Trade has always been Hamburg’s raison d’etre, and today the Port of Hamburg is the largest in Germany.
The sprawling port takes up more than an eighth of the city, with around 12,000 ships a year delivering and picking up goods.
A river cruise is a good way to get an idea of the port’s size and activity, or step aboard the Rickmer Rickmers windjammer to learn more about Hamburg’s rich maritime history. The nearby Cap San Diego is another museum ship well worth stepping aboard.
The Port of Hamburg is south of the raffish St Pauli area. River cruises leave from the St. Pauli Landungsbrucken jetties along the river.
The closest metro stop is Landungsbrucken.
