Trip to Hamburg - Germany's main gateway to the world
Hamburg (1.8 million inhabitants) is the second largest city in Germany, after Berlin, and the eighth in the European Union. Similar to Berlin and Bremen, Hamburg is not just a city but also a federal state. It lies in northern Germany, near the estuary of two streams, Alster and Bille, into the river Elbe.
Hamburg is bordered by two federal states, Schleswig-Holstein in the north and Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) in the south. The official name of Hamburg is The Free and Hanse City (Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg).
Hamburg climbed quickly in recent years the hierarchy of German cities, which are tourist destinations. In 2009 it was in the third place, after Berlin and Munich.
Since the middle ages Hamburg has been the most important port city in Germany, and an important member of the Hanse trading alliance. Its port is situated on the river Elbe, about 60 miles from its estuary to the North Sea. Since the late 19th century, it has been one of the world's most important ports. Today it is the second major European port, after Rotterdam (Holland), and carries proudly the title "Germany's gateway to the world."
From the hiker's point of view, it means that many things that should be done and seen in Hamburg are related to shipping and seamanship, whether it's the red light district, which at first was meant for sailors, or it's a visit to the port itself.
Hamburg has much to offer to the visitor in the cultural field: The city has 60 museums. It's the third city in the world in terms of the number of musicals on display, after New York and London. The Hamburg State Opera, founded in 1678, is the first public opera in Germany, and has an excellent reputation worldwide.
The city also excels in pop and rock music entertainment. The most important television network in North Germany is broadcasting from here.
History of Hamburg
The city was founded in the 9th century. Its name was then pronounced a little different: Hammaburg. During the Middle Ages, it was already a trading center, in the 18th century it was also a spiritual center of northern Germany. The German poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1803-1724), who was born in Quedlinburg, worked and died in Hamburg. In 1842 a fire destroyed a third of Hamburg. Its status of a port city acquired momentum with the appearance of the steam boats.
The aerial bombardment by the Allies in World War II destroyed large parts of Hamburg. After the war modern business and residential quarters were built there. In 1962 Hamburg suffered from one of the severest floods in the history of Germany, in which 315 people perished. In 1989, the port celebrated its 800th anniversary. According to tradition, the port of Hamburg was founded by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
Weather
Thanks to the warm marine currents in the region, the climate in Hamburg is milder than in the cities of East Germany, including Berlin. July's average temperature is 17.4 ° C, although there are summer days when it rises to 28 ° C or more. January's mean temperature is 1.3 ° C. Hamburg is highly humid all year round. The annual average rainfall is 746 mm.
