German Course in Hamburg – The city of contrast
Typical about Hamburg: Reeperbahn, fish-breadrolls and “Hamburger Schmuddelwetter”
Make your German course very special by going to Hamburg!
You have no idea for a holiday trip? I invite you to German Course in Hamburg.
Hamburg is situated in the North of Germany and with its 1,8 million inhabitants it is the country´s second biggest city behind Berlin. Although it can be quite wet, Hamburg is one of the most attractive German cities offering lots of culture, night life, international flair and water all around! It is often referred to as “the city of contrasts” as it provides some very posh districts with exclusive hotels, shops and restaurants etc and at the same time, it houses a big red-light district for which the city is famous in the whole world.
But Hamburg is famous for some other facts, too.
Did you know that Hamburg is the city with the most millionaires in Germany?
And did you know that it is the city with the most bridges in whole Europe?
And that it is the third biggest Musical city worldwide (after New York and London)?
History:
The first building can be tracted back to the 4th century before Christ. The settlement was then called Treva. In 810, Charlemagne tried to missionize the North and constructed a big baptistry. For the safety of the missionaries, a castle called “Hammaburg” was built. This is where the name Hamburg derives from.
In the 12th century, Barbarossa gave the settlement the right to have a port. So already in medieval times, Hamburg became a flourishing trade centre, the mains commercial product being beer, as Hamburg housed about 600 breweries.
Hamburg´s politicians have always tried to make Hamburg an economically and politically independent city and it soon became a member of the “Hanse”. And until today it is the most important economic center of Northern Germany (next to Berlin).
Important events in modern times are The Big Fire in 1842, the cholera epidemic in 1892 and the storm surge in 1962. During the Second World War, big parts of the city were destroyed and gave the city its nowadays´ face: A mix of different styles. Brick stone houses next to glass front houses.
Climate:
Because Hamburg is located rather close to the Northern Sea, the winters are mild and the summers are cool. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 17,4 °C, the coolest month is January with an average temperature of 1,3 °C. Although the temperatures can easily reach 30 degrees in summer, the climate is rather wet the whole year through. This is why everybody speaks of the “Hamburger Schmuddelwetter” (special term for Hamburg´s dark and dismal weather), which doesn´t make the city less attractive though.
Districts:
Hamburg is divided in 7 districts: Hamburg-Mitte, Altona, Eimsbüttel, Hamburg-Nord, Wandsbeck, Bergedorf and Harburg. Each one of them has its own characteristics.
Here just two famous examples:
Hamburg-Mitte: Here you find St. Pauli with the famous “Reeperbahn”, the nightclub-district Hamburg is famous for in the whole world.
Altona: Here you find the famous fish market and the “Landungsbrücken” with ferry connections to the Elbstrand (beach).
Means of transport:
In Hamburg you will easily get from one place to the other. First of all, Hamburg is a great city for walking and cycling friends.
Furthermore, you find a vast net of busses, ferries, 6-tram-lines and 4-subway-lines . You can buy single tickets or daily, weekly, monthly or annual tickets.
For the exact schedule and prices, visit: www.hvv.de
And if you want to visit other German cities, there are great train connections.
www.diebahn.de
Of course there is airports as well.
Flughafen Hamburg (HAM) in Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel.
www.ham.airport.de
And an airport for cheap flights a little bit outside the city.
Flughafen Lübeck (LBC).
www.flughafen-luebeck.de
Must-Do´s:
Take a walk through the “Old Elbtunnel”, which was constructed in 1911 and underpasses the Elbe. It is 426,5 meters long and can be used by pedestrians, bikers and an election of cars.
Stroll around the “Elb-Strand”, drink a grog, eat a fish-bread roll (“Fischbrötchen”) and have a look at the former seamen´s houses.
Enjoy nightlife at the famous “Reeperbahn” and do crab shelling at the fishmarket the morning after.
Watch a Musical!
Watch a game of the famous football-team St. Pauli!
Get scared in Hamburg Dungeon!
Furthermore, you can find small parks all over the place, where you can relax and enjoy the (little) sun (there is).
Go shopping in the big pedestrian zone around the town hall!
And take a walk around the Alster. In summertime, it is even possible to rent boats and kayaks!
What to do in the surroundings:
Another big advantage about Hamburg is that it is very close to many attractions in the surroundings! Why not take a trip to the close Northern coast and walk through the “National Park Wadden Sea” or visit the small Island of Fehmarn.
There are also direct train connections to the capital!
Conclusion:
One thing is without doubt: Hamburg, the city of contrast, offers something for everybody.
We also recomend English Course in London.
