Hamburg Attractions

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Altona Fish Market

It may be billed as a fish market, but there is just about anything and everything on sale at this lively, colourful Hamburg market that takes place early on Sunday mornings, and has done since 1703. There is a restaurant in the historic Fish Auction Hall, along with some live musical entertainment, to rejuvenate tired shoppers.

Address: The market is between Hexenberg and Grosse Elbstrasse; Telephone: (0)40 380 120; Website: www.fischmarkt-hamburg.de; Opening time: Daily 5am to 12pm; from 7am in winter

Warehouse complex (Speicherstadt), Hamburg © Hamburg Tourismus GmBh

Warehouse complex

The world's oldest warehouse complex, built of red brick with gables and turrets, is a century old and still in use for storing exotic goods from around the world. Known as the Speicherstadt in German, this historic section of the Free Port between the Deichtorhallen and Baumwall has been turned into a tourist attraction by the addition of an open air theatre, a spice museum, a miniature exhibition and an old Russian submarine open for exploration. Another attraction is the 'Hamburg Dungeon', an interactive experience showcasing the more unpleasant and gory aspects of the city's history. The Speicherstadt is illuminated at night, creating an enchanting spectacle, particularly viewed from a boat on a harbour night tour (Tel: 040 31 31 30).

Hamburger Kunsthalle

Hamburg's premier art gallery offers the chance to view works across the time spectrum from the Middle Ages through to the present day. The Kunsthalle's main aim is to educate about art, rather than showcase particular art treasures, and exhibitions are constantly changing to introduce new forms of art.

Address: Stiftung öffentlichen Rechts, Glockengießerwall; Telephone: +49 (0) 40 428 131 200; E-mail: info@hamburger-kunsthalle.de; Website: www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de; Transport: Suburban Fast Train: Main Station (S1, S2, S3, S4, S11, S21, S31). Underground: Main Station (U1, U2, U3). Bus 112; Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm; Thursday 10am to 9pm; closed Mondays; Admission: €8.50 (adults), €5 (concessions)

Blankenese

This quaint destination on the steep Elbe hillside was once a fishing village favoured by retired ship captains. Today it has become popular with locals as a weekend outing, and visitors also throng the narrow alleys and stairways between picturesque houses packed together on the cliffside. The village offers an abundance of cafes and restaurants where patrons can relax and watch ships steaming in and out of the harbour. There is a ferry service to Blankenese from St Pauli-Landungsbrucken in Hamburg's Free Port.

Museum of Hamburg History

The museum gives a detailed description of the city of Hamburg from the 8th through to the 20th centuries. Scale models have been used to illustrate the changing shape of the city's famous harbour. Exhibits also include reconstructions of various typical rooms, such as the hall of a 17th-century merchant's home to an air raid shelter from World War II.

Address: Holstenwall 24; Telephone: 42841 2380; E-mail: info@hamburgmuseum.de; Website: www.hamburgmuseum.de; Transport: Subway Line U3, St Pauli stop. Bus 112, 'hamburgmuseum' stop; Opening time: Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sundays 10am-6pm; Admission: €7.50 (adults), €4 (Friday special for adults), children and students under 18 free. Concessions available

Reeperbahn

Hamburg's notorious red light district to the east of the city centre in the St Pauli zone has become its second-greatest tourist attraction, according to the city management. The Reeperbahn (Rope Street) is where rope used to be produced for the ships in the harbour. It is now a half-mile long street which, along with its cross-streets, is filled with bright lights and flirtatious prostitutes, crammed with bars and establishments offering erotic entertainment. The Reeperbahn became the neighbourhood where sailors of old were encouraged to seek entertainment after they were banned from invading the city's more respectable areas in the 19th century. The district also boasts an Erotic Art Museum (at Nobistor 10A), which is privately owned and restricted to persons over 16.

Transport: St. Pauli (U3) or bus 36, 37, 112