Historic places in Hamburg

27 historic buildings, sites and memorials in Hamburg.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

SeeAltona-St. Pauli
Altonaer Museum
Dedicated to Altona's, Hamburg's and northern Germany's cultural history.
SeeSouth
Archaeological Museum Hamburg
Helms-Museum
Museum presenting prehistorical and early historical northern Germany as well as the history of the city of Harburg.
SeeSouth
BallinStadt Auswanderwelt Hamburg
BallinStadt — History of Emigration
It was built in 1892 under the guidance of Albert Ballin to provide medical care and accommodation to migrants, who were emigrating to the United States on HAPAG ships. The complex was converted into a museum, though its original design and layout is not the same because parts of the complex were destroyed. The museum is dedicated to the 5 million people who emigrated via Hamburg. It has a computer terminal where visitors can look up information on their emigrant ancestors. At €12 (children: 5-12: €7, family: €25), it's pricey, and the English translations can be sparse and superficial. Unless they can read the German documents, American visitors who have been to museums such as Ellis Island will find much of the content familiar.
SeeEast
Bergedorf Castle
Schloss Bergedorf
This is the only preserved castle inside the city borders of Hamburg, and it has been mentioned in documents in the 14th century. Since 1953 it houses a museum of Bergedorf and the Vierlande region. The idyllic castle park has been protected since 1926.
SeeEast
Bergedorf City Hall
Rathaus Bergedorf
This castle-like villa was built in 1898-99 and has hosted the city government of Bergedorf since 1927. It is also open to visitors, as is the 35 m high city hall tower (Rathausturm). There is a park (Rathauspark) behind the city hall with a scene, playground, stream and garden artworks.
EatNeustadt-Altstadt
Cafe Paris
Classic French bistro in a beautiful historical building. Good place to get a coffee and pastry, or enjoy a leisurely lunch. Ground floor is very loud, crowded and busy. Upstairs (when entering turn right) is a quiet restaurant with a small bar (all food is also served at the bar). "Tartar" and "steak frites" can be strongly recommended.
Closed · opens 9 am tomorrow
EatEast
Café Chrysander
Cafe and restaurant at the edge of Bergedorf Castle Park with lunch, breakfast buffet, home made cakes and a range of special coffees. In the evening the place becomes a cultural club with regular concerts, movie presentations and lectures.
Tue-Sun 09:30-18:00
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Chocoversum Hachez Schokoladen-Museum
The Chocoversum is a "museum" run by chocolate manufacturer Hachez from Hamburg's fellow Hansestadt Bremen. Rather than focus on exhibiting historic artifacts, it presents the process of making chocolate from the plantation up to the finished confection. There is also a studio where visitors can try their hands at being a chocolatier. 90-minute guided tours are provided everyday.
Daily, including Sundays 10:00-18:00€14, discounts for children, disabled, families and large groups
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Deichtorhallen
The Deichtorhallen is one of the best known exhibition galleries worldwide. The historical buildings are divided into an exhibition hall for contemporary art and the "House of Photography". Together the two buildings organize a highly diverse program of changing exhibitions.
DoEast
Deutsches Schauspielhaus
The biggest German speech theatre looks back on a famous tradition. Gustav Gründgens, Ivan Nagel, and Peter Zadek staged highlights in German theatre history here.
SeeSouth
Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg
Open air museum showcasing rural life with a historical alcohol distillery, teaching kitchen, museum shop.
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Christmas and New Year
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Hamburg Museum
former: Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte
Holstenwall, close to Underground station "St. Pauli". This is the museum of city history, bringing the past to life with a lot of models showing the development of the harbour and the city. The club "MEHEV" is showing a 40-year-old and one of the largest scale model railroads here.
SeeEast
Hamburger Sternwarte
The astrophysics faculty of the Universität Hamburg is spread over a big park with protected neobaroque buildings with historical equipment for astronomy science including different telescopes. There's a visitor center with a café and tours every Sunday or by appointment.
Sat Sun 10:00-18:00
DoNeustadt-Altstadt
Hamburgische Staatsoper
Hamburg is home to the Hamburg State Opera House, one of the leading opera houses in Germany. It holds great historical significance, as in 1678 the first public opera house in Germany was built in Hamburg at Gänsemarkt Square, which is where the opera house is still today.
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Hauptkirche St. Jacobi
St. Jacobi has been a parish since the 12th century, when it was not even within Hamburg's then city walls. The present-day church is a reconstruction of the late medieval one from the 15th century, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The reconstruction afforded St. Jacobi with a visibly modern roof and steeple.
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Hauptkirche St. Petri
St. Petri was a cathedral as early as the 12th century or possibly even earlier. As with other Hauptkirchen, the present version is one of many successive, and was only completed in 1878 after the great fire in 1842 consumed its predecessor. In turn, however, St. Petri survived the Second World War relatively intact. Of note are the large ornate door handles in the shape of lion heads, which have survived both the fire and the war, and the bells, several of which date back to the 16th century. The tower can be climbed for a fee and offers a great view of Hamburg, but the climb is long and not recommended for people suffering from high anxiety.
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Internationales Maritimes Museum
This private museum in near the Speicherstadt district houses Peter Tamm's collection of model ships, construction plans, uniforms, and maritime art,. It opened in 2008 in the refurbished Kaispeicher B (quay warehouse B), which is the oldest preserved warehouse in Hamburg, having been built in 1879. Covering ten floors it is one of the most comprehensive maritime museums in the world with 1,000 large and 36,000 miniature models, 50,000 construction plans, 5,000 paintings and graphics, more than 2,000 films, 1.5 million photos, 120,000 books and numerous nautical devices, historic uniforms, militaria and maritime objects. About two thirds of the collection is on permanent display.
Daily 10:00 - 18:00Adult €13, concession €9.50. Discounts apply
SeeEast
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe
Museum of Arts and Crafts
The museum is a leading centre for art, applied art, and design. Its collections of work from Europe and the Middle and the Far East are of the finest-quality and span all epochs from the Ancient World to the present day. They also have many activities and concerts (see the Classical Music section). The museum is housed in an 18th-century palace, which has the original roofs and ceilings.
Open Tue - Sun 11:00 - 18:00, Thu 11:00 - 21:00Adult €10, reduced €7, children under 18 years free, family €17
SeeAltona-St. Pauli
Panoptikum
A wax cabinet with a history of over 125 years and as such the oldest in Germany, though it has been in its current location since the 1950s. Not as big and famous as Madame Tussauds in London, nevertheless the figures have been created with love for details. Some of the older figures aren't as detailed, though that's because there were less tools and knowledge about working with wax figures back then.
Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat 11:00-00:00, Sun 10:00-21:00
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Patriotische Gesellschaft
The building of the Patriotic Society was erected following the great fire of 1842 on the former site of the old town hall of Hamburg. Built using the most modern technology at that time, including concrete substructure, and featuring modern techology such as flush toilets, it was nevertheless kept in a style that was an interpretation of the surrounding medieval architectural heritage. Of note inside is the large hanging clock by Aloys Denoth.
SeeEast
Petri und Pauli Kirche
A Lutheran church, and together with the castle the most important historical building in Bergedorf. The first church was built here in 1162, the current one was opened in 1502.
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Speicherstadtmuseum
Dockland Museum
Branch of Museum of Labour in docklands warehouse. History of the district and tea and coffee trade.
€3.60, discounts apply
SeeAltona-St. Pauli
St. Pauli Archiv
Archive for the city district and history workshop. Arranges very interesting themed walks around St. Pauli.
SeeEast
St.-Marien-Dom St. Georg
Since 1995, this neo-romanesque church is the cathedral of the youngest Roman Catholic archbishop of Germany. Though the church has not the splendor one might expect, next to it you may find the first statue world wide of the late pope, John-Paul II.
SeeNeustadt-Altstadt
Viewpoint towards the water castle
One of the more famous photo spots in Hamburg on Poggenmühle bridge.
EatEast
Bergedorfer Schlosscafé
Castle café on the inner yard of Bergedorf Castle.
Closed · opens 9 am tomorrow
SeeAltona-St. Pauli
Museumshafen Oevelgönne
Historical boats.
Admission free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Hamburg (CC BY-SA 4.0).