Guided tours of Hamburg are anything but boring. The Hamburg Town Hall, the Speicherstadt and the harbour are just a few of the sights you can see during a tour of the mayor's office with an expert guide.
Dressed like a real 19th century mayor, a tour guide tells you interesting stories from the annals of Hamburg. This tour takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 a.m. If you are not in town over the weekend or don't want to sacrifice a full two hours, you can also go on a regular tour of the town hall.
Everyone is invited to visit Hamburg City Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays until 4:00 p.m. The town hall is already a feast for the eyes from the outside: located just behind the Binnenalster in the centre of the city, it is constructed to combine elements of the Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque to resemble a castle. When you enter the courtyard, you may even gasp at the beauty and harmony of the square. This square with the Hygieia fountain is one of the most successful in the whole Hanseatic city; visitors often like to linger for a while before joining the official tour of the interiors, which leads through part of the 647 rooms in the building.
One highlight of the tour is the ballroom, where the Matthiae-Mahl takes place every year. At this oldest banquet in the world, the mayor invites guests of honour such as chancellors, monarchs and business magnates. The entries in the golden guest book include former Chancellor Schmidt, the Crown Prince of Denmark and Angela Merkel, making it quite impressive. The plenary hall and the orphan's room are also worth a visit. This makes a visit to the town hall definitely worthwhile - even if your Hamburg stay is very short.
