Albert Ballin literally opened the ‘gateway to the world’ for many people in Hamburg in the 19th century. With the place where the museum stands today, he created a station between the old and new world for millions of emigrants. From here, they travelled to America, Australia and other faraway places, where many hoped to find a better life. In three houses, BallinStadt vividly tells the story of four eras of immigration and emigration.

Entertainment at its best: Disneys The Lion King, Disneys Frozen, Tanz der Vampire and Hercules are currently thrilling Hamburg audiences. In autumn and winter, &JULIA and MJ - The Michael Jackson Musical will premiere. With the Hamburg CARD you can secure the best seats and save up to 10 % on the ticket price.

"A club like no other deserves a museum like no other": under this motto, the FC St. Pauli Museum was founded by fans in 2012 to create a space for the eventful history of the neighbourhood club - and to prevent a huge police station in the stadium at the same time.

The Hamburg State Opera dates back to the first privately run opera house in Germany in 1678 - the Opern-Theatrum. Today, the Hamburg State Opera, the Philharmonic State Orchestra and the Hamburg Ballet are united under one roof. A varied programme takes the audience into a wide variety of worlds night after night.

From the Middle Ages to the present day: the collection of the Hamburger Kunsthalle spans eight centuries. The focus is on the art of the 19th century. In addition to the permanent exhibition, which is well worth seeing, there is a broad portfolio of temporary exhibitions. It's worth stopping by again and again.

This view is truly unique: at a height of 37 metres, the plaza leads all the way around the Elbphilharmonie. You can never get enough of the magnificent harbour panorama, which always looks different depending on the time of day and season. On the Elphi Plaza tour, you will learn everything you need to know, fun facts and interesting facts about the Elbphilharmonie and finish with the best view in the city.

Just a stone's throw from the main railway station: a beautiful building dating back to 1900 is home to Germany's oldest spoken theatre. And what the façade promises is kept inside: In comfortable red velvet armchairs, you can look forward to seeing what happens when the heavy curtain falls.

The Deichtorhallen is all about contemporary art and culture. The exhibitions are very colourful - from the works of very well-known to those of lesser-known artists, everything is there. This makes the Deichtorhallen a top address for art lovers and those who want to become one.

Brevity is the spice of life: At the Old Ferry Terminal in Altona, great opera classics are performed in 90 minutes over a sundowner with a view of the Elbe. Fresh faces, good entertainment and a unique setting show how entertaining and yet touching opera can be.

If the cargo ship in Hamburg harbour could talk, it would certainly have a lot of exciting stories to tell. Of voyages to faraway Hong Kong over 100 years ago, of rounding a typhoon and calling at Cape Town as a port of refuge. Many happy and eventful voyages are documented in the ‘Gallery under the Elbe’ and the restored crew and officers' quarters also provide an insight into life on the high seas. Anyone who upgrades their Hamburg CARD with the Maritime upgrade has free admission to the floating landmark.