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If the hamburger has made its way into your regular diet, then you must be familiar with the city that it was supposedly named after – Hamburg, Germany. It is therefore not just any coincidence that the citizens of Hamburg are called Hamburgers.

Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany and with Hamburg Harbour, its principal port; the city is also the second largest port city in Europe and ranks number nine among the world’s leading ports.

The city is positioned on the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, physically in between Continental Europe and Scandinavia as well as the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Lying at the intersection of the river Elbe with the rivers Alster and Bille, Hamburg’s city proper is delightful sight to see as it is set around two lakes, the Binnenalster or the “Inner Alster” and the Aussenalster or the “Outer Alster”.

Hamburg is a world-renowned trade city and the industrial and cultural hub of Northern Germany. Majority of its population are German natives but it is also home to other European races such as the Turks and the Italians. The languages spoken, on the other hand, include the city’s original language, which is Low Saxon, more commonly known as Hamborger Platt or Hamborgsch, Sinti and Romany. Though the former is now only being used by a minority, and rarely in public, because of the unfriendly reception the world gave Germany between World War II and the early 1980s. Other languages spoken in Hamburg were brought by foreigners who settled in the city. These foreign tongues are Turkish, Kurdish, Italian, Arabic, Berber, Persian, Spanish, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, Polish, Russian, English, Scandinavian, Finnish, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino and numerous sub-Saharan African languages.

Two of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany are found in Hamburg, the harbour with an estimated eight million visitors per year and the Reeperbahn, a red light district said to be Europe’s second largest. It is also home to many theatres, bars and night clubs, favorite hangouts of many tourists.

It is best to visit Hamburg in the spring or summer. In this way, you won’t have to deal with the infamous European winter. For a first-time foreigner, a conventional Hamburg visit includes a tour of the city hall and the impressive St. Michaelis church. One should also pay a quick visit to the old warehouse district, the Speicherstadt, and the harbour promenade. Of course, sightseeing at one of the world’s biggest harbours would not be complete without a ride on one of the harbour or canal boat tours. Although foreigners prefer an evening walk around the Reeperbahn area, there are those who choose the relaxed Schanze district with its street cafés and barbecue stalls along the river Elbe.

Majority of the visitors of Hamburg are Europeans especially from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The largest group outside Europe, however, is from the United States of America. They flock to Hamburg in the summer or spring not only for the mesmerizing sights the city has to offer but also for its notable for its many musicals, sports events and fairs.

For those who intend to see Hamburg, one should have it around the time of the Hamburg Marathon, the Tennis Masters Series, the Dragon boat race, the Hamburg City Man Triathlon and many other sports events, which are usually opened to public participation. There are also film festivals a film enthusiast tourist could go to. One of which is the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Hamburg held every October. Those into arts and exhibitions, there is the internationally-acclaimed International Fireworks Festival in August, the celebration of grand fireworks and Japanese culture and in the summer, the most-wanted theme nights at the city’s Hagenbeck’s zoo, which happens on Saturdays. One’s musical taste buds are going to be satisfied once one gets to witness the Fleetinselfest; the music and international artists open air in July. Hamburg also has street festivals. The more known and the most interesting of which is the Christopher Street Day (Gay Pride Parade).

Now wouldn’t it more exciting to visit a city of Hamburgers than simply to have a bite of one?

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