Things to do in Hamburg

Two days. One for the Speicherstadt warehouses, the Elbphilharmonie viewing platform and a harbour boat tour. One for the Reeperbahn nightlife strip and the Schanzenviertel by day. Add a third day for a swim at Stadtpark lake in summer or a North Sea daytrip to Sylt or Hallig Hooge.

The Elbphilharmonie — Herzog & de Meuron's glass concert hall perched on a brick warehouse base. The free Plaza viewing terrace at 37 metres gives a 360° harbour view. The concert hall inside is a tiered wooden bowl with the best acoustics in northern Europe — book months ahead if you want a show.

St. Pauli around the Reeperbahn for the nightlife — but also for the daytime Hafenstrasse squat-turned-cooperative and street art. Schanzenviertel for the alternative scene, craft beer and Sternschanze park. Eppendorf and Eimsbüttel for upmarket residential cafés. Sundays at Fischmarkt for fish rolls and the auction hall band.

A fischbrötchen — herring, shrimp or pickled fish in a buttered bread roll — at Brücke 10 by the harbour. Labskaus (corned beef, beetroot, potato, fried egg) at Oberhafenkantine. Franzbrötchen (cinnamon pastry) for breakfast. Astra beer (or Holsten) at any Kiez bar in St. Pauli.

The S-Bahn and U-Bahn cover everything inside the ring. The Hadag harbour ferries (especially line 62) are full transit boats that count as part of the HVV ticket and make for the city's best sightseeing. Bicycle paths are wide and respected. The HafenCity district is walkable from the main station.

Planten un Blomen — a botanical garden right behind the Dammtor station with Japanese rock gardens, summer evening water-and-light shows on the lake, and an ice rink in winter. Free, and a 10-minute walk from the centre. The locals know; tourists mostly skip it for the harbour.