HAMBURG, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 04:  Visitors walk through the large hall of the newly-completed Elbphilharmonie concert hall on November 4, 2016 in Hamburg, Germany. Designed by the archiecture firm Herzog and de Meuron and begun in 2007, the Elbphilharmonie was originally slated to be completed by 2010 at a cost of EUR 241 million. Instead it was finally finished on October 31, 2016 at a cost of EUR 789 million. Germany has been burdened with a string of high-profile construction projects whose completion has been years delayed and whose costs have ballooned. The first public concert at the Elbphilharmonie is scheduled for January 11, 2017 as part of its official opening.  (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Elbphilharmonie

Top choice in Hamburg


Welcome to one of the most Europe's most exciting recent architectural creations. A squat brown-brick former warehouse at the far west of HafenCity was the base for the architecturally bold Elbphilharmonie, a major concert hall and performance space, not to mention architectural icon. Pritzker Prize–winning Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron were responsible for the design, which captivates with details like 1096 individually curved glass panes.

Enter via Europe's longest (and really rather beautiful) escalator up to the Plaza, from where you can emerge onto the wraparound balcony for terrific city and harbour views in all directions. And make sure you return for a live performance.

Transportation

  • subway: Baumwall

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hamburg attractions

1. Speicherstadt Museum

0.19 MILES

A century-old warehouse is the atmospheric backdrop for exhibitions on Hamburg’s trading past, especially within its namesake district. There are…

3. Miniatur Wunderland

0.26 MILES

Even the worst cynics are quickly transformed into fans of this vast miniature world that goes on and on. The model trains wending their way through the…

4. Hamburg Dungeon

0.28 MILES

This camped-up chamber of horrors is brought to life by actors, incorporating various thrill rides, and is housed in an old warehouse. It's pricey and not…

5. HafenCity InfoCenter

0.28 MILES

You can pick up brochures and check out detailed architectural models and installations that give a sense of the immensity of the project; there's a scale…

6. Cap San Diego

0.31 MILES

A beautiful 1961 freighter, the 10,000-tonne Cap San Diego is open to tours that give a good feel for when sea voyages were a relaxing and low-key way to…

7. Deichstrasse

0.4 MILES

Hamburg’s Great Fire of 1842 broke out in Deichstrasse, which features a few restored 18th-century homes, most now housing restaurants. You can get a feel…

8. Mahnmal St-Nikolai

0.49 MILES

St Nikolai church was the world’s tallest building from 1874 to 1876, and it remains Hamburg’s second-tallest structure (after the TV tower). Mostly…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "germany/hamburg/speicherstadt-hafencity/attractions/elbphilharmonie/a/poi-sig/420899/1342304",
      "destination": "Hamburg",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Germany",
      "city": "Hamburg",
      "position": "superzone"
    }