Harburg

Harburg lies south of the Elbe and was its own city until 1937, which explains why it feels less like a Hamburg neighborhood and more like a mid-sized town that happens to sit inside the city limits. It has its own railway station with regional and long-distance service, its own downtown, and its own market square, the Sand, which is the traditional center of local life. The Harburger Schloss dates from the 16th century and forms the oldest layer of the town, a reminder that this was a fortified river crossing long before the modern port grew up to the north. The Binnenhafen, Harburg's inner harbor, is the most rewarding part for visitors: old canal basins, brick warehouses and industrial buildings converted into lofts, offices and waterside restaurants, a small-scale version of what happened later in the HafenCity. The TU Hamburg, the city's technical university, sits here as well and gives Harburg a young population and a role as an engineering and startup hub. Where to stay: an inexpensive option well outside the tourist zone, best suited to business travelers with reasons to be in the south of the city, or to visitors arriving by car who want easier parking. Downtown is a straightforward train ride, but not a walk. Getting there: the S3 and S31, which run south through Wilhelmsburg, continue to Harburg, and Bahnhof Harburg is also served by regional and long-distance trains.