Hamburg is typically slow during the winter relative to the warmer months, but if you happen to visit during the cold season, you won't have to look far for fun. Whether you want a specific winter-themed attraction or just something to get you out of the cold, this city makes it easy.
When you visit Hamburg in winter, you'll find special events only available during the cold season, such as vacation markets. Additionally, an array of indoor activities are comfortably heated and provide fascinating experiences like museums and planetariums. Take a look at some of the best things to do this winter in Hamburg.
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Hamburg's Christmas markets
Tis the season for shopping
- Photo
- Shoppers
Hamburg's Christmas markets are among the most popular winter activities in the city thanks to their buzzing atmosphere and array of holiday-themed food and items. These merry stalls feature hot chocolate, fresh bread and mulled wine.
In addition to the food, these markets are known for their handicrafts into which local artists pour their heart and soul to create special artworks and designs. If you want to bring a particularly unique Christmas gift home, this is the place to find it. They are located in several locations around the city centre.
Location: Lange Reihe, 20099 Hamburg, Germany
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Miniatur Wunderland
See one of the world's largest miniature model setups
- Families
- Unusual
Miniatur Wunderland is a massive miniature railroad and town model that allows you to see over 10 miles of track in H0 scale stretching across 9 sections. The model's different sections include the Harz mountains, the town of Knuffingen, Austria and the Alps, Hamburg, America, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Italy, and South America.
In total, this exhibit features 1,300 model trains with 10,000 carriages, half a million lights and enough human figurines for every 5 people in the city of Hamburg to get one. You can see it for yourself south of the city centre past Cremon.
Location: Kehrwieder 2/Block D, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Hours may vary
Phone: +49 40 3006800
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Chocoversum
Explore a chocolate museum
- Families
Chocoversum is a chocolate museum where you can explore and taste a wide variety of different chocolates made with care and rich flavor. The tours here are offered in both English and German, so you can select which language you prefer for your tour.
The first taste of chocolate you get here comes from a chocolate fountain that immediately makes it clear why guests are given a wafer at the beginning of the tour. As the tour continues, you'll encounter a variety of chocolates and learn about the history of its production. It's located east of the city centre near the Messberg underground station.
Location: Meßberg 1, 20095 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +49 40 41912300
Mapphoto by Armineaghayan (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
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Speicherstadt Kaffeerösterei
Embark on the quest for the perfect coffee
- Food
Speicherstadt Kaffeerösterei is an old coffee warehouse turned roastery where you can learn about what goes into gourmet coffee and have a taste yourself. Inside this roastery, you'll be able to see several old roasters among the rustic space.
Arguably the best feature of this location is the coffee itself, with baristas preparing fresh espresso and coffee. Nothing helps you find comfort during a cold winter day quite like a hot cup of coffee. Visit the roastery and enjoy tastings south of the city centre just across Binnenhafen.
Location: Kehrwieder 5, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +49 40 537998500
Map - 5
International Maritime Museum Hamburg
Explore a museum with tens of thousands of items
- History
The International Maritime Museum Hamburg is a museum focused on ships and sea travel with more than 36,000 items on display across 11 floors. Encompassing 11,000 square meters of space, this museum is packed full of fascinating exhibits.
When you visit this museum, you'll find a wide variety of objects including ship models, old ship armaments, historic sails and details about shipbuilding. Maritime art and special exhibitions are also available. It's located south of the city centre between León-Brücke and Busanbrücke.
Location: Koreastraße 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +49 40 30092300
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EisArena Hamburg
Go ice skating
- Adventure
- Families
EisArena Hamburg is an ice skating rink open every winter that's suitable for both beginners and experienced skaters and offers family-friendly fun. It's an outdoor rink, hence its seasonal hours, and it's fairly large with plenty of room for visitors.
If you want to bring your own skates you can, but they're available for rent onsite as well. If you happen to need a bit of training, lessons are offered on Wednesday afternoons. Try it out for yourself just west of the city centre and north of St. Pauli.
Location: Holstenwall 30, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: +49 40 228638950
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Panoptikum
Explore Germany's oldest wax museum
- History
- Unusual
Panoptikum is a historic wax museum that's more than a century old and is the largest of its kind in Germany with wax figures of various people on display. Local and international celebrities of all kinds have wax figures on display here.
When you visit this museum, you can get an up close and personal look at some of the most famous people in the world to admire the intricate details used in their construction. In fact, it generally takes about 2 years to complete a single figure. It's located in St. Pauli west of the city centre.
Location: Spielbudenpl. 3, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Sunday–Friday from 10 am to 8 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm
Phone: +49 40 310317
Mapphoto by Wikiuka (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
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Savoy Filmtheater
See movies in their original versions
- Families
- Nightlife
- Unusual
Savoy Filmtheater is a movie theater known for showing a variety of international movies in their original languages to preserve their integrity among retro decor. This movie theater is dedicated to preserving the traditional movie experience with red seats, walls and curtains while enjoying a large drink and popcorn.
Quite a few of the movies on the program are English-language movies from the UK and Hollywood, including popular blockbusters and cult classics. See one for yourself northeast of the city centre past Munzviertel.
Location: Steindamm 54, 20099 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: +49 40 284093628
Mapphoto by Bullenwächter (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
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Bäderland Holthusenbad
Get warm at a spa
- Couples
Bäderland Holthusenbad is a historic spa in town that offers charm and style in addition to relaxation that will keep you warm during the cold winter. It opened in 1914, so you'll have more than a century of experience working to pamper you throughout your visit.
The thermal baths here are warm and relaxing, and the facility offers a peaceful and tranquil ambience that's useful for relaxing or going for a bit of a swim. It's all located near the Kellinghusenstrasse underground station north of the city centre.
Location: Goernestraße 21, 20249 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am to 11 pm, Monday from 10 am to 10 pm
Phone: +49 40 188890
Mapphoto by HAW-JOKU (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
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Hamburg Planetarium
Look to the stars
- Families
Hamburg Planetarium is a historic and fascinating planetarium that allows you to enjoy warmth from the cold while looking at the stars above. This planetarium uses state-of-the-art fulldome 3D-Stereoscopic technology and was the first European planetarium to do so.
This planetarium takes visitors through detailed trips of the solar system that are as fascinating as they are entertaining and educational. Despite its advanced tech, the building itself sports a historic art deco style from the early 20th century. You'll find it in Stadtpark in Winterhude.
Location: Linnering 1, 22299 Hamburg, Germany
Open: Hours may vary
Phone: +49 40 428865210
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