Hamburg might not actually be the birthplace of the hamburger, but it has plenty of other things to brag about such as its Hanseatic League past, its standing as a city state, Germany's second-largest city, and Europe's second-largest port city (after Rotterdam). It is also the home of the sinful Reeperbahn and the place that gave the Beatles a start.
Travellers taking Hamburg flights will discover a city criss-crossed by canals. It has an astonishing 2,300 bridges, more than Venice and Amsterdam combined. The lake at the centre of the city, the Alster, is made up of two lakes, the Binnenalster (inner Alster) and the Aussenalster (outer Alster) and is a popular spot.
The Altona Fischmarkt, on the banks of the Elbe river, is a must-go spot. It's open early on Sunday mornings - 4am in summertime, 7am in winter - and over by midday. It's not just the place to go for a bit of cod, there's a flea market that sells almost everything.
Aside from the water and greenery, Hamburg has plenty for culture vultures with theatres, music halls, cabarets and museums. The largest art gallery is the Kunsthalle, which has a fine collection of 19th and 20th-century masters.
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