Hamburg: The Port That Leads to the World

Discover the faraway lands, and then return to Hamburg. This was once the best route of travel that people could think of. Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, located in the north of the country. It is also the most important harbor and largest foreign trade and financial center in Germany. This is a beautiful coastal city, where the tempo of life is slow and the living environment is lively. People’s lonely souls can be consoled and they can slow down their steps when they visit this city.

As an entrance to the world, a shining sea pearl and also a bridgehead in the north, Hamburg has the historical print of the Hanseatic League. This is its advantage. Hamburg is an important industrial city in Germany, and also the most beautiful city in the country. The red-brick walls and towering church steeples reflect the original flavor of the history. Many scholars and industrial elites often gather here to enjoy its slow pace of living.

Located on the riverbank of the Elbe River, Hamburg is considered the entrance to the world. As the largest port in Germany, Hamburg has a history which can be date back to 1189, when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick built this place into the most important port of that time in the middle of Europe. Today’s Hamburg port is not only an important project of the municipal government, but also the most important tourist resort. You may not have enough time to see all colors of ships and enjoy their delicacies, but you can visit the aquarium and fish market to view and possible purchase fish.

Hamburg is located downstream of Alster, a branch of Elbe River. Centuries ago, when the Franks defeated the Saxons, they built the first fortress in this place. As the most important estuary in Germany, Hamburg’s port area has unceasingly expanded in the past 1,000 years. In 1881, Hamburg joined German Empire’s tariff system. To keep pace with global trade, Hamburg sought to build a free port and also dug a new canal to divide the port zone and the city center. Between 1885 and 1913, 20,000 new residents settled into Hamburg, and the city built a huge group of warehouses between the Grasbrook Port, located hundreds of meters south of the old city, and the middle of the city. At time it was also one of the largest transfer centers for coffee, cocoa, spice, and blankets. Now it is called Die Speicherstadt, which includes 15 large warehouse building groups, six attached warehouse groups, and one canal bridge net used for connecting them all. The entire area occupies 30 hectares and is one of the largest historical port warehouse sites in the world. In the 1960s the center of the port moved to the south bank of Elbe River, where a number of advanced container loading docks were constructed. Since then, the old warehouse has gradually been abandoned.

This year’s port anniversary is aimed to commemorate two historical events: the official opening of the port in 1189 and the exempting of the tariff for ships that travel towards the North Sea. The opening ceremony will begin with a show of the largest and most beautiful ships of Germany. Then, all kinds of wonderful performances and food plazas will follow, and the ceremony will end after a parade ̶ the closing ceremony.