After the great fire in Hamburg the square was redesigned based on the Piazza San Marco in Venice, which also opens up to the waterfront. Today’s square offers a lot to see. Firstly, you can visit one of the most important buildings of the city, for example the City Hall itself or the Reichsbank (Central Bank of the German Reich), the inner courtyard of the city hall and Versmannhaus which are all buildings protected for their cultural and historical significance. There is also the Heinrich Heine Sculpture with an interesting history behind it: the first Heine monument was given to the city in 1911. In 1933 it was torn down by the National Socialists, because Heine was a Jewish poet and a democrat. It was  later melted  down to extract metal for the armaments industry. The new sculpture has stood on the Rathausmarkt since 1982.

It’s never boring or empty, as there is always something happening here. In the winter you can enjoy mulled wine at the Christmas market and in the summer you can see many pop-up festivals. Anybody can find something to do here even if you don’t want to sightsee. You can also  go shopping: the main shopping street (Möckebergstrasse) starts here. Across the City Hall building you can feed the “Alsterschwäne”: the swans of the Alster.

You can take a break and sit down in one of the cafes or restaurants. You can try fish and chips, seafood or some of the typical German cuisine. There is a large selection of cafes. Avoid the chains like Starbucks or Tchibo, instead try nice, friendly local places or roasteries. Many of the important sightseeing spots in Hamburg (for example Saint Peter’s church or Jungfernstieg) are within walking distance from here.

If you visit the main square, make sure you take a look at the 21-metre-tall monument right next to Schleusen Bridge dedicated to the victims of the first and second world war. It’s one of the most photographed monuments of the inner city.