Hamburg, Germany

WHY GO NOW?

June is an ideal month to visit this rugged, cosmopolitan port. As the rest of the Continent heats up, Hamburg remains cool enough for sightseeing, yet its long summer evenings mean that you can drink or dine outdoors. Special events include a new Seaviews exhibition at Hamburg's splendid Kunsthalle (1), opening next Friday 8 June, with seascapes by German artists including Max Beckmann and Gerhard Richter.

TOUCH DOWN

Fly to Hamburg's Fuhlsbüttel airport (9km north-west of the centre) from Manchester, Heathrow or London City with Lufthansa (0870 837 7747; www.lufthansa.com), from Heathrow with British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com), from Birmingham with Flybe (0871 700 0123; www.flybe.com), from Bristol with OLT (00 49 4921 89920; www.olt.de) or from Gatwick with Germanwings (0870 252 1250; www.germanwings.com).

From the airport, a taxi costs about €20 (£14) to reach hotels in the city centre. The quick and easy Airport Express Bus (00 49 40 2271 0610; www.jasper.de) leaves every 15 to 30 minutes and takes 25 minutes to reach Hamburg's main station, the Hauptbahnhof (2). The journey takes 25 minutes and costs €8 (£5.70) return. Alternatively, take the 110 bus from the airport to Ohlsdorf train station and catch a local train to almost anywhere on Hamburg's extensive rail (S-Bahn) and underground (U-Bahn) system. One €2.50 (£1.80) ticket covers both legs of the trip. Better still, buy a Hamburg Card from the tourist office at the airport (open daily, 6am-11pm). The card allows free local public transport, reduced admission to lots of museums and attractions, and even reductions in some restaurants. It costs €8 (£5.50) for one day or €18 (£12.50) for three. It is also sold at the main tourist office (00 49 40 300 51 300; www.hamburg-tourism.de) at the Hauptbahnhof (open 8am-6pm daily; Sundays from 10am).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

With more bridges than Venice or Amsterdam, Hamburg is a city built on water. Most of its main sights are located between the Alster, a large and lovely lake to the north, and the Elbe, a big, busy river to the south. They are linked by a network of canals, many with walkways beside them. To the west, beyond the old city wall (now a public park), is St Pauli, which used to be notorious for its red-light thoroughfare, the Reeperbahn. The strip clubs and sex shops are still there, but this part of town is increasingly chic. Likewise, St Georg, to the east, around the Hauptbahnhof, is changing from seedy to Bohemian.

CHECK IN

Just a few minutes' walk from the main train station, right beside the Alster, the Kempinski Atlantic (3) at An der Alster 72-79 (00 49 40 28 88 817; www.kempinski.atlantic.de ) is one of Hamburg's oldest and grandest hotels. Built in 1909 as a stop-over for first-class passengers on the way to America, it still has the air of an ocean liner. A double room costs €196 (£140), including breakfast and access to the spa. For something a bit more funky, try East (4) at Simon von Utrecht Strasse 31 (00 49 40 30 99 30; www.east-hamburg.de). Situated just off the Reeperbahn, this dramatic new design hotel is a favourite hang-out for trendy media types, who come here to unwind in stylish bedrooms or chill out in the bar. Doubles start from €170 (£121) including breakfast, gym and sauna. For those on a tighter budget, the Hotel Imperial (5) at Millerntorplatz 3-5 (00 49 40 315 685; www.hotel-imperial-hamburg.de), also close to the Reeperbahn, is perfunctory but perfectly pleasant, with doubles starting from €82 (£58), including breakfast.

TAKE A VIEW

The Church of St Nicholas (6) at Willy-Brandt-Strasse 60 (www.mahnmal-st-nikolai.de) was built in 1874 by the great British architect Sir Gilbert Scott. It was devastated during the Second World War by Allied bombers, but the spire survived and remains one of Europe's tallest church structures. A lift carries you up the spire (8am-9pm daily, except Sunday 10am-6pm; admission €3/£2.10), giving a panoramic view of the docks and the evocative sculptures in the ruined nave below. Today St Nicholas's is a memorial to the casualties of war and persecution. The crypt contains a small museum (8am-6pm daily, except Sunday 10.30am-5.30pm, admission €2/1.40) commemorating the wartime destruction of Hamburg and the victims of the Third Reich.

WINDOW SHOPPING

Hamburg's main shopping streets are Jungfernstieg and Mönckebergstrasse but most of the shops on these boulevards are fairly familiar chain stores. For a more unusual range of artefacts, head for the smaller shops on Lange Reihe where alternative bookshops and ethnic supermarkets stand side by side. To buy an authentic Hamburg sailor's cap (a Mütze) visit Walther Eisenberg (7), a traditional hat-maker at Steinstrasse 21 (00 49 40 335 703; www.muetzenmacher.com). Prices start at €54 (£38.60).

LUNCH ON THE RUN

The old ferry terminal known as the Landungsbrücken (8) is the best location for a cheap and cheerful stand-up lunch. Walk along the promenade that runs west towards Altona Fischmarkt (9), the ornate fish market where The Beatles used to breakfast after their all-night shows on the Reeperbahn. Stalls along here sell all sorts of Imbiss (fast food). Don't miss the local delicacy, a Matjes (smoked) or Bismarck (pickled) herring, served in a bun with onions and gherkins for about €2 (£1.40).

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

As befits Germany's second-biggest city (after Berlin), Hamburg has a world-class art museum. The Kunsthalle (1) at Glockengiesserwall (00 49 40 428 131 200; www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de) has a wonderful collection of medieval and modern masters, including important works by some of Germany's greatest painters, from Lucas Cranach to Lovis Corinth. Highlights include several powerful expressionistic paintings by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and some exquisite landscapes by the Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich. Open 10am-6pm daily (Thursday until 9pm) except Monday, admission €8.50 (£6).

TAKE A HIKE

The most scenic hike in Hamburg is around the Alster. You should allow a couple of hours to complete the 8km circuit, ideally late on a fine afternoon. The path hugs the water's edge, and there's plenty of room to jog or cycle. To refuel, there are loads of waterfront cafés along the way. The leafy west bank near Milchstrasse (10) is especially pretty.

AN APERITIF

Hamburg's huge, historic harbour (a Unesco World Heritage site) is in the midst of a massive redevelopment, transforming its old wharfs into HafenCity, Germany's answer to London's Docklands. A great place to drink in this changing scene is over a cool beer at the compact Oberhafen Kantine (11) at Stockmeyerstrasse 39 (00 49 40 98 23 56 15; www.oberhafenkantine-hamburg.de). It's a traditional North German Kneipe – a proper neighbourhood bar, where the emphasis is on friendly informality, rather than flashy food or decor.

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

Most of Hamburg's medieval streets were obliterated by the RAF during the Second World War, but in one of its few surviving alleyways is one of its most atmospheric restaurants. Zu den alten Krameramtstuben (12) at Krayenkamp 10 (00 49 40 36 58 00) was built in 1620 as an almshouse for local widows. Since 1974 it has been a homely place to eat and drink, furnished in cosy 19th-century style, serving classic local dishes such as Labskaus (corned beef hash, herrings, beetroot, onion, gherkin and mashed potato, with a fried egg on top). Together with a Rote Grütze (another Teutonic classic, a compote of berries with vanilla sauce) you will pay €27.50 (£19.60), including beer and coffee.

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

Burnt down in 1758 and 1906 and bombarded during the Second World War, it's a minor miracle that the Michaeliskirche (13) at Englische Planke 1a (00 49 40 376 780; www.st-michaelis.de) is still here at all. This flamboyant baroque church holds lovely services (with heavenly organ and choral music) at 10am and 6pm every Sunday.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Hamburg's botanical garden, Planten un Blomen (14) at Klosterwall 8 (00 49 428 232 125; www.plantenunblomen.hamburg.de) may not be as big as Kew Gardens, but unlike Kew it's in the heart of town, it's open 7am-11pm daily, and it's absolutely free. If you're feeling energetic, carry on walking through the park that runs all the way along Gorch-Fock Wall to the bombastic Bismarck statue (15) at St Pauli, and a spectacular view of the harbour.

OUT TO BRUNCH

With its marble-topped tables and retro furnishing, Cafe Gnosa (16) at Lange Reihe 93 (00 49 40 243 034; www.gnosa.de) looks like a comfortable, nostalgic throwback to the 1950s. A wedding cake with two grooms indicates that this is a gay- (and straight-) friendly café. From 10am daily you can buy all sorts of breakfasts here, ranging in price from €4.20 (£3) to €18.50 (£13.20), or simply while away an hour over a single cup of coffee.

TAKE A RIDE

To see Hamburg at its finest, take to the water. A bewildering array of river and harbour cruises set sail from Landungsbrücken (8), but the cheapest and most practical option is to board a number 62 HADAG ferry (00 49 40 311 7070; www.hadag.de) from here. It is part of the local public transport network and covered by the Hamburg Card. Get off at Övelgönne, formerly a fishing village, now an attractive riverside suburb, and catch the 112 bus back into town.

WRITE A POSTCARD

Having bought a German Expressionist at the Kunsthalle (1) for the price of a postage stamp, write home over a draught beer at Max & Consorten (17) at Spadenteich 7 (00 49 40 245 617), a lively and authentic local Bierstube with a colourful clientele.

ICING ON THE CAKE

ATG Alster-Touristik (00 49 40 35 74 240; www.alstertouristik.de) runs a fleet of little ferries, charting a 50-minute zigzag route along the Alster, from Jungfernstieg to Winterhuder, stopping off at ten jetties on the way. A return ticket costs €20 (£14.30). It's the perfect way to finish off a Sunday afternoon.

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