Hamburg

The district was built between 1883 and 1927 on oak piles, with neo-Gothic brick gables, turrets and ornamental details facing the narrow canals (Fleete) that boats once used to load goods. Just wander the lanes and bridges, look at the warehouses from the water side as well as the street side, and stop at one of the small museums if it rains. Come in the early morning for fewer people and in the evening for good light on the brick; surfaces include cobblestones, so a stroller needs some care.

Free

Fritz Höger built the Chilehaus in 1922-24 for the merchant Henry B. Sloman, whose fortune came from Chilean saltpetre; its sharp eastern corner looks like a ship's bow and its brickwork is full of details such as the condor sculpture. Nearby stand the huge Sprinkenhof (1927-43, nine storeys around three courtyards, with ornaments by Ludwig Kunstmann) and the Meßberghof. The district is part of the UNESCO site Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (2015). These are working office buildings: enjoy the facades from the street, peek into courtyards where they are open, and walk around the Chilehaus to see the bow from the east.

Free (exterior walk)

Lohsepark (opened 2016, 4.4 ha) lies on the former Hannoverscher Bahnhof, from which 20 trains carried more than 8,000 people to ghettos and camps in 1940-45. A marked rail corridor leads to the preserved platform 2, with plaques bearing the names of those deported, and the free Info-Pavilion explains the history. The planned documentation centre is not built: construction has stalled over a tax dispute and the 2027 opening is no longer realistic.

Free

Barkassen Ehlers runs a two-hour Historic Fleet Tour through the inner-city canals, passing historic bridges, the Alsterarkaden, the Speicherstadt and the HafenCity museums, plus a one-hour harbour tour that also includes the Speicherstadt. The Fleet route depends on the tide, so confirm with the operator that it can run at your time; boats have indoor heated seating, outdoor seats and a toilet. Boats leave from the Vorsetzen pier by the red lightship, roughly a ten-minute walk from the district.

Historic Fleet Tour (2 h): adult €38, child €19; 1-hour harbour tour €26.50 / €13.50; under 3 free (operator site, 2026)

The old boiler house once powered the hydraulic hoists of the warehouses and now holds information on the HafenCity development, with a 1:500 city model, changing exhibitions, a cafe and an info point on the UNESCO site in the foyer; free guided tours are available. Entry is free, which makes it a convenient place to understand how the new district next door took shape. The programme has changed over time, so check what is currently on before you go.

Free

Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier opened in April 2025 and brings together shops, around 35-40 places to eat, a ten-screen cinema and a curved glass roof over its central walkways. It is a useful rainy-day stop between the Speicherstadt and the Elbphilharmonie, with services such as lockers and a family-friendly corner for children. Browsing the quarter is free; the U4 stops right at Überseequartier. Shops are normally closed on Sundays and public holidays, while restaurants and the cinema keep their own hours.

Free to enter

The Oberhafenquartier is a former freight-rail area of about 9 hectares that has been turned into a cultural and creative hub since 2015, with studios, workshops and several galleries in the old halls. The only access is currently from the north: turn in under the bridge next to the listed Oberhafen canteen (Stockmeyerstraße), reachable on foot from Steinstraße station or the main station. It is a raw, atmospheric corner for a short wander; individual venues set their own opening times, so check before you go for a specific gallery.

Free to walk around; venues may charge separately

The Michel is the city's best-known landmark: a large baroque church from the 18th century (rebuilt after a fire in 1906 and after WWII) whose tall tower dominates the skyline. Entering the church is free; the extra tickets buy you the lift or stairs up the tower for a view over the port and the city, and a visit to the crypt below. Go on a clear day or around the evening opening hours, and combine it with the nearby Krameramtsstuben and the Landungsbrücken, both a short walk away.

Church free; tower adult €8 (reduced €6, children €5); crypt adult €6; tower + crypt adult €10; family ticket €25 (official site, 2026)

Opened in 1911, this tiled tunnel runs under the Elbe from the Landungsbrücken to the Steinwerder bank. You go down in big lifts or glass lifts, walk the 426 m tube and come up on the south side, where the harbour skyline lies across the water. Entrance is free for pedestrians and cyclists, and cars are not allowed; weekends are often crowded, and a good tip is to return by HADAG ferry line 75 for a bit of boat travel.

Free for pedestrians and cyclists (Hamburg Port Authority, 2026)

This narrow courtyard of row houses dates from roughly 1620–1700 and gives a rare glimpse of the old alley quarters that once filled central Hamburg. Today the houses hold small shops, galleries and restaurants, and one flat is a small museum (Kramer-Witwen-Wohnung) furnished as a middle-class home of the mid-19th century. It is a five-minute stop next to the Michel, best combined with a church visit.

Free to walk through; the museum flat's ticket price is not published on the museum page

The monument was unveiled in 1906 and, with the statue alone 14.8 m high, is a huge figure with a long sword that you can see from the harbour. It was restored from 2020 to 2023 and stands in a small park right above the Landungsbrücken. The inside, once an air-raid shelter, is closed to the public, so you only see it from outside; it is a quick stop between the Michel and the piers.

Free

Großneumarkt was laid out in the mid-1600s as part of the Neustadt expansion, originally as a drill ground for the city militia, and later hosted fairs. Today it is a paved square of roughly 90 by 90 m with linden trees, 19th-century buildings, a 1976 fountain and, since the 1950s, bars and jazz clubs around it. Stop for coffee or lunch here as a break from the busier Michel and harbour area.

Free

The Rathaus was finished in 1897 and still houses the city government, so the green-roofed building with its 112 m tower is a working seat of power, not a museum. Walk around the sandstone facade, look into the courtyard with the Hygieia fountain, and join a guided tour (about one hour, German and English) if you want to see the lavish state rooms. Tours can be cut or cancelled when the Senate or parliament need the rooms, so check the current tour times on hamburg.de before planning around them.

Exterior free; interior guided tour €8 (children up to 14 free, 2026) - check the official website to confirm

Only the 147 m spire and the shell of the church survived the air raids of July 1943, and the site is now Hamburg's central memorial to the victims of war and tyranny. Downstairs, a permanent exhibition tells the story of the church, the 1943 bombing and the destruction of the city; a glass lift then takes you to the viewing platform at 76 m, which looks over the old town, the harbour and the Speicherstadt. Plan about an hour and a half for both, and note that the exhibition is serious in tone.

Adult €7; reduced €6; children €4.50 (official site, 2026)

Deichstraße is only about 280 m long, but it keeps the last row of old Hamburg townhouses that combined home, office and warehouse; goods were once hauled into the upper floors through hatches facing the Nikolaifleet. The great fire of 1842 started here, and the houses were saved by a citizens' campaign in the 1970s - number 37, from 1686, has a Baroque hall. Today the street is full of cafes and traditional restaurants, and narrow passages lead to pontoons on the canal; the walk from St. Nikolai takes just minutes, so combine it with the memorial, the Rathaus or the Speicherstadt.

Free

St. Petri is the oldest parish church in the city, a brick Gothic hall church whose tower is the main reason to come: 544 steps lead up past a small church museum and a fire-brigade museum to a viewing level at 123 m with porthole-style windows over the old town. The church itself is open most of the day with a cafe and shop, and entry is not charged. Allow time for the climb, expect no lift, and know that the tower closes on public holidays and can close for church events.

Tower: adult €5; reduced €3.50; children 5-14 €2.50; under 5 free (official site, 2026). Church: no fee listed

The Alsterhaus on the Jungfernstieg opened in 1912 and has big windows toward the Binnenalster; its fourth-floor restaurant has a view over the lake. Behind it, the street Neuer Wall holds designer boutiques, and nearby covered arcades such as the Mellin-Passage and the Hanseviertel offer a dry way to browse in bad weather. The Alsterhaus has had financial difficulties in recent years, so check that it is open before making a detour, and treat the arcades as a short browse rather than a sight in their own right.

Free to walk around

Opened in 1909, the Mönckebergstraße links the main station with the Rathaus and is lined with chains, department stores and impressive brick Kontorhaus buildings such as the Klöpperhaus and Levantehaus. The tower of St. Petri rises over it, so you can combine shopping with the tower climb, and the parallel Spitalerstraße is the quieter shopping street. It is busy and best treated as a connecting walk between the station and the old town rather than a destination.

Free

St. Jacobi is a Gothic hall church whose big draw for music lovers is the Arp Schnitger organ of 1693, with about 4,000 pipes and 60 stops, restored in the early 1990s. The church is open daily from late morning and the best way to hear the organ is to catch a service or concert listed in the calendar. Building work was going on around the church at the time of research, but visitors can still get in.

No admission fee; concerts are ticketed

St. Katharinen stands on the edge of the old town opposite the Speicherstadt, a brick Gothic church with a 115 m tower crowned by a Baroque cap added in 1657. It was gutted in the bombing of July 1943 and rebuilt after the war; its organ was reconstructed with a few surviving old pipes in the spirit of the instrument Bach once played. Short organ music is offered on Wednesdays at 12:30 with an organ tour afterwards, and the church also advertises church and tower tours.

No admission fee; tour prices aren't published

The Reeperbahn runs for roughly 900 m between Millerntor and Nobistor and is lined with bars, clubs, theatres and snack stands; its pedestrian heart is Spielbudenplatz, home to the Davidwache police station and the Panoptikum. Herbertstraße, a side street hidden behind screens, is an adults-only red-light street, so just walk past. Come in the afternoon or early evening to see the neon signs and the Beatles-Platz at the western end; late at night and at weekends it gets rowdy and is no place to linger with small children.

Free

Where Große Freiheit meets the Reeperbahn, a round plaza about 29 m wide is laid out like a record, with steel silhouettes of the five early band members standing around the edge and song titles set into the ground. It opened in 2008 and recalls the clubs nearby where the band played in the early 1960s, such as the Kaiserkeller and the Star-Club. It is a quick photo stop of 15 minutes or so - best combined with a walk along the Reeperbahn.

Free

The Schanzenviertel is one of Hamburg's smallest districts, named after a star-shaped fortification from 1682, and today it is a student-friendly mix of cafés, bars, small shops and graffiti. The main street is Schulterblatt, home to the Rote Flora, a former theatre occupied since 1989 and still run as an autonomous cultural centre - look at it from outside. The Sternschanzenpark, a 12 ha green area with playgrounds and the restored water tower, is a good place to rest; the quarter is best on a Saturday combined with the Flohschanze.

Free

The Karolinenviertel was once a working-class area and is now a multicultural mix of residents, second-hand and clothing boutiques, design shops and alternative venues, with Marktstraße as its unofficial main street. Look out for the neo-Romanesque Gnadenkirche from 1907 and the remains of the old Karoline power plant. It is a pleasant, low-key stroll that fits between Sternschanze and the Heiligengeistfeld; U3 stops at Feldstraße and Sternschanze.

Free

Walk the narrow pedestrian lane west from the Neumühlen/Övelgönne ferry stop: it is lined with low houses once lived in by river pilots and ship captains, and the sandy Elbe beach runs alongside. The Museum Harbour (founded 1976, run by volunteers) has a freely accessible pier and bridge where you can admire restored sailing vessels, tugs and lightships; some ships open to visitors on set open-ship days or offer paid trips. Come on a dry day, bring a drink or order from one of the beach cafés, and go home on the ferry or bus.

Free to walk the beach and lane; trips on the historic ships cost extra (about €30 for some demonstration cruises, official site, 2026)

Take the S1 (or S11) to Blankenese station and wander down through the car-free lanes of the Treppenviertel, where the houses cling to the hillside and the stairs number in the thousands. The Süllberg, a good 70 m high, is the high point with Elbe views and a hotel-restaurant on top, and the Strandweg along the river gives you beach, pier and passing ships. Allow a half day, wear sturdy shoes, and if the climb is too much, the small 'Bergziege' bus (line 488) runs from the station down to the Blankenese ferry pier.

Free (public lanes and stairs); regular hvv fare to get there

Ottensen was a separate town from 1871 until it joined Altona in 1889, and its factory past still shows in places such as the Zeise Halls, the Motorenfabrik and the Mercado shopping centre. Stroll along Ottenser Hauptstraße and the side streets for shops and a neighbourhood feel; the cultural centre Fabrik on Barnerstraße 36 is a concert venue whose box office is open Monday to Friday, 10:00-18:00. It makes an easy afternoon stop combined with Altona station (S-Bahn S1/S3).

Free to stroll; concerts and events at Fabrik are ticketed (prices on the venue's site)

Eppendorfer Landstraße is a shopping street of boutiques and small food shops, a short walk from the Isemarkt and the Isebek canal. In Winterhude, Mühlenkamp is the lively centre of the south with shops, bars and restaurants, and the Osterbek and Goldbek canals are used by canoeists in summer. The old Winterhuder Fährhaus on the Alster, a former steamer landing from 1859 and now a theatre venue, is a good end point; U1/U3 Kellinghusenstraße is the main hub for Eppendorf, and Mühlenkamp lies a few stops to the east.

Free

The Bornplatzsynagoge, opened in 1906 for up to 1,200 worshippers, was wrecked in the November 1938 pogrom and torn down in 1939. A floor mosaic made in 1988 now traces the plan and vaulting of the building on the square, and the part of the square named after the rabbi Joseph Carlebach has plaques on the history; the restored Talmud-Tora School nearby is a Jewish education centre. Plans to rebuild the synagogue have been backed with federal and city money since 2020, so check the current state of the site before visiting; it's a short, quiet stop combined with MARKK or the university quarter.

Free

The memorial covers the grounds of the former camp and shows the main exhibition „Traces of History“, further exhibitions and information boards across the site; the grounds can also be visited outside opening hours. An audio guide can be rented at the main entrance, a café is on site and tours are mostly outdoors, so dress for the weather. Getting there: S2 to Bergedorf, then bus 127 or 227 to „KZ-Gedenkstätte, Ausstellung“; roadworks currently cause diversions, so check hvv.de. The memorial advises against bringing children under 12 into the exhibitions.

Free

The old inland harbour is being turned into a waterfront district of converted factories and warehouses, with offices, restaurants and new housing. The highlight is the park on the Schlossinsel, a star-shaped green space with four arms (three reach the water), the remaining west wing of the old castle at its centre, a playground and viewing platforms. A medieval settlement excavation site lies near Kanalplatz, and the walk ends at Veritaskai with views back to the island. Start at S-Bahn Harburg Rathaus; bus 142 stops at Kanalplatz.

Free

The former water-filtration works from 1893 was built after the cholera epidemic of 1892; about a quarter of its 44 hectares is open to visitors, as exhibitions in the pump houses and nature paths, while the rest is protected wildlife habitat. The information centre „Altes Labor“ and the café Dante Kaltehofe are on site, and guided tours (paid, listed in the event calendar) can be booked. Bus 530 stops at „Wasserkunst Kaltehofe“; nearest rail is Rothenburgsort (S2, S7) or Elbbrücken (S3/S5/U4). Entry is free.

Free entry; guided tours are priced separately (event calendar)

The observatory, built in Bergedorf around 1909, is a protected ensemble of historic buildings and telescopes. Public Sunday tours at 14:00 (€10, reduced €7.50, in German, 60–90 minutes) cover buildings, history and instruments, not the night sky; the park itself is open daily 07:00–22:00. Evening observation sessions run on the first Wednesday of the month from October to April at 19:00, weather permitting. Getting there: S2/S7 to Bergedorf, then bus 332 to „Sternwarte (Besucherzentrum)“. The entrance is on August-Bebel-Straße 196. Check the observatory's website for current hours before you go.

Sunday tour €10; reduced €7.50; park free (2026)

Trains, ships, planes and thousands of tiny figures move through scaled-down versions of whole regions and cities, and the day-to-night light cycles make it a favourite for both children and adults. The place is almost always busy and often very crowded, and demand for tickets is higher than the capacity, so the operator strongly recommends booking online for a set arrival time; early mornings and late evenings are calmer. Plan several hours, because there is a lot to look at closely.

Adult €22; reduced €19 (students, 65+, pupils 16+, unemployed); children under 16 €13; children under 1 m free with a parent (official site, 2026)

The museum fills Hamburg's oldest surviving quayside warehouse (Kaispeicher B, 1879) and grew out of one man's collecting passion. Expect thousands of ship models, many at a small 1:1250 scale, a rare set of bone ship models made by French sailors in the Napoleonic era, and marine paintings from the 16th century onwards. Plan a couple of hours; the evening ticket after 16:30 is a cheaper option if you only want a shorter look.

Adult €18; reduced €13; family (2 adults + up to 4 children) €38; single parent family €21; evening ticket after 16:30 €9 (official site, 2026)

PROTOTYP shows up to about 50 rare cars across 80 years, from a 1939 Porsche to modern Formula 1 machines, plus rotating special exhibitions. It sits in a listed factory building from the early 1900s, a short walk from the Elbphilharmonie and Speicherstadt. Tickets are cheap for children (4-14), and Hamburg Card holders pay less; note that parts of the exhibition can close for private events (for example 5-7 October 2026).

Adult €15; child 4-14 €6; family (2 adults + up to 3 children) €33; Hamburg Card reduced (official site, 2026)

The Deichtorhallen are former market halls from 1911-14 and today one of Germany's large venues for contemporary art and photography. In 2026 the Hall for Contemporary Art is closed for renovation through 30 October, so the visit means PHOXXI, the temporary house of photography, with two photo exhibitions running to 1 November 2026. Check the programme for what follows; on the first Thursday of the month entry is free from 18:00 to 21:00.

PHOXXI: adult €9; reduced €6; free under 18; free first Thursday of the month 18:00-21:00; prices for the main hall not published on the pages opened (official site, 2026)

The exhibition sits on the ground floor of a neo-Gothic warehouse and uses old tools, sampling equipment and photographs to explain the work of warehouse staff and the history of the district, including wartime damage. Children can handle some of the exhibits, and there is a rally for kids, family tours and regular public walks through the Speicherstadt; the schedule is on the museum's calendar. Count on about an hour inside, and use the U3 stop Baumwall, five minutes on foot.

Adult €6; reduced €4.50; students €3; children under 6 free (official site, 2026)

The museum shows around 900 objects on spice trade, from old sieving and mixing machines to displays on cultivation and Hamburg's role in the trade, and visitors can smell and taste many spices at a tasting station. A free audio guide is available in German, English and French. The exhibition is on the second floor with no lift, so plan for stairs; the entrance ticket comes with a pepper gift for adults and sweets for children.

Adult (16+) €7; children 4-15 €4; children 0-3 free; discounted €6; family (2 adults + 2 children) €15 (official site, 2026)

On roughly 800 square meters you see around a thousand exhibits: confiscated fakes, ingenious smuggling hiding places, historical uniforms and displays that run from Roman times to modern customs work, with films and interactive stations. The decommissioned patrol boat Oldenburg lies outside. It is cheap and quick, a good rainy-day stop at the quiet eastern end of the Speicherstadt, close to the Wasserschloss.

Very low admission (about €2-3 for adults; children and teens free) - check the price before you go

This steel windjammer was launched in 1896, later served the Portuguese navy as a training ship and has been a museum ship in Hamburg since the 1980s. You walk the decks and look at the exhibitions inside the hull; the rigging and the harbour view from the deck make it a pleasant stop right on the pier. There is also a restaurant on board. Plan about an hour and note that the ship has no barrier-free access.

Adult €7; students €6; children 4–12 €5; family (2 adults + kids to 14) €18; Hamburg Card €6 (official site)

Cap San Diego is a fast cargo freighter built in 1961–62 that carried goods to South America and now lies at the Überseebrücke as a museum. Walking the decks, cargo holds, engine room and crew areas gives a real picture of working life at sea; the ticket includes an audio guide. The ship sometimes leaves on special cruises, and then the museum is closed that day, so check the sailing dates.

Adult €12; students/disabled €7; children under 14 €4; family €28 (official site, 2026); audio guide included

The KomponistenQuartier gathers six composer museums in the Neustadt, covering Georg Philipp Telemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Adolf Hasse, Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler. One ticket covers the lot, and groups can book guided tours in several languages. It suits classical-music fans; others might find a short look enough. A special exhibition on Luise Reichardt runs from 25 September 2026 to 28 February 2027.

Adult €11; reduced €8; children 7–12 €2; free under 6 (official site, 2026)

Three connected buildings hold the collection: the red-brick main building of 1869, the domed hall of 1921 and the cubic Galerie der Gegenwart of 1997. Highlights include medieval altarpieces, Dutch masters, German Romanticism with Caspar David Friedrich's The Sea of Ice, Impressionists like Monet and Manet, and modern and contemporary art up to Warhol and Beuys. The museum stays open during roof refurbishment until 2027, and on the first Thursday of the month entry is free from 18:00 to 21:00.

Adult €18; reduced €9; free under 18; free for everyone on the first Thursday of the month 18:00-21:00 (official site, 2026)

The MK&G fills a late-19th-century building with around half a million objects, from antique musical instruments and period rooms to fashion and graphic design. Its Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) department is among the best in the world, the East Asian section includes a Japanese tea house setting, and Verner Panton's orange mirrored canteen from 1969 is a favourite photo stop. Thursday evenings are cheaper and the first Thursday of the month is free after 18:00; it is only a few minutes from the station, so it fits well before or after a train.

Adult €14; reduced €8; free under 18; Thursdays after 18:00 €8; free first Thursday of the month after 18:00; 'Last Call' €5 one hour before closing (official site, 2026)

The Bucerius Kunst Forum has no permanent collection; it stages around four temporary exhibitions a year, so what you see depends on the date. Until 29 March 2027 the show is Von Monet bis Picasso, about Jewish art collectors in Germany. The venue is small enough for a one-to-two-hour visit and sits a minute from the Rathaus, so it works as a rainy-day add-on to the old-town walk. Entry uses timed tickets, and Tuesdays are cheaper for everyone.

Adult €12; reduced €6; free under 18; Tuesdays €6 for everyone (official site, 2026)

U-434 is a Soviet 'Tango'-class diesel-electric submarine, 90 m long and built in 1976, that served in the Soviet navy and has been a museum in Hamburg since 2002. You squeeze through its seven compartments past torpedo tubes and engine rooms, and there is a webcam and tide info on the museum's site. Spaces are very tight, so skip it if you are claustrophobic or have limited mobility; a ticket is valid for 90 minutes, and a guided tour costs €5 extra.

Adult €9; children 6-12 and students €6; seniors €7; family (2+2) €22; under 5 free (official site)

The FC St. Pauli club offers the 'Millerntour' - a 120-minute walk through the stadium that also includes museum entry and a €5 shop voucher, plus a shorter 60-minute compact version and a Sunday museum-plus-stadium tour. Tours are in German (an English tour exists, and there are group tours for children aged 4-11), and none take place when the team plays away. Book through the club's online shop beforehand; stand-alone museum opening times aren't published - check on site.

Standard tour €17.50 (reduced €13.50); compact 60-min tour €13.50 (reduced €9.50); children under 10 free (official site, 2026)

The Panoptikum shows more than 120 wax figures of stars, politicians and historical personalities, and taking photos is explicitly welcome (just don't touch the figures). A free audio guide is available in German and English, and a separate 'Pauli P.' tour is aimed at children aged 6-12. It sits in the heart of the Reeperbahn area, so it is an easy rainy-day add-on to a St. Pauli walk.

Adult €9.50; under 18 €8; students/seniors €9; audio guide free (official site, valid to 31 Dec 2026)

Opened in 1962 in a building by Werner Kallmorgen, the house keeps roughly 140 sculptural works and about 400 drawings by Barlach, grouped around a courtyard with bronzes under a glass roof. Temporary shows of modern and contemporary art run alongside the permanent display. It sits at the park's edge, so pair it with a walk in Jenischpark; check the museum's own site for current opening hours and prices before you go.

Adult €9; reduced €6; family €15; pupils and students free

Founded in 1863, the museum in its 1901 building shows how people lived and worked along the lower Elbe and in Schleswig-Holstein, with ship models, fishing and everyday-life displays. The Elbgalerie and the participatory Wunderkammer are good starting points, and in 2026 a big exhibition on the illustrator Aiga Rasch runs until 14 March 2027. It is a short walk from Altona station and has a café, so it works well as a rainy-day stop.

Adult €9.50; reduced €6; free under 18 (official site, 2026)

The Zoological Museum shows animals from every region of the world, from whale skeletons to insects, and highlights include the rare skull of a female narwhal with two tusks. It is part of the Museum der Natur, whose other two houses (mineralogy on Grindelallee 48 and geology-palaeontology at Bundesstraße 55) have their own pages with meteorites, minerals, fossils and a cave bear skeleton. Entry is free, which makes it an easy add-on to MARKK, which is a few minutes away.

Free (official site, 2026)

The museum moved into its 1912 building in the university quarter and renamed itself MARKK to reflect a more critical look at how world cultures are collected and shown. Expect rotating exhibitions next to parts of the permanent collection of masks, boats, textiles and art; it's a good rainy-day stop close to Dammtor station. On Thursdays it stays open until 21:00, and children and teenagers under 18 get in free.

Adult €10; reduced €6; free under 18 (official site, 2026)

The museum fills an 1871 rubber factory in Barmbek and follows how work and everyday life changed in the last 150 years, with printing, metalworking and bookbinding workshops where historic machines still run. The centrepiece you notice from afar is the 14 m cutting wheel of TRUDE, the tunnel-boring machine used for a tunnel under the Elbe. Many objects on every floor can be touched, there is a café in the gatehouse, and the ticket is valid all day.

Adult €8.50; reduced €5; under 18 free (check tickets.shmh.de)

The museum stands on the island of Veddel, where the emigrant halls once housed travellers waiting for their ship; roughly five million Europeans left for the Americas from Hamburg between the 1850s and the early 1930s. Besides the permanent exhibition there is an audio guide, a family-research service for tracing emigrant ancestors and the restaurant „Nach Amerika“ on site. From Hamburg Hbf take the S3 or S5 (about 7 minutes) to „Veddel – BallinStadt“; the entrance is roughly 150 m from the station. Ticket sales stop one hour before closing.

Adult €14.90; reduced €12.50; children 5–13 €8.50; family (2 adults + 2 children) €35.50; 1 adult + 2 children €26.50 (official site, 2026)

The moated castle goes back to the 13th century and is the only surviving castle within Hamburg. Inside, the permanent exhibition „stadtlandfluss“ explores Bergedorf's relationship with city, countryside and river, and a temporary art show (Dongmei Lisowski) runs until 31 January 2027. The museum is reached by the S-Bahn to Bergedorf station (S2/S21) and a walk of about 800 m. Note that it can only be reached by stairs.

Adult €6; reduced €4; free under 18; combined ticket with Rieck Haus €8 / €6 (official site, 2026)

The museum occupies shed 50A on the Hansahafen, with a depot of historic port tools, an outdoor quay with early container equipment and a pontoon with steam vessels. The PEKING (built 1911) can only be visited on a guided tour of about 60 minutes (€15 incl. museum entry, under 18 free but registered, minimum height 1.20 m, sturdy shoes, not accessible for strollers or wheelchairs). Getting there: S-Bahn to Veddel – BallinStadt (north exit) then bus 256 to „Hafenmuseum“; on weekends bus 256 also runs from Elbbrücken and a historic bus 856 operates. The museum also lists a Maritime Circle Line boat from the Landungsbrücken.

Museum €7; reduced €4; free under 18. PEKING tour €15 incl. museum entry (official site, 2026)

The museum holds more than 2.5 million catalogued objects; the main building at Museumsplatz 2 hosts special exhibitions, while the permanent archaeology exhibition at Harburger Rathausplatz 5 is interactive and has a children's playground. One ticket covers all its sites, and the free Planet Harburg and Bischofsburg sites are in the same family of venues. Getting there: S3/S31 towards Harburg and get off at Harburg Rathaus for the Rathausplatz site (from the Hbf the ride to Harburg takes about 14 minutes). Open on 3 October and some other public holidays; closed Christmas, New Year, Easter Monday and Whit Monday.

Adult €8; reduced €5; free under 17; one ticket covers all AMH sites (official site, 2026)

The collection of contemporary art occupies former Phoenix factory halls on Wilstorfer Straße 71 and is closed for renovation until 10 October 2026. Afterwards you can join a public guided tour (Saturday 12:00 and 15:00, Sunday 13:00; advance booking needed) or visit without registration on Sundays 12:00–17:00 during exhibition periods. From Hamburg Hbf take the S3 or S31 to Harburg (about 14 minutes), then walk roughly 400 m.

Admission €11 (reduced €7); guided tour €16 (reduced €13); free under 18 (official site, 2026)

The farmhouse was built around 1532 and shows how two or three generations of a farming family, servants and livestock once lived under one roof. The grounds hold a water mill, a bakehouse, a grain store, pig pens, a demonstration garden and a children's play area, plus rotating exhibitions (the bee exhibition „Abflug“ reopened in March 2026). Getting there: S-Bahn (S21) or bus to Bergedorf station, then bus 127 to the stop „Rieck Haus“. A combined ticket with Bergedorf Castle is available.

Adult €4.50; reduced €3; free under 18; combined ticket with Bergedorf Castle €8 / €6 (official site, 2026)

Three times a year (spring, summer and winter, about four to five weeks each) the Heiligengeistfeld fills with roller coasters, a big Ferris wheel, food stands and games; entry to the grounds is free and you pay only for rides and snacks. Fireworks go off every Friday at 22:30, and on Wednesdays many rides and stalls offer discounts, which makes that the cheapest day for families. The Winter Dom 2026 runs 6 November to 6 December; U-Bahn stations St. Pauli and Feldstraße are right at the grounds.

Free entry to the grounds; rides and food are paid separately (2026)

Hagenbeck is a landscaped park where animals live in rocky panoramas and open enclosures instead of cages, with well over a thousand animals including a large elephant herd, polar bears, penguins and walruses in the Eismeer area. The Tropen-Aquarium on the same grounds is a separate ticket (or a combined one) and holds around 14,000 tropical animals; strollers are not allowed inside it, so plan to park them at the entrance. Allow most of a day for both; take U2 to Hagenbecks Tierpark, and note that dogs are not allowed.

Zoo: adult €29, child 4–16 €19; Tropen-Aquarium: adult €25, child €17; combined ticket adult €45, child €33; family (2+2) zoo €79 (official site, 2026)

The museum shows rural life from the 17th to the 20th century in more than 40 historic buildings and gardens on twelve hectares, with rare farm animals, craft demonstrations, the interactive Agrarium and a reconstructed post-war settlement. Children may touch and try things, there is a water playground, and hand carts can be borrowed free at the ticket counter. The stop „Museum Kiekeberg“ is right at the entrance; until December 2026 line 340 only serves it from Neuwiedenthal and line 4210 stops in Vahrendorf, so check hvv.de. Admission is free for under-18s.

Adult admission price isn't published (check on site); free under 18; combined ticket with Wildpark Schwarze Berge €24 adult (2026)

The park lies in the forest just south of Hamburg (in Rosengarten, Lower Saxony) and combines enclosures, a petting area, a large adventure playground, the Dinowelt and the Elbblick observation tower. Flight demonstrations take place around noon and 15:00 and feedings between 11:00 and 16:00. A wildlife train runs and hand carts can be rented for €5. Getting there: HVV buses 340 and 544 from Harburg Rathaus; until the end of December 2026 line 340 only starts at Neuwiedenthal because of roadworks. Open 365 days a year.

Adult (15+) €16; child (3+) €14; combined ticket with Kiekeberg museum €24 adult / €14 child (official site, 2026)

The Plaza is a public deck wrapped around the concert hall, between the old brick warehouse base and the glass top, with the harbour, the Speicherstadt roofs and the city skyline all around you. The ride up is part of the fun: a gently curving escalator through the old warehouse, then a second one to the 8th floor. Walk-in tickets are only given out if some are left, so for a fixed time (and for sunset) it is safer to book a slot online beforehand; a visitor centre on site can answer questions.

Adult €5; reduced €3 (from 5 Oct 2026; before that a €3 booking fee or free walk-in tickets if available); free with a concert ticket from 2 hours before the event; child price not stated (official site, 2026)

The four-storey building dates from 1905-1907 and has a green copper roof, rounded bay windows and tiled bands on its brick facade; it originally housed workers who maintained the hydraulic hoists of the warehouses. Today the ground floor holds tea trading and a restaurant, and the bridge next to it is a favourite vantage point for photos of the building reflected in the water. It is a short stop of a few minutes on the walk, easy to combine with the Zollmuseum nearby.

Free (exterior); restaurant and tea shop paid

The HafenCity tourism pages name the Magellan Terraces, Marco Polo Terraces, Sandtorhafen and the Traditionsschiffhafen (historic-ship harbour) as the main waterfront spots. Start at the Magellan Terraces, walk along the Sandtorhafen basin past the historic ships and finish at the Marco Polo Terraces, a public open space just northeast of the Marco Polo Tower. It is free and best on a sunny late afternoon; combine it with the Elbphilharmonie Plaza and the Speicherstadt.

Free

Baakenpark opened in 2018 on the Baakenhafen basin and its Himmelsberg hill gives views west to the Elbphilharmonie, north to the market halls and south over the Norderelbe. The 'Treibgut' wooden playground, sports courts and running track make it a good family stop; the hilltop is reached by stairs only. Nearby, the elevated U-Bahn platforms at Elbbrücken also look over the river and the new quarter, and the unfinished Elbtower shell is still on view (construction has been halted, so there is no viewing platform).

Free

This 688 m long row of floating pontoons from the early 20th century is the main gateway to the port: harbour-tour boats, HADAG ferries and fish-roll stalls all share the promenade. The tower with the tide gauge strikes the hour and half-hour, and the museum ship Rickmer Rickmers lies at the eastern end. Walk along the water, grab a snack, and combine it with the Old Elbe Tunnel entrance right next door and the Stintfang viewpoint above.

Free

A one-hour tour passes the container terminals, shipyard docks, the Elbphilharmonie and HafenCity skyline, and – on small barges when the tide allows – the canals of the Speicherstadt. Operators such as Abicht and Barkassen-Meyer leave from the Landungsbrücken (Abicht uses bridge 1 for barges and bridge 4 for larger ships), with live German commentary and audio guides in many languages including English. Choose a small barge for the Speicherstadt canals and a larger ship if you need wheelchair access.

From about €24 for the 1-hour tour, depending on vessel and date (Abicht, 2026); open tickets valid one year

Planten un Blomen follows the line of the old city fortifications and mixes themed gardens, a lake, playgrounds and big lawns. Highlights are the Japanese garden with a teahouse (tea ceremonies May–September), the rose garden with around 300 varieties, and the Parksee, where free water-light concerts run on summer evenings. The tropical greenhouses are closed for a long restoration, so do not plan on them; the closest station is Dammtor.

Free

Stintfang is a 26 m high rise on the northern Elbe bank, a remnant of the old city fortifications, with a viewing platform and a youth hostel. From the platform you look over the Landungsbrücken and the harbour, which makes it a good place for a photo or a short break after the piers. The Landungsbrücken U-Bahn and S-Bahn station is at its foot, so it only takes a few minutes to climb.

Free

Line 62 runs from the Landungsbrücken via Fischmarkt/Altona, Dockland, Neumühlen/Övelgönne and Bubendey-Ufer to Finkenwerder, so you pass the container cranes, docks and the Övelgönne beach from the water. It is part of the normal public transport network, so a regular hvv ticket is enough, and you can go out and take the ferry or bus back. Sit on the open deck on a clear day; schedules are on hvv.de and in the hvv app.

Regular hvv ticket (no separate fare; check the exact 2026 price with hvv)

The Binnenalster is an artificial lake of roughly 20 hectares, created in the Middle Ages as a mill pond and now ringed by hotels, offices and church spires. The Jungfernstieg on its southern shore is the classic spot to sit on the wide steps, watch the boats leave and stroll under the Alsterarkaden, the arcades along the Kleine Alster. A full walk round the lake takes about 45 to 90 minutes; the north shore near the Lombardsbrücke gives the best view back at the skyline, and the fountain, the evening light and the advent-season Christmas tree on the water add to it.

Free

The Alsterrundfahrt is the standard 50-minute loop over the Binnenalster and Outer Alster, passing the villas and sailing clubs; longer trips cover the Alster and its canals, the Speicherstadt and harbour, and a two-hour evening lights cruise. A hop-on, hop-off Alsterkreuzfahrt day ticket also exists. Boats run all year, but the schedule thins out in autumn and winter (see the periods in the hours data), and the times given here are the 2026 timetable - check the operator's page for the current one.

Alsterrundfahrt (50 min): adult €25, child 4-14 €12.50, family (2 adults + up to 4 children) €60 (operator booking page, 2026); other trips cost more

The huge concrete bunker on Feldstraße was crowned with a green extension that opened in July 2024. A planted path, the Bergpfad, spirals around the outside by ramps and stairs to the public rooftop garden, where thousands of plants, community garden beds and a seasonal food stall come with views over the city towards the Elbphilharmonie. Entry is free; allow an hour or so, and note that the route is stair-based, so it suits neither wheelchairs nor strollers.

Free

Park Fiction was planned with local residents and artists in the 1990s and built between 2003 and 2005 on the slope near Pinnasberg. Its playful features include a pirate fountain, solar terraces, herb gardens, a dog garden with poodle-shaped hedges and a boules court. It is a relaxed place for a short break with a view over the Elbe and the docks, and the colourful Hafenstraße houses are just next door.

Free

Opened in its current place in 1979 and renamed in 2012 after Loki Schmidt, this large garden has themed areas: a Japanese garden, a Chinese garden, a rose garden (2021), a desert garden and an alpine section. Entry is free (small donations are welcome), and the entrance on Ohnhorststraße is directly across from Klein Flottbek S-Bahn station. The historic tropical greenhouses at Planten un Blomen are closed for renovation, so plan for the outdoor garden only; no dogs except service dogs.

Free (donations welcome) (official site, 2026)

The park grew from the Voght estate and was shaped by merchant Martin Jenisch from 1828; it holds the Jenisch House museum, the Ernst Barlach House and a nature reserve around the Flottbek stream. The villa shows how rich Hamburg merchants lived, and its exhibition 'Parkomania' on park history runs until 28 December 2026. Get there by S-Bahn to Klein Flottbek, then bus 39 or 286 to Teufelsbrück ferry; the café is in the old billiard room.

Park free; Jenisch House adult €7; reduced €4; free under 18 (official site, 2026)

The Altonaer Balkon is a 4.8 hectare park on the Elbe slope, about 27 m up, with benches on a fenced viewing plateau looking over the harbour. It also holds a small butterfly meadow (2016), a playground, the Helgoland monument from 1864 and sculptures such as 'The Emigrants'. Just north stands the Altona town hall, built as a railway station and used as the town hall since 1898, with a Kaiser Wilhelm I monument in front; the interior is mostly used for administration, so enjoy the building from outside. Pair it with the Altonaer Museum and Dockland nearby (the coordinates point to the town hall; the park is a short walk south of it).

Free

This 2005 office building by BRT Architekten juts out over the water like a ship's bow. Its roughly 500 square metre rooftop is open to the public via external stairs of around 136 steps, and gives you views over the harbour, the Elbphilharmonie and the cruise terminal. Combine it with the Fischmarkt/Övelgönne ferry stop right next door; opening hours for the terrace are not published, so go in daylight and expect it to be closed in bad weather.

Free

Once the estate of the Godeffroy merchant family and public since 1927, the Hirschpark is named after the deer enclosure laid out around 1860. You can see the deer, walk the winding paths and the old four-row linden avenue, and look out over the Elbe from the slope; there is also a classicist country house and the thatched Witthüs, now a tea house. A 270-year-old sycamore maple is a recognised national heritage tree. Combine it with Jenischpark or Blankenese, as it lies along the Elbchaussee.

Free

At the Schulauer Fährhaus in Wedel, just outside Hamburg, 'captains' of the greeting station dip the Hamburg flag for passing vessels and play the national anthem of larger ocean-going ships, with details about each ship read out. Around fifty qualifying ships pass daily, and watching from the free grounds costs nothing; restaurant guests also hear the ship announcements. Take the S1 to Wedel and then bus 189 to 'Wedel Elbstraße, Willkomm Höft', or board bus 189 at Blankenese; about an hour from central Hamburg.

Free to watch from the grounds (operator's site, 2026)

The Außenalster is a 1.6 km² lake just north of the centre, and the path around it is one of the best free walks in the city: white villas and club houses on the west bank, sailing boats and rowing crews on the water, and the towers of the centre across the lake. You can walk all of it in about two hours, or do just the west side from Jungfernstieg towards Atlantic Hotel and the Alsterpark, then hop on an Alster boat or rent a pedal boat. Pedal boats and sailboats are rented from several jetties in summer (a pedal boat for four is around €25 an hour at Barca; hours depend on the season and weather), and the operator Alster-Touristik runs hop-on hop-off boats from Jungfernstieg.

Free; pedal boat for up to 4 about €25/hour, sailboat about €38/hour; Alster-Touristik hop-on hop-off day pass from €10

Fritz Schumacher designed the Stadtpark as a place for everyone: a 15-hectare Festwiese for picnics, the Stadtparksee with rental boats from the Liebesinsel, an open-air pool, sports fields, and several cafés, restaurants and beer gardens. A stage in the park hosts open-air concerts several times a year, and the Planetarium water tower rises over the lake. Come on a sunny day, walk the lake and the meadow, and combine it with the planetarium; the park is easy to reach by U3 to Borgweg or Saarlandstraße.

Free (open-air pool, boat rental and concerts are charged separately)

The Niendorfer Gehege is the largest forest in the Eimsbüttel district, with about 15 km of walking trails, riding paths, a fallow-deer enclosure, a pony farm, a playground and a café. It works well for an outdoor half-day with kids away from the centre, and is reached by U2 to Niendorf Markt plus a bus or walk. Bring your own picnic or plan the café stop; opening hours of the deer enclosure and café aren't published - check on site.

Free

Opened in 1877, Ohlsdorf is laid out like a landscape park with 17 km of roads, ponds, rhododendrons that bloom around early June, and graves of well-known people as well as memorials for victims of the Nazi era and the 1943 bombing. Public buses 170 and 270 run inside the grounds with around two dozen stops, so you can cross it without walking everything. Come from the S1 or U1 station Ohlsdorf, pick up a free map at the entrance and treat it as a quiet park walk; in summer there are guided walks (about €18 per adult, 2 hours).

Free to enter; guided walks about €18 per adult, children free (official site, 2026)

The park opened for the 2013 garden show and covers roughly 85 hectares with adventure playgrounds with water zones, a skate park, a climbing wall, sports courts, canoe hire, and rose and rhododendron gardens. There are cafés, including the Wälderhaus restaurant and seasonal kiosks near the Kuckucksteich. Entry is free, and it is busiest from May to October. From the S-Bahn station Wilhelmsburg (S3, S31) a 130 m bridge leads straight into the park; buses M13, 34, 151–156 and 252 also serve it.

Free

The Energiebunker is one of Hamburg's old flak towers; at about 30 m up, the café „vju“ and its terrace give a view over Wilhelmsburg and the harbour area. It is open only Friday (12:00–17:00), Saturday and Sunday (11:00–18:00), and the terrace cannot be reserved because of the weather. The café site states the building is accessible without barriers and dogs are welcome. The address is Neuhöfer Straße 7; the café page names no stops, so check the route on hvv.de.

No separate entrance fee is published on the café site; you pay for what you order.

Once a landfill, the hill now carries wind turbines and solar panels, and a 900 m circular path (the „Horizontweg“) at about 40 m gives wide views over the city. An information centre has a multimedia presentation on the site's transformation; free guided tours of about 90 minutes run Fridays at 15:30 and on weekends at 10:30 and 15:30, with no registration. The path has adapted gradients and rest areas, but bicycles are not allowed on the grounds. Getting there: bus 154 (every 20 minutes from Berliner Tor, Wilhelmsburg or Harburg stations) to „Fiskalische Straße“.

No admission fee is listed; the public guided tours are free.

In Dialog im Dunkeln (about 60 minutes, 75 for special editions) a blind guide leads a small group of up to eight people through pitch-black rooms with scents, sounds, wind and textures; Dialog im Stillen (about 60 minutes) uses sound-absorbing headphones and a deaf guide to teach non-verbal communication, and there are further formats such as Dinner in the Dark. Entry is only with a booked tour, so book a time online and be at the ticket desk 20 minutes before the start. Minimum age is 7 for the darkness tour and 6 for the silence tour.

Dialogue in the Dark from €18.50; Dialogue in Silence from €14.90; discounts for children, students, seniors and visitors with disabilities (official site, 2026)

Actors in costume, special effects and sets stage episodes such as the plague hospital, the Great Fire of 1842, a torture chamber, the inquisition and the pirate Klaus Störtebeker, and the tour ends with a water ride and a free-fall drop in the dark. The operator advises against it for children under 10 and admits no one under 8. Tickets are sold online with a booked time slot, and English tours go ahead only if at least four English-language guests have booked, otherwise you may be moved to a German tour.

Adult from €22 online (early-booking discounts up to 20%); groups of 8+ from €17; combo with harbour or Reeperbahn tour €39.50 (official site, 2026)

Unlike the Plaza, this tour takes you inside the concert halls and explains the building's story and the thinking behind its acoustics. Standard tours run in German and English, but they follow the concert calendar, so dates are limited; tickets can be booked up to eight weeks ahead and cannot be exchanged. Arrive on time, as latecomers are not admitted.

Concert hall tour from €20 per person (about 90 min); other formats €25-45 (some German only); Plaza tour €13 (official site, 2026)

The collection of a coffee enthusiast is shown here with historical mills, filters, machines, advertisements and objects that follow coffee from plant to cup, and you can drink coffee or buy fresh-roasted beans in the cafe and shop on the same site. Public coffee and tea tastings take place on set dates. It is a nice, calm stop for a coffee break during the Speicherstadt walk.

Museum admission not listed on the official hours page - check the official site (cafe and shop are separate).

Named for the Portuguese and Spanish immigrants who settled here, mainly from the 1970s, this part of the Neustadt has early-20th-century buildings and dozens of restaurants and cafés, with Ditmar-Koel-Straße as the main street. You will also find several Scandinavian seamen's churches and a harbour pharmacy dating from 1768. It works best for lunch or dinner after the Landungsbrücken, rather than as a sight in itself.

Free (open-air quarter; meals not included)

The State Opera is home to the Hamburg opera company, the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester and the Hamburg Ballett, and the current modernist building dates from 1955. Seeing a performance is the way to visit; ticket prices vary widely by production (examples on the site range from about €6 to €134), and occasional house tours must be registered for. The Laeiszhalle, the city's grand concert hall from 1908, is a short walk away if you prefer a concert.

Tickets vary by performance (examples about €6–€134); house tours e.g. €12 for ages 16+ (official site, 2026)

The Lion King is a Hamburg musical performed in German, about 2 hours 50 minutes with an interval. The theatre is on the south bank of the Elbe; a free musical shuttle ferry runs from the Landungsbrücken, or you can arrive by car with on-site parking. Stage recommends it from age 6 (kids from 3 are admitted), and flashing lights are used during the show.

From about €64 (up to about €158 in the top category) (Stage Entertainment, 2026)

Chocoversum, in the Kontorhaus district about ten minutes from the main station, is visited on a 90-minute guided tour through eight stations: the cacao plant, the history of chocolate including its colonial side, production, six tastings, and finally designing your own bar to take home. The final third is on your feet. Children from about 6 are the intended audience, and online tickets are cheaper than the day price at the door.

Adult €23 online (early bird) / €29 day price; child 6-17 €11 / €15; family €57 / €73 (official site, 2026)

The Thalia was founded in 1843 and its main house of about 1,000 seats opened in its current building in 1912; it was rebuilt after wartime damage and reopened in 1960. The repertoire is almost entirely German-language drama, with around 20 productions in rotation, so it suits visitors who understand German, though the building itself is a handsome sight from outside. Tickets are sold through the theatre's online shop; the current programme includes the children's classic Timm Thaler, and the Lessingtage festival runs from 29 January to 14 February 2027.

Ticket prices are not published on the home page - see the online shop

Every Sunday morning, fish, fruit, plants, flowers and souvenirs are sold on the Elbe quay in front of the Fischauktionshalle, a basilica-style iron-and-brick hall from 1896. Inside, live bands play from around 6:00, and the crowd is a mix of locals and night owls coming straight from the Reeperbahn. The market only exists on Sundays, so plan for an early start; in winter (November to March) it opens at 7:00 instead of 5:00.

Free entry; you pay for what you buy (2026)

Every Saturday from 8:00 to 16:00, the courtyard and covered areas of the Alte Rinderschlachthalle at Neuer Kamp 30 fill with stalls selling antiques, furniture, clothes and bric-a-brac; only second-hand goods are allowed, no new items. It lies opposite Feldstraße U-Bahn station and is easy to pair with a walk through the Schanzenviertel and the Karolinenviertel. It also runs on public holidays that fall on a Saturday, such as 3 October 2026.

Entry fee isn't published - check on site.

Schmidt Theater, Schmidts Tivoli and the small Schmidtchen at Spielbudenplatz 27-28 stage comedy, musicals and popular theatre in German, with family productions such as 'Der Räuber Hotzenplotz' in the programme. It is a classic Reeperbahn evening out, but shows are in German so it works best if you understand the language. Tickets are sold through the theatre's own ticket shop; check the current programme and times before you plan.

Prices depend on the show - see the theatre's ticket shop

Große Elbstraße runs along the old fishing harbour west of the Fischmarkt, mixing converted harbour buildings with restaurants, including the traditional Fischereihafen-Restaurant, and the Stilwerk design and furniture store. The Altonaer Kaispeicher is an event space, the Kristall Tower is a landmark, and the Dockland office building and the Altona cruise terminal lie south of the street. It is a handy lunch or sunset stop on the way between the Fischmarkt and Övelgönne; the Fischauktionshalle itself is covered under St. Pauli.

Free to walk; restaurants and shops are paid

The Isemarkt runs along Isestraße beneath the U-Bahn viaduct and is described as Europe's longest open-air market at about 970 m, with stalls for fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese, flowers and takeaway food. It's busiest in the late morning, and it's a good place for a picnic or brunch before a walk along the Isebek canal. The market is held on Tuesday and Friday, and when one of those days is a public holiday it takes place on the day before.

Free to walk through; you pay for what you buy

The planetarium sits in a 65 m former water tower, converted in 1929, and today shows space journeys, laser and music programmes and children's shows under a 20 m dome. Each show lists a recommended age, so check the programme online before you go. Without a show ticket you can still go up to the observation platform for €2 (€1 reduced), which is free with any show ticket and gives views over the park, the airport side of the city and the Elbphilharmonie.

Show adult €12.30, under 18 €7.70, 3D surcharge €1.60; observation platform only €2 (reduced €1), free with a show ticket (official site, 2026)