Northern Europe & UK
Hamburg, Germany
Established by Charlemagne, Hamburg owes much of its architecture to the rebuilding done in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after a massive fire. World War II also inflicted severe damage, but the city's medieval character is still evident thanks to post-war restorations. Hamburg is a place where anything can – and frequently does – happen, like giving the world its first glimpse of The Beatles.
Highlights
ALSTER LAKE
The shimmering lake lies at the geographic and social centre of Hamburg.
BRANDENBURG GATE
Today, restored to its original splendour, this majestic triumphal arch was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II and completed in 1791.
CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE
Built in 1695 for Frederick I, Prussia’s first king, this elegant summer palace was named for his wife Sophie Charlotte.
KURFURSTENDAMM
Germany’s most famous shopping boulevard is a tree-lined Mecca of luxury department stores, designer boutiques, shops, cafes, clubs and restaurants.
RATHAUS
Hamburg’s neo-Renaissance town hall boasts an impressive clock tower.
REICHSTAG
Gutted by arson in 1933, the building underwent renovations in the 1990s. Today its glass dome is one of the city’s major landmarks.
SCHWERIN CASTLE
Sitting on the banks of Germany’s third-largest lake, the castle resembles a vision out of a fairy tale.
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH
The magnificent, copper-plated spire of this Baroque church is a sailor’s first sight of Hamburg.
Shore Excursions