If you're in Hamburg with a child, make sure the local harbour is on your list of must-sees. The port of Hamburg is huge, full of interesting things and legends — it's a real city by the water. At 90 square kilometres, it is the second largest port in Europe. Although the sea is about 100 kilometres away, every day the port of Hamburg handles a huge variety of cargo, ships of all sizes and purposes, some of them huge ocean liners, arrive and depart and are cleared through customs.
To visit Hamburg without stopping at the port is to miss out on the city. Imagine: there are about 300 berths, 46 kilometres long!
Europe's oldest port — Hamburg — dates back more than 800 years. It takes up about a tenth of the city's area and docks at least 13,000 vessels a year. At the end of the 19th century, an entire district of port warehouses was built in the harbour, with neat brick buildings. If you want to show your young sailor around this wonderful place, take them on a sightseeing tour. You can do this in a leisurely dinghy that will take you all over the water. Sightseeing boats depart from the pier every 5 to 10 minutes. The guides talk about the port of Hamburg in several languages.
If you happen to be in the port on the first weekend in May, you'll be lucky enough to see the port's birthday party in person. It's a date the locals have been celebrating since 1189. Hamburg also has a museum harbour with beautifully restored ships from all over the world. You can visit some of them and take a look at the interior. Hurry up and show your child the legendary sailing ship Rickmer Rickmers and the former cargo ship MS Cap San Diego.
The people of Hamburg are passionate about their port and see it (not unreasonably) as the gateway to the world. That's why many of the city's museums are devoted to maritime subjects, especially shipbuilding.
You could spend hours talking about Hamburg and its port, or about the origins of the legendary Beatles or the city's own national anthem. But it's better to visit this amazing place and see for yourself.
