Hamburg

Hamburg - darkometer rating : 4 - Hamburg is Germany 's second largest city, after the capital Berlin – also in terms of dark tourism. That is to say, while Hamburg can't rival Berlin in the sheer range and number of dark sites, it still has enough such sites to warrant its own chapter here. These sites include a former concentration camp, the world's largest park cemetery, and several others – see below . > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Two particular aspects set Hamburg apart: its harbour and the city's destruction during Allied bombing raids in WWII . Hamburg's harbour was and is a major economic powerhouse and a touristic sight at the same time. A boat tour of the harbour is at the top of most tourists' itineraries. Obviously, the harbour also has its dark sides, having been a major military production site in both world wars (battleships, submarines and military aircraft were assembled here, on top of the harbour's role as a transport and supply hub). Another aspect of the harbour that is at least related to the 'dark' sides of history is the fact that it was the departure point for many people leaving their homeland behind to seek new fortunes overseas – and one of Hamburg's newest touristic offerings commemorates precisely this aspect ( BallinStadt ). During WWII the harbour made Hamburg a prime target for bombing raids. It was, however, the death toll amongst the civilian population during the carpet bombings of the city by the US and British air forces that left the darkest impact on the city's 20th century history.