Sea Container Terminal for Cruise Passengers                                ...times two,  to keep up with cruise traffic.         

     The number of cruise passenger ships calling at Hamburg every year has steadily increased. They have been moored at the Hamburg Cruise Center (HCC) since 2008 in a terminal that combined the industrial charm of the container port in contradiction to the modern chic of HafenCity nearby. The entire terminal was built out of containers, using a modular form of construction, with large areas of glass to keep it airy and light.  To keep up with the growing demand, a second Cruise Center was opened in Hamburg-Altona in the summer of 2009. It only took eight weeks to build Terminal 2, which can handle another 2,000 passengers.  A striking new terminal building is planned to open in 2010.

     The new cruise terminal, a hugely ambitious project, will be built as part of the construction of the “Überseequartier” in 2011. The terminals in the Hamburg Cruise Center now are just a interim solution.

          The future new ultra-modern giant glass wave hotel and cruise terminal and its neighbor the 119 year old Speicherstadt

     The Elbe Philharmonic Hall (opening 2010) with two concert halls (2,200 and 600 seats) will be the brilliant centerpiece of culture in the port and should be one of the world’s ten finest concert halls. By the end of 2010, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall (Elbphilharmonie) is scheduled to house its first concerts in a spectacular building designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron on top of an old warehouse.

Google Map

There are so many places to explore and such little time to do so... what do you do?

EXCURSIONS or "ON YOUR OWN?"

    In this website, I will give you some things to ponder; where to go...  what to see...  You can make your own choices.  We chose the Hamburg City & Lake District CruiseTour which I am certain most cruise lines have similar excursions to this one.  However, you may want to just see the Harbor Area on foot, or Shopping area near Jungfernstieg  on the banks of the Alster, or hit most of the sightseeing spots.. and there are many.  So lets start with a list of the most interesting places in Hamburg.

ON FOOT:

The Elbe Philharmonic Hall:   From cruise port head east on Chicagokai toward San-Francisco-Straße.  Turn left on San-Francisco-Straße and left again on Am Dalmannkai.  Turn right at Großer Grasbrook and go a short distance until you get to Am Kaiserkai.  Go straight down Am Kaiserkai until you get to the new "Elbphilharmonie Hamburg." (about .5 mile).

Hanseatic Trade Center: From the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, head north on Am Kaiserkai toward Am Sandtorkai (0.1 km). Turn right at Am Sandtorkai.  Hanseatic Trade Center will be on the right (0.2 km).  The Hanseatic Trade Center, which includes 4 freehold office buildings totaling 70,000 sqm ( 753 ft² ), is located directly south of Hamburg’s city centre with close access to major transport links. Originally proposed as part of the redevelopment of Hamburg harbour, the project was constructed over the period 1990 through 2003. (total 2.5 miles)

     After you pass the Hanseatic Trade Center, continue on Am Sandtorkai. Make a sharp left at Kehrwiedersteg, and a Slight right at Kehrwieder.  Here you come upon Speicherstadt.

Speicherstadt  (city of warehouses)  The historical Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse complex in the world, and one of Hamburg's landmarks and indisputably sightseeing highlights.  Construction started in 1883. All of the buildings face water on one side and street on the other for convenient delivery.  The warehouses were built with different support structures, but created with a Neo-Gothic red-brick outer layer with little towers, alcoves, and glazed terra cotta ornaments. The warehouses are multi-storey buildings. The district was built as a free zone to transfer goods without paying customs. As of 2009 the district and the surrounding area is under redevelopment.

     Today, there are other attractions inside the warehouse complex.  The Hamburg Dungeon, the Spice Museum, the super-submarine U-434, the Miniature Wonderland, the exhibition Dialogue in the Dark and the famous Hamburg Jedermann, an open-air theater..

Spicy’s Gewürzmuseum (Spice Museum), Am Sandtorkai 31, claims to be the only spice museum in the world. It has 800 displays including 50 spices that can be touched, smelled, and tasted.

U-Bootmuseum Hamburg (U-Boat Museum)  Some distance away in the Baakenhafen is the U-Bootmuseum Hamburg (U-Boat Museum), Versmannstraße 23c. On display is a decommissioned Russian U-434, built in 1976 and in use until 2002. Guided tours of 45 minutes are available in multiple languages.

The Deutsches Zollmuseum (German Custom Museum), Alter Wandrahm 16, 040-300-876, has exhibitions on customs in Germany and the world. On display are customs receipts dating back to Roman times as well as confiscated goods. Some original smuggling methods are also illustrated. The museum is appropriately located at the edge of the free port area.
 

The Miniatur-wunderland  The "Miniaturwunderland" is a fantastic "museum" with miniature trains and other vehicles involved in  different scenarios.  Every detail is very precise. Everything moves. They have autonomous automobiles moving within the scenes. You may watch the fire-brigades of Hamburg fighting against the fire, bank-robberies, or a stadium with an on-going soccer game.  You may even catch a peek at a love-affair in a cornfield!  Every half hour, the lights are turned off and you view the landscape in beautifully lighted night-time realism. Each year, it gets bigger and bigger with landscapes from all over the world.  Adults and children can spend hours and hours here!Click here to see the 4-minute video.

 Wunderland --A Must See!