Hamburg

Speicherstadt, the Michel and the Sunday Fischmarkt over three days

Three days in Hamburg let you see the port city from the water and from above. Day one covers the Rathaus, the Speicherstadt canals, Miniatur Wunderland and the Elbphilharmonie Plaza; day two the Michel tower, the Old Elbe Tunnel and St. Pauli; day three the Sunday Fischmarkt, Blankenese and the Außenalster.

Day one. Begin at the neo-Renaissance Rathaus and walk the arcades along the Alsterfleet to the Binnenalster and the Jungfernstieg. Head south to the Speicherstadt and follow its canals and iron bridges; the view from the Poggenmühlenbrücke over the Wasserschloss is the one on every postcard. Book the afternoon for Miniatur Wunderland, then cross into HafenCity and ride the long curved escalator to the Elbphilharmonie Plaza for sunset.

Day two. Climb the tower of St. Michaelis, the baroque church locals call the Michel, for the widest view of the port. Walk down to the Landungsbrücken, take the lift into the Old Elbe Tunnel and walk under the river, then come back for ferry 62 to Oevelgönne. Stroll the beach and the old pilots' houses, and in the evening explore St. Pauli: the Beatles-Platz on the Reeperbahn, the side streets around Hans-Albers-Platz, then a bar in the Schanzenviertel.

Day three. If it is Sunday, get to the Fischmarkt in Altona early for the shouting fruit sellers and a fish roll in the old auction hall. Later, take the S-Bahn to Blankenese and climb through the Treppenviertel. Spend the afternoon on the Außenalster, renting a rowing boat or walking the lakeside path to the cafés at its northern end.

The warehouse quarter has world heritage status: UNESCO listed the Speicherstadt and the neighbouring Kontorhaus District with the Chilehaus in 2015. The red-brick warehouses stand on oak piles along the canals, and the Chilehaus, a 1920s office block, narrows to a sharp point like a ship's bow at its eastern corner, best seen from Burchardplatz. Both are a short walk from the Rathaus, so they fit easily into day one; allow an hour to walk from Sandtorkai to the Chilehaus.

Fischbrötchen at the Landungsbrücken, Labskaus and Franzbrötchen

Hamburg's food is harbour food. The everyday lunch is a Fischbrötchen from the stands at the Landungsbrücken, the sailors' dish is Labskaus, a corned beef and beetroot mash with a fried egg, and the breakfast pastry is the cinnamon Franzbrötchen. The Schanzenviertel and Ottensen have the widest choice of cheap places.

The quick lunch of Hamburg is the Fischbrötchen, a crusty roll filled with pickled Bismarck herring, sweet matjes, crisp fried plaice or smoked salmon with onions. The stands along the Landungsbrücken and in Altona sell them all day, and they taste best eaten on a pier railing.

Sailors' food lives on in Labskaus, a pink mash of corned beef, potato and beetroot topped with a fried egg, rollmops and a gherkin. It looks alarming and is very good after a cold day. Look for it in the old harbour pubs near the Landungsbrücken and in Ottensen. Other old dishes to try are Finkenwerder Scholle, plaice fried with bacon and shrimps, Pannfisch with mustard sauce, and in late summer Birnen, Bohnen und Speck, a stew of green beans, pears and bacon.

The Aalsuppe is a puzzle: the name probably comes from a dialect word for 'everything', and cooks now add eel to satisfy expectations. For dessert, order Rote Grütze, a red berry pudding served with vanilla sauce or cream.

Bakeries all over the city sell the Franzbrötchen, a flattened cinnamon pastry that is the local morning habit. The Schanzenviertel and Ottensen have the most varied cheap eating, with Portuguese cafés near the port in the old Portugiesenviertel by the Michel. Beer means Astra in St. Pauli bars, served in its anchor-and-heart bottle.

Lübeck, Lüneburg and the Altes Land orchards by regional train

The three best day trips from Hamburg are Lübeck, about 45 minutes away by regional train, the salt town of Lüneburg, roughly half an hour south, and the Altes Land orchards across the Elbe. Schwerin is under 90 minutes by train, and Cuxhaven and the Wadden Sea islands make longer days.

Hamburg sits at the centre of a good rail network, and three trips stand out. Lübeck, about 45 minutes away by regional train, was the capital of the Hanseatic League. Its old town island is a UNESCO site, entered through the leaning twin towers of the Holstentor, with brick Gothic churches and narrow alleys of almshouses. Buy marzipan at Niederegger and stay for dinner if you can.

Lüneburg, roughly half an hour south, made its fortune from salt. Its gabled merchant houses lean at odd angles over the old salt workings, the Stintmarkt by the river is lined with bars, and the German Salt Museum tells the story. In late August and September the heathland of the nearby Lüneburger Heide turns purple with heather.

Closer to home, the Altes Land across the Elbe southwest of the city is one of Europe's largest fruit-growing areas, with half-timbered farmhouses behind the dykes. From late April into May, the cherry and apple trees are in blossom; in late summer, farm stalls sell fruit by the roadside. It is easiest by car or bike, or by ferry and bus via Finkenwerder.

Further out, Cuxhaven at the mouth of the Elbe and the islands of the Wadden Sea make long days; the cathedral town of Schwerin and its lake palace are under 90 minutes away by train.