Overview
Introduction
With more than 32 mi/53 km of canals and more than 2,300 bridges, the cosmopolitan port city of Hamburg, Germany, has an independent, entrepreneurial spirit.
Germany's second-largest city is proud of its status as a "city state" and a "Free and Hanseatic Town."
The city has established itself as a media and advertising center, but shipping is still a major industry, as it has been for more than 800 years.
Location
Hamburg continues to emerge as a strong competitor among ports catering to cruise ships in northern Europe. It was long a major container port, and now cruise vessels are a steady presence. Eager to attract more cruise visitors, the city has been upgrading its passenger terminals steadily over the past decade and now has three ports serving passenger ships.
Hamburg Cruise Center Altona is close to the Hanseatic City's major sites: about 15 minutes by bus, taxi or harbor ferry. Cruise Center Steinwerder handles larger passenger ships. It consists of two massive glass terminals, one for arriving passengers and one for departures. The smaller Cruise Center HafenCity is downtown and close to shopping, hotels and mass transit.