Around Hauptbahnhof, near Altstadt:

This page is about the area around Hauptbahnhof (Main Railway Station) and Deichtorplatz, very close to Altstadt/city center.

Hauptbahnhof, the enormous Main Railway Station.

Hamburg's Hauptbahnhof has an impressive size. It was opened in 1906 to replace 4 terminal stations. It is 206m long, 136m wide and 37m high. The emperor Wilhelm II changed the Art Nouveau style elements into Neo-Renaissance to give the station a fortification like character.

Since 2008, they have begun to play classical music in the station to keep drug dealers away. Unfortunately I don't think they have succeeded, a lot of drug addicts and other disturbing people are hanging around, espeically after dark.



Note the crescent moon at the top of the station tower!

Hamburg Kunsthalle, a large and famous art museum. Its current building was completed in 1919. The taxis are there because it is situated just opposite the railway station.

A&O Hauptbahnhof, a budget hotel where I stayed. It was pretty noisy at night, but for 30-40 euro a night for a private room with TV, toilet and shower you can't really complain.

The window of my first room couldn't be closed and I was too tired to get down to the lobby and complain, but I got a new room for the second night and the staff was helpful during the volcano disaster, since I could use internet for free.

View from the hotel.

Some highrises in commie block style in front of Altstadt seen from my hotel. The first view in the morning of Hamburg for me.

The Highflyer balloon at Deichtorplatz. The balloon is a tourist attraction for views of Hamburg.

Deichtor office building. A significant 10-storey glass building from 2002 with sharp angles.

The office building also have an atrium that is visible through its facade.

Berliner Bogen, a significant office building in glass, planned by BRT Architects. It has a floor area of 43.000 sqm distributed on 8 floors. It is built directly above the end of a water bassin. Here seen from the railway. The offices overlooks totally 6 glass atriums!