an abundance of theatres and cabarets, galleries, pubs, clubs and music venues. This is where the Beatles started their career more than 50 years ago, and it is now Northern Europe’s major music hotspot and a stepping stone for young bands – not only during the Reeperbahn Festival. When it comes to clubs, the Reeperbahn has always been ahead of its time. Yet you will find hip locations and creative start-ups also in other quarters, buzzing with creativity, e.g. the Schanzenviertel, the Karolinenviertel, Ottensen or St Georg, and in the bars and beach clubs by the port. Hamburg’s alternative art and culture scenes merge in the historic Gängeviertel.