Things to do in Hamburg & Northern Germany

Hamburg's harbour is best seen from the Plaza of the Elbphilharmonie, reached by an 82-metre curved escalator to a viewing platform 37 metres above the water, and from the HADAG harbour ferries, which are part of public transport: line 62 runs from the Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder. Next door, the UNESCO-listed Speicherstadt, the world's largest contiguous warehouse complex, stands on pine piles beside tidal canals and glows under about 800 spotlights at dusk, with the Wasserschloss as its favourite photo spot and historic barge tours through the canals. Inside it, Miniatur Wunderland's vast model railway runs through worlds from Venice and Rio de Janeiro to Patagonia and Monaco & Provence, and on Sunday mornings the Fish Market on Grosse Elbstrasse, held since 1703, brings loud market criers, fish rolls by the Elbe and live music in the 1896 Fish Auction Hall. Further out are Lübeck's Gothic Holstentor and UNESCO-listed island Old Town with the Niederegger Marzipan Museum, and Heide Park Resort, northern Germany's largest amusement park, with 'Big 7' roller coasters such as Colossos and Peppa Pig Land; in the run-up to Christmas, around 80 huts fill the Historic Christmas Market at Rathausmarkt, where Santa's reindeer sleigh flies over the stalls.

Good to knowElbphilharmonie Plaza tickets carry a booking fee, but a pre-booked slot guarantees entry, and concert tickets include Plaza access from two hours before the start. Miniatur Wunderland is almost always busy, so aim for early morning or late evening, and remember the Fish Market takes place only on Sunday mornings, starting earlier in summer than in winter. Heide Park Resort is open seasonally and closed in winter, with rides closing an hour before the park, and HADAG ferry timetables and disruptions are listed on the HVV site.