Hamburg is a watery city, geographically, historically and atmospherically. It is Germany 's second largest city and lies on the Elbe River, for centuries a major port and trading centre for central Europe. The city has a network of canals that rival those of Venice (it is said to have more bridges than Venice ) and is centred on two artificial lakes that take up eight percent of its total area. Probably because of all the water, Hamburg is also known as Germany 's "green city", sporting 1,400 parks and gardens.

Take the Mönckebergstrasse, opposite of the train station. The Saint Peter's Church is the oldest of the five churches in the city center. It was built in 1050, destroyed in the fire of 1842 and rebuilt in Gothic style. A bit further, in the Streinstrasse, stands the Saint James Church, mentionned for the first time in 1255. The Baroque organ behind the altar is one of the most beautiful one's in the country.

Also in the Mönckebergstrasse, the Town Hall will draw the visitor's attention. It is home to the Hamburg Senate and the Hamburg City Council. The building contains 647 exquisitely decorated rooms ( 6 more than Buckingham Palace in London ). Behind the Town Hall, on the Adolphsplatz one can see the Börse (Stock Exchange) . Founded in 1558, it is the oldest stock market in Germany . The original building burnt down in 1842. The devasting fire of 1842 started here in the Deichstrasse, with its many depots and office buildings, and where a good number of excellent restaurants with traditional ambiance can be found.

The 800m long Jungfernstieg borders de Alster Lake . More precisely, although it has a surface of 180 ha, the Alster is not a lake but rather a tributary river of the Elbe. Here stands also the Alsterpavillon, a famous café that was founded in 1799 by a French immigrant. People of all ranks and classes meet here. The next-door Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten (four seasons) is rather more exclusive.

Of course, Hamburg has important museums. The most prestigious one is the "Museum für Hamburgische Geschicht" (Museum for the history of Hamburg). On display here are : scale models of ships, and numerous artefacts, maps and explanations about the history of the city itself. The historical Emigration Office is located here also. It has lists with names of all those who emigrated from here to the United States between 1850 and 1914.

The Sankt-Pauli area is internationally renowned. Some of the most important streets are: Grosse Freiheit, Herbertstrasse, and Reeperbahn. It was here that the Beatles started their way to stardom in 1962.