Hamburg Part 2

My last post showed a photograph of the model of the earliest fortifications of Hamburg  -
 this is a photograph of the Hammaburg in all its glory.

It didn't last long. In 845 the Vikings razed the fortress, and little was left of the town. However in the 10th Century a new fortress was built and the city grew rapidly. It was awarded market rights in 937, which settled its future as a trading centre.

On my visit last July I spent a couple of days walking around the Old town. Much of it is modern - but not mainly because of bomb damage during World War II, but because of the Great Fire of 1842. But equipped with a couple of good guidebooks, and what I had learnt at the Hamburg Museum, I was able to appreciate the ancient history of Hamburg.


The city grew - and extended from the 'Old Town' (Altstadt) into what is now called the Neustadt (New Town). The old city walls are now gone - but the north and west edges of the town were turned into parks in the 19th Century. These are a pure joy to walk through.

Public transport is excellent within the city.  HVV tickets are valid  on bus, rail, metro (U-Bahn & S-Bahn) and the harbour ferries.