We loved our time here roaming around the Speicherstadt. It was a fun exploration even on a rainy…read moreweekday morning. It was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015. That's most likely because it's the largest historic warehouse complex of its kind (low-lying) in the world. The site has been historically protected since 1991 and subsequently restored. What's interesting is that these old red brick warehouses were uniquely built on top of a foundation of oak timbers. They were driven deep down (about 36 feet) into what was technically once considered marshy sandbars along the Elbe River. The wood with the surrounding sand petrified over time to create a solid foundation to build upon. This whole complex was needed to store global market items such as spices, tea, and coffee. The warehouses have entrances from the canal and at the street level for easy access. I was actually more impressed with the Gothic Revival look of the buildings as well as the steel bridges connecting them all together. We walked up and down the blocks and across the various different bridges to get a feel for the area. I don't think the pictures really convey the scenery here. It comes across as gloomy on rainy days, but it really wasn't that way in person. I really like that this area has become so popular. There are many attractions, shops, museums, cafés, and restaurants in and around it. The beautiful Water Castle can be seen from the furthest bridge known as Poggenmühlen. There's an International Maritimes Museum housed in one of the oldest buildings (1878) in the Speicherstadt. You'll see it right away when you see the massive propeller at the south entrance. The Sandtorkai-Hof and Speicherstadt Rathaus are other beautiful buildings that deserve a mention. There's way more to Hamburg than Speicherstadt and HafenCity. This was just a cool visit to the historical port of Germany. It's definitely a place that I would revisit if given the opportunity.

The Speicherstadt is fantastic. A lot to see and a lot to do. Great coffee that I took back to…read moreCalifornia and great entertainment. A have to see spot in Hamburg.

The church was built around 1300 near the Koberg. Since the middle ages it is the church of the…read moreseamen. In one of the chapels a life boat of the Pamir was put up. The Pamir, a sailing ship, sank 1957 and only six seamen of 86 survived. The Pamir chapel is national and International Seafaring Memorial. Because the church was not so much damaged during the world war II, you can still listen to two organs, that were built in the 15th century, and look at an altar from 1717.

We did the one hour English guided tour of the Hamburg Townhall. You buy the tickets the day off…read moreinside the building and it costs 8 Euros per person. There are guided tours in German and English language. Note that the English guided tours are not as often as the German guided tours. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. He made the guided tour enjoyable. It was nice learning the history and seeing various rooms of the Hamburg Townhall. Overall, I recommend visiting this landmark and doing the guided tour.

The seat of the "Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg", this building is on the Rathausmarkt square…read more Constructed between 1186 and 1897, this is also the seat of one of the 16 state parliaments of Germany. Government still operates from here. I did not have time for a proper tour of the building, but the next time I am in Hamburg, I absolutely will do so. The lobby is open to the public and you can get to a few other places if the parliament is not actually in session. [Review 12060 overall, 1843 of 2019.]