Here’s some information on Hamburg featuring more than just the port and St.Pauli…
Hamburg.de (english)
[Family Guy]
Tour Guide: Und as you can see Germany has such a rich and beautiful history, as depicted in your pamphlets. Questions?
Brian Griffin: Yeah, I got a question. In your pamphlet, there’s a huge gap between 1939 and 1945.
Tour Guide: NOTHING HAPPENED! EVERYONE WENT ON VACATION!
Brian Griffin: But isn’t that when Germany invaded Poland?
Tour Guide: DIDN’T INVADE–INVITED! THERE WAS PUNCH UND EVERYTHING! ASK POLAND!
[/Family Guy]
Radler! That’s it! And it’s pronounced just like it looks: Rad-ler.
Radler! That’s it! And it’s pronounced just like it looks: Rad-ler.
If you make it to Germany, there is an internet cafe right next to the main train station (Haupbahnhof, I believe). You pay for a block of time at a vending machine, it spits out a ticket with a password on it and off you go! I believe the cafe is on the same block as the station.
I’m not a big beer drinker, but found the beer in Germany (Europe, as a whole) so much better than what we’ve got in the US that I preferred it room temperature.
If you like science, as someone mentioned, the science museum in Munich would be a great place to visit. We didn’t make it to the museum, but at most of the museums we found information printed in many languages including English, so I think you’re OK.
And I’m glad you indicated your age. It was difficult to tell if you were a 16 year old backpacking through Europe (“Don’t forget to call your mother!”) or a completely self-sustaining 42 year-old man.
I meant “If you make it to Munich…”! :smack:
If you make it to Cologne, drink lots of Kolsch, their local brew. That was pretty much the only liquid I had the week I was there, and it’s really good. Wish I could find it here in the states. Oh, and the cathedral in Cologne is quite impressive as well.
Since that’s the only city I was in in Germany, that’s about all I can recommend. Have fun on your trip, though!
I would also highly recommend Hamburg. It is a very cool city. I first went with a German friend to visit his sister who was a nurse and lived in a Krankenschwesterhaus which is sort of like a big dorm building where nurses live. My friend’s sister invited us to go down to the Alster See with a bunch of the other nurses. When we got down there everyone stripped off their clothes and went swimming.
Did I mention that I was 19 at the time and from a really small town? 
Anyways, make sure you check out the Reeperbahn and the Herbertstrasse when you are there. It is quite the eye-opener. Due to the port (2nd largest in continental Europe behind Rotterdam if I remember correctly) the place is crawling with sailors from all over the world. Very cool and interesting.
If you are in Hessen, I would suggest Marburg an der Lahn. It is about halfway between Frankfurt and Kassel and is an old university town with great history and nightlife. If you go, there is an Irish pub called Rosie McCann’s across the street from the Elisabetkirche. They serve a great pint and typically have some very talented musicians playing there (I once saw Bob Geldof play there unannounced!).
arg… spring, I meant.
Anyway, I would strongly advise you to learn as much German as you can before you go. Don’t just learn ‘where’s the bathroom’ and ‘one beer please’ because you won’t really be able to socialize with the Germans. If there’s any way you take an intense course before you go, do it. And try to immerse yourself (always the best way to learn) while you’re still at home. Go to your library and check out Der Spiegel. Go to dw-world.de and listen to the webradio. Talk to any German-speaking friends you have, even if you don’t feel comfortable with your grammar. You will surprise yourself with how fast you learn.
If you have the time, learning words instead of touristy phrases would be perfect. You may be surprised at how many Germany words are the same as or very similar to its English counterpart. As Germans may tell you, English is just another dialect of German. 
In Hamburg, this same drink is also known as an “Alsterwasser”.
Highlights of Northern Germany:
- the harbour tour (“Hafenrundfahrt”) in Hamburg
- the museum ships in the Innenalster in Hamburg
- the “Widows Apartments” of the Krameramtwohnungen in Hamburg
- the amazing architecture left over from the Salzstrasse and the Hanseatic League in Luebeck
- the German Naval Memorial (Marine-Ehrenmal)and Type VII-C U-boat in Laboe, near Kiel (still the main German fleet anchorage)
- the amazing Viking artifacts (including an entire Norse longboat preserved) at the Landesmuseum in Schleswig
- the beautiful cathedral, with altar pieces by Albrecht Duerer, in Schleswig
The Fischmarkt in Hamburg… after a night out on the Reeperbahn, breakfast at the Fischmarkt is absolutely amazing.