Forget Berlin — try this sophisticated German city break instead The Times Laura Jackson, Deputy Head of Travel 48 hours Forget Berlin — try this sophisticated German city break instead More bridges than Venice, Unesco-listed architecture, concert halls and all the herring you can eat: Hamburg makes for a delightfully laid-back cultural weekender Hamburg Rathaus, the city's town hall Andreas Vallbracht Laura Jackson , Deputy Head of Travel Thursday October 15 2026, 5.00am BST , The Sunday Times Listen 0:00 / · 13:54 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save T he two most important things to know about Hamburg are 1) the hamburger was not invented here and 2) an 1189 charter gave the city tax-free trading privileges that set it on a course to be an independent port ruled by its citizens and not dukes or kings. So there is no fancy castle in this north German city-state on the Elbe River, lying at the hinge of the Jutland peninsula, 90 miles from the Danish border. Old habits die hard and Hamburg hasn't lost any of its free-wheeling, anti-hierarchy DNA. It is still a city in which you can hear Mozart played by one of the world's leading orchestras in an acoustically perfect concert hall, then pop by a prosaically named bar called Babes & Beer on the Reeperbahn. Although it's not always obviously photogenic, there is beauty in this city, which has more bridges over its extensive network of canals than Venice. Hamburg was heavily bombed during the Second World War, but by the early 20th century most of the medieval wooden and stepped-gable buildings had been swept away by slum clearances. Hamburg is used to reinvention, so gothic Victorian piles sit next to 1920s German expressionist architecture; bars are experimental without being so self-consciously cool that you can't get a seat; and the eating-out scene centres on seafood including mackerel and herring. A hamburger won't even cross your mind. 48 hours in Hamburg — at a glance Day one Morning Walking tour Lunch Hobenköök Afternoon Rathaus tour Drink at Le Lion Evening Miniatur Wunderland Dinner Chefs Warehouse Day two Morning Fish market Lunch Brücke 10 Afternoon Harbour cruise Drink at Drip Evening Elbphilharmonie Dinner Carls Brasserie What to see and do Morning walking tour In 2015 Speicherstadt, the warehouse district, along with neighbouring buildings of Sprinkenhof and Chilehaus, were named a Unesco world heritage site. A stroll with Tomas Kaiser, who has a PhD in cultural history, can unlock the area's secrets. He knows the exact viewing spot on the eastern tip of Chilehaus where the southeastern windows disappear into what look like waves and can explain how Sprinkenhof was influenced by the Doge's Palace in Venice (two-hour private tour ￡152; tomas-kaiser.hamburg). Rathaus tour The Hygieia Fountain at the Rathaus Getty images The city's town hall is a neo-Renaissance confection of knobbly turrets, bronze statues and dormer windows next to the Alster River, rebuilt during the 1880s after a fire destroyed the previous one in 1842. It's only possible to view the interiors on a guided tour (in English at 11.15am, 1.15pm and 3.15pm daily). The interior is lavish, with ceilings 15 metres high and a stained-glass meeting room for confidential confabs (￡7; hamburg-travel.com). Advertisement Miniatur Wunderland Miniatur Wunderland is the largest moderl railway in the world The Speicherstadt is home to the largest model railway in the world: Miniatur Wunderland. Opened in 2001 with three “worlds” — Hamburg, Harz in central Germany and Knuffingen (a fictional alpine town) — it now has 1,200 tiny trains chugging around 12 themes, including the US, featuring a tiny Mount Rushmore. You know you've made the big time in Germany (like the newsreader Susanne Daubner and the former MP and railway enthusiast Michael Portillo) when Miniatur Wunderland adds a 1:87 model of you to the line-up of 292,000 figurines. It's so popular that opening hours run to 1am some evenings; book in advance (￡19; miniatur-wunderland.de). Morning Fish market The Fish Market opens at 5am Getty images Starting at 5am, the place for breakfast on a Sunday morning is the quayside fish market at Altona. Revellers traditionally head straight from clubbing to the market for coffee, fischbrötchen (fish sandwich) or Franzbrötchen, Hamburg's sweet pastry that looks like a steam-rolled cinnamon bun. Hamburgers stock up on seafood from whelks to mackerel as fruit and veg sellers call out their best deals. Stop at the auction hall for live music under a giant disco ball that's reason enough to order a litre of Erdinger beer for ￡13 at 7am. Mostly outside, the market closes at 9.30am sharp (St Pauli Fischmarkt 2). Harbour cruise The Hamburg humour is evident at the start of a harbour cruise with Barkassen-Meyer when the guide starts with a blast of the Titanic soundtrack. From there things get more serious on this trip down the Elbe, past Hamburg's posh houses on the north bank and the working port to the south. Get alongside MSC and Maersk container ships, then slide under the Waltershofer Brücken. Commentary is almost always in German; there are snacks and loos on board, and departures are from either pier 1 or 6 at St Pauli-Landungsbrücken (￡22; barkassen-meyer.de). Elbphilharmonie concert The Elbphilharmonie concert hall on the Elbe River Getty images Opened in 2017, the harbour-facing concert hall is one of the most appealing in the world thanks to the incredible acoustics, the result of 10,000 fibre concrete panels in the 2,100-seat grand hall. Performances range from visiting musicians such as the New York Philharmonic to the outstanding local orchestra the NDR Elbphilharmonie. If you can't see a concert then take the curved escalator through a tunnel lined with giant glass sequins for the views from the Plaza platform (concert tickets from ￡9, plaza tickets from ￡4; elbphilharmonie.de). Where to eat and drink Hobenköök When the harbour market hall's producers include small businesses such as the Meierei Horst dairy in the city's north and Elbmüller's organic oils, you expect the restaurant menu to be good. Options run from the north German speciality labskaus, with fried egg and pickled herring accompanying the corned beef, or pan-fried mackerel, helped along by the mainly German wine list (mains from ￡17; hobenkoeoek.de). Advertisement Le Lion Le Lion is the place for your evening tipple Philipp Trochim This smart neighbourhood bar in the old town has been taking traditional cocktails and making them even tastier for nearly two decades. Le Lion is known for its award-winning gin basil smash, but you can't beat the sweet but not too saccharine raspberry negroni. True to its name there is a large bronze lion statue at the back of the bar and a mini version gracing the front door (cocktails from ￡15; lelion.net). Chefs Warehouse The Chef's Warehouse was the city's biggest restaurant opening this year The biggest opening in the city during 2026 has come from the fiery Irish chef Liam Tomlin, who has exported his restaurant concept from Cape Town to Hamburg. A huge red-brick building between Speicherstadt and HafenCity dating from the 1880s has undergone a five-year restoration and is now home to an enormous central wooden table for communal dining. Tomlin's food spans pan-European dishes from cacio e pepe to rump steak with bone marrow and a crème brûlée tart (mains from ￡18; chefswarehouse.de). Brücke 10 The St Pauli Piers are stuffed with places to eat but the standout is Brücke 10, serving up fischbrötchen options from mackerel to herb-cured herring. If raw fish isn't your bag, go for the wimp's option: a delicious fishcake with cod and veg with a remoulade sauce. Eat in or take away (sandwiches from ￡5; bruecke10.com). Drip The Reeperbahn might have a formidable reputation as Hamburg's red-light district and party epicentre where a 17-year-old George Harrison lost his virginity, but the side streets off the main drag are where you will find the best spots now. Ring the discreet doorbell at Drip to be let into a bar that's so low-lit the menus come with reading lights. Nab a sofa or a wonky armchair and order a Salty Peanut Old Fashioned where the rum is cold dripped through peanuts, or the basil gin and tonic. No reservations (cocktails from ￡11; Antonistr 4). 11 of the best cities to visit in Germany Advertisement Carls Brasserie Carls Brasserie is a laid-back New York-style spot The currywurst and steaks on the menu are delightful, but come for the fish dishes at this laid-back New York-style brasserie next door to the Elbphilharmonie. Pollock and sole are always on the concise menu, with daily specials such as salmon in a caper sauce. The wine list goes big on French and German numbers from Languedoc picpoul de pinet to a pinot noir from Baden (mains from ￡15; carls-brasserie.de). Where to stay Conrad Hamburg Greta Oto is the South American-themed restaurant at the Conrad Central location and an unmissable restaurant This hotel is in a dream location: two minutes from Mönckebergstrasse station on the U3 line, with Speicherstadt over the road and the Elbphilharmonie under 30 minutes' walk. It is built into the Levantehaus shopping arcade, which dates from 1912, and the rooms are spacious. It's the first Conrad in Germany but all the brand's stamps are there: Byredo toiletries, Frette bedding and a concierge who will dash to your rescue with an umbrella. In the basement is a sizeable spa with a 20-metre pool and treatments from experienced therapists using myBlend, Clarins' luxury products. The showstopper, however, is dinner at Greta Oto, the South American-themed restaurant — featuring lobster tacos, cheese and cassava bread, and a whole octopus (mains from ￡19, room-only doubles from ￡270). Hotel Wedina Hamburg Modern rooms plus a library Rooms here are split over four buildings in three categories at this hotel in the northeastern St Georg district: budget, hotel and apartments. All have pine furniture and bright walls. Apartments are great for families, with space for up to five and there is a kitchen for self-catering, plus a well-stocked library and a courtyard garden. Rates are reasonable but note breakfast costs ￡20pp, as does parking (room-only doubles from ￡180). Tortue Hamburg Indie hotel in the city centre This independently owned hotel set around a courtyard in Stadthöfe has two cocktail bars, parquet flooring and decent-sized rooms. The 1888 building was restored in 2018 by David Chipperfield and Stephen Williams. Breakfast is an eye-watering ￡49 a head, so pop around the corner to the Heferl bakery and café for a handmade croissant instead (room-only doubles from ￡145). Read more 11 of the best cities to visit in Germany The affordable, historic alternative to Munich — without the crowds Germany's lakes and rivers are extraordinary — here are the best trips Getting there and around easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Hamburg, Ryanair from Stansted and Eurowings and British Airways from Heathrow. It is possible to take the train via Brussels and Cologne but allow 12 to 15 hours for the journey. A Hamburg Card includes public transport on buses, trains and ferries for one adult and up to three children (three days ￡30; hamburgcard.de). Advertisement Visit responsibly The summer months can be busy particularly around the St Pauli district, but Hamburg is a year-round destination. While Uber works, Hamburg's cycling scheme means bike hire costs a maximum of ￡8 per day and there are electric cargo bikes available too (stadtrad.hamburg.de). Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics Top stories 1 Should you buy shares in Vanguard LifeStrategy? Companies & Markets Laura Jackson was a guest of the German National Tourist Board ( germany.travel ), Hamburg Tourismus ( hamburg-travel.com ) and the Conrad Hamburg (hilton.com). 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