Hamburg's Landungsbrücken: This is where most people catch their very first sighting of the Hamburg Harbor. The heady smell of the Elbe and diesel pervade as small launches laden with tourists thread their way between gigantic ocean-going vessels. Tugs pilot a cruise liner into the harbor, while behind them a flock of gulls circle and screech…

Landungsbrücken, along with the Speicherstadt, are among the most popular destinations for tourists and locals. This is where they climb aboard for a big harbor tour, take one of the many scheduled ferry services coursing the Elbe upstream via the Fish Market all the way to Blankenese. Like in the bus and metro, the tickets issued by the city transport authority (HVV) can also be used on the ferries.

Altogether a normal waterside transport hub - or not? In fact, it is an area with unique maritime flair and Hamburg's genuine harbor promenade! People from every nation on earth stroll, gaze and enjoy fantastic views of the harbor scenery. They feel the wind blowing in their faces and are then suddenly amazed when the ground starts to wobble. First now do they realize that they are not on terra firma, but on floating pontoons that are connected to the mainland via moving bridges. You can sense just how close the North Sea is as ebb and flow bring it to Hamburg along the Elbe: twice a day the bridges rise and fall by 3.40 meters (11 feet) to compensate for the tidal range. Depending on the tides, they may lie at flat or steep angles.

Building began on Landungsbrücken and the imposing terminal buildings for this water transport hub in 1907. The impressive building complex, with its tower to show the tide level, are now protected. Together with the cupola of the old Elbe Tunnel, the ensemble forms an enchanting silhouette and is probably the most-photographed landmark of the City of Hamburg.