{"id":103,"date":"2019-05-23T22:01:52","date_gmt":"2019-05-23T22:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/?p=103"},"modified":"2023-04-07T10:38:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T10:38:26","slug":"munich-or-hamburg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/","title":{"rendered":"Munich Or Hamburg: Which City Should You Visit?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A lot of travelers going to Germany wonder whether they should visit <strong>Hamburg or Munich<\/strong>.  They are two very different cities although of comparable size as Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany with a population of around 1.8M while Munich the third largest with about 1.5M.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich and Hamburg sit at <strong>opposite ends of Germany<\/strong>. Hamburg is located in the North of the country less than 2 hours from Denmark, on the Elbe River close to where it merges into the North Sea.  Munich is near the Southern border of German, about an hour&#8217;s drive from Austria, on the Isar River close to the Alps mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m28!1m12!1m3!1d5168304.841488717!2d4.688781514527646!3d50.764703327710784!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m13!3e3!4m5!1s0x47b161837e1813b9%3A0x4263df27bd63aa0!2sHamburg%2C%20Germany!3m2!1d53.551084599999996!2d9.9936819!4m5!1s0x479e75f9a38c5fd9%3A0x10cb84a7db1987d!2sMunich%2C%20Germany!3m2!1d48.1351253!2d11.5819805!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1568920837614!5m2!1sen!2sus\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Hamburg is Germany&#8217;s <strong>largest harbor<\/strong>, it&#8217;s 60 km away from the <strong>North Sea<\/strong> (it sits further inland on the Elbe) and a similar distance from the <strong>Baltic Sea<\/strong> (about an hour drive).  The city is dominated by the port, shipyards and shipping and trading companies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich is the capital of the Southern state of <strong>Bavaria<\/strong>. It has a thriving automobile and high-technology industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_62 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-65df41dd28190\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-65df41dd28190\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_short_answer\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: short answer\">Munich or Hamburg: short answer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_access_transportation\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: access &amp; transportation\">Munich or Hamburg: access &amp; transportation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_vibe_people\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: vibe &amp; people\">Munich or Hamburg: vibe &amp; people<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_sights_culture\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: sights &amp; culture\">Munich or Hamburg: sights &amp; culture<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_nature_outdoors\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: nature &amp; outdoors\">Munich or Hamburg: nature &amp; outdoors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_food_nightlife\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: food &amp; nightlife\">Munich or Hamburg: food &amp; nightlife<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_shopping\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: shopping\">Munich or Hamburg: shopping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_accommodation\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: accommodation\">Munich or Hamburg: accommodation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/munich-or-hamburg\/#Munich_or_Hamburg_day_trips\" title=\"Munich or Hamburg: day trips\">Munich or Hamburg: day trips<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_short_answer\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: short answer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/7188338940_f29e1503c9_z.jpg\" alt=\"hamburg\" class=\"wp-image-734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/7188338940_f29e1503c9_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/7188338940_f29e1503c9_z-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/7188338940_f29e1503c9_z-310x232.jpg 310w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/7188338940_f29e1503c9_z-140x105.jpg 140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>Hamburg (2)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Many people tend to favor Munich because they feel <strong>it has it all<\/strong>: history, technology, nature, great public transport, and a cosmopolitan population with a significant international community.<\/li><li>Munich has great <strong>museums<\/strong> (art, technical, cars), the&nbsp;famous English Garden <strong>scenic park<\/strong>, the  Viktualienmarkt, a very large <strong>outdoor market<\/strong>, and the proximity to <strong>the Alps<\/strong>.  It also has castles, lakes, and Bavarian food.<\/li><li>Hamburg also has its charm as a <strong>port city<\/strong>, with great <strong>seafood<\/strong> and day trips to the lakes and sea.  It has more of a <strong>Scandinavian feel<\/strong>, so whether you choose Hamburg or Munich much depends on your personal taste.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s dig in deeper to understand what both cities have to offer and how they differ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_access_transportation\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: access &amp; transportation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich has the second busiest airport in Germany following Frankfurt, with flights to and from a large number of European and international destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hamburg also has an international airport (the 5th busiest of the country) with many airlines and destinations.  The airport is only 12km away from the Hamburg city center, while the Munich airport is almost 40km from the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The train between Hamburg and Munich takes about 5 hours.&nbsp; Both Hamburg and Munich are well connected to other German cities by fast inter-city trains, as well as to other European cities &#8211; Hamburg to Prague, Brussels, Vienna, Paris, Munich to Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Geneva, Vienna, Venice, Budapest, Zagreb, Paris, Rome, Copenhagen, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_vibe_people\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: vibe &amp; people<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/marienplatz.jpg\" alt=\"marienplatz Munich\" class=\"wp-image-740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/marienplatz.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/marienplatz-300x176.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>Marienplatz, Munich (3)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A first major difference between Munich and Hamburg is the people. The people in the North of Germany (Hamburg) often have a reputation for being reserved, &#8220;grumpy&#8221; and austere.  Despite such stereotypes, however, most visitors and expats in Hamburg feel the people are quite welcoming, helpful, and open-minded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, getting by in Hamburg without speaking German is typically harder than in Munich where the locals are better accustomed to dealing with foreigners. Munich is considered a very <strong>open<\/strong>, vibrant, and sociable city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich, as a city, is closer to what a visitor would expect from Germany.  It has more of an <strong>Old World type of feel <\/strong>compared to Hamburg.  When it comes to people, however, contrary to the &#8220;cold&#8221; German stereotype, the locals in Munich are welcoming, including in small villages outside the city &#8211; which commonly have festivals, hiking groups, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hamburg&#8217;s lifestyle is closer to nearby <strong>Denmark<\/strong> &#8211; not the typical German city most international visitors expect. It&#8217;s nonetheless a beautiful (at least many parts of it) and laid back city. Though it does not have a historic center per se, Hamburg boasts beautiful canals and harbor constructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich is closer to the <strong>Bavarian lifestyle<\/strong> &#8211; which is also distinct from other parts of Germany.  The city is surrounded by rural areas and has the Alps as a backdrop. The Munich city center is beautiful with lots of old restaurants and pubs.  It&#8217;s always full of tourists seeking to drink good beer and eat Neuschwanstein. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich is generally <strong>more expensive but safer<\/strong> than Hamburg  (very low vs relatively high crime rate by German standards). Munich has more well-paid foreign expats, while Hamburg has more low-wage immigrant workers (being a port and trade city).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hamburg feels <strong>more like a city<\/strong>, while Munich is more like a<strong> big village<\/strong> &#8211; even though both have a similar size with 1.5-2M inhabitants.  Hamburg is a bit dirtier and grittier, and sometimes seedier than Munich. Munich is referred to as &#8220;Toytown&#8221; in reference to its <strong>cleanliness<\/strong>, scenic views, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s worth mentioning, though, that Hamburg is a very green city with <strong>45% of the city being park areas<\/strong>.  As mentioned, it&#8217;s a relatively short distance from both the North Sea and the Baltic.  In spite of this, however, some people don&#8217;t view Hamburg as a seaside city as they feel the North and Baltic seas don&#8217;t really look like real seas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_sights_culture\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: sights &amp; culture<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"442\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/15328431136_e4408b469b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Munich Residence Street\" class=\"wp-image-735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/15328431136_e4408b469b_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/15328431136_e4408b469b_z-300x207.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>Munich Residence Street (4)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A key attraction in Munich is the <strong>BMW museum<\/strong> where you can see great motorcycles, historical vehicles, and concept cars with futuristic designs. See <a aria-label=\"this article (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yournal.com\/story\/exploring-bmw-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this article<\/a> for some cool details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, Munich was the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, so it has many<strong> royal palaces<\/strong> to visit &#8211; in contrast with Hamburg.  Munich is full of <strong>old European castles<\/strong> including Burghausen Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, Nymphenburg Palace, Linderhof Palace, Munich Residenz, and Hohenschwangau Castle.  See <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"this pos (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.ihg.com\/6-incredible-castles-munich\" target=\"_blank\">this site<\/a> for more info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Munich, the center of the animation and sightseeing is <strong>Marienplatz<\/strong>.  From there you can take a stroll to the <strong>English Garden park<\/strong> or the <strong>Olympia Park<\/strong>, and walk into a few beer gardens and beer halls for some Masses of Helles beers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Hamburg, you can take a <strong>harbor cruise<\/strong>, go check out the <strong>Speicherstadt<\/strong>, the largest warehouse district in the world with buildings standing on oak logs, or have a couple of Pilsener on the <strong>Reeperbahn <\/strong>or along the <strong>Alster Lakes<\/strong>, two artificial lakes created from the damming of the Alster River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sights include the <strong>Rathaus <\/strong>(seat of the local government) and the <strong>St Nicolai Mahnmal<\/strong> (Lutheran gothic revival church with a panoramic view of the city).  You can walk along the <strong>Jungfernstieg <\/strong>(7km urban promenade on the Alster lake) or take a boat tour for stunning views.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can visit the <strong>harbor area<\/strong> and take one of the public ferries from <strong>Landungsbr\u00fccken <\/strong>on the Elbe. Visit the <strong>old Tunnel<\/strong> under the Elbe and the <strong>new city area<\/strong> (HafenCity) by the river. Much of the city can be visited on foot if you feel like walking for miles, otherwise, you can easily use public transportation for getting around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So while Munich has a lot of history, old buildings, and museums to offer, Hamburg has great lake and river views, boat tours, and endless promenades in addition to some nice Gothic architecture buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_nature_outdoors\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: nature &amp; outdoors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3859697147_493f723579_z.jpg\" alt=\"River surfing in Munich\" class=\"wp-image-736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3859697147_493f723579_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3859697147_493f723579_z-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3859697147_493f723579_z-310x232.jpg 310w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3859697147_493f723579_z-140x105.jpg 140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>River surfing in Munich (5)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich is a great place if you&#8217;re a mountain person as the <strong>ski resorts<\/strong> of the nearby Alps have easy access.  Hamburg, on the other hand, is a great place for <strong>sailors<\/strong> and boating types.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While <strong>surfing<\/strong> is a popular sport in Hamburg, river surfing is also common Munich in the summer months as people surf on the Eisbach river &#8211; <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"read more here (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/river-surf-munich_n_5111268\" target=\"_blank\">read more here<\/a> about river surfing in Munich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_food_nightlife\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: food &amp; nightlife<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Hamburg, <strong>seafood<\/strong> is very abundant due to the proximity of the sea.  You can enjoy crab rolls (Krabbenbr\u00f6tchen) or Matjes herrings in out of the harbor restaurants.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Munich, you&#8217;ll typically have a nice <strong>Schweinshaxn<\/strong> in traditional beer halls near Marienplatz &#8211; a popular Bavarian dish made of a pork shank cooked for hours served with sauerkraut. You may also have a Leberk\u00e4sesemmeln (corned beef pork and bacon) or a Brezen (pretzel).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can catch a great <strong>brunch<\/strong> at Ratskeller, or at Art and Boards (Belgradestrasse) on Sundays.  For a nice dinner, check out Hofbrau Munchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hamburg has a lively <strong>nightlife<\/strong> &#8211; though some might say a bit more sleazy than Munich, which is often the case in port cities. The most famous street for going out is the <strong>Reeperbahn<\/strong>, including near the Paul-Roosen Stra\u00dfe in the North section.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also good bars in the Stenschanze area around  Schulterblatt and Schanzenstra\u00dfe.  Hamburg has a <strong>wide range of pubs and bars<\/strong> including beer gardens, breweries, beach clubs, cocktail bars, traditional bars, wine bars, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_shopping\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: shopping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/20004152955_c7cd711d63_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamburg Reeperbahn\" class=\"wp-image-738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/20004152955_c7cd711d63_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/20004152955_c7cd711d63_z-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>Hamburg Reeperbahn (6)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Both Munich and Hamburg are <strong>good shopping places<\/strong>, though with different styles.  Munich has way fewer large malls and supermarkets than Hamburg, and most are outside of the Munich city center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich has several<strong> luxury shopping streets<\/strong> such as the reputed Maximilianstrasse, a 1 km long stretch of luxury shops, the Theatinerstrasse, also an upmarket shopping area,  Kaufingerstrasse, the city&#8217;s prime pedestrian shopping zone, and Sendlinger Strasse, one of the oldest shopping streets in Munich with primarily smaller, family-owned local shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Christmas season, Munich has large and impressive street markets, often considered the best in Germany.  It also has a fair number of conveniently located malls and shopping centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hamburg is known for its great shopping, e.g. the <strong>Neuer Wall shopping street<\/strong> which has top international brands, the Colonnaden pedestrian area, the Jungfernstieg waterfront and promenade shopping area, the Spitalerstrasse shopping district (among the most visited in Germany), the upscale M\u00f6nckebergstrasse shopping street, and the Europa Passage city center shopping mall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_accommodation\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: accommodation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These are a few recommendations from travelers in Munich:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Mueller Hotel<\/strong> near the Sendlinger Tor and Marienplatz<\/li><li>The <strong>Einhorn<\/strong>, a simple but Art Deco style hotel near the train station and shopping district<\/li><li>The <strong>Hotel Astoria<\/strong> in the pleasant Schwabing district, a small hotel with few spacious and comfortable rooms, near a U-Bahn stop and the art museums.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In Hamburg, most people choose to stay close to the city.  Good areas to stay in include Altstadt, Neustadt, Saint Georg (except the areas East of the central station), HafenCity, and St Pauli which is close to the Reeperbahn bars and restaurants.  Avoid staying South of the Elbe, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Munich_or_Hamburg_day_trips\"><\/span>Munich or Hamburg: day trips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3003726051_c1bdc1a7a2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamburg Alster Lakes\" class=\"wp-image-737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3003726051_c1bdc1a7a2_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3003726051_c1bdc1a7a2_z-300x186.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>Hamburg Alster Lakes (7)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Munich&nbsp;is an excellent base for day trips, namely to the<strong>&nbsp;Bavarian Alps<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; F\u00fcssen,&nbsp;Neuschwanstein Castle,&nbsp;Garmisch-Partenkirchen,&nbsp;Mittenwald. You can also visit <strong>medieval citie<\/strong>s like Landshut,&nbsp;Regensburg through day trips.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can take a day trip to Zugspitze, <strong>Germany&#8217;s highest mountain summit<\/strong> about 1h30 away from the city.  You can also visit the Neuschwanstein castle about 2 hours away, and stop at the Starnberg Lake for a nice boat tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can buy the Bayern ticket which gives you unlimited public transport travel within Bavaria for a full day.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From Hamburg, you can visit  <strong>L\u00fcbeck<\/strong> and\/or <strong>L\u00fcneburg<\/strong> which both have a nice historic city center.  You can also take a day trip to Denmark, the border being only 1h30 away by car or train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">***<br><em>Photo credits:<br><\/em>(1) Featured:  &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nicolas_vollmer_photo\/8274896184\/\" target=\"_blank\">Marienplatz<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/nicolas_vollmer_photo\/\" target=\"_blank\">Nicolas Vollmer<\/a> <br>(2) &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/carlmikoy\/7188338940\/\" target=\"_blank\">Hamburg<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/carlmikoy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Carl Mikoy<\/a> <br>(3) &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/3860476420\/\" target=\"_blank\">Munich<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/mightyohm\/\" target=\"_blank\">mightyohm<\/a> <br>(4) &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/poly-image\/15328431136\/\" target=\"_blank\">M\u00fcnchen, Residenzstra\u00dfe im Morgenlich<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/poly-image\/\" target=\"_blank\">Polybert49<\/a> <br>(5) &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/3859697147\/\" target=\"_blank\">Munich<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/mightyohm\/\" target=\"_blank\">mightyohm<\/a> <br>(6) &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/fleno\/20004152955\/\" target=\"_blank\">IMG_2866<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/fleno\/\" target=\"_blank\">fleno.de<\/a> <br>(7) &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/24736216@N07\/3003726051\/\" target=\"_blank\">Hamburg &#8211; Binnen Alster<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/24736216@N07\/\" target=\"_blank\">roger4336<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A lot of travelers going to Germany wonder whether they should visit Hamburg or Munich. They are two very different cities although of comparable size as Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany with a population of around 1.8M while Munich the third largest with about 1.5M. Munich and Hamburg sit at opposite ends of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[42],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2320,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103\/revisions\/2320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cityorcity.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}