Hamburg in some way can be called a special case, since this city has an extremely cozy, soft atmosphere of those very kind German cities from the romantic Middle Ages, but not the eternally twitchy rhythm of a typical port city, although it stands almost on the water – a kind of German Venice. It is worthy of admiration for its architectural delights, the rich greenery of local parks and the luxury of cultural life. Let's talk about the most popular attractions in Hamburg.

Gallery Kunsthalle

Masters Bertram and Francke – the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, ancient engravings – the silhouettes of the “Dark Ages” of the Middle Ages, the brilliance of the dynamism of the moment – the brushes of the impressionists of the nineteenth century, experimental samples of the era of modernism – a century gone by quite recently – and these parallels intersect in place of the ancient fortress walls, swimming in the sunlight, in the brightness of the glare of the Alster's rushing stream, in the rattling noise of the railway – they are intersected by three buildings of the Kunsthalle gallery smoothly flowing into one another.

A modern gallery is akin to a pastry shop somewhere in the center of Paris – the windows are lit with lights, and the counters are about to collapse with a solemn creak from the abundance of paired dough, cream fillings and chocolate blotches. So here – behind the walls of light shell rock, behind the supposedly ancient colonnade, under the high dome – Munch, Toulouse-Lautrec and Runge, sweetly drinking tea – wildly dissimilar in their artistic manner. And there are thousands of such impromptu “tea parties” – how not to visit at least a few of them?

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The Kunsthalle Gallery collects dust behind closed doors only on Mondays, while on the rest of the days it is ready to be filled with the clatter of steps and overflows of admiring exclamations, starting at ten in the morning. But with the closing of the gallery, everything is somewhat more complicated – as a rule, it finishes its work by six o'clock, however, on holidays, as well as on Thursdays, the “closed” sign is turned upside down only at nine o'clock noon. Of course, a visit to the Kunsthalle will arouse more interest among adults – a ticket costs twelve euros, but special conditions work for children, for example, if a child is under seven years old, then admission will be free for him.

Johannes Brahms Museum

The tall baroque building is one of the most ideal variations on the theme of German classical architectural traditions with its snow-white window frames, which even stand out too clearly against a dark brick background, with rich stucco columns that stand guard at the main entrance, with its stained-glass windows. improvisations from glass, aged in muted greenish tones.

In this tall building lived his life – albeit episodically – a man who never submitted to the flow of his time with his love for operas – Johannes Brahms. Today, the house, whose glass reflects the childishness and spontaneity of this man, has turned into a museum where everything, one way or another, screams about its belonging to this man – crooked peaks of notes, memoirs and notes, entire monographs dedicated to Brahms, and, of course, his music, however, has already been recorded on disk media.

You can get to the Brahms Museum using the metro, and the first three of its branches will do, which will correspond in sequence to the following stations: Stephanplatz, Messekhalen, St. Pauli. Entrance to the museum is free for children and teenagers up to fourteen years old, but the museum will be happy to see everyone else from ten in the morning to five in the afternoon for a nominal fee of five euros on any day except Monday.

Falkenstein Doll Museum

For museums where dolls or puppets constantly live, a completely magical atmosphere is characteristic, which is not without, however, a few frightening notes – some exhibits are even too believable or charismatic, which is especially felt in puppet Prague, but Hamburg does not lag behind this city. -scenes by offering your own doll house.

Dolls are collected in the Falkenstein Museum, but not according to the principle of their high cost or age, but according to their belonging to a time period. Within the walls of a small villa, located in the silence of the local Sven-Simon park, samples of the puppet world of the last three centuries are collected, more than clearly demonstrating the changes that the beauty standards of each individual fragment of time were subject to. At the same time, the dolls do not gather dust behind glass caps, but live their lives in small sketch rooms, where real buildings and premises, again of the corresponding eras, are reconstructed with amazing accuracy and detail.

You can get to the museum by bus or by private car. For the first case, buses No. 189 and 286 are suitable – both of them make a stop at the S-Bahn – Blankenese station, where the museum itself is located. Visitors can walk through the Falkenstein halls only during very tight hours – from eleven in the morning to five noon from Tuesday to Sunday. At the same time, the price of a ticket varies from three to five euros.

Alster lake

Each ancient city has its own lungs – giant patches of emerald that stand out among the dullness of buildings made of glass and concrete, but many also have their own arteries, having squeezed them in a certain time period, one could lose the mentioned echoes of antiquity. In Hamburg, the Alster Lake, which appeared after the installation of a dam on one of the tributaries of the Elbe, became such an artery.

The Humburgers understand the value of this man-made reservoir like no one else – the Alster has never fallen victim to indefatigable human enthusiasm and the desire for progress in its almost eight-century history – no waste has been dumped into its waters, its shores have not been taken for the cultivation of new lands. Instead, the richest parks were laid out in the vicinity of the lake, and the lake itself continues to be carefully cleaned and protected.

Of particular interest, perhaps, are water walks on the lake. Tiny motor boats, paddle boats and ferries circulate through the Alster, offering a closer look at the familiar city sights, but already at such a watery “above” angle. Usually the price of such walks varies from ten to fifteen euros. In recent years, a new item has been added to the program of such tours – a statue of a girl with an elegant figure of a young bather, which was installed in the center of the lake. The four-meter guest quickly became “their own”, almost immediately falling in love with both local residents and guests, who are also not averse to relaxing on the aquamarine shore of the sparkling Alster.

Museum of Arts and Crafts

The city has one of the most complete collections in the world at the moment, which includes exhibits illustrating the life of people from the dawn of human civilization up to the present, as well as material evidence of cultural changes in man and his environment. The Museum of Arts and Crafts is truly universal, which can be easily traced on the example of those halls that are dedicated to the development of fashion trends.

They start here with robes from resplendent Egyptian tombs, moving smoothly to examples of the Chinese silk industry, Flemish lace, the art of French tapestry, and even examples of modern conceptualism, for example, to the work of Issei Miyaka. And such more than complete collections can be named in relation to almost every component of a person's life, for example, the recently opened exposition of keyboard instruments. The museum itself is located in a three-story building, most of all resembling a castle, made in accordance with the high requirements of classicism.

The easiest way to get to it is with the help of the metro, since this type of transportation – in this case – will eliminate the possibility of getting lost or not finding the right station, since you can get to the museum of art and crafts along any of the branches. The main thing is not to miss one of the stations: Hauptbahnhof-Sud or Hauptbahnhof-Nord. It is better to get acquainted with the schedule of the museum on the official website, as this schedule is very flexible. But the prices for visiting are more than stable – twelve euros for adults and free passage for those people who have not crossed the threshold of eighteen.

Gallery of modern art

The Kunsthalle Gallery has been holding the position of the main German concentration of classical culture for quite a long time, starting from the early Middle Ages and right up to the flaring up new era in art. But the percentage of really scandalous and contradictory in terms of significance and even the possibility of being classified as art in principle is not so great here. The situation changes dramatically when it comes to the gallery of modern art, which gradually separated from the Kunsthalle gallery itself, turning from a subsidiary into an independent one with a move to a separate building, designed in the style of constructivism – a huge light cube.

The gallery of modern art contains both paintings and sculptures that belong to the eras of modernism and postmodernism in all their many-sided splendor and horror, the twenty-first century gave the gallery installations as a new manifestation of art. Due to the intentionally avant-garde focus of this gallery, its expositions may not appeal to all guests of this place, so you should first find out a little more about the exhibits so as not to be disappointed later.

The main landmark for a walk to the gallery is the Lombardbrücke Bridge, which is a landmark building in the Old Town. You can also take the subway down to Hauptbahnhov Nord station. The gallery is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays until six in the evening and until nine on Thursdays. The standard ticket price is twelve euros.

Museum of the History of Hamburg

The beginning of the twentieth century was marked for Gambrug by large-scale destruction of old buildings, which prevented the construction of a free harbor. At the same time, they decided to reuse the bricks of the destroyed houses, but already for the construction of the building, which today occupies one of the largest interactive museums of the history of Hamburg, which contains collections designed to illuminate all the brightest, bloodiest and in some cases almost mystical pages from the history of the city – from a small fortress to the largest port city.

A visit to the museum will not become a boring duty, if only due to the fact that most of its exhibits can be touched or even tried on for yourself – what are some pirate ships and reconstructions of the everyday life of the old port worth! Another plus for museum guests is the ability to quite “legally” take a photo for memory, which is usually prohibited in most serious institutions of this profile. True, you still have to take pictures without a flash.

Bus number 112 follows the museum, which makes a stop at the station of the same name. The museum is closed on Mondays, and on weekdays and Saturdays it is open until five o'clock, on Sunday one more hour is added for visiting. Tickets usually cost up to nine euros, which is more than reasonable.

Cap San Diego Museum

The graceful forms and whiteness of cargo ships that have remained only in historical memory are personified by the Cap San Diego, a ship that traveled from Germany to South America for nineteen years, and then anchored in Hamburg to become one of the most majestic floating ships. museums. As you might guess, most of its exposition relates specifically to navigation, although it is Cap San Diego that is the main exhibit. Guests of the ship are invited to see firsthand its work from the inside and even take part in it.

Today, the ship is used not only for such purely excursion purposes. Twice – sometimes three times – a year it goes to sea with half a thousand people on board, and also regularly becomes a venue for celebrations. In this case, the minimum rental price will be more than two hundred euros. A simple tour of the ship will cost a maximum of seven euros, despite the fact that Cap San Diego is open to the public on all days of the week. The opening usually takes place at ten o'clock in the morning, while closing – at six noon. It will be quite difficult not to find the floating museum, as it is permanently moored at the Landungsbrücken wharf, which belongs to the third terminal of the port of Überseebrücke.

Opera theatre

The opera house, where, however, you can also see ballet performances, from the very moment of its foundation, was somewhat out of the category of similar institutions, as it highly valued its independence, and did not turn into a court theater, whose profile would be more dependent on the whims of the court nobility. Instead, the opera house became public, turning into something akin to bright fireworks in the life of the native city.

Unfortunately, the modern theater failed to preserve its original construction – the first wooden theater building was barbarously burned, and the new building, marked by the production of Goethe's Egmont, became the victim of an “accidentally” thrown bomb during the Second World War. It took about ten years for the opera house to be fully restored, but, in the end, it again occupied its niche in the cultural space of Germany.

The repertoire of the theater is diverse, and the prices for visiting it are also varied – it all depends on the nature of the production and the cast involved in this production, although it is also impossible to call these prices too high. Usually tickets can be purchased starting from eleven euros, although these will not be the best places. The troupe really works hard, because the theater is open all year round. You can get there by bus. Those who make a stop at the Stephansplatz station are suitable – 603, 112, 109, 36, 34, 5 and 4 numbers, respectively.

Botanical Garden

Surprisingly, a whole botanical garden has grown on the site of a rather small pharmacy garden. True, this did not happen in one moment – it took more than a century and the special port status of Hamburg to turn the pharmacy garden into just one of the many flowering and fragrant components of a huge botanical garden.

The Botanical Garden is traditionally divided into North and South, which are also divided into thematic zones. For example, the real pride of the garden is still considered the Japanese Garden, which presents all the necessary elements of the classical idea of this place with three fir trees, among whose branches bells are confused, gazebos, traditional stone paths, splashing water and soft unobtrusive colors. Every corner of the world presented in the botanical garden is reproduced with special detail and awe.

Entrance is free, which makes it an extremely popular place for walking and holding a variety of cultural events. At the same time, you can enjoy a quiet walk through the garden both in the early morning and already quite late in the evening – it is open from seven in the morning to eleven at noon. You can also get there by metro – a trip to the St. Pauli station, and by bus – numbers 112 and 688 to the Handwerkskammer stop.

Museum of Erotic Art

One of the most complete collections of art objects, one way or another connected with the sexual and erotic aspects of human life, is located in the museum of erotic art. The exposition of the museum appeared thanks to the initiative of a private person and very quickly replenished with numerous exhibits of various eras and styles.

Here you can find unique, from a cultural point of view, woodcuts, lithographs, images on silk that came from the Land of the Rising Sun (the oldest of them date back to the sixteenth century), as well as examples of European culture – free Parisian baroque, classic Western European modernity, brightness and ambiguity of colors of postmodernism. The location of the museum is also extremely well chosen – on one of the busiest streets – on the Reeperbahn, which is known for its free-form entertainment profile and the first experiments of the Beatles.

The museum of erotic art, as well as a bookstore of the corresponding profile, are open all year round. The work schedule has been shifted in favor of the afternoon – the museum opens after twelve and is ready to receive guests for the next ten hours from Sunday to Tuesday, or twelve hours on the remaining days. Ticket prices are also quite loyal – they rarely exceed eight euros.

Zoo museum

The exposition of the modern zoological museum located in Hamburg is based on the more than rich collections of the former naturalistic museum, which was established in the first half of the nineteenth century. Unfortunately, some exhibits were destroyed along with the original building during the period of enemy bombardments, but the remaining samples were enough for the museum not to frighten its guests with empty showcases. Moreover, some guests of the modern museum are quite difficult to drive away from the mentioned showcases, since the zoological museum contains fossilized, preserved and reconstructed remains of various animal species, starting from the era of dinosaurs.

All you need is enthusiasm to visit this museum, as admission is completely free from ten o'clock until five in the evening. The only exceptions are Sundays and days of really significant holidays, when the museum is closed. You can get to the museum using the subway. The closest station to it is called Schlump, while an additional ten minutes will have to be spent on the road from the subway exit to the building itself.

Hagenbeck Zoo

The zoo is named after the German scientist and collector of wild animals Karl Hagenbeck. The entrepreneur went down in history as the author of the idea of keeping representatives of the animal world not in cages, but in open-air cages, where living conditions are created that are close to natural. Hagenbeck was born in Hamburg and founded a menagerie here, which later received the status of a zoo. The institution was opened to the public in 1907. Today it belongs to the descendants of the scientist and operates through private donations.

The Hagenbeck family continues to improve the developments of the zoo founder and contribute to the conservation of endangered species of wild animals. The institution occupies an area of about 25 hectares, the length of its pedestrian zone: 7 kilometers. On the territory of the zoo there are over 16 thousand individuals: animals, birds, fish, reptiles. One of the main attractions of the institution: a huge tropical aquarium installed at the entrance. A separate section of the zoo is dedicated to … dinosaurs.

The fact that they died out millions of years ago did not become an obstacle for Karl Hagenbeck: the life-sized sculptures of prehistoric animals made by his order look very realistic. About 1.7 million tourists visit the zoo every year. Guests of all ages are drawn to the daily wildlife feeding show. There are cafes, children's attractions, souvenir shops on the territory of the zoo.

Church of St. Nicholas

The ruins of the Church of St. Nicholas are a monument to the inhabitants of the city, who died after the National Socialists came to power in Germany in the 30s of the last century and during the Second World War. In 1943, the air forces of the United States and Great Britain subjected Hamburg (where the military-industrial, strategic enterprises were located) to “carpet bombing”. The city turned into a fire trap: asphalt was burning, a hot storm wind raged on the surface due to temperature changes. During these days, 50,000 people died (according to official figures) and 200,000 people were injured, about a million citizens became homeless.

During Operation Gomorrah (named by the British military in honor of the Old Testament city destroyed by fire falling from the sky), over 70% of the buildings were destroyed, including the Lutheran church of St. Nicholas. Years later, the city was reborn from ruins, and the surviving neo-Gothic tower of the church, the mournful sculptures at its foot, the bell ringing on memorial days remind of the dead. Not far from the building is a museum dedicated to the temple. The Church of St. Nicholas dates back to the 11th century.

Its first building was wooden; in the 14th century, the townspeople erected a stone temple on the site of the building. It suffered in the 19th century when a fire broke out and destroyed over 1,700 houses. 32 years after those events, a newly built church began its service, whose splendor can be judged by the tower of the memorial of St. Nicholas. 2 years after its construction, the temple was the tallest building in the world. The height of its surviving tower: 147 meters. Today, under its spire, there is an observation platform where tourists and Hamburgers take an elevator to admire the city from a bird's eye view.

Church of St. Michael

The Protestant church, whose architecture intertwined the canons of baroque and classicism, is called one of the visiting cards of the city. Many Christian denominations consider Archangel Michael the patron saint of sailors. is not the only port in the world where a temple has been erected in his honor. The fate of the church in the German city can hardly be called happy, but the building survived during the Second World War … The first building of the temple was erected in the 17th century, later it was struck by lightning, causing a fire. The temple was rebuilt. When the bell tower was completed, a fire broke out.

The walls of the church survived, but the tower collapsed. Local authorities were categorically against the restoration of the building, but the townspeople demanded that it be built according to old drawings. A compromise was found: the church was erected in 1912, focusing on the previous project, but reinforced concrete was used for it. The height of the new temple bell tower, where the largest clock in Germany functions, was 132 meters. Later, an observation platform was equipped here, which can be reached by stairs (where there are more than 400 steps) or by elevator.

A bronze statue of the Archangel Michael was installed near the entrance to the temple. The main relic of the church: the 20-meter-high altar made of white marble still amazes with its splendor today. The temple is the place where the ashes of two great German composers are buried: Johann Mattheson (his opera about Boris Godunov became the first European work on the theme of Russian history) and Bach's son Carl Philipp Emmanuel (one of the founders of the classical style in music).

Church of St. Catherine

The Protestant church building is one of the oldest in the city. It entered the history of music: Johann Sebastian Bach played his works on the organ in this church. The first mention of the Church of St. Catherine in historical sources occurs in the XIII century. After 200 years, a new building was erected in its place. The temple was often rebuilt, but the architects managed to give it a harmonious look. The church is located on the site of shallow groundwater.

To preserve the building under the foundation, a “cushion” of 1,100 larch logs is provided. Wood is not afraid of water – it only becomes stronger from it. This design of the church is very symbolic, because the building was erected by sailors, shipbuilders. During the Second World War, the tower of the bell tower was destroyed; a fire that broke out after a bomb hit destroyed most of the relics. To raise funds for the restoration of the temple, parishioners sold their land.

By 1956, the church and the 115-meter-high bell tower had been reconstructed, and a year later, luxurious stained-glass windows, created by modern craftsmen, adorned the temple windows. Since the 60s of the last century, the church has been reopened to the public. In its building you can see several statues of St. Catherine made in the 15th and 17th centuries, two unique medieval altar paintings depicting Christ.

Church of St. Jacob

The tomb of the Apostle James, according to the legends and the evidence of the miraculous finding of relics recorded in church chronicles, is located in Spain. To bow to the shrine, pilgrims from all over Europe set off along the pilgrimage road, named after the disciple of Christ. During its course, temples and monasteries were established in different states, where tired wanderers found shelter. The Chapel of St. James (Jacob) was among such structures.

A church was erected in its place in the 14th century. In some sources, the 15th century is indicated as the time of its opening due to the fact that the layout, the appearance of the building was changed several times over the century. During the Napoleonic Wars, the French turned the Lutheran church into a stable and destroyed most of the relics. The parishioners managed to restore the church, but it was destroyed during the Second World War. By 1962, the building was rebuilt according to the surviving old drawings.

The only thing is that changes were made to the shape and design of its spire. The main treasure of the temple today is its medieval altars in honor of the Holy Trinity, the Apostles Peter and Luke. The church has an organ played by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the temple bell tower at a height of 84 meters there is a cafe whose profits go to charity.

Beatles Square

The round area with a diameter of 29 meters looks like a vinyl record. Metal figures of the members of the legendary band are installed on the Beatles-Platz. Financing the construction of a new facility (like much that is associated with the Beatles) was not without scandals. Initially, the authorities planned to spend 100,000 euros on the creation of the square and build it in 2 years. The cost of materials and work increased 5 times due to the fact that, according to the results of the competition, they chose the project to build the Beatles-Platz in 3 months.

There were no such funds in the city treasury – the situation was saved by private donations. The area opened in 2008. Fortunately for the local authorities, the band members did not come to the ceremony. The commemorative plaques with the names of the songs of the Liverpool Four “flaunted” gross spelling errors. The builders later corrected the latter, and the scandal continued to gain momentum … Oil was added to the fire by the fact that 4 figures were depicted on the square, and in Hamburg in the 60s, 5 people performed in the group for 2 years.

The Beatles worked illegally in the city's nightclubs. Pete Best and Paul McCartney were involved in a criminal conflict: they were charged with arson. The musicians were deported from Germany, which did not prevent them from returning to Hamburg soon and continuing their performances. All these details only add interest to the square – a favorite place for Beatles selfies. The museum located next to it was less fortunate: it worked for 3 years and was closed due to unprofitability.

House of Tchaikovsky

The spiritual and educational center of the same name belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church. The community that built the building was formed at the beginning of this century and is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Tchaikovsky House has one of the best Russian-language libraries in Germany and a computer class for learning the Russian language. Near the building is Tchaikovsky Square. The great composer repeatedly visited Hamburg, admired the work of his German colleagues, and loved sacred music.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was friends with Johannes Brahms. Symbolically: the squares named after geniuses are located nearby in the city. The main part of the Tchaikovsky House is occupied by the eponymous hall for 160 seats. The concert venue regularly hosts charity concerts of classical music, festivals, creative meetings with the participation of world stage stars, documentary film screenings, exhibitions, and master classes. The spiritual and educational center operates at the expense of Russian and German sponsorship donations.

Dungeon of Hamburg

“Hamburg Dungeon” is popular with those who like to tickle their nerves. On the territory of the museum there are 2 attractions, where, with the help of modern technology and excellent acting, the horrors of the port city come to life. It is noteworthy: these are very real nightmares that residents have faced for centuries.

Museum guests become participants in an interactive show, plunge into the gloomy atmosphere of the city's criminal past and natural disasters. At the moment, the institution has 11 entertainment programs, including those intended for schoolchildren. The organizers of the show believe that such attractions arouse the interest of the younger generation in real history. Museum visitors can learn a lot about the life of smugglers and everyday life of the Inquisition.

The building is equipped with an exact copy of the torture chamber. Separate museum expositions are devoted to a pirate raid, plague, fire, flood, Napoleonic invasion. The Executioner, the Judge, the Plague Doctor live in the dungeon. It also has its own White Lady – a popular character in legends about dungeons in different parts of the world. The duration of each excursion program is 90 minutes. The museum is open every day except Christmas.

chilehouse

Warehouse building with a height of 11 floors was erected in the 20s of the last century. It was built in the style of expressionism, but in its decor one can guess the motifs of eclecticism, gothic, rationalism. For the exterior of the building, local materials and traditional German technologies were used. Outwardly, the Chilehouse resembles a ship. The house is an example of how a commercial facility can be successfully placed on a narrow long plot of land. Shortly after commissioning, the building was recognized as a masterpiece and one of the hallmarks of the city.

It got its name in honor of Chile. Property owner Henry Sloman, the owner of a shipping company, one of the richest residents of Hamburg at the beginning of the 20th century, spent more than 30 years in Latin America, where he made a fortune. Later, “Chilehouse” passed into the ownership of his descendants. The maintenance of the house required significant financial investments, Sloman's heirs were not able to solve this problem. Today, Chilehouse is under the protection of the state, which takes care of the restoration and preservation of the historical appearance of the building, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Panopticon Wax Museum

The institution is considered the oldest among the wax museums in Germany. It was opened to the public in 1879. Since that time, the glory of the institution has been attached to the private museum, where the expositions are devoted to topical topics and issues, including embezzlement. In the 19th century, in its halls, one could see wax figures of misguided city officials and burgomasters, criminals and scandalous celebrities of the demimonde.

Centuries later, the “Panopticon” to a certain extent remained true to tradition: its collection is periodically replenished with sculptures of odious personalities. For example: the figure of eco-activist Greta Thunberg recently appeared here. After World War II, only 19 of the unique museum collection of 140 sculptures remained. It took 5 years to restore the collection. In the renovated museum, there was a place for wax figures of representatives of the warring political camps (supporters of Hitler and the heads of state of the anti-Hitler coalition), athletes, famous cultural figures.

Modern sculptures differ significantly from the first exhibits in terms of materials and manufacturing techniques. Today, doubles of famous personalities move, “talk”. On average, the purchase of each sculpture costs the museum 18-20 thousand euros. His pride are the figures of Romy Schneider, Charlie Chaplin, Freddie Quinn, Udo Jurgens, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Michael Jackson.

Museum-ship “Rickmer Rickmers”

The majestic three-sail museum-ship reminds of the times when goods were transported between continents on such ships. For many tourists and residents, it is associated with the romance of distant wanderings. The vessel, whose length is 97 meters, dates back to the end of the 19th century. Initially, it was intended for flights to the states of the East and back, then Great Britain and Latin America were added to the map of its routes. The sailboat was carrying rice, bamboo, coal, saltpeter.

The end of the life of the ship was not the reason for its dismantling. On the contrary: the ship was restored, changes were made to its design, engines were installed, and driving characteristics were improved. In 1987, a museum was opened here, which presents authentic items of daily life of sailors, ship models, and historical relics. The Rickmer Rickmers Gallery regularly hosts exhibitions of marine painters. There is a restaurant on the ship, whose menu includes interesting seafood dishes. The most popular attraction among the ship's visitors is climbing to the top of its 35-meter mast for an overview of the surroundings.

miniature wonderland

The museum is one of the brightest confirmations of the fact that commercially successful projects often originate in the childhood dreams of their creators. The history of the emergence of the “Miniature Wonderland” is like a fairy tale … At the beginning of this century, the twin brothers Brown decided to open a private museum, where there will be the largest operating model of the railway in the world. Frederik and Gerrit drew up a business plan, sent loan applications to various banks.

The surrounding people took the twins' project with skepticism. However, a miracle happened: one of the banks provided a loan. The museum created by them in the first year of work paid off the funds invested in its opening. Today, the staff of an amazing institution is about 300 people. “Miniature wonderland consists” of 10 sections, one of which is dedicated to Hamburg. The layout area of the city covers 200 square meters. 190 trains move along the railways of miniature Hamburg, 1300 cars move along motorways.

The total length of the museum's railway tracks (including all 10 sections): over 15 thousand meters. More than a thousand trains and 9 thousand cars move along its roads. There are more than 4,000 copies of buildings, approximately 260,000 figurines of people and animals, and about 130,000 miniature trees on the models. Each section is interesting in its own way. To plunge into the atmosphere of Austria, the USA, Switzerland, Scandinavia, various parts of Germany, Italy, it is enough to visit an amazing museum, where the day is also miniature: they last only half an hour (15 minutes a day and the same night).

Elbe Philharmonic

The history of the construction of a 26-storey building is associated with a number of scandals, but this particular concert hall is one of the top popular European attractions and is recognized as a brilliant architectural creation. The construction of the Philharmonic lasted about 10 years, it was completed in 2017. The opening of the facility has been repeatedly postponed. During this time, the cost of materials and work has increased 3 times. Over 780 million euros were spent on the construction. Did the costs pay off or not?

A controversial issue, however, the building transformed the territory of the old port, drew public attention to the problem of the rational use of old structures and inconvenient sites for construction. Today, the Philharmonic is a cultural and residential center, where there are two concert halls for 2100 and 550 spectators, shops, apartments. The infrastructure of the building includes a restaurant and a cafe; a popular five-star hotel is also located here.

Outwardly, the Philharmonic resembles a fabulous giant crystal. The facade of the futuristic building is decorated with glass panels that reflect the sky and water. Its foundation: a warehouse built in 1963. Simplicity, conciseness of the lower part of the building further emphasizes the magnificence of the superstructure. The total height of the structure: 110 meters. To admire the city and the harbor from the observation deck of the Philharmonic, just take the escalator to the 8th floor, where free access is available.

Museum-submarine B-515

The Soviet submarine is both a museum and a unique exhibit located near the city's fish market. She has another name: U434 (it is mainly indicated in German guidebooks). The diesel-electric submarine was launched in the Soviet Union in 1976. After 19 years, the life of the vessel ended. The military did not modernize the submarine and wrote it off. At that time she was in the port. German entrepreneurs bought the B-515 and equipped it with one of the most popular private museums in Germany and Europe.

The new owners of the vessel recreated inside it the atmosphere that reigned on Soviet submarines. The uniforms on military models are authentic (like all insignia). The limited space inside the cabins literally crushes and allows you to feel in the place of the people who served here. Most of the items on the ship are authentic. Some of them were purchased by the organizers of the museum at flea markets, which led to incidents. For example: among the exhibits there are things that belonged to the military personnel of Ukraine. On board a submarine designed for warfare, museum visitors come into contact with the world of Soviet submariners, previously closed from prying eyes.

International Maritime Museum

The organization of the museum was supported at the state level, the first persons of the German government participated in the solemn ceremony of its opening in 2008. The building of the port warehouse, where unique collections are located, impresses with its scale and grandeur. Its strict architecture gives the impression that an impregnable castle-ship has frozen on the surface of the water. Consists of 9 thematic decks designed for adult and children's audiences. There are halls dedicated to the history of shipbuilding, models of small ships, great geographical discoveries, marine treasures, and works of art.

Peter Tamm (the founder of the museum) joked: in his unique collection, only items from Noah's Ark are missing, the rest is sure to be found. An amazing man with a marine soul devoted many years to journalism and publishing. He donated the collected collection to the city. One of the five sons of Tamm today heads the institution and continues the work begun by his father. The value of museum funds today exceeds 100 million euros.

The main relic of the institution is … a children's toy: a small tin ship. It symbolizes what is above any money and jewelry: it is a gift from his mother to six-year-old Peter. Later, it was with such a simple thing that the work of his whole life began. In his youth, Peter dreamed of becoming an admiral and as a result he achieved more: he carried out a grandiose international project to create a fleet of miniature ships belonging to all historical eras.

Chocolate Museum Chocoversum

The institution is called a paradise for gourmets and shopaholics. Here you can learn literally everything about the secrets of making chocolate, the beneficial properties of cocoa beans, get acquainted with the history of the production of confectionery. A special atmosphere of happiness reigns within the walls of the museum, which is quite natural, because a treat can improve mood. The fact has been scientifically proven: chocolate relieves depressive states, increases vitality, improves the well-being of children and adults.

The initiator of the opening and the owner of the museum: the German factory “Hachez”. Its main production and head office are located in another city – Bremen. This is not the first Hachez museum in Germany, but the Hamburg institution (it opened in 2012) is considered one of the most popular among tourists. The factory that founded Chocoversum dates back to the end of the 19th century. The traditions of German and Belgian chocolatiers, the technologies for the production of confectionery products are quite similar.

This is quite natural, because at the origins of the German food industry were specialists from Belgium. Excursion programs in the museum are designed for 90 minutes, the institution is open seven days a week. After visiting the exposition, tasting, naturally, there is a desire to purchase “chocolate gold”. Next to the museum there is a store “Hachez”, whose assortment includes small figured chocolates and huge large assorted sets.

Automotive Museum “Prototype”

Those who consider auto business to be exclusively a traditional male occupation are fundamentally mistaken. The number of autoladies among museum visitors is growing every year. Most of the exhibits of the unique collection exist in single copies. The pride of the museum is a racing car driven by Mikhail Schumacher. Tastes are different: some love classical music, others enjoy the roar of car engines.

The latter sound completely different, as visitors to the exhibition can see for themselves. The basis of the collection, designed for a target audience of different ages, is 50 racing cars made in the last century. All of them are located in the building where the factory used to be. Nearby there is a specialized shop where you can buy miniature copies of your favorite cars. The workshop for the restoration of equipment is located in the museum building itself.

It is separated from the exposition halls by transparent glass, which allows you to see the painstaking work of specialists. The facility has a cinema. The building also has an exposition of vehicles created in different eras of human development. It includes sleds, motorcycles, boats. For those who dream of being behind the wheel of the first famous Porsche rear-engined sports car, the organizers of the museum provide such an opportunity. One of the building's rooms is equipped with a racing stimulator created from the original parts of the car.

Stadtpark

Residents perceive parks not only as useful recreational areas: for city residents, they are sources of joy, vitality, and inspiration. The city center and Stadtpark are separated by 3 kilometers, but it was the latter that received the nickname “the green heart of Hamburg”. The history of the park dates back to 1914. Public and private gardens in Europe often turn into huge recreational areas. This also happened to the Stadtpark, whose area today is 148 hectares.

Initially, the park was designed for representatives of all walks of life. At the time, it seemed like a revolutionary innovation. The emergence of a recreational area around the lake opened up access to quality recreation for citizens who did not have the opportunity to travel abroad, travel, visit resorts. The park was rebuilt in the pre-war and post-war period. For ideological reasons, some of the sculptures were dismantled and then … returned to their original places. Until our time, 22 figures installed before the Second World War have survived. They are located in different parts of the Stadtpark.

Some of them are part of fountains, others are located on playgrounds or surrounded by flower beds. The largest German planetarium operates on the territory of the park (located in the building of a water tower, whose height is 64 meters). Sports grounds, two stadiums, a concert stage, a swimming pool, a chess square, a rose garden are created in different architectural styles, but together with other park objects they form a harmonious architectural ensemble. The Stadtpark is open all year round and admission is free.