Hamburg

About

Founded as a castle in 808, a settlement quickly, though Vikings, Poles, and the Black Death wreaked havoc on the developing city. In the 19th and early 20th centuries it became a centre of international trade, which elevated it to one of Germany’s wealthiest cities. The Speicherstadt district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built between 1883 to 1927 and is the largest warehouse district in the world, criss-crossed with canals. The city is also renowned for its nightlife, which isn’t something new - the Beatles got their start here, playing almost daily between 1960 and 1962. At the waterfront, visitors will find historic buildings like the famous St. Pauli Piers, as well as supermodern, like the newly opened Elbphilharmonie opera house. The canals aren’t the only thing Hamburg has in common with Amsterdam - the city is also home to a Red Light district.