Neustadt

The Neustadt, literally the new town, was laid out in the 17th century when Hamburg extended its ring of fortifications, and it is now the city's boulevard quarter: the polished, eminently walkable western half of downtown. The Jungfernstieg is its front porch, a promenade along the southern edge of the Binnenalster lake lined with cafes, the Alsterhaus department store and the jetty where the Alster steamboats depart. Just behind it, the Alsterarkaden form a white arcaded walkway along a canal, all arches and reflections, running toward the city hall. West of that, the Gänsemarkt and the Colonnaden continue in the same register of shopping and coffee. The quarter's landmark is St. Michaelis, known to everyone as the Michel: Hamburg's principal church, a baroque brick building with an elevator to a tower platform that offers one of the best views in the city, and a trumpet chorale played from the tower on Wednesdays and Sundays at noon. Directly below it stand the Krameramtsstuben, a rare surviving 17th-century half-timbered courtyard. Where to stay: the Neustadt is the classic choice for a first trip, central and civilized, with grand hotels near the Alster and easy walks to the harbor, the old town and the theaters. Quieter at night than St. Pauli, and pricier than the outer neighborhoods. Getting there: Jungfernstieg is the best-connected station in the city after the main station, served by the U1, U2 and U4 and the S1, S2 and S3. For the Michel end, use U3 St. Pauli or Rödingsmarkt and walk about 8 minutes.