Hamburg, Germany - October 9 to 10, 2004

Hamburg, Germany's second largest city has many faces.

For many, the port city is most associated with the neon-lit Reeperbahn, a sleazy strip of clip joints, sex shows, and wholesale prostitution that helped earn Hamburg its reputation as "Sin City". But Hamburg has more to offer. A ride around Alster Lake in the city center will unveil the elegance of its finest buildings and parks. A stroll along one of the many canals will show you why Hamburg has more in common with canal cities like Amsterdam or Venice; locals will proudly put emphasis on the fact that their city has more bridges than Venice (around 1,000). Water is Hamburg's defining feature and the foundation of its success. Hamburg remains a hard-working port that is among Europe's busiest.

Contrasts are evident wherever you look in Hamburg. Amid the steel-and-glass structures of the modern city is the old baroque main church St. Michaelis (Michel). A good look at early shoppers mingling with late-night partyers will give you the Altona fish market during a Sunday-morning visit.

And there's much more to see in Hamburg!

You definitely have to do a tour of one of the most modern and efficient harbors in the world (with 9 € a bit expensive but very interesting!). Hamburg is Germany's largest seaport, with 33 individual docks and 500 berths lying within its 78 km².
You should also climb up the steep flight of stairs of the Michel to enjoy the perfect view down to the city and the harbor.
A stroll along the Speicherstadt (Warehouse district) is also indispensable. These imposing neo-Gothic brick warehouses represent the world's largest block of continuous storage space. Many are still used to store and process every conceivable commodity, from coffee and spices to raw silks and handwoven Oriental carpets. You might also visit the tiny but fascinating Spicy's Gewürzmuseum.

Hamburg is great! Hamburg is definitely worth a visit (or even more)!