There are at least some people who would claim that. Germany’s second largest city has actually a lot to offer and is also very easy to explore with a wheelchair. Hamburg’s most famous landmarks include the almost 400 year old “Michel” church and the recently opened Elbphilharmonie. This spectacular glass building contains three large concert halls and a 360-degree viewing platform. The Hanseatic city offers even more entertainment with numerous world-famous musicals such as “The Lion King”. After all, there’s a reason why this city is the third largest musical metropolis in the world after New York and London.

Does this all seem too boring to you and would you rather like to party? Well, Hamburg is also the right place for that. The entertainment district in the St. Pauli area around the Reeperbahn is world famous and I probably don’t need to tell you much about it. There you’ll find bars, discos, clubs with live music and also lots of neon lights and naked skin. For those who prefer a more family-friendly experience, I recommend a visit to the “Hamburger Dom”. It is one of the biggest fairs in Germany, where you can test your nerves three times a year on various roller coasters. Of course, as a wheelchair user, you can’t participate in all the attractions, but it’s still a lot of fun.

“The green metropolis by the water”

The port city of Hamburg definitely has a very special flair. The rivers Elbe and Alster and the Alster Lakes offer countless places for recreation and long walks. The promenades are very well developed and can therefore be used by wheelchair users without any problems. A very popular way to explore Hamburg is a harbor tour by boat. Anyone who doesn’t have mobility impairments really needs to do it. However, wheelchair users should inform themselves about this beforehand, for example at the information office of the city of Hamburg, because due to the water level this is unfortunately not possible everywhere. However, there are ships with ramps that allow electric wheelchair users to board the ship.

You can find more than enough water in Hamburg, but also a lot of green spots. I can’t write about all of the parks here, because I would need several blog pages to do that. The most important recommendations are the Hamburg Stadtpark in the district of Winterhude with the planetarium, as well as the “Planten un Blomen” park with the largest Japanese garden in Europe. You can also visit the botanical garden there and enjoy the water light concerts in the evening. Accessibility is also very important here.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Speicherstadt (warehouse district) in Hamburg

As you can see, it is impossible to tell you about all the beautiful places of this city in detail and there are many more. However, I have to mention the Speicherstadt with its historic brick buildings. The architecture of these streets and bridges is an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage and forms a strong contrast to the modern “HafenCity”. It’s also a paradise for all photographers and influencers, because you’ll find a lot of great Instagram spots here (e.g. the Wasserschloss). Unfortunately wheelchair users may encounter the unpopular cobblestones that are often a part of historic downtown districts. But it’s within tolerable limits and a visit is still worthwhile!

Now, is Hamburg the most beautiful city in the world? I think everyone should find that out for themselves. I visit the city often and highly recommend it to anyone. You can also easily make a side trip to the Baltic Sea or North Sea from there.