Today the cathedral-like ware houses still dominate the view in the storage area of the port in which goods are held duty free. In World War II the city was severely damaged but the economic miracle quickly restored it to one of Europe's wealthiest cities and a popular tourist destination for people from all over the world. The Reeperbahn originally attended to the yearnings of sailors after long voyages and although the big ships now berth for unloading in the modern outer docks there is still the legendary mixture of jetties, ship's masts and hooters, and screeching seagulls. The Fischmarkt and the Reeperbahn are also legendary. The latter is the most famous pleasure district of the world which each evening summons a gaudily colored procession and offers the inexpensive and brilliance but also human company and exotic pleasures. Recently the Reeperbahn has also attracted people to its theaters like the Schmidt's Tivoli and the temple of music that is the Opera House.

A green industrial city, Hamburg is Germany's second largest industrial centre. Nonetheless the spacious parks and gardens, woodlands, moors and heaths, have retained its character as one of Germany's greenest cities. Hamburg is also the banking and service centre for northern Germany. The fact that it is the world's principal consular city after New York underscores its international status. The Congress Centre, venue for many international exhibitions, is one of the most modern conference centres in Europe.

The Alster is the perfect starting point for a pleasurable exploration of Hamburg. This lake, rimmed by the city's most significant buildings, sparkles with the white sails of boats and is divided by the Lombard and John F. Kennedy bridges into the Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and the larger Aussenalster (Outer Alster). The Binnenalster is flanked on the south and the west by the Jungfernstieg, one of Europe's best-known streets and Hamburg's most vital artery and shopping district. 

On a tourist level, Hamburg has a lot to offer. There’s lots to see and do, the hotels are of international standards. Transport services are excellent and all up, it makes for a pleasant visit. Discover it further before you arrive, via these informative travel guides.