Wondering where to do head this summer? With breathtaking waterfronts, high-end shopping, luxurious hotels and Michelin-star restaurants, Hamburg in Germany, is the place to explore! One of the top ten tourist destinations in Europe, the Hanseatic city of Hamburg continues to attract more GCC visitors.
1. Explore The Alster Inner-City Lake & Elbe River
Hamburg is not just one of Germany’s greenest cities, but is also home to many waterfront sites, which bestow the city with a cooler temperatures even during the increasingly hot summer months in Europe. The inner-city lake Alster with its impressive fountains and the Elbe River, which leads to the North Sea, offer a wide range of recreational and sightseeing activities. Tours around the harbour or explore the city by as you walk along the pristine beaches.
Adventure junkies can get busy with water sports, sailing and pedal boats, canoes and paddle boards, available at sports clubs and boat-rental venues around the Alster lake.
In case you’re visiting Hamburg this September, you can also be part of the ‘Hamburg Cruise Days’ celebration. Taking place every two years, the ‘Hamburg Cruise Days’ event draws more than half a million visitors to the city – an amazing show which bathes Hamburg in magical blue light for four kilometres along the harbour.
2. Go Shopping Around The Alster Inner-City Lake
Hamburg is the perfect destination to go on a shopping spree. From pretty-looking boutiques to other high-end shops, there’s a lot that shopaholics will love. Here are some of the stores you must hop into:
Alsterhaus
The elegant and luxurious Alsterhaus is Hamburg’s most famous department store. Located along the Alster lake, the store is spread across five floors, and offers a wide range of local and international products.
Inner City Alster Arcades
Located close to the Alster Lake landing pier, Alsterarkaden is one of the city’s most visited shopping areas. The place boasts a mediterranean flair and is decked with exclusive shops. The Mellin Passage, connecting the Alsterarkaden with the Neuer Wall shopping street, is the oldest shopping arcade in the city. The complex boasts flagship stores from luxurious brands like MCM, Cartier, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Armani.
Galleria
The elegant Galleria Passage allows shopaholics to choose from an attractive range of fashion and lifestyle products. The place is also loaded with numerous restaurants and cafes situated, along the canal, so you can fuel up while you’re shopping.
Levantehaus
This is one mall where all the shopping needs of visitors are met. From fashion to luxury stores, coffee shops and mouth-watering bakeries, you have it all under one roof. Perfect place to pick your favourite custom-made shoes or jewellery!
Europa Passage And Mönckebergstrasse
Another shopper’s paradise in Hamburg, the Europa Passage boasts over 120 stores spread across five floors. The stores offer fashion brands, restaurants and a variety of retail concepts, and is only footsteps away from Hamburg’s major shopping high street Mönckebergstrasse.
3. Fine Dining At The Waterfront
Foodies are in for a culinary delight when in Hamburg. The city offers a great mix of creative food and beverage concepts along with an outstanding variety of Michelin-star restaurants including The Table, Jacobs Restaurant, Haerlin, Le Canard Nouveau, Das Weisse Haus and much more.