The Best Hotels in Hamburg Altstadt

Hamburg's old town, or "Altstadt" as its called in German, is not a medieval historic centre. Hamburg not only suffered from a terrible fire in the 19th-century, but, being a prominent industrial and naval town, suffered terrible bombing in WWII. So, sadly, little of its medieval heart remains. There are exceptions, of course. St. Nicholas Church, for instance — though ruinous, and hollow inside — remains standing, a beautiful, gothic medieval church that serves as a timely reminder of the brutality of warfare. St. James Church, while rebuilt after the war, still boasts some of its beautiful medieval interior furnishings and St. Michael's Church, a glorious example of Baroque architecture, should be first on your list; climb the tower to drink in the fab vistas from the top. Hamburg's Altstadt is the place to stay if you want to be central and have easy on-foot access to the best of the city. Our pick of the hotels in the Alstadt are both chic, contemporary stays that will not disappoint.

A cool warehouse conversion

• Sir Nikolai is a smart, sophisticated option for sightseeing in the Altstadt; a stylish four-star former seed warehouse overlooking the Nikolaifleet canal. It's a short walk from some major sights: Sankt Katharinen, the Elbphilharmonie, Deichtorhallen, and its stunning rooms are full of marble, original art and vintage rugs. Effortlessly stylish sightseeing!

For Contemporary style

• Henri Hotel is another stylish stay well-placed in Hamburg's Altstadt, though this one's primed for apres-sightseeing relaxation too. It's in a quiet location, just a 2-minute walk from the town hall square, and rooms are a trendy mix of modern and retro. The icing on the cake has to be the wellness area on the 7th floor where you'll find a relaxing steam bath, sauna and Kneipp bath.

Still not sure?

• See this list of ALL the best places to stay in Hamburg
• Check out our collection for Berlin, and Bremen
• You can also contact one of our Gurus for advice.