Hamburg, Germany: Take a fun 48hr trip with children

What to do in Hamburg, Germany with Children: Kid-friendly museums

The YULLBE Wunderland is a kid’s idea of heaven. Connected to Miniatur Wunderland, the world’s largest miniature railway and airport attraction, this virtual reality experience is a fantastic way to take a behind the scenes look at the popular attraction.

You are dressed up as characters from balding monks to grim reapers and kitted out in special glasses and back packs. Thirty minutes are spent in this weird and wonderful world as you hop on board a sight-seeing train, only to find yourselves thrown on a journey full of mishaps as you battle to find your way out.

It is remarkable how life like technology makes these situations and which trick the brain into thinking you really are on a dangerous path and there is much fun to be had as you delicately make your way around and back to the real world.

Fans of history turned spooky will enjoy the Hamburg Dungeons, which through interaction and scary rides relive the past 600 years.

The Museum of Popcorn is a social media fan’s dream. Here, with popcorn in one hand and a camera in the other, you can take photographs of yourself and your friends at specially designed sets which range from ball pools to gym equipment. A must for the selfie brigade.

Fun fact: For a really wacky experience at YULLBE Wunderland, pick The Crazy Shrink tour, where you slim down to 1.87 scale and take a tour of the world, from the Swiss Alps to the Grand Canyon. and there is no turning back in The Tunnel at the Hamburg Dungeons, spooky is an understatement! Happiness activists are out in force at Museum of Popcorn (above).

What to do in Hamburg, Germany with children: Where to stay

Hamburg is such a historical place with many of the new trendy hotels in the UNESCO protected warehouse district of Hamburg, the largest of its kind in the world.

Known as the Speicherstadt and built from 1883 to 1927 on oak log foundations, the district by the port was a free zone to allow goods to be moved without paying customs.

The Pierdrei Hotel Hafen City is sleek and trendy and its 212 rooms are tastefully decorated and airy, with comfy beds, rainforest showers and up to date technology.

There is a cinema, parent free zone and a beautiful roof top garden with spectacular city views. A stylish restaurant not only serves a scrumptious breakfast, but top notch lunches and dinners too. And for families, there is camper city, where the accommodation is in retro caravans, what could be cooler.

Fun fact: The ultra smart Do Not Disturb signs are great fun with a simple yes or no message to the housekeeping team.

What to do in Hamburg, Germany with Children: Tours and transport

Hamburg is a walking city and a great way to look around is by embarking on a Tours by Locals. The guides have a wealth of knowledge of the city and give a brilliant insight into what to see and do, with a history lesson thrown in too. Despite its name, the first actual hamburger was made in Texas in 1880, although the main ingredient, a ground beef patty, was invented in the German city.

The advantages of the independent tour is that it is tailored to your needs, time and party numbers. You can meet at your hotel and enjoy a potted history of Europe’s third largest port and a devastating fire in 1842 which killed 51 people and destroyed many homes, the North Sea flood in 1962 where 60,000 people lost their homes and the effects of bombing raids during World War II.

In the 1960s, The Beatles cut their musical teeth in Hamburg playing for many months at the Indra Club and today there is a memorial to the fab four in the area which is still a big attraction for music fans.

And a must to see as you tour is the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, built to resemble a hoisted sail on top of an old brick warehouse. The majestic glass building is a feat of modern architecture and close by to the historic Elbe Tunnel which connects the Landungsbrücken piers with the port. Built in 1911, its old style tile decoration and quirky lifts have established the tunnel as a tourist attraction.

Despite the disasters, the city has shown resilience and today is a real tourist magnet. Visitors are drawn to the port area, where there are lots of boat tours around the port, which give a great view of the beautiful buildings on offer. A trip on the Barkassen Meyer boat is a great way to see how the city has grown.

Fun fact: The Tours By Locals work in 188 countries, with 4576 guides on hand to give you the facts. The Elbphilharmonie concert hall is one of the most pictured buildings in Germany, and the Barkassen Meyer boats can’t be missed with their bright colours and grand designs.

Tourist information:

The Hamburg card provides free transport and discounts on 150 attractions.

Fun fact: Surprise gifts can be claimed via www.hamburg-card.de