Home to over 1 million people, Hamburg (official name Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg translated as Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg) is the second largest city in Germany. It is a port city, with the second largest port in Europe and the 9th largest in the world, and it also serves as a major transportation hub. The city is rich in culture, sports, cuisine and nightlife.

The Speicherstadt is the warehouse district of Hamburg, located in the port. In days past, goods that were imported through the port of Hamburg were stored in the buildings of Speicherstadt which was a free trading zone. In recent years, some of these former storage spaces have been converted in to museums. At night, the area is illuminated and is a beautiful sight to see while taking an evening harbor cruise.

Taking a Maritime Tour of Hamburg is an excellent way to gain historical knowledge about the city while enjoying seeing the city in a whole different way. The cruise takes visitors on a route along the River District, the Speicherstadt, Hafen-City - formerly a part of the free port, now an area of offices, hotels, residences and stores, Kohlbrandbrucke - a cable stayed bridge in the Wilhelmsburg Quarter, Elbchaussee - an exclusive residential area with huge mansions and beautiful historic buildings, and the Fishmarket.

Hamburg has a pretty lively nightlife. Most of the action takes place in the Schanzenviertel and St. Pauli. Reeperbahn is a street in St. Pauli that is lined with nightclubs, restaurants, musical theaters and brothels. For the traveler who is really wanting to party hard, this would be the ideal spot. Schanzenviertel is a trendy area. It is full of bars, restaurants, boutiques and nightclubs as well - it is just a bit tamer than St. Pauli.

Hamburg is big on sports, especially soccer. Or, as they say, football. One of the best teams in Germany, Hamburger SV, comes from Hamburg. They also have a successful ice hockey team, the Hamburg Freezers, and field hockey. Hamburg has hosted various national and international sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Vattenfall Cyclassics, International Triathlon Union World Cup, and various equestrian events.