Hamburg is a port city located in northern Germany. It is the country’s second largest city and the second largest port in Europe due to its close proximity to the main trading routes of the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

You could spend your entire trip simply wandering about the city and learning about the long history on which this city has been built. There are many museums here. Some have guided tours while others allow you to walk through at your leisure to take in all that surrounds you. Take in a live theatre performance at the Thalia Theater, enjoy an afternoon at the Art Gallery and Gallery of Contemporary Arts or end the night with tickets to see the Hamburg State Opera. There is much to do for those who love the arts and culture. But don’t be mistaken; Hamburg also has a vibrant and energetic nightclub scene for those who find socializing and dancing more their idea of fun. There are plenty of venues that play much more than classical music including places to enjoy hip hop, heavy metal and psychedelic trance music. In the quarter of St. Pauli there is an area named Reeperbahn. This is the red light district of Hamburg where you will find everything you would imagine there and more!

A visit to Hamburg is not complete until you have made your way to see the city hall and St. Michaelis church, the most famous church in the city. Hamburg is also home to some intriguing architecture. While you are here take a boat ride on the canal through the historic warehouse district to see some of the marvelous architecture. And be sure to visit the Chilehaus, a ten story office building built between1922 and 1924. It is shaped like an ocean liner with the streets on either side appearing to depict dividing waters as the liner cuts through the ocean. The harbour promenade area called Landungsbrücken is a perfect place to walk about and see the ships’ stations as they were previously in 1900.

Enjoy a walking tour of this beautiful city. With over 2300 bridges, there is no shortage of views from above to peer into the canals below. In fact Hamburg with its 2300 bridges tops the entire world for the most bridges.

Hamburg is referred to as the ‘green city’ because of the numerous parks that dot the city. In Stadtpark there is an enormous water tower and massive lawn area where couples come to enjoy relaxing afternoons picnicing together while children romp and scurry about. This park is also home to the largest planetarium in Europe.

A typical culinary dish in Hamburg does not consist of a ground beef patty between a bun with lettuce, tomato and pickle toppings but rather of Labskaus, a mixture of corned beef, mashed potatoes and beetroot, a dish that is sure to please your taste buds! The official unit of currency in Hamburg is the Euro which is divided into 100 cents. ATMs are available most everywhere and major credit cards are accepted. The climate in Hamburg can be wet and windy with the westerly winds blowing moist air from the North Sea. Summers are warm but tend to be somewhat rainy with average temperatures of about 22°C. The coldest month of winter is in January when temperatures can dip to -2ºC or more. Snowfall is usually light, starting in early December. Spring is a beautiful time of year as the land comes back into full colour with flowers and trees blooming. Hamburg Airport (HAM) is located 8km from Hamburg. Hamburg operates at 220 volts, 50Hz. The original language of Hamburg is Low German, which is a dialect used in Northern Germany. This dialect of German is called Hamborger Platt. A typical flight between Toronto or Montreal and Hamburg would have a flying time of about 9¾ hours. Flying from Calgary would take approximately 9 hours and from Vancouver about 11 hours. Consulate of Canada
Address: 5th Floor Ballindamm 35
20095 Hamburg, Germany
Tel.: (+49 40) 460027-0
Fax: (+49 40) 460027-20
Email: hmbrg@international.gc.ca GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October).