Eastern Hamburg includes the dense, LGBT-friendly district St. Georg filled with cozy narrow streets between the dense, 19th-century tenements, with its cafe-filled main street of Lange Reihe, as well as a part of lake Aussenalster's shoreline with the venerable Hotel Atlantic. Further east, the density becomes more and more sparse, and the outer districts are mostly residential, with a few less known points of interest for the inquisitive tourist; indeed in the big southeastern district of Bergedorf you can experience some rural attractions.

Get in

Most of St. Georg is within walking distance from the main railway station, otherwise there's a rail line for most parts of the east; U1, U3, S1 and S11 for the northeast and U2, U4, S2 and S21 for the southeast. Some long-distance trains to or from northeastern Germany stop at Bergedorf railway station.

Of major Autobahns A1 (from Lübeck) and A25 (from Berlin) pass through the eastern suburbs of Hamburg and the district is also easily accessible from cities south and southwest of Hamburg.

See

East of the railway

• 1 Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Museum of Arts and Crafts), Steintorplatz, just to the southeast of Hauptbahnhof, ☏ +49 489 133-200, fax: +49 426 136-29 32. Open Tu - Su 11:00 - 18:00, Th 11:00 - 21:00. The museum is a leading centre for art, applied art, and design. Its collections of work from Europe and the Middle and the Far East are of the finest-quality and span all epochs from the Ancient World to the present day. They also have many activities and concerts (see the Classical Music section). The museum is housed in an 18th-century palace, which has the original roofs and ceilings. Adult €10, reduced €7, children under 18 years free, family €17. (updated Mar 2015)

Sankt Georg

Situated northeast of Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and city centre, Sankt Georg is the lively, trendy centre of Hamburg's gay scene. Rainbow flags flutter from the balconies in summer. The streets are crowded with people shopping, having a chat, drinking coffee, or going to one of the many art exhibitions around the Lange Reihe street.

• 2 Dreieinigkeitskirche St. Georg. Baroque church in Sankt Georg. (updated Mar 2015)
• 3 St.-Marien-Dom St. Georg. Since 1995, this neo-romanesque church is the cathedral of the youngest Roman Catholic archbishop of Germany. Though the church has not the splendor one might expect, next to it you may find the first statue world wide of the late pope, John-Paul II. (updated Mar 2015)

Bergedorf town

Schloss Bergedorf

• 4 Bergedorf Castle (Schloss Bergedorf), Bergedorfer Schloßstraße 4. This is the only preserved castle inside the city borders of Hamburg, and it has been mentioned in documents in the 14th century. Since 1953 it houses a museum of Bergedorf and the Vierlande region. The idyllic castle park has been protected since 1926. (updated Jun 2019)

• 5 Bergedorf City Hall (Rathaus Bergedorf), Wentorfer Str. 38. This castle-like villa was built in 1898-99 and has hosted the city government of Bergedorf since 1927. It is also open to visitors, as is the 35 m high city hall tower (Rathausturm). There is a park (Rathauspark) behind the city hall with a scene, playground, stream and garden artworks. (updated Jun 2019)

Sternwarte Bergedorf

• 6 Hamburger Sternwarte. Sa Su 10:00-18:00. The astrophysics faculty of the Universität Hamburg is spread over a big park with protected neobaroque buildings with historical equipment for astronomy science including different telescopes. There's a visitor center with a café and tours every Sunday or by appointment. (updated Jun 2019)

• 7 Petri und Pauli Kirche. A Lutheran church, and together with the castle the most important historical building in Bergedorf. The first church was built here in 1162, the current one was opened in 1502. (updated Jun 2019)

• 8 Kirche St. Michael. Built in 1955 in the form of a white cube extended in the east by the altar room, in the north by the sacristy and in the west by the lobby. The church is in the middle of the old graveyard. (updated Jun 2019)

• 9 Catholic church St.Mary (Katholische Kirche St. Marien). (updated Jun 2019)

• 10 Franz-von-Assisi-Kirche (in Neuallermöhe). One of the newest churches in the region, this Lutheran church was inaugurated in 1993. The 40-m-high church tower is visible from far away. (updated Jun 2019)

• 11 Edith-Stein-Kirche. A modern Catholic church building inaugurated in 1993. It is a round church with a flat roof rising up towards the altar. (updated Jun 2019)

Vierland and the marshes

Comprising the region around Curslack, Altengamme, Neuengamme, and Kirchwerder.

• 12 Rieck Haus - Vierländer Freilichtmuseum, Curlsacker Deich 284 (buses 124, 223 and 224 until Schiefe Brücke), ☏ +49 40 723 1223. Open-air museum showcasing the rural life in the Vierlanden before the industrial revolution. The premises was an active farm operated by the Rieck family up until WWII. There are still farm animals there, and several hands-on experiences for visitors such as milking cows. (updated Jun 2019)

• 13 Riepenburger Mühle. open in Apr-Oct, Tu and Th 14:00-18:00 and the 1st and 3rd Sunday each month 13:00-17:00. Windmill built in 1828, though the first windmill at this place was already built in 1318. It has a shop and café, and in the nearby former warehouse there's an interesting shop with local art. (updated Jun 2019)

• 14 Hof Eggers. open in Mar-Dec: F Sa 12:00-18,:00 Su 10:00-18:00. Farm open to visitors with a café, shop, and four cottages. (updated Jun 2019)

• 15 Reitbrooker Mühle. M-F 08:00-12:00, 15:00-18:00, Sa 08:00-13:00. Built in 1870, this windmill is next to the Reitbrooker Mühlenbrücke ("mill bridge"). This is a so-called "Galerieholländer" windmill; a square two-story stone building with a wooden octagon building on the top. It was used until as a windmill 1938 or 1939, and became a protected building in 1942. It still functions as a mill, albeit not a wind powered one. When the fodder shop is open, you can also see the mill from the inside. (updated Jun 2019)

• 16 Kirche St. Severini (in Kirchwerder). The biggest church in the Vierlande region. First built as a stone church in 1319, and thoroughly renovated in the late 18th century. (updated Jun 2019)

• 17 Kirche St. Johannis (in Curslack). After an earlier church, presumably made of rocks, was destroyed by flooding, this timber-framed one was built in 1599-1603. It is an open church and as such can generally be visited anytime (during daytime). (updated Jun 2019)

• 18 Kirche St. Nicolai (in Altengamme). First mentioned in documents from 1247, this is the oldest of the village churches in the Vierlande. (updated Jun 2019)

• 19 Kirche St. Johannis (in Neuengamme). The oldest major church in Hamburg, mentioned in documents from 1261. It has been remodeled and expanded several times, though part of the walls are still from the 13th century. The wooden 26.2-m-high church tower was constructed in 1630. (updated Jun 2019)

• 20 St. Pankratius (in Ochsenwerder). This 17th-century church features carvings depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments, and an organ by the famous organ builder Arp Schnitger. (updated Jun 2019)

Do

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe

Classical Music

• 1 Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg has many smaller concerts — something almost every day — and is much cheaper than the Laeiszhalle. The programs range from the curator of their early keyboard instrument collection playing them and giving a spiel on the music and the instruments (in German only!) to formal concerts of renditions of Schubert's Die Winterreise. Pick up a schedule at the desk of the museum (down the street from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof). (updated Mar 2015)

Theatres

• 2 Deutsches Schauspielhaus. The biggest German speech theatre looks back on a famous tradition. Gustav Gründgens, Ivan Nagel, and Peter Zadek staged highlights in German theatre history here. (updated Mar 2015)

Buy

There aren't that many outstanding shopping opportunities in the East of Hamburg. One is the Quarree shopping center with a number of clothing and specialty stores and the Karstadt department store. It is next to the place where the weekly market Wandsbek Markt takes places, as well as the namesake U1 subway station.

In Bergedorf there's a pedestrianized zone with all kinds of small shops, as well as the CCB (City-Center Bergdorf) mall with over 80 shops.

Eat

Elbe in Bergedorf

Budget

• 1 Geelhaus, Koppel 76 (St. Georg). Daily 18:00-23:00, some meals until midnight. Menu changes frequently, fresh food, creativity. (updated Feb 2017)
• 2 Batman Döner, Steindamm 58 (St. Georg). (updated Mar 2015)
• 3 McBoat (McDonald's Drive-thru for boats), 20537 Hamburg. Open 24 hours but closed in winter. The only McDonald's that you can order your meal (on its app) and have it delivered to the shores while paddling along the canal. The meal is prepared fresh in the restaurant right next to the shoreline. (updated Oct 2021)

Mid-range

• 4 Al Lido, Amsinckstraße 70 (in an old factory near Elbe bridge, Hammerbrook), ☏ +49 40 23688975. Excellent Italian and Pizzeria (updated Mar 2015)
• 5 Restaurant Cox, Greifswalder Str. 43 (St. Georg, close to the Central Station), ☏ +49 40 249422. Trendy restaurant with consistently good international cuisine, often local German dishes Dinner including wine is approximately €30-40. They have a value lunch deal (two course menu for €11). (updated Mar 2015)
• 6 Vasco da Gama, Lange Reihe 67 (close to the central station), ☏ +49 40 2803305. 11:30 to 23:00. Good Portuguese and German food. lunch €10, dinner €20. (updated Mar 2015)

• 7 Bergedorfer Schlosscafé. 09:00-19:00. Castle café on the inner yard of Bergedorf Castle. (updated Jun 2019)

• 8 Block Haus, Sachsentor 2, ☏ +49 040 721 71 71. 12:00-22:00 Su-Th, 12:00-23:00 F-Sa. Steak restaurant in a timber-framed house where there have been hospitality businesses for several decades. (updated Oct 2024)

• 9 Café Chrysander, Chrysanderstr. 61, ☏ +49 40 38073657, post@cafe-chrysander.de. Tu-Su 09:30-18:00. Cafe and restaurant at the edge of Bergedorf Castle Park with lunch, breakfast buffet, home made cakes and a range of special coffees. In the evening the place becomes a cultural club with regular concerts, movie presentations and lectures. (updated Feb 2018)

Splurge

Restaurant Le Ciel at the top floor of the Le Meridien hotel (see below) has a large glass wall providing splendid views of the Aussenalster. It is a fine dining establishment with an exquisite a la carte dinner menu, but during lunchtime you can enjoy the daily set menu from €18. Parking for the restaurant's guests is free for 1 hour.

• 10 Zollenspieker Fährhaus, Zollenspieker-Hauptdeich 141. Big restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and a bar. They have many different menus to choose from; mainly Mediterranean and Northern German cuisine. The complex also includes a hotel and a spa. (updated Jun 2019)

Drink

Cafes

• 1 Cafe Gnosa, Lange Reihe 93 (St. Georg-area), ☏ +49 40 243034. Su-Th 10:00-01:00, F Sa 10:00-02:00. Coffeehouse with wide range of delicious self-made cakes and pastries. Famous for its cake buffet, also a great place to have breakfast or lunch. Gay-owned. Customers mixed by straight and gay people of any age. May not be easy to catch a table during rush-hours. For sugar- and caffeine-addicts. (updated Mar 2015)

Sleep

Hotel Atlantic — one of the world's Grand old hotels

Budget

Youth hostels

• 1 Jugendherberge Hamburg - Horner Rennbahn, Rennbahnstraße 10, ☏ +49 40 6511671, fax: +49 40 6556516, jgh-hamburg@t-online.de. 
• 2 A&O Hostel and Hostel, Amsinckstraße 6-10 (Near the main train station.), ☏ +49 40 6442104. 
• Superbude Multiple locations. A step up from the normal hostel - they have hostel rooms, but also affordable private rooms with bathrooms. Super modern and very cool, with 24 hour bars, breakfast from 08:00 until 12:00, and friendly staff.
  • 3 Superbude St. Georg, Spaldingstraße 152, ☏ +49 40 3808780, info@superbude.de. (updated Mar 2015)

Mid-range

• 4 Holiday Inn Hamburg, Billwerder Neuer Deich 14, ☏ +44 40 78840. Outdated, worn and quite out of the way, with limited transit options. Pluses include breakfast and proximity to Elbpark for a walk or jog in the morning. Free soft drinks in minibar. 
• 5 Ibis Hamburg Alster Centrum, Holzdamm 4-12 (ext to Atlantic Kempinski), ☏ +49 40 24829701, H1395@ACCOR.COM. This is just like any other hotel in the Ibis chain — clean basic rooms with bathroom, TV and Wi-Fi. They have a bar and a restaurant too. (updated Mar 2015)
• 6 Suite Novotel Hamburg City, Lübeckertordamm 2 (next to the Lohmuehlenstraße U-Bahn station,), ☏ +49 40 271400, H3756@accor.com. A large midscale hotel aimed at travellers staying for longer periods. Rooms have a small kitchenette and many come with extra sofa-beds. Unfortunately, the old Suite Novotel standards are far behind what more modern hotels offer. That said, the hotel is in a tall tower, so if you manage to get a room in one of the upper floors, you can enjoy a nice view of Hamburg. (updated Mar 2015)
• 7 Mercure Hamburg City, Amsinckstraße 53 (over the Schleussenkanal in Hammerbrook), ☏ +49 40 236380, H1163@accor.com. The hotel's slightly offside location makes it accessible by car and quite cosy. The neighbourhood consists of late 20th century development over canals, which may not be the most interesting in Hamburg, but the Hammerbrook S-Bahn station is a short walk away. The hotel's highlight is the floating event space Kai 10, unfortunately as of 2015 only available for special events. The hotel is easily accessibly by car. (updated Mar 2015)

Splurge

• 8 Le Royal Meridien, An der Alster 52-56 (near Hauptbahnhof), ☏ +49 40 2100-0. One of the best hotels overlooking the Alster lake. Each room is designed in the "Art & Tech" design. Restaurant with nice view over the lake and spa. (updated Mar 2015)
• 9 Hotel Atlantic Kempinski, An der Alster 72-79 (overlooking the Aussenalster), ☏ +49 40 28880, hotel.atlantic@kempinski.com. The grande dame of Hamburg has grown to be an internationally recognized paragon of luxury hospitality. (updated Mar 2015)
• 10 Europäischer Hof, Kirchenallee 45, ☏ +49 40 248 248. (updated May 2016)
• 11NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Reichshof Hamburg, Curio Collection by Hilton, Kirchenallee 34-36, ☏ +49 40 3702590, info@hamburg-reichshof.com. 24-hour service. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. 4-star hotel that provides various dining options, gym, business centre, parking and free Wi-Fi. (updated Aug 2020)