This is Hamburg

Right in the center of northern Germany, between Continental Europe, Scandinavia, the North and Baltic Sea, lies the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. With 1.89 million residents is Hamburg the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth largest city in the EU.

Officially founded in the 12. century the city has a long and diverse history. First, being part of the ancient Hanseatic League (12. – 17. century) as a major trade and merchant hub.
In its alternating history, Hamburg was under the supervision of the Danish Crown and then being occupied by the French and then the Russians. Quickly after the end of the occupation Hamburg joined the German Confederation in 1815. Following the German History with the World Wars, leading to the destruction of the jewish community and the construction of the concentration camp Neuengamme in Hamburg.

Today, the city is a modern and diverse region connecting a variety of people together. Therefore, Hamburg is on place 16 of the most liveable cities on the globe. In addition, the city won the Green City Award in 2021 and is one of the greenest cities there are, with its parks and beautiful surrounding countryside.
One of the many parks for example is the Stadtpark, where you can relax with your friends, visit an OpenAir concert in the summer or see the stars in the Planetarium.
In the district of Eimsbüttel, you can find many Cafés and small businesses where you can enjoy coffee and cake and have your own traditional german moment of “Kaffee und Kuchen”.
A traditional pastry from Hamburg is the Franzbrötchen, which you should definitely try!
When you are looking for the night-life the Reeperbahn and the Sternschanze in the district of Altona are the best places to experience good bars and clubs.

Hamburg is right by the river Elbe and has in the middle of the city the Alster, a river, which is retained as a lake now. On the Alster you can rent a pedal boat or try stand-up paddling with your friends and enjoy your time on the lake. Also, in one of the canals is a pier called McBoat where you can get McDonalds per lake access.  If you want to relax on a beach, Hamburg has a beach right by the Elbe, called the Elbstrand. There you can relax and watch the container ships leave the harbour of Hamburg.

The harbour of Hamburg is one of the largest in the world, as it is the seventh biggest worldwide and second-largest in Europe, after Rotterdam. Standing on second place as one of the most developed regions worldwide, Hamburg has great infrastructure and a variety of architectural styles.
Funnily, Hamburg has more bridges than Venice. Who would have thought that?
Because of Hamburg’s great location and developed public transportation network, you can do amazing day- or weekend-trips. You can catch a train to the North Sea or the Baltic Sea and adore the beach, travel to Berlin in under 2 hours or visit Scandinavia for example Copenhagen or Stockholm. Actually, there is a night sleeper train that starts in Hamburg in the direction of Stockholm, so you can have a cheap and eco-friendly adventure to Stockholm on the weekend.

Located in the country, which is the second-largest immigration destination worldwide, Hamburg is a cultural melting pot, where many cultures are represented and mixed. In Hamburg are in total, 97 consulates, so there is a high chance that your country is also represented in the city.
While you’re staying you can experience the local culture as well, with countless museums, theaters, concerts and musicals, as well as, the local dialect known as "Hamborger Platt" (German: "Hamburger Platt") or "Hamborgsch" which is a form of Low German. The original language of Hamburg. The dialect is still in use, albeit by a minority and rarely in public. But you will hear “Moin” instead of “Hallo” (Englisch: Hello) and many other words and phrases which are typical for the city-state.

You can find out more about Hamburg from one of the various guidebooks or the Internet. Instagram and TikTok are good medias to obtain information from locals besides your buddy. In addition, you can receive information from a tourist information center. Those are located by the airport, the central station (exit: “Kirchenalle”) and the piers (S- and U-Bahn-station “Landungsbrücken”) at the port of Hamburg in St. Pauli.

We hope you will enjoy your exchange and study as well as making lifelong memories here in Hamburg – germany’s gateway to the world!