On the Heiligengeistfeld, northern Germany's largest fair attracts visitors with the smell of roasted almonds, candyfloss and wine, but also with family fun and carousel fun for young and old.
When the big Ferris wheel shines brightly in the night sky above St. Pauli, joy is in the air and the recruiters at the breakdancer loudly call out the finale, then we know it's that time again: Hamburg's DOM has opened its doors.
The Hamburg DOM is a piece of Hamburg history and at the same time a guarantee for play, fun, thrills and nostalgia. The Hamburg DOM got its name from a collection of merchants, craftsmen and jugglers who, after some frictions in 1337, received the right to stay in the Marien-Dom during "bad weather". Towards the end of the 19th century the showmen found their "new home" on the Heiligengeistfeld. The Hamburg DOM was born.
The spring festival in March, the summer cathedral (the Hummelfest) in July and August or the winter cathedral (cathedral market) in November have one thing in common: they transform the Heiligengeistfeld into a hustle and bustle of the fairground without equal - from afternoon to late in the evening - for about 4 weeks. Roller coasters stand next to corn cob stalls, and at the merry-go-rounds for children and adults you can smell the roasted almonds and see the candied fruit next door, fried sausages and potato pancakes are just as much a part of it as various wafer bakers - the Ferris wheel is always the landmark of the cathedral, an extra experience area with a constantly new theme has also been an integral part of Hamburg Cathedral for some years now.
The Hamburg DOM fair has taken place on Heiligengeistfeld since 1892; its name "DOM" - cathedral - comes from an old term for an annual market rather than a religious event... After the demolition of the large cathedral church (1804), the traditional Christmas market initially moved to Gänsemarkt but kept the name "Hamburger DOM". Today the DOM is a collective term for the three annual Hamburg markets which take place on Heiligengeistfeld in spring, summer and winter, each one lasting 30 days.
