Planning Your Time

The Downtown area features most of Hamburg's must-see attractions, such as the grand, historic churches and most museums. Pride of place goes to the Rathaus (Town Hall), which is a good starting point for exploring the inner city, and the St. Michaelis Kirche, while other churches, notably St. Petri, St. Jakobi, and St. Katharinen, are a short 10- to 15-minute walk away from each other. Take a stroll along the two major boulevards in the area, the Jungfernstieg, to take in the Binnenalster, and Mönckebergstrasse, and venture out to the many side streets and canal-side walks. This can take up several hours, depending on how much of the area you want to explore. Some of the city's most important museums, such as the Kunsthalle with its superb collection of modern art, can be found near the Hauptbahnhof. Any visit to Hamburg should include a walk along the Reeperbahn in St. Pauli, as well as a closer inspection of the Altstadt with its 19th-century warehouses and cobblestone alleys. Each of these neighborhoods can easily take up half a day of exploring.