Sightseeing is concentrated in two main areas, the city centre and the harbour.

Hamburg's historical centre has twice been consumed by flames, once by accident in 1842 and once by Allied bombing in 1943. It is consequently mostly modern with only a few surviving churches and ancient houses standing alongside neoclassical facades, some new, many expertly restored. The city centre looks onto its signature feature, the Alster Lake, of which the outer section (Aussenalster) is particularly attractive.

The other principal sightseeing centre is the harbour and the adjoining red-light district of St Pauli with its infamous main street, the Reeperbahn. The harbour is the second biggest in Europe and provides visitors with boat tours, museum ships, the Speicherstadt warehouse museums and the colourful comings and goings of any major port.

The once notorious St Pauli is not as dependent on the sex industry as it used to be (though it is still no place for the prudish) and large parts of it have been transformed into the city's leading nightlife area, with numerous theatres and respectable nightspots.

Hamburg Tourismus
Tel: (040) 3005 1300.
Website: www.hamburg-tourism.de  

The main office is at the back of the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), Kirchenallee entrance. There are also offices at the St Pauli Landungsbrücken (between piers 4 and 5), in the airport arrival area, at Dammtor station and at Jungfernstieg station.

The Hamburg Card, which can be purchased at the tourist office, gives unlimited travel on all public transport in the Greater Hamburg area and also grants free or reduced-price admission to many top attractions and excursions.