Hamburg

Hamburg Travel Guide

Known for having the highest number of millionaires in Germany, Hamburg loves to be snobbish -- and rather cool to its guests. It certainly takes time to make friends with the stiff Hanseaten, the proud offspring of the patriarchal leading families of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. But the city, dominated by lakes, canals, the river Elbe, and Germany's biggest harbor, is undeniably beautiful -- a German Venice on the North Sea.

Summer is, without question, the best time to visit. Fall, winter, and even spring can be unbearably rainy or misty. But Germany's second-largest city has much to offer, even if the weather isn't cooperating. World-class museums of modern art, the Reeperbahn (no longer a shabby red-light district, but a mix of top musical stages and a thriving, upscale nightlife), some of the most upscale shopping malls in Germany, and many Michelin-starred restaurants offer ample distraction from nature's gloom.