Hamburg is the city equivalent of Beauty and the Beast. Its historic port opens onto an inner city scattered with manicured parks, deep blue lakes and winding canals.

This is Hamburg after all and anything goes

Large villas in Blankenese belonging to old-money, merchant families hold fort against the seedy Reeperbahn, the city’s red-light district and decadent hub of vices. Large immigrant and minority enclaves have secured themselves alongside the upscale media and fashion quarters in the city’s cosmopolitan identity.

A night out here tends to progress from chic dining to fist pumping in back-alley clubs. It is in Hamburg, a city often overshadowed by the more famous Munich and Berlin and omitted from travel itineraries, where one goes from strolling along the Prada- and Omega-lined Neuer Wall to beer swigging in sleazy Sankt Pauli in a matter of minutes (and in the same change of clothes!). This is Hamburg after all and anything goes.

Many in Hamburg fondly think of their city as Germany’s Gateway to the World. The harbour is the region’s largest economic driver, connecting the city-state to countries far and wide, bringing in trade and its resultant wealth since its inauguration in 1189.

Nowadays it is no different. The harbour is the second busiest in Europe and is the rusty heart of a city that has held up its long tradition of welcoming visitors from afar. With the city’s airport within a 30-minute metro ride from the city centre and a sound transportation system to boot, Hamburg is an unlikely but highly recommended summer destination (Air Malta runs two direct flights to Hamburg every week).

Located on the estuary where the river Elbe meets the North Sea, Hamburg is all about water. Canals snake their way from the harbour and throughout the inner city and its suburbs, eventually opening onto the Alster Lake and the Jungfernstieg, the city’s high-street shopping mecca.

In fact, many Hamburg dwellers will swear that the city is best seen from its more watery side. Besides the obligatory harbour tour, canoes, pedal boats and small sailing boats are all readily available for rent in summer and allow for a relaxing way to pass the time.

Hamburg’s beach scene in Blankenese, just west of the city centre, also thrives in the summer and is where the urbanites go in search of a tan and a barbecue party or two. Throw in the swanky riverside cafes and sailing clubs and this could all get very addictive.

Close to two million people reside in Hamburg, making it Germany’s second largest city after Berlin.

The Hamburgers (yes, like the beef patties; no, you shouldn’t make fun of that) may come across as reserved and discreet at first but are open and friendly once they get a feel of who they are talking to or once the first beer jugs have been emptied, whichever comes first.

Following a long tradition of music hailing back to the old sea shanties sailors would drunkenly sway to on the shores of the harbour back in the day, even now a night out would not be complete without a spontaneous outburst of Hamburg, meine Perle (Hamburg, my pearl).

Ever since laying claim to the success of the Beatles in the early 1960s, Hamburg has fashioned itself as a modern musical haven for burgeoning talent.

After the Beatles came here in 1960 and made their way to Sankt Pauli, exploding onto the party scene at the Kaiserkeller, John Lennon said of the place: “I might have been born in Liverpool – but I grew up in Hamburg.” Sankt Pauli and the Reeperbahn remain the centre of nightlife but the music scene in Hamburg is now best experienced through the variety of concerts and summer festivals that occur throughout the city.

Every summer, open-air concerts are held in the Stadtpark (the city’s largest park) from May until September in which all sorts of bands play, from little known German bands to big international names (hamburg.de/stadtpark-konzerte).

The Nordstern Festival (July 12, 13) and the MsDockville Festival (August 16, 17, 18) are also growing in popularity and promise some good music – The Lumineers are the latest big name to sign up to play at MsDockville this year.

In keeping with the city’s many faces, Hamburg is a cultural centre within Germany. The Deichtorhallen contain the Hall for International Contemporary Art and the House of Photography, both of which hold exhibitions that emphasise the contemporary nature of art and culture and, together with the Kunsthalle (Art Gallery) down the road, showcase major international art collections.

Hamburg has also made a name for itself in the German theatre scene by turning its shows into profitable tourist attractions. The city is home to Tarzan: the Musical (composed by Phil Collins), to the German version of The Lion King (which includes a boat ride across the harbour to reach the venue), and to the new musical Rocky (which sees Rocky Balboa making a name for himself in musical theatre).

When thinking of where to stay in Hamburg, think location. There are hotels and hostels scattered all across the city, suiting every budget. Cheaper hostels and hotels are located near the main station in the city centre or just off the Reeperbahn, where all the nightlife happens.

However, bear in mind that while this is quite a safe city, these locations (just like in any other big city) can come across as quite seedy. Pricier boutique hotels can be found in the more affluent districts of Eppendorf, Altona and Eimsbüttel, and higher-end hotels are located in the city centre or at the harbour.

Hamburg epitomises the coming together of the pristine and the grungy. It is a city that is just big enough to feel comfortably lost in, but not too big to be overwhelming.

From its peaceful waters to its thriving music and theatre scene and all its city life in between, Hamburg is all about reinvent-ing itself through the eyes of its visitors.

So go on, try it out and you too shall be swaying to the folk beat of Hamburg, meine Perle...