Where to stay in Hamburg: best neighbourhoods for 2025

Best for: cosmopolitan types

Connecting the city’s central shopping district and the close-by harbour is the newly-finished Hafencity. A humongous urban development (the biggest in Europe, actually), Hamburg has poured billions into making what was a forgotten area, the place to be. Most Hamburgers think of the futuristic Elbphilharmonie when picturing Hafencity, a sprawling concert hall and major cultural landmark with a programme that includes anything from Pink Floyd tributes to classical music. Other must-dos include a walk by the harbour and boat tour, as well as a visit to the Portuguese district which is packed with authentic restaurants. Crucially, staying at Hafencity means you’re also close to town, with the Rathaus only 20 minutes walk away. 

Stay here: This neighbourhood is perfect for tourists, with a range of great hotels like 25hours Hotel boasting nautical-themed cabins, a cool cocktail bar and Eastern Mediterranean restaurant, NENI.

Best for: Group trips and party animals

Northeast of the Altstadt, St Georg spans from seedy sex-shops around the train station to luxury hotels and penthouse apartments overlooking the lake. Hamburg Pride parade kicks off here each year and the neighborhood remains the most vibrant LGBTQ quarter in town, centered around the hundreds of buzzing bars and cafés along the Lange Reihe. St Georg is also a thriving multi-ethnic community with a number of Turkish, Indian, Irani and Afghan eateries and minimarkets along the Steindamm and around Hansaplatz square. While here, you should try Cox for upper-end French cuisine and candlelight or, for a low key alternative, the Barca jetty bar is gorgeous for a sundown beer watching the sailing boats come in.

Stay here: Avoid the area around the station and head towards the Lange Reihe and lake where you’ll find some of the nicer places to stay such as The George, a stylish, boutique hotel, or The Atlantic, a grande madame from the early 1900s which, fun fact, was featured in James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies. 

Best for: hipsters and party people

Once the beating heart of Hamburg’s counter-culture, the Sternschanze has softened its edge over the last decade, thanks to a gradual gentrification. Previously the stomping ground of punks and artists, you’ll now find aesthetic coffee shops, low-lit cocktail bars and vegan ramen spots, in between cultural centres and graffiti-ridden squats which remain as a surviving token of its activism. While there’s a big whiff of hipster-ism here, the Schanze still feels authentically off-beat and relaxed. Bars and restaurants spill out onto the streets creating a nice buzz, and many don’t worry much about interiors – it’s about what’s on the menu. As for food, Bistro Carmagnole is one of those neighbourhood haunts that locals love, with the dimly-lit Walrus bar perfectly placed for a cocktail afterwards. On Saturdays, head to the Flohschanze flea market for vintage clothes and bargain bric-a-brac, being sure to get a black-and-white photo in the analog photoautomat.

Stay here: Superbude is a spot-on stay with a laid-back vibe and budget-friendly options. 

Best for: tourists and business trips

Alstadt means Old Town, but in Hamburg this isn’t a byword for a quaint corner of the city, it’s where most of the action happens. At its heart is the beautiful Town Hall that’ll catch your eye with its Neo-Renaissance architecture and in winter is the setting of a magical Christmas market. Walk through the Mellin Passage, inspired by the swooping archways of Venice, shop for rare books in the century-old Felix Judd – a favourite of Hamburgian Karl Lagerfeld – and check out the Alsterhaus, North Germany’s equivalent of Liberty London. This boutique department store has a top-floor champagne bar and confectionery section that’s ideal for buying souvenirs. Get a drink at Le Lion (which claims to have invented the Gin Basil Smash), natural wine bar De Alte Druckerei, and Central Congress, a sleek conference room-styled locale.

Stay here: If swish is your vibe, try the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. For something more contemporary (and budget-friendly) there’s SIDE Hotel and Cloud One. 

Best for: stag and hen dos

Say hello to one of Europe’s largest red light districts – and where the seedy underbelly is, the best bars and clubs are sure to follow. The lurid Reeperbahn (aka ‘The Kiez’) sits in the middle, and surrounding it are a swathe of fast food joints, sex shops, live music bars and strip joints. It’s loud, proud and sleazy, but not so much shady, especially as many tourists head here for a gawp. Head a bit further out and you’ll uncover a network of affordable bars down narrow alleys, including Große Freiheit, where The Beatles famously found their feet – and fame – with gigs at the Indra Club and Kaiserkeller.

Stay here: The cheap and cheerful Pyjama Park Reeperbahn is about as close as you can get to the party strip, with bright and clean dorms and private rooms at superb value. The more expensive East Hotel brings hip design aesthetics to a former iron foundry, with an on-site spa and restaurant. 

Best for: families, couples or anyone looking to relax 

This lush riverside suburb is one of the most affluent districts in Hamburg. Situated on a hill to the west of the city centre, its winding streets boast handsome villas and cute cottages, with a Cotswolds-esque charm. A 20-minute S-Bahn ride from the city centre, Blankenese is more removed from Hamburg’s main attractions, so don’t base yourself here if planning a city break. Attractions that can be enjoyed - for the day or the weekend - include a walk down the Elbstrand beach, unique thanks to its industrial backdrop of commercial ships, where city dwellers love to sunbathe when good weather strikes. There’s also plenty of beach bars to grab an authentic Fischbrötchen and Aperol Spritz. 

Stay here: For those wanting a little peace and quiet, design-focused hotel brand Stilwerk recently opened their Strandhotel Blankenese, with a cute pastel palette and views out to the Elbe River.