Hamburg: Interesting & Fun Facts
Hamburg, Germany is located on the River Elbe 68 miles (110km) from the North Sea, yet it’s the country’s largest port and the third busiest port in Europe. It’s an amusing city for everyone of all ages with everything from world-class children’s attractions to a lively nightlife scene near its infamous red light district. Here are some fun facts about the entertaining city of Hamburg.
1. Hamburg Has More Bridges Inside Its City Limits Than Any Other City in the World
There are around 2,300 bridges inside Hamburg. That’s more than London, Venice and Amsterdam combined! Not surprising since practically the whole city is surrounded by water. Two large lakes sit upon the Alster River on each side of the city, and the River Elbe flows directly into the North Sea. All of this water means lots of streams, canals, and bridges. You’ll find old bridges, new bridges, and bridges made of steel, stone, and brick in all sorts of construction types and archeological styles. Among the most notable are the Brooksbrücke, Krugkoppelbrücke, and Kibbelsteg bridges.
2. All Ships that Enter Hamburg’s Harbor are Given a Special Welcome.
The city has an endearing way to welcome every ship coming into its harbor. The Willkomm-Höf or “welcome point” down the river from Hamburg welcomes each ship with the national anthem of the country it’s registered to. For the return journey home, the Hamburg flag is dipped, and the international flag symbol for “bon voyage” is hoisted. The captains in charge of the greetings have more than 150 national anthems to welcome ships from around the world.